Taking my semi-feral cat indoors

jt23

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Hi there,

I have been feeding & taking care of a cat who had been feeding out of bins & living rough in a garden below to my flat. It took about 8 months of sitting close by and feeding until he was brave enough for cuddles! Now I can't get him off my lap! I can't take him indoors at the moment as there is a rather larger rottweiler who lives next door, and I don't want them to bump into eachother if he is waiting to be let in, as our front doors are only a couple of inches apart.

Therefore, I am moving in two weeks to a house that is animal friendly, indoors and out.

As I will need to keep him in for at least four weeks, do you think he will realise what his litter tray is for? I will use dirt in one and cat litter in the other.
 

2dogmom

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Well mine did. I think if you put it somewhere logical (like not near his food, and not next to where he sleeps) and it has the right feel and smell you should be ok. They are pretty smart and generally do not want to leave their 'business' out in the open as evidence.

Good luck to you!
 
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jt23

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Cheers. He's very clean and I have a feeling that he may have had a home at some stage, so hopefully all will be well.
 

StefanZ

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He will probably know what to do with a litter, either once homecat or real homeless-born.

If you want to be sure, keep him the first days in one room, with 1-2 litters in two places, sleeping place third, food fourth and water fifth... each apart.

Dont forget a igloo or sideturned cardboax box as a little shelter.

You are talking he shouldnt not need to meet the dog at the door. You plan to let him go out, NOT strictly indoor? As I know, it is quite common ex-homeless are quite happy to be strictly indoor cats. Not all of course, but many.
Try.

It will surely go well, good luck!
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by jt23

Cheers. He's very clean and I have a feeling that he may have had a home at some stage, so hopefully all will be well.
Just make sure that you have him vet checked and neutered.


Katie
 

fishtreatsmom

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Yes, when I brought Harley in, he knew immediately how to use the litter box...he's not doing such a great job in covering up his doo doo but oh well, nobody's purrfect.
 
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jt23

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Originally Posted by TNR1

Just make sure that you have him vet checked and neutered.


Katie
He had been TNR and identichipped by a charity and released on a farm a few miles away and ended up residing near me. He is all up to date with his vaccinations, flea tx etc (I'm a trainee vet nurse!).
 

prettyboy

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so i just typed out this long post about my 3 cats that were born
outside and lived outside that are now indoor only cats to let you
know that it can be done. but i lost my post ??!! ugh.

to tired to retype it. but wanted to let you know that you and kitty
will be so much happier and safer if you bring kitty inside and don't
let kitty out.

my cats are 4, 8 and 1 1/2 and all became indoor only cats at different
ages.

prettyboy, my first cat, my sig picture, was socialized outside at 7 mos
and then became an indoor/outdoor kitty for the next year so at about
2 years old he became an indoor only cat. he loves it now.

my mamakitty (prettyboys birth mom) lived outside for 6 years from what
the neighbors told me. after she was fixed etc i spent the next year
socializing her and now she is 8 and she has been an indoor only kitty
for two years now and loving it.

my last kitty melvin i saved from the parking lot of my job and he is about
1 1/2 and has been with us for 4 months now. i am still trying to get my
other two to accept him. he is inside 24/7 also but does have to be
segregated most of the time until my other two come around to accepting
him. he seems to be also very happy with his indoor life.

so cheers to you for saving this kitty. thank you.
heres hoping you decide to keep kitty inside 24/7. but if for some reason
you don't please do what that other person said and get kitty an
insulated cat house so that if kitty accidentally gets caught outside in
bad weather kitty will have a place to hold up in.
but of course i am hoping you keep kitty inside 24/7. at first it is
an adjustment but they come to love the NO STRESS anymore of being
inside because outside they can and usually are chased and sometimes
attacked by other cats and sometimes stray dogs.

good luck. and do you have any pictures you can post ?
 
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