HELP - approx 3 year ol feral cat

Hi,

Haven´t introduced myself yet, but I have a problem. For approx 3 years I have fed a stray cat morning and evening. I amanged to trap and neuter him about 2 years ago, but as we had 5 cats at the time my husband wanted to release him, and also he was very hissy and angry (the cat, not hubby!).

We had a good routine going, I would whistle at the right times, wait a while and Freddie would come rotting down some steps, maiowing back to me. I would wait whilst he ate, talking to him, and then he would finish eating, we would have a discussion and off he went. I could never get to pat him, but finally got to two steps away from him, sitting quietly.

Nearly two weeks ago I noticed he was walking stiffyl and hold his tail ramrod straight. Bald patch towards bottom of tail, I thought cat fight. Anyway, saw him on and off for the next week, then on Sunday he was waiting for his breakfast. Dear me, what a sad little state. Left eye closed, oozing gunk, difficulty walking, generally poorly. Managed to trap him (with the help of God and some luck). Phoned my vet and took him in as an emegency. Bite to his tail, healing nicely, but the eye, he is going to lose it. The vet thinks major fight, and the claw of the other cat has penetrated/perforated his cornea, and the fluid at the back of the eye is seeping through the hole and causing the edema. Antibiotic shot and anti-inflammatory. I forgot to mention, two sedative jabs and finally some anaesthetic to get near him. He is now here with us (we have 3 other cats now - not happy right now of course). Freddie is in our plant room, a nice size room, we use it for storage and it also houses the water storage tank and electric water heater. We have to wait another week for the surgery to make sure no infection, and then the eye will be removed. He could have microscopic surgery but that entails a plastic collar afterwards and eye drops four times a day -- uh no, would love to do it for him but can´t see the eye drops happening or the collar staying on. He will be welcome to stay with us, but not sure he will. I am concerned about his welfare. He eats (during the night), during the day he is up behind the pipes. He has the radio on morning till bedtime, a soft rock salt crystal table lamp (off at bedtime). Fresh water, dry food, wet food,litter box, cat box with fleece in it, a fleece on cardboard (tiled floor, cold). He has stopped hissing, we go down regularly to see him and talk to him, check his eye (the edema getting bigger). All a bit of a worry. I suppose I am worried about letting him out after his recovery because I know if he gets ill I don´t think he will be daft enough to go in the trap again. Has anyone tamed a feral cat aged 3 or more? Is it possible? I mean, he can stay in the plant room as long as it takes, but also not sure how he and my three tabbies will get on. They can smell him, and maybe next week when he goes for surgery I will let them in there to sniff around and get his full scent, and also means he will get their scent when he comes around.

Am I doing right, should I just leave him to run off, if he wants to, or become an outdoor garden cat with a nice little hut, if he wants to? So many questions. Maybe it all boils down to what he wants to do. Bear in mind he will be here with us for, in total, a minimum of 4 to 5 weeks, can´t risk his going out and getting an infection. Apart from feeding Freddie I have had nothing to do with feral cats. My five were street cats, all dumped and unwanted, but had obviously been pets at some stage. Poor little Freddie, his is tabby with a white (rather scratched right now) nose and a white bib, rather a handsome fellow. He has never struck me as a fighter, but of course if he gets set upon he is going to retalliate poor little guy.

So, any suggestions, ideas, advice, anything at all, very welcome right now. I don´t want to let him out too soon if there is a chance of him being part of our family, but not fair to keep him in if that is not what he wants. But how will I know what he wants? If he wants to go I would not stop him, although I will be very sad.

I am sorry, I am all over the place here, I am just so concerned for the little chap, he is an unhappy bunny right now, but it is only day 4. Also concerned about his safety from other feral cats with only the one eye. Will wait to check for worms and fleas etc when he goes for the surgery, don´t want to stress him unnecessarily.

Thank you in advance for any help you might be able to give me - I just want to do the best I can for him.

My first reaction would be, wait to decide anything. You already said you'd keep Freddie in at least four to five weeks (bless you!). Keep on doing what you're doing (sounds like a dream set up) and reevaluate how he is doing physically and emotionally in four weeks.
I am concerned that Freddie will be essentially blind in one eye; I don't know how cats adapt to this situation. Hopefully other posters can offer some insight. You might want to factor in an extra week or two just so Freddie can figure out how to eat, walk, jump with one eye.
Finally, keep in mind that especially after Freddie returns from the vets he will literally smell like a vet hospital and Fear--cats really can smell the difference. I wouldn't let your other cats smell Freddie until the vet / fear smells go away.
Yes, ferals can be tamed even if they have lived on the streets for three years. And because of your already established relationship with Freddie, you're not starting from scratch. Do what you would do if Freddie were a stray, someones pet--only slower.
Ferals can "turn" (my word for accepting and trusting that Humans are good people) overnight after not showing much progress for weeks.
Let us know how things turn out and, again, thank you for taking such good care of Freddie.

Welcome to the Forums!

I do second Ritz´ post.

Moreover, I want to add, you do have extra good chances NOW to taming Freddie - because he is sick, and he knows of it.

Ferales are easy to foster as very young, window wide open 3-7 weeks they say. Other times also possible - but more difficult, esp if they get older.

But the window can open again. The most typically is if they are severely wounded or sick, and you are helping them. Why, it happens, when they are really ill, they themselves seek out the humans...
There are cases when it went literally in days...

So work on on double traces, as Ritz says. He will be with you several weeks. If he doesnt get fostered - he will surely live happily as your garden cat. But with any luck - he will want to be adopted.
Once spayed, hormones out from him, and also the vets smells - he will adapt to your residents. They usually do.


Good you do have a quarantine period. Good both for him - he need to be better first, and good for your residents, so they wont catch.
Although, they are themselves ex strays, and did survived this. So probably you dont need to overdo this quarantine if they are healthy.
The quarantine dont need to be quite as scropulous as with home raised, inside only cats...

Tx for caring of Freddie and the other ex homeless!

Good luck!

Hi and welcome!!!! How nice of you to have trapped him two years ago and get him neutered and he has stayed with you ever since. So at least you don't have to deal with raging hormones.

I am sure he was ambushed and attacked and had to protect himself. And who knows if it was another cat or another kind of animal. We have fox in my area and they are known to go after the cats. It is a good idea to let your cats into the plant room when Freddie is at the vet for the surgery in a week. Then when Freddie comes back, he will smell that they were in the plant room too. Keep them all separated for the full duration of the recovery. Starting the socialization process will go quicker if Freddie is confined to the one room. Sit in there often and read to him, keep music playing, put a night shirt that you have worn for a day or two in that room on his bed and change it out every day or two to another shirt you have been wearing. When you go to feed, bring some very tempting wet food, like Fancy Feast's Shrimp and fish. You know you are getting somewhere if he will eat with you sitting in the room. Older feral cats can be socialized, it just takes much longer and alot of patience. Some are quicker to come around than other's though.

I would not even attempt to introduce your other cats to Freddie until he is totally recovered and you are making progress with him on your own. You need to build trust, that is the first and main step in taming. Once the trust is established, things will progress quicker.

I would get him tested for FeLK/FIV and his shots again since it has been two years since he has seen the vet. You will need to have that done anyway if you are going to integrate him into your family of cats down the road.

Bless you so very much for taking this boy in and saving him. I honestly don't think you should release him back outside after losing that eye. he will be even more defenseless out there and will probably get picked on even more because he might appear weak/insecure to the other male tomcats. I think I would try to have a back-up plan if you do not keep him after the 4 - 5 Weeks. You are doing an incredible for this cat, and he might not be showing that immediately, but he knows he is not well and he needs you. Thank you for caring about the stray cats

THANK YOU for rescuing Freddie and for doing this for him.

Just FYI, all of our cats are feral rescues, and our little Flowerbelle had an eye that was so badly damaged from a herpes infection it had to be removed. She didn't need the cone afterwards... and healed up GREAT and does just fine now! Her depth perception was a bit off for a while, but she learned to compensate, and is now our most coordinated kitty.

You're right to keep him inside until the surgery, no matter how unhappy he is. Cats are all about territory, and he's in new territory, and doesn't understand what's happening... once he's had the surgery, he will have to be looked after, as you point out. During this time, he may well come to understand what's happening to him, and accept the care. It's just so hard to know in advance.

Really... I think you'll have time to decide what's best to do. One of the most experienced rescuers on this site (with over 20 years of experience in working with ferals) says that if a true feral cat is older than three, it is VERY hard to make the adjustment to living inside full time. That said, it depends upon the circumstances and the cat.

Right now, you do what you need to do, and worry about what to do after he's healed up.

Many vibes to both of you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much for your replies. Freddie is eating well, using the litter tray, and is now getting vocal overnight! 3 a.m. seems to be "talk time". Our other three cats take no notice, just sleep through it.

His favourite spot right now is up behind the water pipes. Hoping that will change as we will need to get him in his box for the operation next Wednesday, when I will ask for FIV/FeLV tests, worming treatment and flea treatment - although I have been defelating him once a month with program suspension in tuna with oil, so fingers crossed fleas are not a problem.

My husband thinks I should just let him out to make up his own mind when he is fully recovered. I think at that point he might just do a runner. I would not have imposed this on Freddie, and left him to his free life, but as this has happened and he is indoors it seems a shame to release him too soon without giving it more time. My husband does not mind Freddie staying and becoming a part of the family, I get the idea he just seems to think Freddie can´t/won´t change.

This morning, when I went in to empty his litter box, fresh water and food, put the lamp on and his therapy music (playing on my favourite Bose iPod dock, nothing but the best for Fred) he was up between the pipes again, but started talking to me in the same way as when I fed him outside, we had a bit of a discussion and then I left him to it. I have not stayed long until now, but starting today I will take a book down, or use the time to meditate for a short while, and just sit quietyly. Not expecting much, but at least he will get used to me sitting there.

We don´t really use that storage room a lot, so his being in there is not a major problem. It is not tiny, plenty of room for him to move arond if he wants to. He seems to like to be on top of an old cardboard box we have put in there during the night only (I see him imprint on the blanket I put there for him). But when I go down in th morning he is back behind the pipes.

I agree it could well take time, what I don´t want to do is keep him against his will and make him unhappy. Our other three cats are indoor/outdoor cats, we have a cat flap, so even if Freddie settled in and joined us he could still go outside when he wanted to. Our cats do not roam freely, I like them in at bedtime, and if not in the flap is set to coming in only, but generally they are in. When we go out the cats are in. They have our bedroom, dressing room and bathroom, toys, our bed, moses basket, whateer they want and a tall scratching post - looks lovely in our bedroom, but hey, who cares. So Freddie would get to go out, but wouldn´t have to stay out, and we would try to "train" him to be in overnight. Not a lot of traffic around our way thankfully, and I would imagine he is street wise, in fact I have seen him when he comes to me for food, he hears a car and stays off the road.

Your posts have been so helpful, and I am going to wait until he eye recovers, and if he is settled, calm and okay I will keep him in longer to work on his domestic skills. Time limit is not a problem, it can take however long it takes, I will probably get an ear-bashing from hubby, but he will get used to the idea. He thinks I don´t hear him talking to Freddie when he goes in to see him (severaltimes a day....), and when he gets in the first thing he does is go to visit him and then comes to ask me how has he been. Mr. Tough Guy (not).

I am pleased he eats well, drinks his water and uses the litter tray - used that from day 1. If totally stressed I don´t think he would eat so well. His eye looks awful the edem is getting bigger and he can hardly close his eye. I gave him some anti-inflammatory medication in his food last night as it sure looks painful. I know antibiotic jabs can last 15 days, but not sure about the anti-inflammatory one he had on Sunday. I gave Metacam, just o.2 whatevers (a smalll amount) in the hope of relieving the pain and maybe reducing the swelling.

I have just four weeks ago lost my kitty soul mate, a beautfiul Norwegian Forest cat, red and white, but most important he was beautiful inside. He contracted FIV from stray cat bite aprox 5 years ago. He was doing so well, but it is such a vicious disease, beavering away in the background until one day POW, kicks in big time. We did everything we could to get him through that last 4 weeks, but nothing worked, daily vet visits, injections, Interferon, you name it. Anyway, the last thing I wanted was another poorly cat right now, I still miss my boy so much, tears never far away, but it seems God had other plans for me, and here we have Freddie.

I am going to wear a tee shirt (indoors only) for a couple of days and then put it in the bed in his room, he doesn´t use the bed yet but hopefully he will pick up on my scent. I have also whisteld to him, softly (I have an awful whistle) because that is how he knew I was there to feed him, I whistled to him, so that is probably more familiar to him than anything else.

As long as you guys think there is a chance that he will calm down and can hopefully join our family then I will keep trying. It is not that I don´t want him to stay, and hubby is fine with that, it is just the feral bit - I know nothing about that side of things. I am also worried that he might be unhappy down there, all on his own, although he will here household noises and movements. If he calms down enough, and doesn´t want to climb walls and pipes, then we can transfer him to one of our spare bedrooms and semi start the integration process by sheer dint of the fact that he is nearer everything and can get used to our voices and noises.

Anyway, all these are my thoughts, but in the absence of any advice to the contrary I will go with you guys and give him time after recovery to see how the situation works out for him. I just worry that he must be bored witless, he can´t see outside either, don´t know if that is good or bad. Everyone keeps telling me to let him go as soon as possible after recovery from the op, but I am going to stand my ground, be patient, take time and see what develops.

Thank you again, will be checking in regularly, and asking questions as they arise in the hopes of you guys knowing what I can do, and will keep you posted on Freddie re operation/post operation.

I am so thankful I found this site, you guys are amazing, it is just lovely to know so many people care.

I have very little experience with ferals, only from three and only two I have captured, but I would say that humane trap is best way to get cat to wet, mostly because that way it is actually less stressful for a cat.

I think that any amount of chasing is really really bad, so thought my vet too, she told that for feral none of chasing should be done.

It was 30 euros that my trap did cost, it is similar in size that professionals use and it comes handy when ever cat needs to be taken to vet.

You don't need even a bait to trap a cat, if you can make trap being one of the best hideouts in a room, so location is most important thing, placing trap in place which looks like cave or tunnel from cat's perspective is very good location, I did put piece of cardboard to bottom of trap so it is nice for cat to step on, cat plans to stay hiding in a trap if trap is well placed.

I captured two ferals with trap, neither of them took more than 10 minutes to capture, after I left the room. Cats are curious about new things, if new thing looks like a better hiding spot than cat has it will go in.

So after cat is trapped, throw towel or blanket/sheet to cover whole trap, cat is lot better without seeing around as then cat thinks nobody don't know where he is, cat will be then easy to pick up and deliver to vet, also vet can put sleep medicine to cat while cat is in a trap, if it is not possible otherwise to handle the cat.

I think it is easiest method, easy to get cat and for cat it is not as stressful than chasing.

Return trip both of mine took in a carrier with lot of comfortable padding and warm cloths around, so home coming is very pleasant event for cat, also when cat sees you opening the door and letting him out, cat sees that as friendly act. Trapping with trap is something cat does not necessarily connect to you, so cat actually can get more bonded to you that way, at least I think that is the reason why cats can get more bonded to human by trapping and releasing a cat.

A marvelous, fantastic post, JTbo. Very nice said and put.

So a cat trap cost you only 30 Euro? Ie 40 US dollars. The cost is roughly like a carrier.
That is really cheap, and many could have such for own use. Even breeders with home raised cats. I have heard more than one show participation disapearing because the cat "coming champion" preferred to do something else.


Where did you get buyed it?

Originally Posted by StefanZ

A marvelous, fantastic post, JTbo. Very nice said and put.

So a cat trap cost you only 30 Euro? Ie 40 US dollars. The cost is roughly like a carrier.

That is really cheap, and many could have such for own use. Even breeders with home raised cats. I have heard more than one show participation disapearing because the cat "coming champion" preferred to do something else.

Where did you get buyed it?

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I bought it from shop called Sopuraha, Seinäjoki, Finland, hmm, I think it is bit long distance to everyone else? Shop is kind of that sells about everything and usually lower prices than big market chains, also has stuff from hardware store, food store and almost any kind of store, don't know what such shops are called other countries, but worth to check those kind of shops too if you happen to have them.

Actually my "DogIt" carrier did cost 50 euros, so carrier was more expensive than trap

But not all traps are equal, there are traps that are useless, one of the big problems on some is the door, when buying a trap it is best to imagine cat stepping in then check how door is operating, where is tail when door closes? Is it possible that cat sets trap off too early? Also when door is shut can it be twisted and does it lock reliably? Remember that cat is pretty strong for it's size and when in panic cat does not feel pain, so if it takes less than full strength from you to prey door open then I would not recommend that trap, cat can bend many things if given enough motivation, including low grade metal traps.

Also one thing to keep in mind is cat safety, there should not be anything where cat could poke her eye or get herself cut etc.

My trap is bad in there that it has trap door and other end opens too, but it opens in two pieces which makes it impossible to get cat to carrier from the trap, at least safely and securely.

There are some of my ideas about traps, maybe at least some of them are useful to someone

Originally Posted by forestcat24

I have just four weeks ago lost my kitty soul mate, a beautfiul Norwegian Forest cat, red and white, but most important he was beautiful inside. .... now, I still miss my boy so much, tears never far away, but it seems God had other plans for me, and here we have Freddie.

.....

in the absence of any advice to the contrary I will go with you guys and give him time after recovery to see how the situation works out for him. I just worry that he must be bored witless, he can´t see outside either, don´t know if that is good or bad.

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Im sorry hearing about this your soul mate, the NFC.
I agree with you Freddie may be the one coming instead.


Now he is recovering, so he really doesnt need much amusement. Better so than being stressed. Stress could give a setback in the recovery-process.
If you wish you can perhaps set in to him a tv-video, with fishes swimming around? I think I remember you do have music on?

When the convalescence is over, the quarantine will also be over, and you can let him met your residents. This should make the fostering much easier.
It usually does.


Some experienced fosterers prefer to foster the feral alone, without help of residents. (I presume because there is some risk they will get friends with the residents - and be contend with this, It is not necessary to be friend with the human too. Thus - they become "tame" as they manage to live inside and live well, but they never become fostered nor pets...)

But for the less experienced fosterer it is much easier to have help of own residents. IF the residents are friendly to the newcomer.
And the fostered ferale is usually eager to adapt to the residents, even submissive - so there are seldom real conflicts.
Once they become friends - the rest is easier.

Good luck!

Hi,

Thanks for all the advice. Freddie does not have his surgery until next Tuesday, at the moment his eye looks very sore and I am sure is painful. He had 15 day antibiotic injection and an antiflammatory last Sunday. Not sure if anti-inflammatory lasts that long, so have topped him up with Metacam (low dosage) which hopefully eases his eye.

He has alternative therapy music and a small rock crystal pink glow lamp. I go down and talk to him, as does hubby. At the moment he eats well overnight, tinned and dry food, plus he drinks is water and uses the litter tray. But, we only ever see him up between the water pipes and the wall. no sign of him coming down when we are in there. My husband is dreading trying to trap him for the vet visit next week, we are hoping he might have come down by then.

We have put the cat trap in his room now, open with no chance of the door closing on him, a little blanket in there and covered with a bedspread to make it like a tunnel, but doesn´t look like he has been in there.

If he decides to stay with us then we would like him to be a part of the household and integrate with our other three cats, but that is a long way off yet. They are used to his smell, which is something.

He has started to miaow during the night - not all night. He has also started to "talk" to me when I sit talking to him, he adds the odd little miaow into the dicussion. I hope this is a good sign, am taking it that way. Now when I look at him to check his eye he is okay, I don´t touch or go too near, but I do need to see how the eye is doing. Other than that I still look just above his ears.

I feel sad for him up there by the pipes, all on his own and lonely, but then I do not know what his life was like outside, he possibly kept to himself and had odd corners to sleep on various building sites, so probably not a lot different now. I don´t know, just a guilt trip I suppose because he is confined indoors, and he doesn´t know it is for his own good.

Anyway, onwards and upwards, chores to do and then I want to sit with Freddie again for a short while. Did the tee shirt bit last night, put his food bowls on my used tee shirt, I did wonder if he would eat the food, thankfully he did, so smy scent didn´t put him off.

Thanks again, will keep you posted.

Victoria

Try half closed eyes, it is another signal of trust.

If difficult to trap, one way is to start feeding in a trap, when cat is used to that then activate the trap.

That's so sweet he's talking to you! I do think that's a really good sign.

I have a feeling he's going to become part of your family.

I love the updates! for all you're doing for him!

Originally Posted by JTbo

If difficult to trap, one way is to start feeding in a trap, when cat is used to that then activate the trap.

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Yeah. The trapping / catching, you dont need to wait into the last minutes before you go to the vet. Putting a big stress moment on you and the cat.

You can start your try anytime say 24 hours before, as you cant be sure exactly when he will be caught. If necessary, he can be there in this trap, waiting.
Not optimal, but working solution.


If you are sure you can get him anytime, you do it of course later. Nearer the departure time.


Good luck!

I love your poster for Chumley and FIV cats. Our bab we released on11 February to Rainbow Bridge was an FIV cat - he got bitten by a stray nearly six years ago. He was very well until the last four weeks of his life, so he was lucky in that way. I wish people realised that an FIV cat does not have an automatic death sentence and also can live with non-FIV cats. We had Scully plus 4 other cats, and they all got on well, no fighting or anything, they shared water and food bowls, beds, not a problem. We lost Scruffy to a heart attack in November (he was only 7 years old) and then Scully just four weeks ago. We have three tabbies now, and of course hopefully Freddie. We will have him FIV/FeLV tested when he goes to the surgery this week. Didn´t get it done last Sunday when we trapped him, the whole vet visit was a nightmare and very stressful for all of us!! For me, the last time I was there was to release Scully, so it was a very painful visit, but it had to be done for Freddie. If he is FIV we will have to consider euthanasia if he does not calm down and want to be part of the family, mainly because it would be impossible for the vet trips, medication, and all the other things involved which we would not be able to do if he stays as he is now. And if we release him back to his feral life he could infect other cats when fighting. Anyway, that might not happen, hopefully he is not FIV, ad if he is he might like being part of our family. One step at a time. I just have it when you say you have an FIV positive cat and people look at you as though you are mental to keep him, what if you catch it, etc. I am so pleased to see the Chumley poster on your posts, it is about time a lot of people were educated about it. Most vets here just say euthanasia. We were lucky with our vet, we worked together, and she was as upset as us when we had to release him.

Have a good weekend, and thank you for your advice, and for caring for FIV cats, they are just as good as non-FIV and deserve our love and care even more.

Will keep you all posted re Freddie, Tuesday or Wednesday is the operation day, I am so sad he has to lose his eye.

Originally Posted by LDG

That's so sweet he's talking to you! I do think that's a really good sign.

I have a feeling he's going to become part of your family.

I love the updates!

for all you're doing for him!

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Oh sweetie.... just take things one step at a time here.

I am SO sorry about your babies that lost their fight.

As to Freddie... even if he has FIV, I think it's too early to tell whether or not he'll adjust to being inside or not.

And to losing his eye, he will feel SO MUCH BETTER without it at this point. When Flowerbelle was rescued, she was in REALLY bad shape. Her eye problem was from a really bad herpes infection, and we fought for seven months to save it. In retrospect, we should have had the surgery done much sooner, because she never seemed to miss it, and her energy levels went up a million percent - and everything else healed so much faster when her body didn't have to fight that infection.

Here are some pictures of her - not to hijack your thread, but to help you feel better about what's coming down the pike for Freddie.







for Freddie - and you!

Good Morning,

Hope you all enjoy a lovely Sunday. Many thanks LDG for your lovely photos of Flowerbelle, you can post as many as you like, I never feel anyone is hijacking me, I love to see photos.

I take on board all you say. I am not sure I feel ready for another FIV cat, my Scully (departed 4 weeks ago) was FIV and it is such a vicious disease at the end, it broke my heart to see what it did to him, it jut destroyed his little body, with no hope of recovery, which is why we released him to Rainbow Bridge, it was not fair to let him suffer just because we wanted him with us a little longer.

Freddie, a little bit of good news. He has spent most of his time up high between the water pipes and the wall (I will try and post some piccies later, not too techie....). When I got home yesterday from do walking - I walk dogs at a rescue centre three days a week - first port of call Freddie. panic, not between the wall and pipes, couldn´t see him anywhere. Well, he is now in the corner behind the large water storage tank and the wall. I was sooo pleased. Spent some time with him, then went back later, still there, but he put his face towards my end of the room. Took him down some chicken liver with his food just before bedtime (he eats over night) I did cook it, awful stuff, I am not a meat person really and offal not in my remit. He didn´t like it. But, half an hour later, just before bed, hubby went down and he was in another corner on top of a cardboard box which I had put a towel on for him. Great news. This morning back in the corner with the water tank. However, the pale blue fleece I put on top of some cardboard on the floor has been slept on, yeaaaah. On investigatin of the fleece he has tapeworm, so will ask the vet to give him a Drontal injection - no chance of a tablet at the moment. So, after a week I feel there has been some small progress made. I was shocked to see him away from the pipes/wall, I think he felt safe up there. Also last night I put his food at the entrance to the cat trap (think of surgery day this week). He ate the food (apart from the chicken liver), so tonight I will put it further inside the trap. Such a relief his not being between the pipes, we hadn´t a clue as to how we would get him down.

Anyway, he has been with us one week today, and small progress but progress of any kind is good. To be honest, now that he has been here with us for a week I am not sure he is totally feral. It is possible he was dumped around here a few years ago. He has normally always come for food when I whistled. One of my own residents hisses at me when I come otu of Freddie´s room, but it says on the internet it can be a sign of uncertainty, trying to warn the other cat it is their territory. Anyway, not worrying about that right now, as you say, one step at a time. All the things I worry about, and when I look back they all sort themselves out in the end. As my husband always says to me - you worry you die, you die anyway, why all the woryy. he is so right.

Thank you again for your help, advice and support, it is so good to have people here who know so much about feral cats, this is my first situation and I am a rank beginner.

have a great day.

victoria

The hissing is a territory thing. But that it is "just" hissing is good. It also means he's smelling Freddie, and as time goes on, he'll become desensitized to it.

And that's great news about Freddie! He's starting to make it "his" territory, and he's feeling more comfortable moving around!

The worms are to be expected. Was he treated for fleas? Because he's probably got those too. Best to have him treated for all of it while at the vet. Do you have the topical flea/parasite treatments there that they can apply while he's under the anesthesia?

Hi,

Thanks for your post. Freddie already gets Program in liquid form once a month, but that doesn´t mean he hasn´t got fleas of course. I am sure he must eat lizards and things, who knows what they in turn have eaten before hand.

Freddie is still on his box in the corner. Spent an hour in with him this afternoon, gives a small hiss if I get too close, so I look at the side of his face, missing his eyes, and tell him I will not hurt him, it is okay, he is safe.

He looks much more comfortable in the corner, safe on three sides and the open side is not too wide. As it happens he curled up and fell asleep whilst I was talking to him, so I suppose that is a form of trust. Mnd you, I was reading to him from my Spanish lesson, mega boring. Just off now to give him some more chicken, I want to see if he eats it in front of me, who knows, might strike lucky.

Victoria

Even Freddie thought it was boring!

Yes, I think that's a big step!