New to Cats, Need Advice on Stray/Feral kitty

lisalu

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
116
Purraise
231
Hello, I want to ask that all of you please be kind because I know almost nothing about kitties so I am seeking advice.

A couple of weeks ago a small cat - maybe half grown, I'm not sure - showed up in our yard and I started to feed her on our deck. She never came near me, but when she'd see me watching her she'd look at me curiously so long as I kept my distance. She seemed like such a thin little kitty and on her own, that I felt like she was probably lost rather than feral. When no one claimed her on Next Door or the Animal Shelter website, I decided to trap her and see if I she might make a good pet since I had been thinking about getting a cat anyway. (As we live on a busy road AND have packs of coyotes in the neighborhood, I didn't want to leave her outside.)

I caught her a week ago, brought her in the house where she immediately went into hiding (as I can understand.) She would come out to eat, but otherwise kept her distance. Over the past week she has become more and more "social" as far as she wanders around the room we're in and meows quite a bit. She will approach us cautiously but won't get close enough to touch. She has recently started rubbing against the furniture, and grooming herself. She seems mostly relaxed and behaves as a normal house cat (I think!) except that she won't use the litter box and she won't let us pet her. A few times when she's been under the couch I've been able to reach my hand in there and she will very gently touch my finger with her paw, then pull back. One time, I got her to lick baby food off my finger that way.

As for the litter box, I've tried putting yard dirt on top of the litter and it does look like she's scratched around in there, but I still find "accidents" on the carpet.

Yes, I WILL take her to the vet, I thought I'd just give her a week or two to warm up to us first before going through the trauma of trapping her again and taking her to a new, strange place. (And I will have to trap her, I don't know how else to get her in a carrier when she won't let me touch her.)

My questions are this: Does it sound like she is feral or a stray? How do I litter train her? I know I'm supposed to confine her to a small room, but that is easier said than done when I can't actually pick her up and put her in a certain place. (Her food, litter box, toys, and bedding are in our laundry room, and sometimes I am able to close the door when she goes in there to eat, then I'll leave her in there for a few hours to hopefully use the litter box.)

Please, no judgements, I am doing my best with very little cat experience. I would love to be able to make a pet of this pretty little kitty, and just need some advice on how to proceed. Thank you!
 

Attachments

roguethecat

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Messages
684
Purraise
197
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
1. Thank you so much for saving this cat! Doesn't sound like a stray since then she would know about litter boxes. Beatiful pics, reminding me of my Grisou, only he is more pot-bellied...
2. Litter training: Patience is key. If she poops elsewhere, put it into the litter box. It might help to use one without a lid at first. Dr Elsey makes a herb mix that is supposed to attract the cat to the litterbox (Cat Attract), suggest to try that if you have access.
3. Petting: Patience. She just had a major change in her life. And you are right, taking her to the vet will traumatize her again, so unless she is sick I'd postpone that a bit (don't see a marked ear so she is probably not fixed - best to find someone able to handle ferals).
4. Have you tried catnip?
5. Playing might be key. Try a kitty wand.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

lisalu

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
116
Purraise
231
1. Thank you so much for saving this cat! Doesn't sound like a stray since then she would know about litter boxes. Beatiful pics, reminding me of my Grisou, only he is more pot-bellied...
2. Litter training: Patience is key. If she poops elsewhere, put it into the litter box. It might help to use one without a lid at first. Dr Elsey makes a herb mix that is supposed to attract the cat to the litterbox (Cat Attract), suggest to try that if you have access.
3. Petting: Patience. She just had a major change in her life. And you are right, taking her to the vet will traumatize her again, so unless she is sick I'd postpone that a bit (don't see a marked ear so she is probably not fixed - best to find someone able to handle ferals).
4. Have you tried catnip?
5. Playing might be key. Try a kitty wand.
Thank you for all the suggestions! I am using a litter box without a lid. I could try the Cat Attract, too (is that like catnip?)

I've tried enticing her with one of those squeaky mice on a fishing pole toys but she doesn't show the slightest interest - where is her hunting instinct? Also, I heard that feral cats don't generally meow to humans and this one meows a LOT, and she has never hissed, snarled, arched her back, or shown any kind of aggressive tendencies. That is why I'm not sure of her background, I assumed a feral cat would be more hostile and defensive.

Finally, is there a way to guesstimate her age? She is pretty tiny - even smaller than she appears in the photos. I think she weighs maybe 5 lbs, so I"m not sure she is full grown.
 

roguethecat

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Messages
684
Purraise
197
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
if she is tiny, it suggests even more of a feral who did not get enough nutrition. My sister has a pocket cat half the size of what is lounging around at my home (no one can pick her up but she likes to sit on people she knows).
There are feral cats known as "friendlies" who have never been cared for by humans who are not aggressive (most ferals I encounter are only aggressive when they fear for their live, i.e. you trapped them), and especially if you feed her she will see you as non-threatening. You can try blinking her eyes at her and see if she blinks back (friendly signal between cats).
A vet could guestimate the age with a look at her teeth... sorry no help here.
Anyway, congratulations to having a cat! What is her name?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

lisalu

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
116
Purraise
231
No name until I'm sure it all works out. Here is the dilemma: I called the vet and was informed that they will NOT treat the kitty until I have first turned her into the county Animal Shelter so they can attempt to find the owner, and only after they release the cat back to me will I be able to obtain veterinary care. I was told that is Georgia law.

I hate to say it, but if that is the procedure, that isn't going to work out for me. I'm not going to take a skittish kitty who is just starting to trust me to the animal shelter so she can be in a cage for the required period of time, and then go back and get her. If the vet doesn't find a chip (I assume they won't) then why can't I just have her spayed, vaccinated, etc, and become her owner?
 

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,125
Purraise
17,370
Location
Los Angeles
That has never happened to me and I have brought lots of ferals and strays to my vet over the years. Yes, they can scan for a microchip but invariably there never is one and that is the end of the story.

Do you think that you ran into a vet (assuming that you did not have a vet before because you did not have a cat?) who is a stickler about laws? Technically, this is the law in most places but I have never seen it enforced unless a microchip was found. I have a cousin in GA who has cats who are all strays and I am sure no vet ever told her this. Personally, I think this is a feral cat at any rate, but one who is willing to work with humans and be sociable over time. She may have been fed by other humans and knows that is how to get food.

I can honestly see that if someone walks into the vet's office with a dog who is socialized and friendly there might be a question of ownership and the true owner might be looking for their pet...hence the demand to turn it into AC.

If you were to take her to a shelter, would she be euthanized? There might be a feral policy as opposed to a friendly lost kitty policy. Around here, shelters are not taking stray cats at all, COVID regulation, but GA might be different.

You also may have encountered a vet who does not work with ferals and sees the trap as a sign that the cat was not yours in the first place....or he just does not deal with ferals.

How To Train Kittens To Use The Litter Box – TheCatSite Articles
Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips – TheCatSite Articles
10 Must-know Tips For Happy Living With A Shy Cat – TheCatSite Articles
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

lisalu

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
116
Purraise
231
The whole animal shelter thing is just out of the question for me. I put her picture on Next Door and on the Animal Shelter website. When I take her to the vet, they can check for a microchip (which I kind of doubt they'll find.) I think that is all the due diligence that should be required. Any responsible owner could be located by one of these methods.

A "cat lady" in my neighborhood suggested that I don't have to tell the vet exactly how I got her, but I can't think of a plausible explanation to get around the requirement - like how would have come to have a cat that is nearly grown and has no medical history?

I guess I could shop for another vet who would just be satisfied to see the cat in a good, safe home and not insist on the letter of the law. The only other option is to treat her as a true feral and turn her in to be neutered and released - but I hate to do that!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

lisalu

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
116
Purraise
231
The whole animal shelter thing is just out of the question for me. I put her picture on Next Door and on the Animal Shelter website. When I take her to the vet, they can check for a microchip (which I kind of doubt they'll find.) I think that is all the due diligence that should be required. Any responsible owner could be located by one of these methods.

A "cat lady" in my neighborhood suggested that I don't have to tell the vet exactly how I got her, but I can't think of a plausible explanation to get around the requirement - like how would have come to have a cat that is nearly grown and has no medical history?

I guess I could shop for another vet who would just be satisfied to see the cat in a good, safe home and not insist on the letter of the law. The only other option is to treat her as a true feral and turn her in to be neutered and released - but I hate to do that!
PS...found a dedicated cat vet that said they'd see her, and didn't bat an eye when I said she was a stray.
 

dahlia

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Messages
396
Purraise
299
She looks like she might have been nursing kittens? Did you ever see any sign of kittens or would she leave and go somewhere after she ate?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

lisalu

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
116
Purraise
231
She came and went, sometimes she'd be gone for a day before I'd see her again. She never acted particularly nervous or anxious when she was here though, I'd see her meandering around the yard without appearing to be in a hurry to go anywhere - like if she had kittens to get back to. And once we brought her in the house, she didn't seem frantic to go back outside as if she was looking for her kittens. So I dunno!
 

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,125
Purraise
17,370
Location
Los Angeles
I am glad that you found another vet! I really do suspect now that you might have encountered a vet who did not want to deal with ferals and that was their way of getting you to move along with your problem cat.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12

lisalu

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
116
Purraise
231
So an update: vet appt is scheduled for next week, and I put a carrier in "her" room (laundry room) so she can get used to it before I hopefully can coax her into it.

My granddaughters, ages 9 and 11, came over to see the kitty yesterday and I warned them that she was still very shy and probably wouldn't come near them. Imagine my surprise when the cat actually responded to them, crept out of her hiding place to take treats, sniffed their hands, and played with a kitty toy with them! I thought two new faces suddenly peering at her from under the couch would send her bolting for a new hiding place, but she actually seemed to LIKE the kids.

Question: does this possibly mean she once had a home with children in the house? The girls got her to respond in a matter of minutes which has taken me the better part of a week to achieve.

Best of all, I actually petted her briefly last night during a "treat" session - coaxing her closer and closer with treats until I was gradually able to rub her head just for a moment. It didn't last long, but that is the first time I've really touched the cat. Yay!
 

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,125
Purraise
17,370
Location
Los Angeles
Who knows, but that is great news! I am going to guess that she might have been on the outskirts of a human relationship and has learned that humans can be her friends. My avatar was born to an entirely feral mother and lived her early life, about the first year, as a true feral. Suddenly she started to come to the back door (I always fed the litter and had them TNRed) and to make a long story short is now a lap cat. It is unpredictable about a feral and studies have even been done about those who "cross over" and those who do not but the bottom line is that many of them can become lovely pets. She is making very quick progress with letting you rub her head.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

lisalu

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
116
Purraise
231
Who knows, but that is great news! I am going to guess that she might have been on the outskirts of a human relationship and has learned that humans can be her friends. My avatar was born to an entirely feral mother and lived her early life, about the first year, as a true feral. Suddenly she started to come to the back door (I always fed the litter and had them TNRed) and to make a long story short is now a lap cat. It is unpredictable about a feral and studies have even been done about those who "cross over" and those who do not but the bottom line is that many of them can become lovely pets. She is making very quick progress with letting you rub her head.
I'm trying to be patient, I know it's going to take a while. She does seem to have used her litter box the last day or two (with that garden dirt mixed in it's kind of hard to tell for sure, but no "accidents" so far today.) She will come in the living room where we're sitting and walk around the room purring and meowing and rubbing against the furniture. She'll come right up to us, inches away, and give me the "I want attention" look although she still backs off when I reach out to touch her - she doesn't hiss or get defensive, and she doesn't run away, she just moves out of reach.

Sometimes she looks like she wants to jump up on my lap, but she just can't bring herself to do it.

Does all this sound like the usual progression in taming a cat? I guess I'll know more once the vet has seen her.
 

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,125
Purraise
17,370
Location
Los Angeles
She is making incredibly quick progress for a stray/feral. Great news that she is using the litter box as well. Since she is interested in being around you, I would let her pace herself at first. You might try getting a wand type toy and see if she will more or less play with it if you touch her with it. It could also make her used to the idea of you patting her.

10 Must-know Tips For Happy Living With A Shy Cat – TheCatSite Articles

We don't actually know that this cat is shy at all; she might just be using good judgment in a new home but there could be a couple tips in this article.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

lisalu

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
116
Purraise
231
She is making incredibly quick progress for a stray/feral. Great news that she is using the litter box as well. Since she is interested in being around you, I would let her pace herself at first. You might try getting a wand type toy and see if she will more or less play with it if you touch her with it. It could also make her used to the idea of you patting her.

10 Must-know Tips For Happy Living With A Shy Cat – TheCatSite Articles

We don't actually know that this cat is shy at all; she might just be using good judgment in a new home but there could be a couple tips in this article.
Thanks!

I'm sorry to keep picking your brain, but let me ask you another question. How will it go at the vet? She clearly doesn't feel comfortable being touched yet, so how are they going to get her out of the crate and handle her? I suppose this is something they're used to, but I am kind of wondering how that will go.
 

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,125
Purraise
17,370
Location
Los Angeles
If you found a dedicated cat vet and you have disclosed that she is a stray, they should be prepared to handle her. Most skilled vet techs know what to do with a scared cat and this is not confined only to strays. My Jamie goes ballistic at the vet, "flipped out" is the medical term that his regular vet uses, and has had to be sedated for procedures. With ferals, my vet will usually tip the trap or cage to the side and sedate them by giving them an injection as they fall against the wire portion of the carrier or side of the trap. However, I am not saying that your kitty may even go to this extreme.

Did you originally trap her in a cat trap or just put her in a carrier of some kind? Can you get her back into a carrier? If not, don't panic. This is all new for her and if she went to the vet a week later it would not hurt anything about a seemingly healthy cat.

I do think that she wants to sit with you, but as you say, cannot bring her self to it yet.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

lisalu

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
116
Purraise
231
The kitty goes to the vet today, IF I can get her in the carrier!

So she's been with us ten days now, and I can pet her (although I have to give her a treat first) and she sticks close to me and wants my attention, even if I have to coax her to be petted. She also uses the litter box now (locking her in the room with it overnight seems to have done the trick.)

So again, I'm not convinced this is a totally feral cat, she has adapted pretty quickly to "home life" and has never once even indicated that she wanted to go back outside. But either way, she seems to be coming along nicely as a potential pet. Hopefully she checks out healthy today!
 

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,125
Purraise
17,370
Location
Los Angeles
Please let us know what the vet says. You could be entirely correct that she is not a feral. Their stories are so hard to figure out and are really lost to us. She may be in that gray area where she was on the outskirts of human society, half stray but someone was kind to her. I rescued two cats who ran out from under cars (when I was walking a dog, no less) and begged for food. Whoever they were, and they were in bad shape, they knew that humans could bring food.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

lisalu

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
116
Purraise
231
The vet said she is between 8-12 months old and has had kittens, which we suspected. I feel terrible if I took her away from her kittens, but I didn't know! I figure if there were kittens they are dead now, and maybe even before I caught her. She was (is) very thin so maybe she couldn't even feed them and herself. She only weighs 7 lbs and probably gained a pound of that since she's been here. She is otherwise healthy, though, and got her shots and is scheduled for spaying.

She did have to be sedated for the exam, but the vet said she probably has had contact with humans because she is calm and will let us pet her - the vet assistant petted her with no problem although she resisted being picked up and handled.
 
Top