Newly Adopted 2 Yr Old Feral From Hoarding Situation

[veronica00]

5 days ago I adopted a 2.5 year old cat from a shelter. He had been rescued from a hoarding situation where he lived with 28 other cats. Apparently, it was the cleanest hoarding situation police/rescue had ever seen. All cats were clean, healthy and well cared for.

What I didn’t realize is.. they were also feral. Feral meaning zero human interaction/fear of humans. They were all indoor only so had never been outside, all related. But the fear of humans runs deep.

I did not know this and probably wouldn’t have adopted Milo had I known. I thought he was just being shy with me. But when it took 3 professionals 20 minutes to get him in a carrier for me to bring home, my anxiety grew and I knew this was a feral cat.

I chose him because he LOVES other kitties. I watched him grooming his brother and playing with other kitties. The notes on his file kept repeating how much this guy loves kitties. I needed a cat that would hopefully bond with my current cat Charlie who just lost his brother 5 weeks ago today. He is very needy and loving and misses that companionship.

Okay long post sorry, what I’m looking for is help/advice. Now that Milo has been with me for 5 days, I am becoming attached even though he fears me. I go into his room (he’s isolated) and take naps, read aloud, play with wand toys and give him freeze dried chicken treats. He was starting to do better, even coming out to eat his meal with me sitting right there. But yesterday I had a vet come to the house to test him for FIV/FELV and give him an exam. That was a disaster requiring sedation and it set us back a bit.

Milo will still take treats right out of my fingers which I think is a good sign. Any advice on how to gain this little man’s trust? I watch him on the camera set up in his room and he is hysterical. Running through the toy tunnel, dragging his wand toys around etc. Last night since he got the clear from the vet I let him and Charlie play with the wand toys under the 1 inch crack under the door. Milo sits at the door after we leave and looks for Charlie.

Is 2 too old to socialize? Will he accept Charlie and vice versa? (a couple days ago I opened the door a bit and Charlie hissed and growled at Milo. Milo didn’t react but sat there and watched him)

Milo .. I mean look at that face:

 

[veronica00]

To be more specific with my questions, I keep reading “make sure you do the introductions right” and “feral cats can be tamed, an experienced rescuer uses various techniques to help the cat lose its fear of humans” etc.

What are these techniques? And how long do I have to leave Milo isolated in a room. This poor boy is used to living in a house with 28 cats and later a room with more than a dozen male cats (owner ultimately separated males and females). He is alone and I’m sure scared and bored. I want to do things the right way for Milo and for Charlie.

(Today is day 5 and I am at work so no visits, treats, reading during the day. Same tomorrow but Thursday I work from home.)

 

[surya]

Do you sit with him while he's eating? Food is the place to start. They let their guard down when they are hungry. Then gradually start petting him. After you can pet him, you start putting you hands underneath him and after that picking him up just a little. It doesn't sound like he is totally feral, just semi feral, so I think he can be tamed.

 

[veronica00]

I thought he was "partially" feral but the vet yesterday said "Uh no, he is full on feral". Just because he has always been indoors doesn't mean he's not feral. I dunno, I think there's hope.

Regarding his food, initially I was bringing it in and leaving the room so he would come out and eat it. Then on Sunday (day 3) I said, I'm gonna sit here until you come out. It took 1 minute. He came out and ate it right next to me. When he was done, I went to move the dish a little so he could get some of the chicken that fell off the plate - I thought for sure he'd recoil. But no! He leaned forward to sniff my hand. I was elated.

He did that because I give him freeze dried chicken treats from my fingers, I make him take them that way and he does. So now when I reach toward him, he thinks I have chicken

After the vet visit yesterday, he would not come out and eat while I was in the room. We took a step back but I'm hoping soon he will allow it again. It was a tough day for him.

 

[theyremine]

I have found that cats from hoarding situations do well with other cats. My Stellar wants to be an only cat and the only cat she truly ever accepted was Pedro who came from a hoarding situation. Dealing with so many cats (almost 100) in the house, he had learned to manipulate without fighting.

As for being semiferal, my Rascal who was feral is now a lap cat. In several months he was allowing petting but it was 3 years before he enjoyed my lap. Before that for years he did sit/lay very close to me but wasn't ready to trust completely.

 

[surya]

Totally feral cats will not eat chicken treats from your hands. So I disagree with your vet. One of my tame cats acts feral around vets, so I can see why the vet would think that. It sounds like you are off to a good start. He just needs time to trust you and get used to his new home. So keep doing what you are doing and be patient, I think he will come around.

 

[maggiedemi]

He is so cute, I love tuxedo cats. It's good that he likes other cats, I think everything will be fine, it will just take some time. Do you have a gate or screen door you can introduce them through? I tamed my boy feral by petting him with a long handled duster. My two former ferals are now 3 years old and the only difference now between them and regular cats is that they are terrified of all new strangers and they still try to scratch us sometimes.

 

[theyremine]

You posted while I was typing and after reading your post I must add, I disagree with your vet. An adult feral would not eat in front of you after just a few days nor would he sniff your hand and certainly not eat from your hand. In socializing 8 week old feral kittens it takes longer than that! Maybe he acted "feral" at the vets, but that is a very stressful situation for an under socialized cat.

 

[veronica00]

Most of what attracted me to Milo was the shelter's insistence that he gets along great with cats. The main goal here is to find a good friend for Charlie. But in time, I also hope to win him over

theyremine that's great news about Pedro and Stellar. I have 2 cats - Charlie I know wants a friend but Lulu I just assume will want nothing to do with him as she does Charlie. But who knows. Also amazing that Rascal came around like that. I don't need a lap cat or to pick him up .. but I would love to be able to pat him and show him love.

surya I thought so too! Sometimes when he takes the chicken he jumps back and eats it.. but he always takes it. And sometimes he will sniff around my hand first. Makes me hopeful.

M maggiedemi I was thinking of getting a gate. Not sure if I can just let Charlie in Milo’s room or if that’s a no no. I can’t let Milo out yet because once he’s out .. pretty sure I’m not getting him back in … I bought a back scratcher but he's kind of scared of it so I often use the other end of a feather wand - he allows it on his front paws only.

 

[veronica00]

Yeah theyremine in my opinion he is partially feral. His human must have brought food into the room and left, he was likely not patted or played with. He hisses at me if I approach in a certain way. He runs and hides when the door opens .. but boy does he love when Charlie comes by and plays under the door crack.

His human must have had a mental issue to allow her original cats to mate and keep having babies until she was so overwhelmed she ultimately separated males and females in different rooms rather than have them fixed and surrender. No idea what her interaction was with them but I would think if she was interacting with them they wouldn't be as fearful of people.

The sounds I heard in that bathroom when the vet tried to work with him were nuts. He was throwing himself against the door and literally climbing up the walls to the ceiling on towel racks until he was put out via sedation. It was likely his first vet visit.

 

[maggiedemi]

Former ferals can make wonderful pets, just watch out for the claws, that's really the only thing I'm having a problem with mine, teaching them not to scratch people. Boy cats seem to be friendlier to other cats. I would try the gate first before letting them in the room together. I hope they become best friends. Maybe seeing you interact with your other cat will make him less afraid.

 

[di and bob]

5 days is absolutely NOTHING to any cat, much less a scared, lonely boy like yours. He is NOT feral. Feral would be literally climbing the walls, bashing his head against the ceiling and trying to jump through the windows at the mere sight of a human, even you. Yours is unsocialized. It wills take months, not days for him to get comfortable. The vet was a setback, because strange humans are trying to hurt/kill him, that is what he thinks any way. And vets have already hurt him with shots, etc. so the smell of one would panic him and make him act like a feral. The next time he has a vet visit, make sure you give him a calming treat, found on Amazon, they work for mine. He will bond with your other cat because he is used to being around others, your cat will take longer, but he will come around too, try to feed them close together, for now on each side of the door and swap their blankets frequently. It will just take time. Try not to have sudden movements, loud noises and company right now. He needs calm and stable. If company does come, have him a hiding place in another room. Children would be another setback, they have no impulse control and are loud and too quick for a scared cat right now. Hissing and even swatting are perfectly normal between your cats, even tussles. But if deep bites occur or blood is drawn, they need to be separated and introductions restarted. I think everything will be fine, you are off to a good start. You will be blessed for giving that sweet boy a chance, if you have any questions at all, please ask us. Keep us posted, I am interested about how things are going in 6 months!

 

[veronica00]

M maggiedemi I agree with male cats seeming friendlier to other cats, I was only looking for a male for that reason. I was also thinking the same thing about Milo seeing me patting Charlie and Charlie not afraid of me. Hoping it helps! You don’t think they could just jump over a baby gate?

@diandbob unsocialized definitely sounds closer to what Milo is. I knew the vet would set things back a bit, it was a nightmare. Catching him in that net thing and keeping him in it for a few mins I could hardly watch. I tried to stay out of sight so he wouldn’t associate me with the whole thing but obviously, I’m a human and he’s scared. I am thrilled that you think Milo and Charlie will bond. I do too. I know it will be harder for Charlie since it’s his “territory” and Charlie is very attached to me. But Charlie loves other kitties so I think in time he will adjust. A little concerned that Charlie vomited this morning for the first time in the 2.5 years I’ve had him – it was whole regurgitated kibble so maybe stress I don’t’ know.

There are no children in my house and very infrequent visitors so that is not an issue. I do have a 90 pound dog who barks a lot – I try to quiet him but it’s tough. Milo hasn’t reacted much to it though.

I guess the next step would be to buy a gate (seems like they could just jump over it) and see how that goes. I know Milo is dying to get near Charlie and I think it will help him. I have to be sure not to stress out Charlie who just lost his best friend 5 weeks ago. I do think in the long run this will be a good match for both.

 

[maggiedemi]

I know some people stack two baby gates. We made our own gate. Do you have a carrier? You could put one cat in the carrier and let the other one in the room. I did that with my cats.

 

[rubysmama]

Milo is really cute. And he looks young too. Hope everything works out and he and Charlie, and you, all become best buds.

 

[cosmic cats]

Hi,

He does look lovely, yes, and hes very lucky to have found a home with you. Im sorry you lost your tother cat kid recently..

I hope your new guy settles in quickly... when I caught my boys (as kittens) in the trap the vet said they would never be tame, and they were the most loving, affectionate boys ever

Its very good you got him FIV / FeLV checked too, I think...I wanted to quickly add something about this even though he was an indoor only cat (along with all the other cats) and even though thankfully he tested neg for both virus. That all sounds very good.. Im just wondering if the vet suggested re-testing him for FIV at any stage before you let him socialise full time with your other cat kid.. I don't mean to be a worry wart, but perhaps it would be wise to retest him to try and validate , clarify his FIV status before he socialises, given he lived with so many other cats. On the off chance he picked up FIV from one recently, antibodies may not have developed yet and hence a test that looks for FIV antibodies (which Im guessing is the sort of test your vet did?) might not have found any, simply because they hadn't "showed up" yet.....
Again, it does all sound promising, re his status for both virus and its just a thought re having him retested for FIV, as an extra precaution...and of course retest for FeLV at the same time if you wanted to

I am currently reading a report done at a university regarding the first ever study to test the effectiveness of the current FIV vaccine in a "field environment". It also studied other things eg re how accurate/effective several in house test kits are (that test for FIV).
Its very interesting (and some very good news re testing for FIV is given amidst some not so good news re FIV itself)

This excellent study has made me even more aware how important it is to test for (FIV and FeLV) correctly. There are a quite a few factors involved in testing the best possible way but Im hesitant to discuss much about this in case I have misunderstood things (given I don't have a science background.)
...But, for example, its very important to do the relevant tests at the "correct time" - for example, PCR testing should be done a minimum of one month after last contact with another cat, I believe, if one wants to try and get the clearest picture/most accurate result. Vets should be able to advise re this....I don't know much abt it...or FeLV).

I think generally it is important to try to find a vet who uses the best test kits and external labs possible, who really knows a lot about the best ways to test for these two virus (including how to test kittens. ) I personally also now prefer vets with great hygiene practices.

After reading this report, I realise the brand of test kit a local vet here used seems to be inferior to other brands in one major way (re FIV testing), so I will now only have blood inhouse tested using another brand of test kit if possible (ie one of the brands often mentioned in the study report)


best wishes to you and yr new guy

 

[veronica00]

I know you mean well C cosmic cats and I appreciate the advice but .. .OMG I am already way too much of a worrier!!! I just lost my best and favorite kitty at age 4 to a horrendous disease (IMHA). Are you serious about this concern?!

The shelter vet tested 5 of the cats of the 28 cats 2 months ago (8/16/17) I do not know if Milo was tested at that time but they assured me due to the fact that all these cats are related to each other and all came from the same clean home and kept indoors that he did not have FIV/FELV. This was not good enough for me so I spent $900 and put Milo through it yesterday to retest.

He is not a kitten, he is 2 years old. I do not think even yesterday’s test was necessary but it was done for peace of mind. Are you telling me I have to wait 2 more months of isolating him in a room or he'll give my dear Charlie FIV???

 

[surya]

I think I would trust the shelter vet. Since they were kept inside and were healthy it is unlikely that he has it.

 

[veronica00]

I didn’t even trust the shelter vet which is why I spent just under a thousand dollars just to get an FIV/Felv test yesterday. That’s why I’m so thrown by this. I cannot isolate this cat for 2 more months. Honestly, I am starting think I made a huge mistake. I just can’t put my Charlie at risk after losing Petey the way I did just over a month ago. I don’t have the fortitude for it. I was just trying to do a good thing for Charlie by getting him a friend, a friend who I don’t even care if he doesn’t like me.

But all this FIV and FIP stuff, I will never know if he might give something to Charlie.

 

[Willowy]

FIV is not very contagious. It's only spread by very deep bites. Cornell University (they're the experts on FIV and FeLV) says that FIV+ cats can be kept with FIV- cats with no trouble as long as they don't fight seriously. It's really not much of a concern at all for neutered housepets. FELV is the one to worry about, but since the shelter vet tested the others, and he was kept indoors in a clean environment, AND you had him tested, I think you can safely let him meet your boy .

FIP and IMHA, unfortunately, are just things that sometimes happen :/. It doesn't do any good to worry about it though.

Here are some brochures:
FIV: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
FeLV: Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
Testing: Testing for FIV and FeLV