Trapped A Feral Tonight...

[lab mom]

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to reach out for some advice...We trapped a black and white cat that we have been feeding at our old vacant home for the past 6+ months. He would come close to us but never let us touch or handle him, but he knew where his food was coming from and would wait for us at the same time every day. We had the trap out for a couple of hours and he finally went in. It has been very cold here, so we had tried trapping him earlier this week but no luck. We brought him into the house in an empty bedroom with boxes and blankets, food, water and a litter box. When I found him in the trap he seemed very calm and wasn't too freaked out. I don't think he was in the trap very long.
My question is if he seemed more calm in the trap, would that mean he is not feral? When we brought him into the room, I opened the cage and shut the door, he got out of the cage very quickly and went into a little kitty bed,in less than 2 minutes. Someone told me who has experience with ferals, that when they are quiet that is more commonly a true feral???
Also, I had a great success story from this Spring, I trapped a pregnant female cat that was definitely feral in the same back yard, she had 5 kittens and we are able to socialize all of them including the mommy...we found homes for all of them....We kept the mommy and her baby and they both are awesome cats; they love to be held and cuddled with. So I have had luck with true feral cats in the past. :-)
Any advice would be great.... Thanks!!

 

[tabbytom]

Thank you for taking in this kitty. Bless your heart.
Not all ferals are true ferals as many think if they roam the streets, they are ferals. They could be abandoned domesticated kitties and if they are weary of humans, likely they are abused cats.

A feral will never get near a human but strays yes, but with caution. The way the trapped cat behaves sounds like a stray and not feral.

 

[maggiedemi]

Thank you for helping this little guy. Has he tried to scratch you with his claws? I took in 2 ferals from the woods and the two major differences between them and normal housecats are: they are afraid of all strangers that don't live in the house, and they are little meanies with their claws.

 

[lab mom]

He has not tried to scratch me at all, he actually won't come near me. We left him at the house overnight to just chill out and went to check on him this morning. He is up in a window (destroyed the blinds :-) ) and is like a statue, he won't move a muscle. He didn't eat. I am hoping he is just scared and not so feral that we can't help him. Anyone have any advice?? We are very patient and know that everything has to be on his time...so hopefully he will come around. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[maggiedemi]

With Demi, I petted him with a long handled duster. After 3 days, he let me pet him with my hands.

 

[tabbytom]

Let him calm down and settle down. He’s probably confused at the moment. Once he feels that he’s in a safe place, he’ll be more normal and you just continue the routine. Don’t give up.

 

[lab mom]

Thank you. I just feel terrible, he won't even look at me, he keeps his head down like he is sad. He is hiding behind the blinds in the window looking out to the yard he was free in :-( . I Know it is for the better good, it's just really hard to know that he is so scared. When I do look him in the eyes, I try closing my eyes to let him know that I won't hurt him. ( I read that some where). Anyway, thanks for your help.

 

[rubysmama]

Thank you for taking in this poor little guy. I have no experience with ferals, but have been reading these forums, so have learned some about them, and I know it will take time and patience, but they can become happy, indoor cats. Just ask @bigbadbass

Here's an article that may have some helpful information: Handling Feral Cats
And that article, plus more, can be found here: Ferals & Rescue | The Cat Site

Good luck. Please keep us updated on his progress.

 

[lab mom]

Thank you so much rubysmama. That article was very helpful. I trapped a pregnant mommy cat and she had 5 babies. They were all fixed and found homes for them in pairs. And...we kept the mommy and 1 kitten, I didn't know if we would ever get her socialized, but she is amazing, very loving still a little scared of strangers, but super cuddly and it's only been 6 months. Thanks for your support, and I will definitely keep you all updated. He is a really cute, Tom cat.

 

[lab mom]

ok so Day 2....he is still in the window behind the blinds and not moving a muscle when we are in there. We are talking to him very quietly and not approaching him at all. He will look at me through the blinds but try not to make eye contact. He is not eating nor going to the bathroom, but definitely sprayed in the room. There are boxes for him to hide under and blankets for softness. I hope we are doing the right thing. It is easy to get discourage and think that we are doing harm to him by keeping him from his freedom. I am willing to see this through and have patience but I hope we are not causing him harm and stress.

 

[di and bob]

It might be a good time to get him neutered, while he is upset, so you don't have to go through all this again. A tom is much more likely to not calm down as quickly, the urge to roam is too strong because of the hormones. Even if you end up letting him go again, he would be much happier being neutered and wouldn't get into fights. Of course he is upset and scared, but the life you are offering him is SO much better he will adjust. He is so quiet because he is paralyzed with fear. I don't think he is a true feral though. He would climb the walls to the ceiling to get away from you, believe me, I have had that happen! The chances are he has spent most of his life as wild, but has had limited contact with humans. it may take 4 or 5 months, but he will come around as soon as he learns to trust you not to hurt him. Make sure he has plenty of places to hide and feel safe, and make sure who ever neuters him treats him as a feral. Put "Unsocialized Cat" right on the carrier, you don't need him quarantined because he bites someone. Please know he will come around, it just takes time, please keep us notified on his progress!

 

[lab mom]

Thanks so much for your reply. I am willing to go the distance, we will take how ever long it takes...just need to know it's the right thing. We don't want to let him go back outside at all definitely will make sure he is neutered. I just don't know how I will get him in a carrier now....I should have planned to do it when he was in the cage, but didn't want to stress him out and hold in it for hours.
Someone told me that some true feral won't move at all, but that doesn't sound right...I would imagine he would be climbing the walls like you said. Acting in true wild fashion. Why do you think he is so still? I mean other than he is scared ....would that tell you he is feral or not?

 

[di and bob]

I really don't think so, I think he is frozen with fear, like if he doesn't move you won't know he is there. True feral instinct is to get away from humans at all costs. I would take all his hiding places away, cover the carrier with a towel or blanket, making it look cave like, even face it a short distance towards the wall. See if he will start going in there to hide when you come in, get him used to it. Staring into a cats eyes is a threat, that is what toms do, so he avoids your eyes to not appear to be a threat. He does not move because he wants to be perfectly ready to move when he has to, he doesn't want to be not aware of you at all times. Talk to him calmly and see how close you can get, every day move a little closer. Don't try to touch him with your hands, he could and most likely will bite out of fear.As you get close enough to really observe him, watch for bristling of the fur or tail, any growls, or hisses, back slowly off if you do. The things is to move very slowly when you are around him, you don't want to startle him into an attack. I would just talk to him calmly for a few weeks at first. He does need to get neutered before he can truly calm down, I hope you can convince him to use the carrier as a hiding place.

 

[lab mom]

di and bob, I have a couple more questions if you don't mind. I was there this afternoon to check on him, and he is still up in the window, wide eyed and scared , and I am just being calm, but he actually closed his eyes and fell asleep...is that a good sign or no sign?
I am concerned if he has any kind of sickness or disease, like feline leukemia. I rescued a mommy and one of her babies back in March and they live with us now ( super awesome kitties)..could I get them sick some how? I know you are not a vet but thought you might know a bit about stuff like this.... Let me know...

 

[orange&white]

If the cats you adopted have their immunizations and you are (obviously) keeping the new cat in a separate room, then the risk of the feral giving your cats a serious disease is pretty minimal.

You may want to take him to the vet sooner rather than later for neuter and tests for FIV/FeLV and vaccinations. That will help ease your mind about any diseases. Of course, you'll need to get him to eat. Has he not eaten a single bite of food? The only way I can think to get back in the trap to take him to the vet is with food. Have you tried stinky foods like tuna to tempt him to eat something?

In general, sounds like you're doing everything right. You might want to add a little radio to his room and play either low-volume classical station or talk radio so he gets used to human voices. Also, if you aren't doing so, go sit in the room with him and read or tell stories or just sit quietly. Just ignore him, but be there as much as you can. I spent 10-15 minutes of every hour I was home and not sleeping or cooking sitting on my hard tile bathroom floor with a little feral I trapped a year ago. She came around quickly but she was only 4 months old.

 

[di and bob]

Orange&white is right, as long as your cats are immunized and not able to receive deep bites from the other cat, you should be all right. Neutering, immunizations, an exam, and maybe even some blood tests to ease your mind done sooner then later would be better. The best thing you can do to prevent the spread of disease is to wash your hands every time you leave the room. It might be a good idea to have a pair of slippers outside the door to mchange in to too, and put in a plastic bag when you come out.
That IS a good sign he fell asleep, although I suspect he was cat napping and would have woken instantly the minute you moved. But the fact that he can close his eyes with you in the room is good.Some cats are just more shy and scared than others. I have two that disappear the whole time we have company, even if they stay for days, and two that come right out to meet them.
As for eating, leave a plate of food, and some hard in a bowl in the room at night, that is when he is much more likely to eat right now. Is there any way to elevate the covered carrier up next to the window on a small table or TV tray? He may go in it if it is close to where he feels safe.
I feel you are making small steps, it will just take time and lots of it. Having you come in the room several times a day and just talking to him, or even just sitting and reading, would do much towards calming him. This seems like a lot of work and you will feel like you are not doing what is best for him, but it will be SO worth it in the long run. You will definitely feel like you have accomplished something when you earn his love!

 

[lab mom]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to write to me and offer your support.
UPDATE: He is still in the window but has changed windows a couple of times and is moving around a bit like turning his head away from me to look outside and shifting positions while I am in the room, not much but some. He has eaten but not gone to the bathroom (concerning?). He is spraying terribly in the room, so it smells to high heaven. I have never experienced a cat spraying. The problem I am having is that he is looking outside, longing to be free...ugh....it makes me feel horrible.
So, as far as my other kitties, they are in a completely different house. This cat is at my parents old house, which we are getting ready to put up for sale, which is another reason needing to help this cat. I was concerned because when I came home my kitties could smell me...they were smelling my clothes and my hair and shoes, etc. So now I have shoes I will wear only at my parents house. I was just concerned whether they could catch something from me being around this cat. Also, they did not get vaccinated for the feline leukemia because my vet said they would be indoor cats.
It was just a cat nap...but thought it was good that he felt safe enough to close his eyes even for a few minutes.
As far as the carrier...I need to find one....but this is an older house and the windows are shoulder height. I don't know if he will ever come down from there to get him in a carrier...
I bought some of the feliaway (sp?) It should come in the mail today. Hopefully that will help a little.
The biggest problem I have is that I was hoping that he was going to be easier to socialize, because ultimately we cannot keep him and if I do all of this to try and it doesn't work, then what? We are going to be selling the house and noone will be available take care of and feed him. I don't know that I could find a home for him etc. Do you all have any thoughts on this? Most importantly at this point is getting him neutered.
Here is a picture of him...

Thanks again,
Kathleen

 

[di and bob]

Just beautiful! For now just worry about getting him neutered and tamed a bit. The spraying should stop once he is neutered and becomes more tame, if not he could still be an outside cat. At least he wouldn't be fighting any more and roaming. If you move him to your house, he could be kept in a rabbit hutch for at least two months and then let go. That is how a friend of mine got several cats used to her farm area. She had a large wire hutch with a sleeping box. You need to get a good ENZYME cat urine cleaner for that urine. It is mainly sprayed on the places he has went and the enzymes 'eat' the urine. Tom cat urine is MUCH stinkier and stronger than neutered cat urine. It is the only thing that really works.
He has started eating, yeah!
Try to get the carrier up off the ground and near the window, up on a table or something and covered. If you have to you may have to try to 'herd' ,him towards it, but he may panic too and hurt himself. It might come down to throwing a blanket over him to catch him, but that won't be easy either. Maybe there are others who can suggest ways to pick up a feral cat? Maybe start a new thread?

 

[maggiedemi]

He's cute! Can you give him canned food every day? One 5.5oz can per day clears up my boy cat's pee problems. Also, can you pet him with something with a long handle, like a backscratcher or duster? That is what bridged the distance between my feral and me. About getting him in the carrier, I just left the carrier out all the time, so they are not afraid of it. In fact, they knew that the carrier would get them out of the room, so they could go somewhere more exciting. They hated being in a room, so they learned to love their carrier. I know this sounds far fetched, but I swear, they love their carrier!

 

[lab mom]

UPDATE: So it is day 6 and I haven't made much progress... on Saturday he was still up in the window and I tried touching him with a feather toy. He hissed for the first time but wasn't aggressive. He did allow me to "pet" him a very little bit behind the ears with the stick part of the toy, but is scared to death. He just freezes when I did it. He does move around a bit more than at first, like he will sit down and back up and look outside but doesn't really move in front of me. He did eat some treats in front of me.
Today, Now he has jumped down to the ground and is hiding in the box. It seems as though since I "touched" him, he is now going to a place where I can't get to him, an upside down box with a hole in it. He was up in the window and I tried touching him again with the toy...but as soon as I left the room, he retreated under the box.
I am feeding 2 small cans of food a day plus dry food and some treats.
I am picking up a small kennel tomorrow (from a feral cat rescue who is lending it to me). I am going to use it to try to get him neutered with it.
I am a bit discouraged because I feel like he just stares out at the window of where he used to roam and I am truly keeping him from a life he loved.
Any other thoughts/tips/advice you might have?
Thanks again!