Two feral males fighting...

Lately the new feral that arrived late last summer and my alpha male feral have been howling at each other. I do not believe that they have actually fought yet, they just stare at each other and howl. It has waken me up several times, so I worry that it might be waking or annoying the neighbors also. My alpha feral is neutered but this newcomer is not. I have tried a few times but he has not gone near the trap.

How much will neutering the new cat help this agression? It seems to be over territory so maybe not at all? It sounds terrible but I almost would like not to neuter him so he goes away during heat season. I do not want his behavior hurting the others in the colony.

When the new cat arrived he was very shy and only crept up to eat when the others were done. Now he has become bolder. I have put cat calming drops in their water and sprayed anti-marking spray near their sleeping area but neither seems to be helping much. Any suggestions? I'm very worried once the summer comes it will be worse.

Thanks and Happy New Year to everyone!

I had the same problem, but had a variety of up to 4 males doing that! It can get very loud and very annoying especially in Summer when they do it as early as 3AM for hours until one backs away or wins!

After getting neutered they usually never fight and they stop spraying, but sometimes 2 enemies that know each other may on occasion still howl and bite the other, but not serious just to scare them off.

I've got 2 neutered males that do this, but none ever got a drop of blood shed they usually back off after a few minutes.

Neutering helps and it gets rid of the bad smell and mating.

Most likely though after he'll stick around to kept getting fed.

Neutering him will - in most cases - dramatically reduce the aggression. Basically everything Keith sad.

To lure him into the trap, try some Kentucky Fried Chicken (skin removed). Also, get some potting soil (or just use litter if you want) that has no chemicals in it, and poor it across the bottom so his paws don't have to walk on wire - the trap will lift right up through it.

Laurie

I just trapped what might be a stray and might not be. Plain, ordinary cat food worked for us. Of course, we are in the middle of a mega storm here and the trap was under a tarp. I'd be under that tarp, too, if I were out in this storm. 6 hours and he was in.
So, try another food? Wait until it rains? Put that tarp over the trap (I think that is what got him into the trap).
Took him to the shelter today and he has a microchip! I was all set to adopt him. Now I have to wait until Tues.
By the way, where do you live in NY to have such a large feral population? In the City? I grew up in Yonkers and the Catskills, went to Cornell and our daughter is a junior at Elmira College in Elmira, NY. Feel free to PM with the reply.

Originally Posted by butzie

ITook him to the shelter today and he has a microchip!

I was all set to adopt him. Now I have to wait until Tues.
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Hooray for rescuing a kitty! He must be loved by someone who cared enough to chip him How thrilled they will be to get the call!!! And who knows, but maybe they replaced him already & will let you keep him At any rate - thank Heaven that you got him out of this storm

As for the op, yes, neutering should help quite a bit! Although my former feral Scott (neutered) does argue with Joey & JC now - I think that he is just territorial. he doesn't mind kittens and young cats, but as the males get older, he wants them gone even though I get them neutered before they begin to spray or act tommy.

Tuna in oil also works good, or sardines but then you have to worry about bones.

I live on Long Island, NY. It's not as busy or congested as NY city (and where I live isnt by the water), but it has alot of houses and fast food places and not many wooded areas, with so many buildings and dumpsters it's no wonder their population is sky high. And where there are houses and dumpsters there is also lots of mice! There really aren't any cat predators here either unless you count a hawk that could kill a kitten or racoons but they rarely if ever do that being there is so much food here, i've never seen it happen.

Plus by me there really isnt any TNR groups, they do exist on LI but not in my area and one is needed badly!

So we are left with a large population then lets say an area with coyotes and foxes.

Getting the newbie neutered should help but there are times when the "resident" ferals won't accept a newcoming into their colony. I've witnessed Bob and Lucky (neutered for many years) drive away all new cats that wander up to my house. They don't like to share their territory. There's no guarantees with feral cats.

If you get him neutered and he is still driven out of the colony, just realize that you've probably given him a much longer life to live and have reduced the possibility of new litters in your area.

Just remembered about my RIP Brownie who I had neutered but was mainly an outdoor cat (he adopted me) and another cat in the neighborhood. Sure that the other cat had a home (collar) and in this neighborhood he probably was neutered, too. They hissed at each other all the time. I think it was because our house was Brownie's territory and he wasn't letting any other cat trespassing on his food supply.

I live on Long Island too. Everything Keith P. says is true. There just aren't enough resources in our area. I even tried contacting a group supposedly in my own town and they didn't even answer my e-mails! I did recently find a wonderful shelter that has free spay/neuter days and tries to help out. They are in Suffolk County though. They were wonderful when I had two of the ferals done there recently.

I will tell you the one reason I have many cats near me right now though. It is because of one cat right now. MIDNIGHT! All of the new kittens have been coming from this one female. She doesn't even live with us...she just brings the babies, gets them used to eating here and then leaves! It's the oddest thing. In a couple of my other posts I have told her story... This cat is uncatchable! The only time she ever went in a trap it didn't catch! I can tell you I was so angry! I am going to try to make a drop trap- Now not just for Midnight but for this big guy too. I feel like I'm in the path of a big snowball getting bigger and bigger if I don't catch one of these two soon. I can't have anymore cats in the colony.

There are still some hissing fights out there about 1-2 times a day. I have a water pistol ready if it gets too bad. The only thing I hate is that my feral boy is getting a little anxious about me as if he can't figure out what he is doing wrong. I feel bad. Trying to chase this new guy out of his territory is the right behavior, he is just too loud doing it!
I just pray that once he is neutered that they will all get along!

She doesn't even live with us...she just brings the babies, gets them used to eating here and then leaves! It's the oddest thing. In a couple of my other posts I have told her story... This cat is uncatchable! The only time she ever went in a trap it didn't catch! I can tell you I was so angry! I am going to try to make a drop trap-


Wow really? The cats her must be alike, my Mom cat was the EXACT same way, she was the producing all the kittens I have. I finally made a drop trap and got her the 1st time, she NEVER went in a have a-heart trap, was too smart for that. Her and her offspring are all fixed now!

What part of Long Island do you live in, Suffolk or Nassau? I live in Suffolk.

I went to Island Rescue for low cost spay/neuter for my cats.

Unfortunetly there is house right down my block that feeds cats but doesnt fix any of them, so I have more cats coming than I can fix, and some are really friendly too.

As well as a few of mine (fixed) that are really friendly and looking for homes.

By the way your PM box is full.

Hi!

Keith P. I've emptied a bit of my PM box and sent you a message.
I also use Island Rescue for all of the cats I have done.

Great work on catching that mama and her babies! I can't wait until all of mine are neutered/spayed. I will be dancing for joy all day. It's hard though, because money is always tight and the cats just won't go in the darn trap.

How do you get some of your ferals adoptable? I have a few that will come and play with a toy and maybe they will let me touch their back quickly but that is it. Well...one of the girls let's me pet her occasionally. Most of my colony are all so close to each other, they butt heads and rub against each other and play together. Isn't it best to keep them together or should I be trying harder to get some adopted?

First thing is when the cats were young and didnt know me well first thing I did to get them to come over was offering food. Once they associate you with feeding thats the start. I try to offer a can of tuna on a plate or pieces of plain deli turkey/chicken, they seem to really like that. You also must bend your knees at first, if you stand up that might scare them. Bend your knees and pat the ground gently when your offering them the food, eventually they should start to associate this with getting a treat and come closer and closer. If they will eat out of your hand but not let you pet them, try letting them smell your hand without food, this will get them used to your scent. Always offer your hand to the cat to smell before petting, eventually if you can pet them you wont really need to do this.

If you have 1 cat that is really friendly and you can pet them, it's good for the other cats to see this. If you give that cat most of the attention or treats the others are bound to eventually try to come over and get some treats. If you can brush the cats that is also really good, brushing a cat (technically touching them) then offering a treat is really a great way for them to get used to you, and brushing them also helps keep there coat fairly clean and free of matts.

I have cat toys outside 24/7, a favorite is a long,thick shoelace and some catnip toys, preferably not small ones because they may eat them, especially if there the furry mice. Each day in the warm weather I would go out out mabye for 10 minutes and slowly drag the shoelace around my yard. Some of the cats would watch me do it, but be too afraid to go near it. After I was done I would leave the shoelace out for them to play with all day, (preferably have it hang so the wind makes it move) Eventually they lost fear of the shoelace and started playing with it on their own. So once they saw it as a familiar object, as I dragged it they slowly got closer and closer to it, wanting to play. I went on my knees and Very Slowly dragged it across the ground (I did this by a pile of leaves or tall grass, there favorite play spots) Slowly over the next days one kitten pounced on the shoelace! So a few days later it finally realized i wouldnt hurt it and we played together! Soon the other kittens got brave and I soon had them all playing with me with the shoelace! Sometimes putting treats by the moving shoelace helped, because they could smell food but be stimulated by the shoelaces movement, there senses took over and they went for the shoelace.

Thats about all i can explain as of now.