Neighborhood Cat

[mrw5641]

Hi all. I have this NEIGHBORHOOD cat which I can't tell if he or she is feral. I have been feeding the cat and talking to it.

The cat meows at me and I didn't pet her but she lets me get pretty close to her face. Obviously I am careful and don't touch her.

How can I tell if she is feral? I want to bring her to the Vet and possibly bring her inside to my home but I do have another cat.

Any advice?

 

[abyeb]

I think it sounds like she's a stray, a feral wouldn't let you get that close to it. I'd reccommend asking around the neighborhood to see if she's anyone's cat, and if not, taking her into the vet where they will give her a check up and scan for a microchip.

 

[Sarthur2]

Good advice above! You'll need to see if she will let you pet her. Sit next to her while she eats, and let her smell you and your hand before attempting to pet her.

You can always wear work gloves to put her in a carrier. Scruffing a cat is the best way to immobilize them when handling.

Thanks for caring for her.

Let us know what happens!

 

[mrw5641]

Thanks for the advice! I do have another question. So, lets say I get her into the Vet, everything looks OK and I bring her home. I only have a one bedroom APT. I have been reading and a lot of people say to keep the two cats seperate for a bit before introducing them to each other. That being said, what would be the best way?

Its basically, Living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. The living room is where my current cats liter and food is and he has free roam of the house. The only other bedroom with a door is the bedroom.

Any suggestions on this dilema?

 

[Sarthur2]

You can keep the new cat in the bedroom initially. Or will this upset your cat terribly?

 

[ondine]

You might also keep him/her in the bathroom. A bit inconvenient but bathrooms are easier to clean with fewer hiding spaces.

 

[kittychick]

How WONDERFUL that you're thinking about taking this poor thing in and caring for her!!! As most above are noting - she sounds very much like a stray. Ferals rarely let you get closer than 5 feet (and certainly not close to her face) with the possible exception of feeding time - - and even then, only after you've fed them for awhile and they've come to trust you. And ferals very, very rarely make any sort of noise - including meowing. Ferals learn that noise of any kind attracts predators. So if she's meowing at you, she's most likely a stray, a lost cat, or a dumped cat who once had a home

How long have you been feeding the kitty? Like abyeb and Sarthur2 note - - spend some time with her if possible at feeding time. Getting her in sooner rather than later is good, but if she's not in horrible immediate danger, I might take a tad bit of time to develop a bit of bond first. Sit as near as she'll let you when you feed her, and talk to her gently and in a very soft, feminine (high) voice as she eats. Try bringing a long-handled spoon (like an iced tea spoon) and offering her a very irresistible treat, like Gerbers Stage 2 chicken flavor or chicken and gravy flavor (no flavors with onion - very poisonous to kitties). Chances are she'll be so in love with that flavor that she'll forget she should be nervous and she'll eat right off the spoon.

I'd be interested to see what others here say - - - shoving her in a carrier at this point may not be the best way to go. If you can lure her into a carrier with treats (or something like tuna or mackerel placed at the back of the carrier), she'll be a little less terrified. You can also trap her with a humane (live) trap if need be (spay /neuter clinics often loan them out for a small fee). Lots of folks on this forum can offer advice on how to do this. Once she gets to the vet and is fully checked out (for Felv, etc) before bringing her into your home. And obviously have her checked for a microchip. I'm assuming your current indoor fuzzball is spayed/neutered - - but this would be the time to fix the new one. And the wonderful people on this site can also offer lots of help on how to do proper introductions between your new kitty and your current indoor kitty. Doing a proper introduction can make the difference between cats who are buddies for life vs cats who never get along.

Keep us all posted - - and don't be afraid to ask anything! I hope she ends up making you a wonderful, loving new indoor companion!

 

[StefanZ]

Bathroom = easy to clean

Bedroom = easy to foster - but lay down the bed om the floor so she cant disappear under the bed. Give her a cat igloo to hide in.