Stray Cat & Neuter

[qtpidani]

I've had a stray cat that's been coming around for about 3 years now. I always suspected he was dumped, and I've been working to gain his trust. It only took 3 years but I can pet him, pick him up, etc. He has been living on my unheated front porch (the screen door is broken so he is able to let himself in/out as he wants) but at least he has a sheltered place to stay (with blankets and self warming mats) since it is getting very cold here.

I already have 4 cats, a dog and a parrot, and no place to isolate him inside my house. My husband didn't want the last stray I took in, so unfortunately him living inside is not an option. Plus, I worry about my parrot because the stray has already expressed "interest" when he saw my parrot recently. I'm trying to get him a home but have not been very successful on that front, clearly.

I have an appointment for him on 12/21 to get neutered, thankfully. My concern is how long do I need to keep him fully contained after, and prevent him from getting out to go wandering? I thought I read with TNR male cats, you could release them in 24 hours. I know it's not ideal but is that accurate? If not, what sort of time frame should I shoot for? My only option is to setup a large dog crate for him and keep him in that, but I worry with it getting so cold here (right now, we can see lows of 18-20 degree F) that he wouldn't be able to properly stay warm if in a large kennel.

Any suggestions or advice?

 

[fionasmom]

Are you able to set up any heated pads on the porch, safely? I am referring to the kind that might plug in. If not, there are the discs that you can heat in the microwave. Out here they are suitable; possibly where you are they would not stay warm for long. I do have the self warming pads in a bed for a stray feral who lives in apartments nearby and she is very faithful to that bed, so it certainly is something helpful.

Using a dog crate for a brief period of time, with some pads and blankets for warmth is not unacceptable. What does the vet or TNR facility say about releasing male cats? My standard procedure is to leave all cats overnight at the vet's; sometimes I have left a female for an extra day but have picked up all males the next day and released them. You may have to pick up your boy after the procedure though, so unless you are given other directions, I would stick to the 24 hour window. I have never had one repercussion after the release of a feral, including spayed females with incisions.

Male cats who are fixed are not able to reproduce, but the hormones take about 30 days to get out of their system.

 

[qtpidani]

I don't know that I'd feel safe with electric heating pads. My house is old and I have 1 outlet (who knows when it was last updated -- certainly not in the 17 years we've owned the house) in the ceiling of my porch. I'm in SE Wisconsin, and we've been fairly lucky so far, but over the next week, it looks like we have some lows of 18-20 degrees.

I asked the front desk staff at the vet I've been taking him to (not my normal vet, they couldn't get him in for weeks and he had an open wound on his paw) when I took him in today to get his staple removed and they told me a minimum of 7 days. Obviously, I know that's ideal, but I thought it was less when I did some research on TNR. Unfortunately, we don't have a local TNR program, so I'm paying to get this guy neutered. I should be able to find some way to keep him locked on my porch for 24 hours, but not sure I can manage more than that. So, I'm happy to hear that you've never had one repercussion of releasing a cat with that timeframe. If he isn't feeling well after the procedure, he very well may willingly not even want to leave my porch. He currently spends probably 16-20 hours a day on my porch and only leaves to go wandering for a few hours, generally at night.

Thanks for your reply! It helps me know that I'm (hopefully/likely) not going to cause him any harm if I can't keep him contained for more than 24 hours. My last-ditch effort is asking a friend if she can take him for a few days, but that's also not ideal given her house layout and current animals. It would be so much easier if I could have just found him a home before his procedure.

 

[fionasmom]

I completely understand that you can't plug anything in and should not if there is any risk. He is still a lucky cat to have found your house. Seven days is a very long time to hold a male cat after neutering. Was there a specific reason related to your extreme cold weather or anything like that? Try to do the best you can and watch him for any signs of anything not looking right.