Stationary Elderly Feral Cat.

[Woot]

My sister & a neighbor have been feeding a feral cat for years believed to be anywhere between 14yrs to 18yrs old according to the residents. During said time, no matter what they did or how hard they tried, they could never get “ Mr. Grey” captured or get close to him. He’s been thru a lot as you can imagine. In addition to believing he has Feline aids ( every cat rescued has had it) he lost eye sight in one eye last year & we believe he was also hit by a car last year as he appeared battered and beaten and unable to put pressure on his front leg.
Fast forward to Sunday 1.5.25. He appeared for dinner limping & moving extremely slow as usual but did not leave after he ate as usual. My sister decided ( temps down to freezing) to open the door to her home as she has done countless times & this time he went inside. He spent a good 30mins sniffing every square inch (she has two other rescues she locked in her room before hand) . Eventually he made it to her guest room, found a spot under the night table and has not moved since other than to eat/drink; bowls near by and to use the litter box. Afterwards he goes straight back to his spot and has not attempted to leave the room. We’ve been trying to get him to trust us ( I’m visiting) to no avail. What do we do? Due to his age, knowing he’s been on this property since he was very young and what he’s been thru, we believe he’s in pain and “winding down”. Any thoughts and suggestions as to what we should be doing if anything? Thank you

 

[coffee grinder]

You and your sister are so wonderful to offer him a warm, safe place to stay. We took in an elderly feral who behaved in a similar manner. She came out of her bed to eat, drink & use the litter box. She had no interest in her surroundings once she figured out it was safe. She was fine in our presence but hissed if we tried to touch her. Eventually my husband was able to hand feed her but still no touching allowed. She lived like that for almost 3 years, never leaving the room where she lived even though the door was wide open to the rest of the house.

If you want to get your boy to the vet at some point, try putting his bed inside a large pet carrier with the door propped open. Let him get used to sleeping inside the pet carrier then just shut the door when its time for the visit. That worked for us with Rosie. Good luck and I'm so glad he has a loving place to spend his final hours, days or years.

 

[Avery]

Just wanted to chime in to thank your sister for taking Mr. Grey inside her home, and to you for helping her give him a warm, safe place to live. It would be great to get him to a vet to determine if he needs pain meds or other treatment that would make him more comfortable. If you have a mobile vet in the area, they could come to your sister's house to make things easier on everyone. Thanks again for your kindness.

 

[Woot]

You and your sister are so wonderful to offer him a warm, safe place to stay. We took in an elderly feral who behaved in a similar manner. She came out of her bed to eat, drink & use the litter box. She had no interest in her surroundings once she figured out it was safe. She was fine in our presence but hissed if we tried to touch her. Eventually my husband was able to hand feed her but still no touching allowed. She lived like that for almost 3 years, never leaving the room where she lived even though the door was wide open to the rest of the house.

If you want to get your boy to the vet at some point, try putting his bed inside a large pet carrier with the door propped open. Let him get used to sleeping inside the pet carrier then just shut the door when its time for the visit. That worked for us with Rosie. Good luck and I'm so glad he has a loving place to spend his final hours, days or years.

Thank you so much for responding. I love this cat! He’s absolutely beautiful! I used to care for him when I lived here to take care of my mom. Just could never get close enough to really help him. But you’re right. He appears completely content and only gets up to eat/drink & use the little box. Frankly I think he’s closer to 18yrs +. And he definitely has health issues. I pray he just stay put, continue to relax and settle in. Again thank you. You’ve helped putting my mind at ease.

 

[Woot]

Just wanted to chime in to thank your sister for taking Mr. Grey inside her home, and to you for helping her give him a warm, safe place to live. It would be great to get him to a vet to determine if he needs pain meds or other treatment that would make him more comfortable. If you have a mobile vet in the area, they could come to your sister's house to make things easier on everyone. Thanks again for your kindness.

Been trying to get him to the vet for years! And will definitely keep trying. I’ve rescued 17 cats since 2015. And he’s has been the most challenging for sure. Thank you for responding .