Something is wrong with my feral cat :(

Hi guys, I hope someone can help me. I've been taking what I assume to be a 2 year old feral male cat into my home every night now for a few months. He's been neutered because his ear is tipped and he's been very playful, vibrant and healthy. He cries (screams) to go out every morning and since I dont "own" him, I let him go back out every morning when I go to work and then he's always there waiting to come in when I get home in the evening. Last night, he was nowhere around which is VERY out of character for him. I called and called and even this morning before I left for work he was not around. Tonight when I came home he was in the yard, and he's walking very slowly and cowering from me. I noticed when he was eating that his anal area is very red and irritated and he's licked it a couple of times but nothing excessive. He's eaten twice, drank a lot of water and made pee pee but hasnt done number 2 yet. He's listless, not playful at all which is usual for his personality and wants to sleep. He looks like he's walking very very slowly and tried to jump up twice before he got onto the futon where he likes to sleep. The problem is, he will not let me handle him other than petting or brushing him. I dont know what's wrong with him and he would never let me get him into a carrier to take him to the vet. I dont even have a carrier! Can anyone suggest something that might help? I care for this cat and am worried about him. I'm just letting him sleep right now to see if he wakes up feeling better in the morning. His nose is cold but his ears and head are hot. I dont know if this means anything. I hope nobody did anything to him I'll be watching for replies to this post. Thanks to anyone who answers.

First off I just want to say that I am no expert when dealing and caring for feral cats.

I have only just now been introduced to them and am only now learning everything possible I can about them!

If I were you I would keep a close eye on him. He seems to have trust in you already, being that he comes indoors and all. It might not be as hard as you think to get him into a carrier.

You should probably try to get him to the vet if things don't improve over the next day. That would be my guess and all.

More experienced posters will be able to offer you more advice.

Just hang in there!!

Your little kitty is sooo very lucky to have you looking after him!

Sending good love and luck vibes your way!!

Welcome to the site . Sounds like you have quite a relationship with this cat. And he was TNRd at some point since you say he has the ear tip. I would recommend you go out tomorrow and get a crate or you can borrow a trap from a local rescue and start feeding the cat in that crate or trap only. Don't let the cat back outside tomorrow morning. He needs to get to a vet. Even if he is meowing to get outside, just keep him in. If he is in pain anyway, he won't want to go back outside. This possibly could be a absessed anal gland and that would need to be treated asap. If the anal glands get impacted they can get infected and absess. I am not saying this is what the prob is, but you said the anal area is red and he is licking. He could also have been bite or attacked by something chasing him and snagged him from behind???

If you were able to pick up the cat you could towel him and get him in a carrier, but it sounds like he wouldn't allow this.

If you can, get a larger sized carrier (some rescues could loan you one too, just give a call and explain your situation) and tomorrow put some very tempting wet food i.e. Fancy Feast Fish/Shrimp, Tuna or sardines, even KFC chicken in the back of the crate. You will need to be near the crate so you can quickly close and latch the door when the cat goes in to eat. This may take a day or two but the poor guy needs to see a vet. The trap is another option, and you won't have to sit right there then to trap the cat. Gosh, I wish you luck with this and thank you for caring for this cat!!! Hope you can get him some help, poor guy...

If you don't have a carrier and he doesn't weigh too much you can use 2 laundry baskets, one turned upside down on the other and then tied together. I did this when I took my first cat to the vet for the first time because she needed to go and I didn't have time to run out and get a carrier for her. Just place a towel in the bottom of the basket, place him in it then secure the top. It looks ghetto, but it works.

Originally Posted by stephanietx

If you don't have a carrier and he doesn't weigh too much you can use 2 laundry baskets,

Click to expand...

Laundry basket with something to lay on on the bottom, would also be my advice in such a situation. Of course, here in Sweden a common sort of laundry baskets are deep, like a barrel. So it is only to set in them, and set on the locker (=the cap). Secure the locker with tape or something, of course....

As you can both pet and brush him, you dont need a trap.

I suggest you do wrap him in a thick towel. So is common with home cats who dont like to clip their nails... When he is wired up and helpless, he doesnt fight any more.

So. This IS typical veterinary errand, asap. You CAN phone first, but with 99% certainity the vet will say to you to come in at once. If he doesnt have time right away, try with another vet.

ps. If he comes to you everyday, sleeps in, eates etc, he is no longer feral, He is ex homeless, but now yours.
Of course, if the vet gives discount for homeless, you can try and tell the little white lie saying he is homeless living nearby you. You are just helping him... The danger is of course, if he is seriously ill, the vet will prob pts him. But if the vet knows he has an owner - he will fight on...


Good luck!

Originally Posted by stephanietx

If you don't have a carrier and he doesn't weigh too much you can use 2 laundry baskets, one turned upside down on the other and then tied together. I did this when I took my first cat to the vet for the first time because she needed to go and I didn't have time to run out and get a carrier for her. Just place a towel in the bottom of the basket, place him in it then secure the top. It looks ghetto, but it works.

Click to expand...

Excellent idea!! Never heard of that and that would work for this cat since he is already friendly and trusting. Just wrap him in a towel and place him in that basket and secure the other one on top!!!! Great suggestion

I just wanted to say thank you for caring for this kitty!

I hope you're able to get him to a vet, that really is the best thing to do.

Vibes you're able to get him into some type of carrier. Poor guy's in pain and most likely has an infection of some sort that will at a minimum require antibiotics.

Hi guys, first I want to thank everyone who responded to my question - your suggestions and just knowing there was someone there helped to calm ME down so that I could get "Freckles" some help. I ended up buying him a $70 sherpa bag to get him to the vet, because the carrier that I borrowed from them was plastic and he busted out of it three times. Oh what a day last Saturday was! I finally got him there - he actually let me pick him up and put him inside the bag which I never would have thought he'd let me do. I'm convinced he loves me lol. He didnt kill me LMAO. Anyway, the doctor could not find a thing wrong with him other than the 104 fever he was running - so as a precaution, gave him an antibiotic shot that will be in his system for 2 weeks. I took him home, made him comfortable and even though he cried to go out was adamant about not letting him outside. On Sunday night, it ended up that this poor baby did have an abcess and it broke, and drained. Monday I stayed home from work to watch over him, and the fever broke and now all that needs to happen is that the hole must heal and scab over. Hard to do when he KEEPS LICKING IT!! lol. Anyway, I figured that he was in the house with me for so many days that I took a chance on keeping him inside yesterday when I actually left him alone and went to work. I checked on him at lunchtime, and when I got home there was no "damage" done to either kitty or to my apartment. Now the only things is, I'm wavering in my adamancy about keeping him inside because he cries so pitifully. He wants to go back out but I feel like if I let him out I'm basically signing his death warrant, and if I keep him in, I'm breaking his fun loving, free spirit. What should I do guys? Freckles and I love each other and we have a mutual trust, that is not debated. But what is best for him? I dont want to deny him the best life he could possibly have especially when I saved it last weekend by bringing him in for that shot. Any advice would be very much appreciated

Freckles needs to be kept in until his wound is completely healed. And yes after that time the decision gets complicated.

I'd try playing with him A LOT; not only would it distract him from wanting to go out, it is another way to bond with him (besides food). Speaking of food, I'd be tempted to give him the extra good quality kind (if you don't already), so he associates something good with (to him) something bad (being inside). See if you can bond even more with him; eventually, he may decide to stay more inside than outside.

Good luck!

Our Billy kitty cried when we brought him inside full time. He was 2 years old. Not only did we take him away from his territory, we separated him from his brother, who we adopted out to another home.

He cried a lot for several weeks, but constant attention when possible, play & treats, being dry when it's wet, and warm when it's cold... they all won out in the end. His crying became less and less, and he became more and more of a snuggler. He's completely happy and very content inside now!

We did find out that he really doesn't like to play with wand toys that have feathers or mice or rabbit tails at the end. He likes BUGS. Fortunately Neko Flies makes fabulous wand toys with "bug" ends. So as you introduce play, don't forget that cats all have different prey preferences.

As he needs to heal, I would try not to worry about what's best to do. Just give it some time inside. Letting him out can always be done, but bringing him back inside full time would start the cycle all over again.

May I just laugh at your comment about him "busting out three time of the plastic carrier" . I have a sherpa too, but be careful with those zippers, if they figure out how to push the zipper with their nose, then ZIP ZIP ZIP out they come.... So glad Freckles let you put him in that bag. Guess he wanted to go in style

If at all possible and you can stand the adjustment, just keep Freckles inside. It sounds like you love him so much and putting him out will put him at risk for more trouble IMHO. He must love you too allowing all of this handling, etc. Just try to make it through the crying period, he will learn to love being inside and getting the one-on-one attention from you. Lots of treats, playtime and of course cuddling and he will soon forget about his life outside. Of course, window surfing will be popular and bird watching will make him call out. You should here my Perkins cry out for the birds. I need to get a video . He gets so upset that he can't get out that window to the birds....

Keep up the good work and we are here for you