Quaratining Integrating stray with three other cats???

Hello, I have been feeding two strays I think were abandoned during the foreclosure problem here in Las Vegas. I've been feeding them for a year and they both trust me but are both male and fight a lot and hurt each other. One started coming around during the day so I had an insulated house built and a lot of days he would eat in the morning and sleep in there. After a couple months of my three cats seeing him through the screen and getting used to I let the most easy going cat, Frank,a Gray Tabby out in the walled in back yard with the cat I named Oreo....they were fine just layed around in the dirt in the sun...eventually I let the younger Gray Tabby, Tigger and my hi strung domestic shorthair, Rams, out also and they would hiss a little if he approached but are used to him and they go about their business and even sniff him. Well Oreo got in another big fight wioth Midnight the other stray and I had enough and got a carrier and put his food in the back of it and he walked right in the second day I attempted. He has trusted me for months and rolled around and let me pet him and has been like an outside pet, but I took him up to the upstairs bathroom I prepared for him with his blankets and catnip and toys and scratcher, etc.. He needs to be looked at by a vet and neutered which I will do asap but might not be possible till Monday. Sorry for long story lol...

MY QUESTION is.....I am worried how he will act tonight when his clock goes off that its getting dark and time for him to go roam and he cant' because he's stuck in a bathroom...how miserable will he be and what can I do to help him cause I will feel terrible and probably not be able to sleep over it and I want him to be happy not miserable.

Will it be a faster transition since my cats have months of experience with him or is it a whole different ballgame since he'll be in THEIR house? I am making up a spare room for him to stay in after he's checked/neutered.

Can stray cats sometimes be used to / enjoy being out all night that they NEVER get used to being in a house? Will I be making his life worse to him even though it may be a longer healthier life inside???

Will I EVER be able to leave the house with and not lock him up for fear of fighting with the other kitties? I already have to lock up Tigger because he chases Rams alot. I just need some advice and encouragement. Thank you.

Eric in Las Vegas

Need to clarify that Oreo is not fighting with my resident cats. They have gotten along fine when he came around and I'd let my kitties out back with him. He only fought with another stray outside who is also not neutered. I plan to trap and Neuter him but don't knowwhether I can bring him in the house also.

Thanks for the words of advice....now that I think...Oreo is probably dominant and territorial lol...because the other stray Midnight would try to eat sometimes and Oreo would crouch near him with a long loud whine or noise. Only sometimes though...sometimes they were fine...and he has NEVER done that with any of my kitties when they are outside together during the day..maybe because he know they're mine and he likes me...or because its during the day and not at night?... He also like to pee on the wall surrounding the backyard and the house and whatever else to mark his territory...so he kind of has both characteristics..shy and submissive and dominant and territorial...I believe he starts the fights with the other stray going by what I've seen during the eating..

I've also noticed what sounds like respiratory issues with him. At times his breathing is loud and bronchial...asthmatic maybe? but there is something going on... and I've watched him eat hundreds of times but last night when I went in to see him after work, he hadn't eaten but immediately started eating his dry food when I came in..I guess I put him at ease....but after he stopped he had a like a violent hairball type episode but with no hairball...it didnt really sound like a hairball that i've heard with my cats over the years..it scared me....but then it stopped and he seemed ok. I'm worried about this issue especially with him going to get neutered and if they have to put him under with this breathing issue.

Also...he is doing a lot of resting...(not a whole lot more to do in a bathroom even though I have catnip toys, scratcher, etc..) and I wonder should I try to be quiet around the house or should I go about things as normal...he's in an upstairs bathroom....would having the t.v. sound and sound of me doing things around the house comfort him or frighten him?? I'm sure he's used to ambient sounds having been outdoors 24/7 but did those sounds frighten him or was he used to them....I just want to make him more at ease when I'm not in there with him.

Thank you for this advice...I'm in uncharted territory and I REALLY want Oreo to be a happy part of the family

He's doing ok..sleeping a lot...I go in there every few hours to check on him. He took the scab off a wound on his left front elbow area. I worry about his breathing and his stomach makes a lot of noise after eating when lying down. I went to the bathroom a lot yesterday and I should have been more careful cleaning his litter pan..forgot about worms...I just hope me or my other kitties don't get anything he may have..I wouldn't forgive myself...I just care so much I forget to be careful....vet appt in the morning..I will pray tonight..

**UPDATE**

Got Oreo into carrier and took him to my longtime vet Dr. Fontes at Sunridge Animal Hospital. He wouldnt let Dr. Fontes examine him he bolted and jumped to a high window and then up on top of some cabinets. We got him down nudging him with a broom and got him in a large vet carrier so they have to put him under to take care of him....a 2 week antibiotic shot for his left elbow wound, Aids and Leukemia tests, Fecal exam, neutering, clipping nails... The Doc said I can probably pick him up about 6 or 7 this evening. Oreos gonna be so mad at me lol...but it had to be done.

Should I have a big soft cat bed or something will he need something soft to lay on..will he be sore? I'm thinking Ishould get some Nutro cat food thats for easy digestion also?....

Thanks for everyones suggestions and caring...hopefully everything goes well and we can move on into Oreo getting settled into the home and family

Ok.....after his adrenaline came down from going to the vet, yesterday he was really tired and probably somewhat sore too, so he slept most of the day....he started getting restless and meowing about midnight or so...I went in to give him some treats, calm him that I was still there, talked to him and pet him and rubbed his tummy, then he went back up on the bathroom counter and curled up. We all went to bed and this morning I just felt awful that he was locked up in that dungeon of a bathroom with no window to speak of when there was a nice pleasant spare room with a window bunk beds and everything waiting for him, so later this morning I went in and put some wet food in his carrier, praying he wound go in ....and he did! I closed it gently behind him and reassured him we were only going a few feet and not to anyplace bad

I gently set down the carrier and opened the door and talked to him gently and he slowly came out and sniffed a couple things..then right under the bottom bed lol ...it's a tube like bunk bed with a nice big futon on the bottom with some blankets set up for him to curl up on or just the mattress in a part in case he likes firm. and the upper bed the same way, and I placed a little desk and a little book shelf (secured) strategically so that he could hop up to top bunk if he wants. Little desk and bookshelf are also right by window so he can finally have some things to see besides a mirror and walls lol.

I went out to clean his litter and bring it back in and after only 10 minutes in the room he was already up on the futon laying in a blanket, although when I came in he went back down under......but I think he might actually like this room

NOW MY QUESTION on sound. He has been a stray and I'm sure used to constant noise day and night of people, dogs, cars at all hours, wind, etc... When I first brought him into the bathroom he seemed to meow if it was quiet so I kept the downstairs t.v. running all night so the sound would come up for him, and I think it helped, though not 100% positive, but since he is used to noise I would maybe think so.

I don't want to leave a t.v. running all the time...it's hard for me to sleep...but should I get a little radio and put it to a talk station and leave it really low in his room just so that it's not silent, or would I be starting something that would have to be permanent for him...the room he's in now is facing the street so he should get noise from the cars, etc..hopefully enough to make him at ease? Thanks!!!

Oh yeah lol Dr. said heart and lungs sounded fine...I actually think it might be snoring lol. Cause I think he was so tired..when he'd lay down with his head up..that half lay down thing or relaxed sitting whichever it is..lol that's when the noise would start and yesterday when I heard I looked and his eyes were closed. So if doc says he's good I'm glad.
I still need to figure what to do late at night because that's when he's most awake and I'm sure wants to wander...he meows and when I start to come in the door he's right there and tries to get out..and acts like he's unhappy. So I got a scratching post, catnip, big feather toy since hes a big tomcat, and a sisal post toy with a ball on top in addition to the catnip cigar, shoelaces and balls. I just want stuff for him to do....so tonight before I go to bed ( I go to bed late usually between midnight & one) and I'll try to have a good play session with him so hopefully that will help.

Another question, tomorrow I'm thinking of cracking the window (theres a screen) and maybe letting some fresh air and sounds come in...would this be a good or bad idea...would it help him or get him wanting to go outside more??

Too be continued.....

Thanks for all the toy advice My windows actually open from the side so I just slide them open from the side. All the screens seem like they would be really hard to push out, but I don't think any of my Kitties have really tried, although Oreo might, huh. I just wonder if the outside sounds will soothe or give him flashbacks.

Yeah my kitties realize Oreos in the house. I know they've heard him meow and smelled under the bathroom door when he was in there. The good thing is it was a spare bathroom and this is a spare bedroom which the doors were always closed so my cats aren't noticing anything different lol.

Oreo is actually not new to them at all He has been coming to our back porch for a year...first only at night and then coming in the morning too..I would feed him and it took a loooong time but he started trusting me to pet him etc...but all the time the screen was closed but they would see and smell each other every day through the screen.. About a month ago when I realized how gentle Oreo was on a daily basis, I let Frank my mello cat out with him and they just had a ball laying in the dirt lol. Then I started letting them all out with him so they've had a month or more even of spending time out with Oreo so they are all familiar

Midnight is next but will have to be a trap and neuter as he doesn't come around during the day only in the middle of the night. He at least needs to be neutered though. He and Oreo were fighting for at least a year that I know of and Oreo just naturally came during the day and bonded with me and never showed aggression to my babies.

I'm not sure beyond neutering for Midnight since I will already have 4 cats with Oreo and I'm already violating my HOA big time but I have had an unbelievable lady Sandy whos cell # I was given by a friend and she is at the Humane Society. I've talked with her at least 50 times through this process so if it is not possible for me to give Midnight a home, I know Sandy with her personal relationship with me and how much she cares she would personally oversee getting Midnight a home...although I'll miss him

How do you get the photo collages at the bottom of posts? I want to put my babies on there so you can see them and the new addition Oreo!

Well today is the first day of letting Oreo out of his room to have the run of the house..and boy was he ready..I woke up at 5:30 am and heard him meowing his head off in his room. I went in there for awhile to soothe him and went back to bed. I woke up again and fed him and then opened the door discreetly as not to make a big deal of it. He went right out and started exploring..meowing loudly which my cats are not used to...didn't bother Frank, but my girl Rams and my baby 3 yr old Tigger were unnerved by it and Tigger avoided and hissed at him. Oreo's overwhelmed but I know that passes. What concerns me is that he's a rescued tomcat and all he's known is the freedom of outside and I know all the bad things about it...but when I fed him for months and months, outside of the injuries from fighting, I got the vibe from him that he enjoyed it...he would roll in the dirt in my backyard, eat the food, love on me some, and when he was ready..he'd leave and go off about the neighborhood.
He's been doing a lot of looking out the bedroom window...I think longingly...and letting him into the whole house today seemed to make it worse. He goes to the long thin side window by the front door and the sliding door to the back yard and stares out of them, and I KNOW he recognizes what he sees...and I feel bad...

He sort of purr meows VERY loudly all the time whenever he moves, or gets up, or goes to the bathroom, anything.... even though Rams is uptight and hisses at everybody, I love Tiggers playful rambunctious cute ways and he's SO intimidated by Oreos massive size and the noise he makes...

I feel uneasy about this...I know I just let him out today but I wonder if Oreo will ever be truly HAPPY here or will he just feel defeated like a zoo animal and lay around and accept his fate...I don't want to feel like I'm keeping him against his will even though I know the dangers even in an out of the way very quiet neighborhood. I worry about disrupting the harmony of the house and the dynamic never being the same again and Tigger never being the cute playful Tigger that steals my heart everyday. Of course I hope everything will settle down and even if Oreo doesn't actively play with or join in with the other cats, that he's happy in this house which he's having a hard time getting comfortable with and that my other cats maintain their personalities and quality of life........sigh......\t

His loud guttural meowing is the main problem...he is doing that SO much...it puts off and scares the other cats so they are anxious and afraid of him since he is so big and loud...he's such a gentle cat though..but that noise from him is making it impossible for the other cats to befriend him it especially gets bad at dusk...when his internal timer goes off that it's time to prowl....he goes ALL OVER the house meowing and bellowing and it's really bad...my other cats just try to stay out of the way...I feel bad for them and for him...does this meowing and low loud meowing stop?? Will he stop going crazy when night falls?? I don't know what feliway plug ins are ...what are they and where would I get them? Thanks.

Yes he was just neutered two weeks and two days ago. He is doing better and last night even laid on a couch and couple of chairs downstairs which is the part of the house he is afraid of due to t.v. even though I have it on every day and I know he heard it during quarantine before neuter and in his room after neuter, but actually seeing the screen freaks him out, but he's gradually getting better

He loves to play now NEVER would play before when I was on back porch with him when he would visit the last few months. I LOVE playing with toys with him...but he loves shoestrings the most lol... it's a joy to see him transform into an ordinary fun loving cat in little spurts here and there. I know it will take some time for him to fully settle down and I feel bad for him with the urges and instincts he has, but am also so encouraged by the purring, playing, sleeping, and things that he never got a chance to do out on the streets. My other 3 kitties of course have been used to him meowing outside and are getting more used to his noise in the house although it did unnerve them at first, but they are a resilient bunch

Oreos pee is not very strong at all now. My other cats were used to his scent from him spraying everything out back for the last few months, but he squirted a little on a couch corner the other day and there was hardly any odor at all. It's just the time that it will take to get used to this life and for the urges to roam and the bellowing to subside and then all will settle down with all my kitties. I hope they can be friends and not just tolerate each other, but really all Rams and Tigger do is semi tolerate and mostly aggravate (Tigger aggravates Rams, but she(Rams) hisses at all of us) so oh well

Now that Oreo's gettin more comfortable/bolder, today he noticed the sliding porch door where I spent so many nights opening and feeding he and Midnight...he saw the backyard and his house I had made for him and I think that hit him pretty good. He sat there meowing looking out. I felt so bad. I know he wants to be out, but I can't let that happen. My other cats don't understand why I'm not letting them out as often but it's because I can't do it in front of Oreo..I try to do it when he is napping... I'll close the door to that room and then let my others out for awhile, but it's not enough for them, so now they are meowing and complaining too...geesh

Well hope my signature shows up so you can see my gang of 4

P.s. I think things are progressing ok so I'm gonna hold off on the feliway for now.