I recently moved to an apartment complex that is home to a colony of 6 or so feral cats. Several times a day the cats will show up by the glass porch door looking for food. Most of the cats will allow me to open the door to put out cat food while they wait in a nearby bush so it seems like they may be used to interacting with residents for food. One of these cats that comes around jumps on the glaas door to peer inside. She has a clipped ear indicating that she is feral and fixed. She is smaller than the other cats who seem to have a healthy weight and when they are present they dont allow her to get food. Shes really cute and Ive been thinking of trying to catch her so I can take care of her. However, I recently adopted a 8 month old female cat from a local shelter who is still adjusting to her new life. Im thinking that perhaps she may be able to bond with the feral cat if I were to try bringing her in. The feral cat seems friendly from the outside with the way she eagerly jumps on the door but Ive never tried raising a feral cat before. Does anyone have suggestions for if and when I could try catching her? Also I plan to take the feral one to the vet before exposing them to each other if I were to catch her.
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Should I Catch This Feral Cat?
- Thread starter Branrich
- Start Date
Yes. Please do. You can always borrow a trap from a local shelter or rescue but it sounds like she has already chosen you. She doesn't seem like a true feral to me. She's been around humans before. get her in a trap (or a carrier if you can) and take her to the vet. Once she gets the all clear, you can bring her home and get her integrated to the household. This is a fantastic guide for introducing cats to each other. How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Welcome to TCS! Thank you for caring about BOTH of these cats. They are very fortunate to have you in their lives.
Welcome to TCS! Thank you for caring about BOTH of these cats. They are very fortunate to have you in their lives.
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Yes. Please do! She is jumping against your door for a reason. It seems she has chosen you. For her to be begging to come in to you indicated that she knows this to be a safe and trusted place. If she is smaller than the others, she may really need your protection. Cats don’t come to just anybody. She sees something good in you. I hope you will save her.
I have been working with strays, dumped and feral cats for a long time and I recognize that this kitty wants to be with you. It could be that someone dumped it out and it stayed with the others for a way to survive. Dumped kitties have it much harder than ferals. They were not raised wild so they don’t have as keen a skill set for survival outside.
There are lots of ways to catch her and have her adjust to her new environment and your other kitty. It may be that if you shut your other kitty in another room for just a little while each day and feed this kitty by opening the door she jumps against, she may just come in on her own in a little while. You can sit nearby on the floor and talk to her to calm her as you do this.
You can trap her and you can also go outside as you feed to get her to trust having you near her. I have done that until they allowed me by the dish as they ate. I would feed them inside a carrier and eventually I just closed the carrier fort and brought them in.
If you will post back, there are many of us here who have worked with lots of different situations and can help guide you through the process of catching and kitty introductions.Definitely keep the two apart until you have the new kitty checked out. That’s always the best route to take. Introductions should be gradual anyway so if your resident kitty senses a new kitty in another room and smells her, it starts the introductions. Your resident may be very happy to have another kitty for company once everything is settled.
I’m very glad you posted here. This is a great place to find information and support. Welcome!
I think you are fantastic for wanting to help this little lost kitty.
I have been working with strays, dumped and feral cats for a long time and I recognize that this kitty wants to be with you. It could be that someone dumped it out and it stayed with the others for a way to survive. Dumped kitties have it much harder than ferals. They were not raised wild so they don’t have as keen a skill set for survival outside.
There are lots of ways to catch her and have her adjust to her new environment and your other kitty. It may be that if you shut your other kitty in another room for just a little while each day and feed this kitty by opening the door she jumps against, she may just come in on her own in a little while. You can sit nearby on the floor and talk to her to calm her as you do this.
You can trap her and you can also go outside as you feed to get her to trust having you near her. I have done that until they allowed me by the dish as they ate. I would feed them inside a carrier and eventually I just closed the carrier fort and brought them in.
If you will post back, there are many of us here who have worked with lots of different situations and can help guide you through the process of catching and kitty introductions.Definitely keep the two apart until you have the new kitty checked out. That’s always the best route to take. Introductions should be gradual anyway so if your resident kitty senses a new kitty in another room and smells her, it starts the introductions. Your resident may be very happy to have another kitty for company once everything is settled.
I’m very glad you posted here. This is a great place to find information and support. Welcome!
I think you are fantastic for wanting to help this little lost kitty.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I will try to catch her and get her to a vet to see if I can safely take next steps.Yes. Please do! She is jumping against your door for a reason. It seems she has chosen you. For her to be begging to come in to you indicated that she knows this to be a safe and trusted place. If she is smaller than the others, she may really need your protection. Cats don’t come to just anybody. She sees something good in you. I hope you will save her.
I have been working with strays, dumped and feral cats for a long time and I recognize that this kitty wants to be with you. It could be that someone dumped it out and it stayed with the others for a way to survive. Dumped kitties have it much harder than ferals. They were not raised wild so they don’t have as keen a skill set for survival outside.
There are lots of ways to catch her and have her adjust to her new environment and your other kitty. It may be that if you shut your other kitty in another room for just a little while each day and feed this kitty by opening the door she jumps against, she may just come in on her own in a little while. You can sit nearby on the floor and talk to her to calm her as you do this.
You can trap her and you can also go outside as you feed to get her to trust having you near her. I have done that until they allowed me by the dish as they ate. I would feed them inside a carrier and eventually I just closed the carrier fort and brought them in.
If you will post back, there are many of us here who have worked with lots of different situations and can help guide you through the process of catching and kitty introductions.Definitely keep the two apart until you have the new kitty checked out. That’s always the best route to take. Introductions should be gradual anyway so if your resident kitty senses a new kitty in another room and smells her, it starts the introductions. Your resident may be very happy to have another kitty for company once everything is settled.
I’m very glad you posted here. This is a great place to find information and support. Welcome!
I think you are fantastic for wanting to help this little lost kitty.
Some are willing participants, kind of "houseshopping" I think. 6 months after acquiring Bug...this small female, starving, wandering and in obvious distress ended up in my yard. Without hesitation, I fed her, then took her in.
Started feeding near my garage, progressively moved the food bowl closer to my back door...within a few days, she was in, and to the vet. She offered no resistance, fully integrated indoors in short order, instantly bonded with the Bug....she's now known as Princess (original, eh?)
Use the food as a magnet to get them in, little bit at a time. it works.
Started feeding near my garage, progressively moved the food bowl closer to my back door...within a few days, she was in, and to the vet. She offered no resistance, fully integrated indoors in short order, instantly bonded with the Bug....she's now known as Princess (original, eh?)
Use the food as a magnet to get them in, little bit at a time. it works.
