Advice needed

Hi everyone. I moved into my current location about 4 years ago. Not too long after I moved in I noticed a feral (stray?) cat around. Eventually he warmed up to me and since then I feed him each day.

Winter time is almost here in CT (we had our first small snow and cold day today) and it breaks my heart to see him outside in this weather.

The cat seems to be at least 12-13 years in age (he looks really old) and sort of skinny like aged cats get. I have tried before to get him in a cage to take him to the vet. One time I almost had him in and he broke through the cage as the bottom wasn't shut.

I do have a neighbor who is a vet. Great right? Not so much. He doesn't really do anything to try to help this cat. I asked if he can come over one day and help me get him in the cage but he wouldn't touch the cat. Our other neighbor claims that the cat used to have an owner a long time ago and has been around for at least 8 years (not sure about that though, she is the resident "crazy neighbor")Anyways.. I need to figure out what to do at this point. It really stresses me out seeing him outside and knowing how cold it is. It is really tough because one time I tried to catch the cat and he didn't come around for about a week.

In addition to all that. I have an inside cat and a wife who is allergic to cats! I was thinking of confining the stray cat to a part of our finished basement just so it can relax and not worry about being cold.

I have considered making a shelter outside but another neighbor lets her cats out and it attacks this older cat who doesn't fight back.

I know exactly how bad you feel about seeing the cat outside, especially if he/she is older. The poor thing, but thank goodness for your kindness. Can you put out a temporary shelter (google outdoor cat shelters). There are lots of ideas including taking a plastic storage bin, lining it with styrofoam insulation, and putting straw or an outdoor cat heating pad in it. this would at least provide some protection from the weather. Can you place it somewhere where the other cats won't bother it? This is how we started with our 5 ferals! We now have a large homemade kitty condo with an oil heater to keep them toasty. I'll keep thinking of ideas to help. Keep us posted!

Well, I live in an RV with 8 cats, and I have horrible allergies (especially to cats) and asthma. All of our kitties are feral rescues.

As this cat has warmed up to you, and it used to belong to someone and it's not clear kitty "loves" being outside - I'm with you on this!!!

There are ways to introduce a kitty to a new home that make things go a lot more smoothly for everyone (especially the cats!) - and I might have some ideas on dealing with the allergies your wife hasn't tried yet.

But getting kitty used to being inside again and comfortable in a safe space is the first step. I think some way sectioning off some of your finished basement (if there's a reason he can't have access to the whole thing) is a GREAT idea.

It seems to me the best way to manage getting this kitty to a vet is with a trap. Call around to local shelters and your vet, and see if they have a trap to loan or rent. Some charge a deposit you get back when you return the trap, others require a small fee.

Since you're (probably) going to be bringing kitty home from the vet, it's a good idea to purchase Feliway (or Comfort Zone) anyway to spray in the room/area where you're going to release the kitty.

Then use the spray to spray the trap - especially the open end. If it's there like it is here (NW NJ), take some leaves, and toss them in on the bottom inside of the trap, and toss some on top of the trap. Put a small amount of something stinky in a paper bowl in the back of the trap so kitty has to get back there to trip it - but leave an even smaller amount in two more paper bowls - one in the middle of the trap (to entice kitty in), and one just in front of the trap. We watched a stray circle the trap for about an hour before sitting at the back of the trap staring at the food, when we decided to try this method. This is like a trail of breadcrumbs that leads them right in.

Put a plastic tarp or something down over the seat or floor where you're going to set the trap in your car or truck. Kitties often get scared and pee or poop or vomit (or any combination thereof) on the way to the vet - this makes it easy to clean up.

...and if you can afford it, we've found that with older kitties, if you can board them at the vet for a couple of days while you wait for tests to get back - and let them pill him/her for a few days if he/she needs antibiotics or whatever (definitely don't even bother testing for parasites, just assume he/she has them and have her treated for them) - when you release them into your home, they're just SO relieved to be out of the vet's place, they're less freaky and stressed about being inside now.

Because we're in the RV and can't separate cats, and we have a kitty with an autoimmune problem, we leave the cats at the vet in boarding for 10 days to make sure nothing "blooms" under stress. Then we know it's safe to bring kitty home - and they're always really relieved to get out of the vet.

For a kitty this old, I'd pay for a Senior blood panel if you can (normal blood work + kidney function stuff).

But how WONDERFUL of you to want to rescue an older kitty in need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If the cat were a feral, I would NOT recommend doing this. And you may find that if he's been outside on his own for so long, he may not adjust to being inside - you'll just have to see how he reacts. But that you're willing to try.... makes my heart melt and restores my faith in people yet again.

You do want kitty tested for FIV/FeLV. And I would ask them to send a fecal sample out to test for giardia. But have him treated for round worm, fleas, ticks, and tape worm. (Revolution will likely be used for everything except the tape worm, and that would be one pill, drontal. The Revolution is a topical that will need to be reapplied in a month to account for the life cycle of the round worm. To play it safe, you can treat a third time after another month).

If kitty tests positive for FeLV (unlikely as he or she has made it to this age) or FIV, you have some choices to make. As we just learned, FIV+ kitties can live inside just fine with other cats - it is not a disease that is easily transmitted. Worry about that step when you get there - just wanted that out there, because many vets, as we discovered, are not very well informed about the disease, so don't always have good advice.

Are you familiar with forums and private messaging and stuff? I'm happy to either post the stuff I do to deal with allergies - or send it via PM to you.

Whatever happens - thank you for wanting to rescue this kitty!