Cats, they are not strays or feral persay but I didn't know where else to post this..

About a month ago we received 8 cats. Momma kitty and her 5 babies, the male we believe is Dad, and another cat that is extremely scared of everyone and everything. I have named the male Johnny. Let me give you some background information to help you understand their situation.

There was 12 cats in a 1 bedroom apartment who belong to an old lady and she was evicted from her apartment because she is mentally unstable. We received a phone call saying some kitties need help so we helped get all the kitties out of there.

We thought we got them all out but when the landlord came to finish cleaning out the place the Johnny took off and ran into a garage. He was very well hidden and stayed hidden. Animal control capture him in the neighbors garage and brought him over to us.

Now a month later The kittens are great, momma kitty is great, the other female still doesn't want anything to do with us. But then there is Johnny. He was put in the bathroom until he was fixed, which was about a week and a half ago. He sits behind the toilet all day. When you go in there he'll come out and start purring away and loving on you. But as soon as you leave he goes back to his spot.

When I bring him out to the living room with the herd of cats we have he shakes, and if I let go of him he runs right back to the bathroom and wants in. So I have concluded that he will never be apart of the herd. Which is fine my mother in law will be moving out soon and taking all but my cat with her.

The question that weighs heavy on my heart is.....

Where will he be happiest at? There is an animal shelter they are going to be going to which I have the option of keeping Johnny If i chose to. The shelter is NO-KILL and there are large areas for the animals they take to live in. Or With us in our little bathroom? Yes we go in there several times a day and just to play with him. And he does get a lot of attention from us and he's not forgotten about. He is such a sweet boy. But is that enough for a cat to be happy? I don't have experience with cats like this. All the cats I've had in the past are extremely social with everyone.

What would you do?

First of all, welcome to TCS! And secondly, THANK YOU for rescuing these babies in such need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As to Johnny.... poor thing was traumatized, clearly. Any shelter, no matter how wonderful, is not a place he would ever be happy, and his chances for adoption are very low if they even exist. I don't know if he's terrified because of the herd of cats, or terrified because of the open space of the living room.

As I'm sure you know, cats can be quite social, but first and foremost, they're territorial. Johnny's territory is the bathroom, and he feels safe there. If you think about the "natural" habits of cats in the wild, they den in small spaces, leave to hunt, then return to a small space to sleep. The only reason they appear to need large spaces is to hunt. And he does not need to hunt for his food. Yes, he needs exercise... but with time, as he overcomes his fears, he'll expand his territory. But when first rescuing cats, it's always advised to give them just one room to make "theirs," and a large bathroom or guest room is always a preferred place. And they usually hide, often for some time, before they get over their trust and confidence issues.

If keeping him is an option, I'd keep him. But I'd maybe consider keeping the bathroom door part way open. That way, at night when he fees safer, at some point he may start to come out and explore on his own.

Kitties like this often recover, but it just takes love and patience - and you seem to have both! He feels safe where he is, and he clearly is a very loving boy. I think moving him would traumatize him further.

Do you already have Feliway plugged in there? That might help.

Also, putting Bach's Rescue Remedy (flower essences) - a few drops - in his water may also help. You can also dab JUST A TOUCH under his chin, at the back of his neck, and at the base of his tail to further help calm him. This is something where more is not better - just a teeney touch to waft up into his nose (cats have very sensitive sense of smell to begin with).

Vibes for you and Johnny!!!

Seconding LDG

both with the Welcoming

Thanking you for your good deed

and this excellent analysis and advices


Good luck!



ps cats saved from hoarders are often shy, very similiar in behavior as semiferales, and thus - the recipes to work with them quite similiar to fostering semiferales,
and thus: DO belong in here.