I posted last week about how to get our newly adopted feral back and got some great advice. Now I find things are not going as well as I would like and I am hoping I can get advice as to whether I am doing something wrong or whether there are factors that have nothing to do with me.
After asking for help as to how to get Brady to return if he was still around one of the answers was to put out food. So far, this is the summary of what has happened.
Sunday: put out dry food, it was pushed out of dish but not eaten. I assume this was Brady because any other animal would have eaten it.
Monday: put out dry w/wet, wet got eaten between 7-9PM. I assume this was Brady because dry food was left.
Tuesday: put out dry w/wet, Brady was seen eating at 8:40 PM after he tried coming at 8:20. left and returned.
Wednesday: put out dry w/wet (I sat on deck until 8:45), skunk was seen eating dry at 9PM. Dish was left out all night, was wiped clean by morning. Could have been Brady, could have been skunk. When I had interrupted skunk while dining I noticed that he had been eating the dry food from around the beef chunks canned cat food.
Thursday: put out wet only, Brady was seen eating at 9PM, DH and I made 'friendly noises' ("hi Brady, meow meow") out of dining room window.
Friday: put out wet only, Brady came at 8:30, but left when he heard 'friendly noise' from dining room window. He did look straight at me and I made the mistake of making eye contact. He did not come back so I gave up at 9:45.
Saturday: put out wet only, Brady was no-show. This was the first rainy day so I put the food inside a box. I though he would not mind the box and would appreciate being able to eat while staying dry.
So the tally is over the first 7 days of putting food out, Brady came 5 of those days, maybe 6 if he was the one who polished off the wet after we ran off the skunk. I think he is smart so he understands that he can get food at our steps, but more skittish than I thought I may be blowing it by making him aware of my presence. Maybe I tried to move too fast. His foster mom had said that he was pretty tame, maybe that only applies to when he interacts with her.
I am thinking the way to proceed is to put food out when he likes to come and be absolutely unintrusive (no calling, meowing or anything) until we have a better routine. Also if I could get opinions as to how much food to put out. I have been putting out 1/4 can thinking I do not want him to eat so much that he can stay away for a day. Or is more better? Or should I try sitting on the deck and being perfectly still, or will my smell scare him off? Will they stay away when it is raining?
After asking for help as to how to get Brady to return if he was still around one of the answers was to put out food. So far, this is the summary of what has happened.
Sunday: put out dry food, it was pushed out of dish but not eaten. I assume this was Brady because any other animal would have eaten it.
Monday: put out dry w/wet, wet got eaten between 7-9PM. I assume this was Brady because dry food was left.
Tuesday: put out dry w/wet, Brady was seen eating at 8:40 PM after he tried coming at 8:20. left and returned.
Wednesday: put out dry w/wet (I sat on deck until 8:45), skunk was seen eating dry at 9PM. Dish was left out all night, was wiped clean by morning. Could have been Brady, could have been skunk. When I had interrupted skunk while dining I noticed that he had been eating the dry food from around the beef chunks canned cat food.
Thursday: put out wet only, Brady was seen eating at 9PM, DH and I made 'friendly noises' ("hi Brady, meow meow") out of dining room window.
Friday: put out wet only, Brady came at 8:30, but left when he heard 'friendly noise' from dining room window. He did look straight at me and I made the mistake of making eye contact. He did not come back so I gave up at 9:45.
Saturday: put out wet only, Brady was no-show. This was the first rainy day so I put the food inside a box. I though he would not mind the box and would appreciate being able to eat while staying dry.
So the tally is over the first 7 days of putting food out, Brady came 5 of those days, maybe 6 if he was the one who polished off the wet after we ran off the skunk. I think he is smart so he understands that he can get food at our steps, but more skittish than I thought I may be blowing it by making him aware of my presence. Maybe I tried to move too fast. His foster mom had said that he was pretty tame, maybe that only applies to when he interacts with her.
I am thinking the way to proceed is to put food out when he likes to come and be absolutely unintrusive (no calling, meowing or anything) until we have a better routine. Also if I could get opinions as to how much food to put out. I have been putting out 1/4 can thinking I do not want him to eat so much that he can stay away for a day. Or is more better? Or should I try sitting on the deck and being perfectly still, or will my smell scare him off? Will they stay away when it is raining?