The Fonz and Rufus.

[lindsaydelores]

Hi there,

I'm new to this forum and was excited to see this forum dedicated to strays and ferals. My boyfriend and I have recently become caretakers to two feral cats. They first came around in October and we've been putting food and shelter on our patio ever since.

Rufus has not come around in a little over a month. It breaks my heart to think about. I've fliered the neighborhood but have heard nothing. Animal control has not seen him, either, and I've notified every rescue in the area to keep their eyes open. I try to remain optimistic but I'm tearing up just writing this now.

The Fonz, however, is making intense progress.

After first showing up in October, he's finally (as in the past two weeks) letting us pet him. He is a very sweet boy. I plan on taking him to the vet to get neutered and given all his shots and checked-up as soon as I can gain his trust enough to do so.

Well, this is our intro here. Any tips on helping Fonzie earn our trust? He's enjoying being petted and is even purring, but the minute I go to reach for him, he runs like a maniac back into the bushes. I'm thinking "slowly but surely" -- any advice?



The Fonz

and


Rufus

 

[valanhb]

What a couple of gorgous boys! I do hope that Rufus is ok....

The key with ferals is patience, patience, patience... Sounds like you're doing a good job with him so far.

 

[tnr1]

Welcome lindsaydelores...what I would do is borrow a humane trap and try to trap the Fonz. In the long run it will be healthier for him to be neutered and it will be easier for the vet to be able to administer a sedative if he is in a humane trap. Most humane societies have traps that you can borrow....there is no time like now to get him into the vet...it is the beginning of kitten season and we really do not need the Fonz fathering any litters.

Thanks for caring for these feral cats.

Katie

 

[trixshar]

I agree that you should get this little darling trapped & neutered, but it is not an overnight process. Try putting his food into the humane trap, starting at the open door & gradually moving it farther in. Don't set the trap until the food is at the far end. IT helps if you can have the cage at least partially covered.
Don't leave the trap set if you will be gone all day or leave it set & out all night.
When you bring him to the vet in the humane trap, bring along some ADvantage & have them put it on him while he is unconscious. (He probably has lots of fleas & if you bring him into your house, you don't want them in the house.)
After you get him back, put him in the smallest room you can, with places he can hide but not easy for him to streak out. Then you can gradually tame him, as he gets used to you.
I did this with a cute little feral who let me pet him after a few weeks of petting, except I brought him home & put him into a cage, partially covered with a large towel. I fed him there & had water available, reaching in to pet him while he ate, so being petted would have pleasant associations (food).
Then I took him out, wrapped in a towel, still petting his head & neck, so he got used to being held. Weeks later, I had a sweet, affectionate little cat living with me.
I did the same thing with his sister, who had never let me pet her before my trapping her. She loves my petting her, but no one else has been allowed (by her) to touch her.
(Incidentally, my vet said they were 10 months old when I brought them in, and it should not have been possible to tame them at all. The younger you start the process, the higher the chance of success.)