there is a cat living in my basement

Slow and easy does it. Don't force the issue. It may take months to win his (her?) trust, but it will be worth it in the end.

Keep feeding the kitty. Let him show trust in his own time. Sit down there on a daily basis and talk softly, or read aloud, so he can get used to your presence and smell.

When you do win him over, be sure to have him to the vet, and tested, before integrating him with Max.

Please do keep us updated!

Congratulations on being Chosen!

You might also want to leave out something cozy and warm for it to sleep on as well as fresh water daily.

Leave two cozy warm things - one a regular bed or blanket and nearby, a stinked up old sweatshirt or t-shirt. The idea is to get the cat used to your scent.

The regular bed/blanket is to give him a cozy sleeping place before he learns to love your smell. Tuck it out of the way - hidden, so to speak, so he can feel safe while sleeping.

Even better, put his food or treats on your shirt, so he learns to associate that smell with good stuff.

Once he learns that, he will probably sleep on your shirt (and eventually) every piece of clothing you own! Good luck and thanks for helping htis kitty!

Time and patience hun! Don't force it, let the kitty come to you. How exciting though! I can't wait to hear how it turns out.

good advice here. where's he/she doing "potty"? good luck with everything
bless you for caring

start with the comforter and sweat shirt. Wait a while before bringing the couch down, though it's a good idea, it will add more smells of your home.

good point about the toilet facilities cat1atsite.

I recommend putting a litter box down there too, maybe near the door. That way, if the weather is too bad to go out and potty, she'll have the litter box right there.

keep us posted!

I suggest that you don't wait. Get a humane trap and while she's still very hungry (and less likely to pass up any food) trap her. If you choose to take things slow you could be waiting 2-3 months and kitten season is right around the corner. You do not want kittens - not when you could easily stop things with a spaying now.

After a vet check for FeLV/FIV and at least rabies vac you could even move her to a room in the house or keep her in the basement but block off her exits to outside.

You know, Strange Wings has a point. I was thinking the cat wasn't going outside. If she is (and she's a she if she's calico!!!), you will have kittens soon GUARANTEED.

A humane trap frightens them some but honestly, it does not alienate them. The opposite usually happens. Once they are spayed and you release them, they are so relieved (and calmed down by the spaying), they become even easier to befriend.

I'd get the litter box in there ASAP and close off her escape route. Then set the trap for a week before you can take her for surgery so that it doesn't spring. Place her food inside it, so she gets used to the idea of the food in the trap.

Will you take her to your vet or is there a low cost s/n program near you? Getting her used to eating in the trap is a good way to ensure you can keep you appointment.

I am in NC too, where in NC are you? I can help you find a low cost spay/neuter clinic if you want.

This link has several low cost spay/neuter programs in NC http://www.operationcatnip.org/Low-c...ups,%20etc.htm

I am not familiar with that area, please let me know if none of these are close to you and I will look for more. Most likely if the cat in not social, you may need to carry the cat to a Clinic that does feral cats.

The socialization of a stray/feral/stray-acting-feral is something that works totally on the cat's clock - but being confined to one room of a home where you spend as much time as possible definitely speeds up the process.

Please read these 3 threads - one is a stray that appeared to be feral, but as soon as he was kept inside "socialization" took only a few days. One is a stray that acted feral, and while comfortable in his room, he's slowly coming around to his new people - the third is a true older feral - but she is not unhappy in her situation, just taking her own sweet time. Each thread has many recommendations on how best to socialize the scared kitty.

Horatio's story: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=210430
Sweet Pea's story: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=210849
Patches' story: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=206271

I recommend trapping this kitty, taking her to be spayed, getting her vaccinations, tested for FeLV and FIV, and releasing her into a spare room - a guest bedroom, your bedroom, the computer room.

Cats are all about territory, and being confined to one room for weeks or months - however long it takes is not cruel! When they make that territory theirs and are comfortable in it, the socialization process can progress. The older the feral - especially if a true feral and not a kitty that was a pet that's been on its own for a while - the longer that process of coming to trust humans takes. But being regularly provided food and water and having all of its needs met with nothing further asked of kitty goes a long way to earning their trust.

And yes, all calicos are female. It has to do with colors and X and Y chromosomes, but I have no idea what. I know that it is very, very, very rare that a male will have three colors, and if he does, he's sterile.

But to befriend a kitty that is truly feral that lives outside is a project that can take years - not weeks, not months.

for wanting to rescue/adopt this kitty!

Hi there! I'm the poster with the older feral cat that I am socializing. I wanted to give you my experience regarding the vetting.

If you use a Havahart to trap the kitty, keep the kitty in the trap and bring to vet that way - don't let out of trap and try to get in a car carrier. (Put a towel over the trap so kitty feels safe - including in car to vet, at vet waiting room, etc.)

When I trapped Patches, I made sure my vet was comfortable with ferals before deciding on a vet. The cat may or may not be an aggressive cat - but when stressed, you don't know what will happen - so you want to be sure the vet office is comfortable with any situation. They will wear gloves and have 2+ people. Make sure your vet is not scared of the cat - that is very important. Because the label "feral" can scare people, I referred to Patches as a "shy stray that I haven't touched" - just to not make her seem too scary so they would look at her. But you want to be honest though at the same time.

It helps to tell them the situation on the phone so they can either have you able to come in when you trap her without an appointment - or (more likely if you are a new client) have an appointment set up that you just cancel and reschedule if you can't bring her in.

Hope this helps in some way!

Really good points, all of them. Also, if you're going with the trap, put a tarp or plastic sheet or something down on the car seat where you'll be placing the trap. Scared kitties often pee or poop or vomit when you start driving out of fear, poor babies.

With our vet, we just drop the cat off in the trap whenever the cat is trapped (or when the vet opens in the morning if trapped at night), and they do their thing and call us to let us know when we can pick up the kitty. Many vets will sedate the kitty in the trap or release kitty into a chamber where they can be sedated with a gas and just avoid all the handling hassle.

And a towel over the tarp to absorb the pee. Poor Jennie peed in the trap. I had a plastic sheet under the trap but did not think to put an absorbent towel over the tarp, and under the trap, and the pee simply rolled off the tarp onto my car seat.

Keep us updated!

It just takes one un-altered pet to escape to run into a wandering stray tom (that travels miles looking for mates) to start the cycle of breeding and resulting in neighborhood outside kitties.. So any neighborhood or area could have strays/ferals imho and they may not be visible.

Good luck with the vet!!!!!

Many feed stores rent them as well as humane societies or rescue groups. Even exterminators use them when trapping raccoons and squirrels in attics. Call around and see what you can find.

that is GREAT news!

When you obtain a trap, give it a wash with a very light bleach solution - get the smell of other cats and fear off of it. When it's dry, spray it with Feliway.

In the meantime, put food out for her at the same time every day - ideally at the time you would like to trap her, but she will be OK in the trap overnight if need be (just place it in the basement or some place out of the weather). Get her used to the feeding schedule (and do pick the food up so she only has a window of time in which to come to eat it).

When you get the trap and clean it up and it's prepped for her, put it in the same place you've been feeding her. Pour loose dirt over the bottom of it so she doesn't have to walk on the wires - the trap will just lift up out of it. Cover it with some sticks and leaves - and leave both ends open.

You can try setting it the very first time, though we always feed them in the trap without it being set for a few days - then we use a really stinky food (we use salmon, but some use KFC, no skin - others use sardines (no sauce) - whatever you want to try) the day we set the trap.

And otto? You are SO right! We use paper towels - but I did forget that step and apparently always do when writing about it!

If a vet treats a lot of cats chances are they've dealt with plenty that do not want to be there and are far from pleasant. Even a tame cat can act wild at the vet.

You don't even know yet if this kitty may be socialized. Lots of cats are just scaredy cats and will run from anyone they don't know. Others will just act skittish outside. I have one that kept a minimum of about 5-6 yards from me until I opened up a can of cat food in front of her one day. Skittish cat instantly turned into "feed me now" cat. She's been stuck on me since.

I hope that's the case with the one you have. Just have patience. And sure, she won't like you for this, but cats can get over things.

If you go to buy a humane trap it should cost you around $30-40.

Oh that's wonderful news! Finding a vet who isn't afraid to handle unknown cats is worth its weight in gold.

Good luck. You will be writing soon about your progress. Has the cat told you her name yet?

I was thinking this too. I couldn't get near Jennie, but once she was in the trap she was quite tame, and the day I bought her home (straight from the vet and her spay, etc) it was clear she was so happy to be in a warm safe loving home. She purred so loud and stared at me so happily I burst into tears!



Do keep us updated!


(just want to clarify with the KFC: remove bones