How do I get him to trust? Trying to feed a feral

Hi guys, well it seems there is another cat to cross my path.... and for the life of me I just cannot resist trying to help him. I have noticed him once before, and then just saw him yesterday.... I have woods all around my house, and there is TONS of wildlife for the city. There is this very handsome male tom cat, he is a long haired dark smoked gray cat, with a beautiful white breast. He is bigger in height & length, but not fat at all. The closest I have come to him is about 30 feet. Yesterday I pulled up in my car, and he was rummaging through my trash cans.... I ran in to get food for him, but he hopped the fence (6ft) and was now in the woods, but I could still see him. I tried shaking the dry food, to let him hear the noise, and then set it down & went inside (immediately to the window of course!). He didn't come back.....I check with my DH, and he has seen him around a bunch. The 1st time I saw him, I noticed he wasn't altered, I could tell from 30ft away. And while I'm sure he would make beautiful kittens, I should really try to get him neutered once I gain some of his trust. The cat food I put out?! Yeah, I'm sure that the squirrels probably ate it .

So, here are my ?'s......

Do I just keep refilling the dishes? And feeding the entire squirrel population of Philadelphia?! Or should I put out tuna? And do squirrels eat tuna? What about raccoons? I have one so big that it could eat my cats!

Right now, I'm just concerned with feeding/watering/ and helping to keep him warm/dry.....I'll worry about TNR later. I'd like to set up a box with a blanket in it, in case he wants to keep warm.....it will be about 8 degrees next week. But every time I even take 1 step in his direction, he takes off. And alot of times this will include just coming out my front door.....

ok, open for suggestions! Thanks you wonderful Crazy Cat Ladies & Gents!

You can't begin to trap him until he starts to eat regularly at your place. Set up a feeding platform for him. Sounds like he goes near your garbage cans so start there and if you want to work it up closer to your house as time goes on, you can do that.

He's probably not going to use a box with blankets until he has some level of comfort with the food situation. Cats like to play in boxes, but ferals will find any nook and cranny they deem safe to ride out bad weather. My colony lived under the deck, in the garage and in the barns. They had too many options to want a box. If you have woods, he probably has a den somewhere in those woods.

There are posts out there that show good feeding stations where they used a rubbermaid bin laid on its side with a hole cut out of it to protect the food. I would start with open bowls and work your way to a protected cover.

Put out food at the same time each day. Mornings are better as critters like raccons usually raid at night. Take the food away overnight or you will have wild animals in your yard. You'll know that you are realing him in when you see him watch you put out the food - it means that he is aware of you and the fact that you are the caregiver.

It takes time and don't rush it. Once he feeds regularly, think about trapping him to get him neutered. This process can take a week or could take months. I hope you can get him before spring breeding time - usually around mid February to end of March in the colder parts of the country.

Good luck!

First of all, thank you for wanting to help this kitty!

While your intent to help this fellow is really admirable, the approach of getting a feral cat to trust you in order to feed him and before neutering him isn't realistic.

Truly feral cats will not eat in your presence. If you really want to help him, the best thing to do is to put out dry food at very regular hours - either twice a day or once a day, depending upon your schedule. The water can be left out all the time. Just make sure you clean the dish regularly. And in freezing cold weather, you may want to put out warm water.

Dusk and dawn are the best times to put food out, but again, your schedule and ability to do it regularly are what is important.

Leave the food out for one or maybe two hours. If you can keep an eye on it from a distance or from inside your home, even better. If you're aware that kitty is eating regularly, after a few days that you're sure he's got the schedule, buy, borrow, or rent a humane trap. Many vets or shelters will have these available. Alert your vet ahead of time that you will be trapping a feral cat. If they have any qualms about your brining in a feral, call around to find vets that are OK with this.

When trapping, wash the trap first. Then pour kitty litter or potting soil over the wires. Or just place newspaper over the bottom of the trap. Put some really stinky food in there - tuna, herring - whatever. Some use torn up hotdogs, or shredded KFC chicken (no skin). When kitty trips the trap, make sure your car seat is lined with a thick plastic (we use contractor bags cut open), and then an old blanket or something. The cat will most likely pee or poop or both when being transported (from the fear).

We leave the trap with the cat in it at the vet. They keep kitty in the trap until they can sedate it (if it's particularly upset) and give it a check-up, do preanaesthetic testing and then perform the neutering.

Depending upon when you get him to the vet, you'll either be able to take him home that day or the next. We actually always leave them overnight if a male and for two nights if a female (just so they can heal a little bit before releasing them).

Once he's been neutered and gotten his check-up (and in NJ a rabies shot is required), we release the cat in the exact same place. And then we continue to put the food out at those same regular hours.

That's it! Over time, if you give them their space, many will get used to your presence. You can move closer and closer, and they'll often end up becoming friendly with you. But while you're working on this, you don't need to worry about them getting pregnant or getting another kitty pregnant.

Be warned - once you start, others will often show up. We thought there was one. We ended up with a colony of as many as 20 at one point. We did end up getting the kittens placed in homes - even a number of adults. With those that we adopted, we ended up with no feral colony.

To search for organizations or shelters in your area that may have traps for rent, this is a great link: http://www.pets911.com. Click on the "Find a Local Shelter or Rescue" button on the left, and type in your zipcode. Then let your fingers do the walking!



Laurie

I think that the above post was a very good post, and I agree.

You are wonderful for trying to help with this cat, I hope you succeed.

Oh - whatever shelter you want to build, just make sure it has both an entrance and an exit. Line it with straw, not blankets. Blankets are great parasite attractants. Straw can be replaced weekly, and it is a great insulator.

Laurie

Heather, I don't have any advice to add, but just wanted to say how great it is that you're willing to help this cat. You're becoming quite the crazy cat lady yourself!

Originally Posted by eilcon

Heather, I don't have any advice to add, but just wanted to say how great it is that you're willing to help this cat. You're becoming quite the crazy cat lady yourself!

Click to expand...

Thanks Eileen, from one crazy cat lady to another!

Thanks Laurie! That is great advice.... my only reservation is that I have only seen him twice in my year & 1/2 of living here. DH said he has seen him a few times, like maybe 10 times since we moved in.... so I'm guessing I need to try to get him to come around more..... maybe my trash is not so appetizing! Hmmmmm goes to look in the cattitude cookbook for something really yummy.....must cook a tuna fish! I am going to try to get him to come around more....I'd hate to rent or borrow a trap if I don't see him for another 3 months....well this is going to be a work in progress!

I'll keep you all posted.....

Heather, you are the Cat lady of Philly Good luck with this big boy, don't feel too bad if you can't get him

Originally Posted by LuckyGirl

Thanks Eileen, from one crazy cat lady to another!

Thanks Laurie! That is great advice.... my only reservation is that I have only seen him twice in my year & 1/2 of living here. DH said he has seen him a few times, like maybe 10 times since we moved in.... so I'm guessing I need to try to get him to come around more.....

maybe my trash is not so appetizing!

Hmmmmm

goes to look in the cattitude cookbook for something really yummy.....must cook a tuna fish!

I am going to try to get him to come around more....I'd hate to rent or borrow a trap if I don't see him for another 3 months....well this is going to be a work in progress!

I'll keep you all posted.....

Click to expand...

Yeah - it's hard to trap them if they're not around! Like momofmany suggested, it's best to put food out regularly (and up on a table) - and since he's at your garbage, put it near there. You can only really put a trap out once they're coming around regularly.

Laurie

Originally Posted by Bella713

Heather, you are the Cat lady of Philly

Good luck with this big boy, don't feel too bad if you can't get him

Click to expand...

Thanks Helen, you know I just can't stay away....I feel this need to get him neutered....and I just wanna feed him.....he really is a handsome boy, he looks similar to Brandi's Phantom, only way bigger, and he looks like a boy. But similar coloring.... I should get one of those tees "crazy cat lady" or maybe, "saving the world one cat at a time" literally.

Originally Posted by LDG

Yeah - it's hard to trap them if they're not around! Like momofmany suggested, it's best to put food out regularly (and up on a table) - and since he's at your garbage, put it near there. You can only really put a trap out once they're coming around regularly.

Laurie

Click to expand...

Thanks Laurie....once I get him coming around, I will definately trap him....that was my main concern getting him altered. And the sp/nt clinic I use will do it for $25 so it's a very small expense....and I will remember to make a note of the ear clipping....and probably get him a rabies shot too. (I believe that's our laws in PA as well) So far though.....no Tom cat the rest of the week. Maybe I will try a can of tuna on Sat, morning.....that is definately smelly!