Adopting a Stray Approx 1 year old

We have tried to trap a stray who had been visiting us for two months (we were feeding him two times a day). We trapped him and he broke out of our screened porch. He is either not very aggressive by nature, sick, or was a pet and abandoned. But he definately needs to be neutered. He's a yellow tabby. He likes our cat who is mostly a house cat trained to stay in our yard. She likes him. And he doesn't seem to bother her. Oh he did come back after escaping after about a week. But he doesn't hang around as long after he eats. It's been about a month since the failed trapping. Any recommendations on trapping him again and trying to adopt him as our family cat. How can we entice him to enjoy our screened porch and deck. Is there any kind of an integration program. All advice welcome. I am mostly concerned he has worms or some chronic illness.

Thank you.

Can you touch and pick him up? If so just put him in a carrier the next time he shows up and take him to the vet. Your other option is using a live trap.

After he's been neutered, has shots, defleaed and wormed will you be attempting to make him a house cat too? Right now he sounds like the typical intact roaming tom.

I would get a cat crate. Put food at the back of it. When he gets used to eating from inside try shutting the door for a few seconds. It may take a while to go through all the steps until he's comfortable being locked in side the crate.

Thank you for wanting to help this kitty.

All of our rescued ferals are indoor only, so I have no idea how to make him interested in sticking around if you're not bringing him in full time. Maybe others can help there.

However, if you want to treat it like a feral relocation, once he's been to the vet and treated for parasites and neutered, bring him home, and keep him in one room for 2 or 3 weeks. He will likely be terrified, but feed him on a schedule, clean his litter box on a schedule, put down dry food and clean water on a schedule. Knock lightly before going in, and tell him you're coming in. Spend as much time in the room with him as you can - NOT trying to interact, just being there, doing something. The more you can do while sitting on the floor, the better. Let him get used to you and the new smells and sounds. Talk to him out loud, but don't look at him. Wait for him to come to you. If he doesn't, don't worry about it.

But that should be long enough for him to learn that he's got a dry, safe place if he wants it. Then let him out and see what happens - but keep putting food and water out for him on the same schedule, just wherever in the yard or on the porch you want him eating.

As to the trapping, I'd either use Kalikat's suggestion with one twist or my next suggestion. Put the food out (at the back of the crate) at the same time every morning or evening and leave it out for just 1/2 an hour.

Will he eat if you're near? Just sit near (if possible, within reach of the crate door) and let him get used to this.

If this doesn't work, you'll have to try traditional trapping, either with a drop trap or a humane trap.

I've never used a drop trap - I'd post about how to do this in the Caring for Strays and Ferals Forum.

As to the regular humane trap, give it a scrub with a mild soap and water and completely rinse it. Get the smell of other cats and fear off of it. Purchase Feliway (a synthetic hormone that mimics the "friendly" markers in cats' cheeks). Spray a little of this on the wire at the entrance of the trap.

Sprinkle dirt or cat litter over the bottom of the trap so he doesn't have to walk on wire. The trap will lift up through it.

Get him on a regular schedule of feeding. Put the trap out as described, but cover it with some sticks or leaves.

If you think it may help, leave the trap not set to trip for a few days, and put the food in there.

The day you're ready to trap, use some really stinky food, like herring (no sauce), salmon, tuna, or KFC (no skin).

Good luck!

Laurie