Taking home a stray/feral

[Sal89]

Hi,
I'm currently struggling with whether I should take home a feral cat.

I work at a hospital and we have quite a few feral cat on the premises. The staff in the hospital do leave food out for them but most of them I would say are feral ie: run away when approached and don't interact with humans.

Recently I've found one who let's me pet her and rubs up against me and purrs when I give her belly rubs. I'm not certain how old she is but I think she's under a year. She's always in the same place and I think let's other people pet her too.

I have never owned a cat before even though I love animals. I want to take her home with me but I live in an apartment and my worry is that she won't adapt to life indoors. It will also be my very first time owning a cat and I work long hours so don't know if socializing her will be too much of a challenge for me.

I also worry that I might be taking her away unnecessarily as she is being fed and looks healthy and seems happy with her outdoor life.

Please advise

 

[Elphaba09]

If she lets you pet her, she likely is a stray that is either lost or was dumped. This is particularly true if she lets you rub her belly. Baring their bellies puts them in a vulnerable position, and a feral is not just going to let you rub its belly. A true feral will not just let people pet them period.

As for her going outside, she does not have to ever go out again. Sure, there are cats who have been left outside or were born outside that truly long to get out, and some that need to get out, but this may not be the case. I am not a fan of non-ferals being left outside. It is dangerous. Not only from diseases but also from predators and cars. I take care of a small colony. I cannot tell you how many have been killed on the road or just disappeared since we started caring for them. We had one, Linden, that came to our porch for a couple of years. He never let us get close to him. Last summer, he was hit by a car two streets over. It was devastating because I loved that feral cat! (He was a true feral. If I stepped too close to him, he would hiss, lay his ears back, and growl. I still adored him.)

If you decide to take in the cat, please, consider making it an indoor only cat

Our 16-year old Simon (one of nine cats) was found outside when he was nine. He does not want outside. Ever. Our Tara was four when she was found with Simon. She just likes to look out the window and to watch bird videos. Evangeline had been outside for at least three years when she was finally caught. She wants nothing to do with the wild. The rest is the same except for Freya. Freya was about 4 months when we found her and brought her in. She was born a feral but had been around humans a little before we caught her. She used to try to dart out the door, but over the last nearly five years, she has all but stopped trying. She did try last week because she wanted to smell the feral house we have on the porch.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi! I had mixed emotions on what to say, but in all sincerity, I agree with Elphaba09 . Here are some articles that may help you in bringing this girl to safety in your home. Not trying to overwhelm you with information, just prepare you so that you can do the best for her and you. Ask questions galore!!! We all want this to work for you and for her!

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside
Adopting A Stray Cat
15 Things You Should Know Before Adopting A Cat
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment
How To Move With Your Cat To A New Home In A Safe Way
First-time Cat Owner’s Guide

 

[fionasmom]

I agree that any non feral should not be left outdoors and have adopted the only friendly cat in a feral colony from time to time. One sad example was my adoption of Zoe, an evidently dumped and highly personable cat, who was taken home by me (and her daughter was taken the same day by a coworker), two days before a stray dogs attack wiped out the remaining ferals in the colony.

 

[Elphaba09]

I agree that any non feral should not be left outdoors and have adopted the only friendly cat in a feral colony from time to time. One sad example was my adoption of Zoe, an evidently dumped and highly personable cat, who was taken home by me (and her daughter was taken the same day by a coworker), two days before a stray dogs attack wiped out the remaining ferals in the colony.

That made me tear up. Thank goodness you got and your coworker got Zoe and her daughter out before it happened!

Our Evangeline's kittens were all killed by cars, coyotes, or dogs over the course of at least three years. We are shocked that Evangeline survived because she is deaf. (When we talk about it, we always whisper "coyotes" just in case!) She is the sweetest cat ever. Fennimore and Willow (and their brother Pip who lives with my friend) were the survivors of a coyote attack on their mother and siblings.

 

[alphakitty]

Hi,
I'm currently struggling with whether I should take home a feral cat.

I work at a hospital and we have quite a few feral cat on the premises. The staff in the hospital do leave food out for them but most of them I would say are feral ie: run away when approached and don't interact with humans.

Recently I've found one who let's me pet her and rubs up against me and purrs when I give her belly rubs. I'm not certain how old she is but I think she's under a year. She's always in the same place and I think let's other people pet her too.

I have never owned a cat before even though I love animals. I want to take her home with me but I live in an apartment and my worry is that she won't adapt to life indoors. It will also be my very first time owning a cat and I work long hours so don't know if socializing her will be too much of a challenge for me.

I also worry that I might be taking her away unnecessarily as she is being fed and looks healthy and seems happy with her outdoor life.

Please advise

Hi Sal89,

The kitty might have been someone's pet, so before you take the little one, try looking around the local 'lost kitty' sites to see if the kitty has been recently lost, etc.

Then consider the fact that the kitty is an out-door kitty. If you do give the kitty a home, please don't make it a prison. I really h8 when I see one kitty, living all alone by itself inside a home, for the remainder of its lonely, dull, boring existence. Kitties are predatory hunters, although most here will likely disagree with my sentiments regarding this matter, it is my opinion that kitties need to expend time outside, taking their chances, just as we all do. Where I reside, recently I've lost four kitties to roaming dogs, and coyotes. Its really hard to find just a head and a tail laying on the ground, the remains of a beloved kitty. We should not imprison our kitties just for OUR selfish desire to keep kitties safe. Everyday I let out my four beloved inside/outside kitties, I always say a little a prayer, asking God to protect them and to bring them home back to me safely each day. Some will say that its not safe where they live to allow their kitties outside, I say to those people, don't keep kitties if you can't let them outside. Another selfish trait. We imprison kitties with OUR love.

Imagine yourself having been taken by a friendly ExtraTerrestial, transported away from where you were living to expend the remainder of your new 'safe' life inside an alien's residence, all alone, having no expression of things that you enjoy doing, with no one of your own kind, and never being allowed to be in your environment free...

Sincerely...Alpha_Kitty
4 indoor/outdoor socialized trapped & neutored ex-feral kitties:
3x black short hair kitties, eg., 2x females, 1x male
1x brendle, short hair female kitty (she's my little deva princess)
----
4 outdoor only kitties: 3x trapped & neutored, 1x unneutored ferals:
1x black, short hair female kitty, I can pick this kitty up,
2x black, short hair male kitties, one of which, is over 5yro, and have I begun to socialize the kitty, can scratch that kitty
1x white/yellow, long hair male, un-neutored (due to pandemic), feral.
7x (damn) racoons, - gonna trap'm, let somebody else feed'm!!
5x (damn) opossums - gonna trap'm, let somebody else feed'm!!

The opossums and racoons eat five days of 4 kitties food in one setting.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Kitties are predatory hunters, although most here will likely disagree with my sentiments regarding this matter, it is my opinion that kitties need to expend time outside, taking their chances, just as we all do.

I will! I get your concept when dealing with true feral colonies. But not in the case of the cat that S Sal89 is talking sbout - she is not a 'real' feral and doesn't appear to be old enough yet to have adopted the feral ways.

From my own personal experience: Stray cat found me at 2+ yo. She is now 15+yo and has happily lived her life indoors - albeit a screened in patio that she has freedom to go on - as a solitary cat. There are stray or outdoor cats all around me that on a daily basis disappear - we have coyotes in the area and some have seen cats being taken down by them.

Nope, indoors means alive. If you give your cats enough love, attention, and enrichment they will have no reason to mourn the loss of being exposed to the dangers of the outside.

This cat will do just fine when given a proper chance to adapt and acclimate. If at some time S Sal89 can buy or build a catio/cat enclosure, all the better.

 

[Elphaba09]

Some will say that its not safe where they live to allow their kitties outside, I say to those people, don't keep kitties if you can't let them outside. Another selfish trait. We imprison kitties with OUR love.

If you give your cats an enriched environment with lots of toys and interaction, they are perfectly fine inside and far from imprisoned. They certainly are safer from disease and other dangers. Calling people who keep their cats inside selfish or telling them not to have cats is kind of rude. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but perhaps not insult all the other cat owners out there with indoor-only cats. While I advocate indoor only, I do not tell people who let their cats outside that they do not care about their cats. (The National Audubon Society certainly thinks that owners showed keep their cats inside.)

Estella and Astrid were saved from someone who planned on using them as target practice. That person had killed countless cats. Some were wrapped up and buried, exposing only their heads, and then shot. They were all strays or cats that people let wander.
Simon and Tara were found starving. Simon was near death.
Fennimore, Willow, and Pip survived a coyote attack that killed their siblings and mother.
Freya was found near her dead mother, who had been hit by a car.
Evangeline is deaf and barely survived. He several litters of kittens were all killed over the course of three years. Some by cars, some by dogs, some by coyotes.
Silas was found at less than 5-weeks old with burns on his body and covered in fleas. He had hours to live at best.
Some of our colony cats--the actual ferals--have been shot with arrows and guns. I prefer not to risk the lives of my domesticated cats. That does not make me selfish. (Do people think dogs should run free because they are related to wolves and have a hunting instinct? Not to bad mouth pit bulls, but because pit bulls are claimed to have an instinct to hunt, should they be let out to run?)

If your cat REALLY needs to be outside, you can consider leash training or a catio. I know that Fennimore likes me to hold him while on the porch at night because he likes hearing the frogs. We have birdbaths and bird feeders outside so they can watch the birds. They are constantly played with--when they are awake--and have toys, furniture, and each other to keep themselves occupied.

 

[Sal89]

Hi again to everyone and thanks for all the advice and articles you sent through.

Just an update. After much internal debate, as well as discussion with the people I live with, I've decided that adopting this cat wouldn't be the best option for me. The people I live with are not animal lovers and are worried because she is untrained. While they want me to do what makes me happy I don't think it will be fair to the cat or them to bring her home.

But I'm also not happy with leaving her where she is because of the risk of disease, injury and pregnancy (I know some of the other cats on the premises have come into the wards to deliver kittens which the staff members usually adopt and take home but a lot of the times the kitties are too ill and don't make it).

Tomorrow I'm going to contact my local rescue agency and find out if I can take her in to them because like you suggested I think she is either a lost or abandoned pet. I've already borrowed a cat carrier from my nearest vet for the purpose.

Any suggestions on how to get her in without injuries to either her or myself would be appreciated.

Thank you again

 

[FeebysOwner]

Are you sure she won't let you pick her up? You could have a towel to wrap around her so she is less likely to fight you or scratch you. If she has used any towels or blankets that have her scent on them, that would be good to use one of them.

If that isn't going to work for you, is it possible to set up the carrier and put some item in it that has her scent on it to see if she would be interested in the carrier? You can start by feeding her food right outside the carrier, if she eats it then gradually move the food a couple of inches toward the carrier and continue to repeat until the food is actually in the carrier far enough that you could close the door. This is at least a few day ordeal, so not sure it will work in your circumstances. If that doesn't work get a large blanket, throw it over her and scoop her and the blanket up and place all in the carrier. I am sure others who are more experienced at this will have some better ideas.

Where ever you are taking her, please make sure it is a no-kill rescue.

Is there any chance that you could talk to friends/family/neighbors/co-workers to see if there is someone willing to take her in?

 

[Sal89]

Are you sure she won't let you pick her up? You could have a towel to wrap around her so she is less likely to fight you or scratch you. If she has used any towels or blankets that have her scent on them, that would be good to use one of them.

If that isn't going to work for you, is it possible to set up the carrier and put some item in it that has her scent on it to see if she would be interested in the carrier? You can start by feeding her food right outside the carrier, if she eats it then gradually move the food a couple of inches toward the carrier and continue to repeat until the food is actually in the carrier far enough that you could close the door. This is at least a few day ordeal, so not sure it will work in your circumstances. If that doesn't work get a large blanket, throw it over her and scoop her and the blanket up and place all in the carrier. I am sure others who are more experienced at this will have some better ideas.

Where ever you are taking her, please make sure it is a no-kill rescue.

Is there any chance that you could talk to friends/family/neighbors/co-workers to see if there is someone willing to take her in?

 

[Sal89]

It's definitely a no kill rescue...she let me pick her up once but she didn't seem comfortable so I put her down quick and I haven't tried again. I've asked others at work as well as family but there's no one who can take her.

 

[fionasmom]

I think that you are doing the right thing to get her off the streets. Any cat who has the potential to be rehomed needs to be helped. I trapped a cat who was less friendly than the one you are describing by doing what FeebysOwner suggested with moving the food further and further into the carrier and then finally shutting it and taking her to the vet immediately to be spayed. There is always the use of a humane trap which would work along the same principles....you accustom the cat to eating in it without letting the door close and then finally set it so that the foot pedal will trigger. Either will be stressful temporarily to the cat but you have to just look beyond that for the greater good. My personal indoor cats hate to be put in a carrier but that does not mean that we never go to the vet.

If you have made contact with this no kill rescue they probably can give you some pointers about what might help to get the cat in the carrier.

 

[fionasmom]

I also understand the case of the true feral who is actually part of wildlife and should be TNRed. But any cat who can be given a home and shelter should be if at all possible. As Elphaba09 posted, terrible things happen to outdoor cats, and my guess it that most tortured cats were the ones who were friendly enough to go up to someone and extend themselves or be handled. The one described in this thread certainly falls into that category. I have no problem making a cat indoor only.