We have a kitty...

So, we've been feeding a small feral kitten for about a month and a half and finally captured it. We immediately tried to take her to the vet, but that ended painfully and quickly for him. So, we're going to work on socializing the kitten so we can get her checked out and make sure everything is on the up and up, so to speak, plus we'd like to keep the kitten if possible.

However, we're pretty clueless and have been relying on internet searches for information. We have a medium sized room in the garage out back set aside for the kitten (the vet guessed maybe 3-4 months old, and probably a female. Like I said, it was a painful and quick check...) and she's been in there about a week. We've actually changed the layout a bit since we set her loose last week, as she kept finding hiding places and we were under the assumption that was a bad thing. So now, she hangs out on top of the curtains whenever we go in. We thought we'd try to sit in the room with her while she eats, but she refuses to do so. We were going to try only setting out food while we're in the room. No eating, no food, as a kind of encouragement. We're getting worried because she hasn't eaten anything since yesterday morning so we went ahead and left some dry food this morning, but she's still on top of the railing and just glowers at us.

We're still reading through some threads here and gathering more information, but if anyone has any tips, that would be great! Thanks a ton!

If you are trying to socialize her, she needs to be around you more frequently and not secluded in a garage. She will not tame that way. You will need to spend a significant amount of time with her, just sitting in the room with her. Don't try to touch her, make no sudden moves just sit there and quietly talk to her.

As food and water are concerned, she needs access to both, not just when you are in the room. It's inhumane to withhold these basic life necessities. You can make her interested in you by bringing something very enticing when you come, like tuna or something else equally as irresistible, that she only gets when you appear. She may not come out for it, but the more time you spend with her, the more likely she will eventually.

If she's 3-4 months, she has gotten past the 'easy' socialization point. You will need to understand she may never come around to an easy going lap cat, so don't get frustrated when she just wants to sit in the room with you, but not let you touch her. I have a feral that is almost 4, we got her at 7 weeks and it has been a very long process. She finally allows us to pet her, on her terms, and only in specific locations in the house.

Bringing in a feral is challenging, but some of the most rewarding work I've done.

There are some much more knowledgable posters on her that will be able to give you some great advice.

Above all, don't push her, she will come around, but only with patience, consistent presence and understanding.

If you can bring her in the house, confine her to a room and begin the socialization process

The kitten would be in the house if it wasn't strictly forbidden by my gf's mother. I had heard the bathroom was the best place, as people will be going in and out all day anyways, but it just isn't an option right now.

We're going to try to spend more time outside everyday with it, reading a book. We'll also look into some cat treats, or something. Thanks!

Welcome to the Forums!

Tx for helping this kitty - and your coming furry friend!

You had already got excellent advices from RAFM.

You could also use a Feliway adapter going on (you do have electrical in the garage?).
You could also play soft, calm music. Almost any calming music will do, but harp music is best they say.

This way, it will help her to stress down.

It is also important to have for her s omewhere to hide a little. A cat igloo, or a sideturned cardboard box..

A scratching post will too lessen the stress somewhat.

Ferales plays wery seldom, so she doesnt need toys as yet. But when you see her playing with toys - you know you have taken a big step forward!

Good luck!

Welcome to TCS!

I have some questions, some of them may not be comfortable. But please understand, I'm thinking about a potentially 4 month old cat, terrified, alone in a room that isn't frequented unless intentionally, and that no one lives in or sleeps in. It sounds very lonely to me, and I'm not sure what you - or she - gets out of it.

I think your intentions are wonderful, don't get me wrong! I'd just like to help walk you through thinking about this from a longer term perspective - thinking in terms of what is best for the cat.

You and your girlfriend live at home with her parents?
If you don't live there... is where you live an option for bringing the cat?
Are you planning on moving out on your own... sometime in the near future?
If things don't work out between you... whose cat will this be?

At four months, she's starting to teethe, and may come into sexual maturity quite soon. She needs to be spayed ASAP or EVERYONE will be miserable. I'd consider finding a vet that is comfortable working with ferals, or has any experience with rescue kitties. When you took her to the vet, she really ought to have been sedated when it was clear she couldn't be handled for the exam. She should have been spayed, and they could examine her while she was under.

Obviously we have a relationship with our vet, so we can just drop off a crated/trapped cat, and they spay/neuter/examine/treat when they can without an appointment. Being new to this, you probably need the appointment, but at this point, it should be to get her spayed, so everything else can also be done, and that ought to be discussed up front.

Was she treated for parasites? (Was Revolution or Advantage Plus applied topically?)

If she has fleas, it might be a nightmare to break the cycle as flea eggs are now where she's living, and treating them will require a vacuum, which will further terrify an already terrified cat.

That poor baby NEEDS (safe) places to hide. Boxes on their sides with a flap hanging down. A table covered with a cloth. Under a chair, a couch, a bed - I have no idea what's in that room. And I agree with RAFM, you must leave her food and water!

The way to get her to associate you with good things is not to deprive her of them, but to get her to associate you with them. This is done not by bringing it when you come, but by scent. Cats are all about territory, and they define their world by scents. Get a t-shirt really good and sweaty, and put it under her food dish.

You will find a lot of help in socializing her here... but I think you need to take a step back and ask if what you are doing is for you - or for her. Alone in a room off a garage sounds like a very lonely place for a kitty to be. I'm wondering why she wasn't just spayed and released, and just continue to work with her outside (it's called TNR, Trap-Neuter-Release. They're usually given rabies vaccination, tested for FeLV/FIV, and treated for parasites). It obviously does take longer - but right at the moment, I'm missing how she benefits.

Unless there's plans in the near future for an apartment or home where she can live WITH you. ?

Working with kitties like this can be very rewarding, and they can become wonderful pets and happy animals

I'd leave something in the room that she CAN play with--something that you would normally find in the outside. A small branch, a feather, a small plastic bottle (bottle cap might be too small).
Do leave the kitten access to food but limit quantity some what (regular cat food). When you are with the cat, bring something really good. With the four, four to five month old cats we trapped and socialized, we started out with barely cook beef and chicken. We first threw the food in their general direction (NEVER at them), and then ran to the food; as they became use to us, we threw it a shorter and shorter distance away. Within a week, the two least scared cats were eating from our hands. (I adopted "Ritz" a month later).
I take care of a feral cat colony and I see cats playing with what ever catches their fancy.
I too advise reading to them (to get use to the human voice) as well as soft music. Even a radio station playing classical music would work--both human voice and music.
Good luck and thanks for caring.

Originally Posted by Ritz

I take care of a feral cat colony and I see cats playing with what ever catches their fancy.

Click to expand...

Oh, I see. So I stand corrected. Apparently the saying "ferales dont play" is mostly for freshly catched ferales, who are still afraid and too tensed to play in their new foster home. Ie a very common situation for most rescuers and many fosters.
And begins to play (again(!)) first when the tension leaves them, so they dare to not be so watchful anymore....

Sounds logical.

Tx Ritz for sharing this experience!

Edit: Wrong spelling - sorry Ritz!

I'm co-fostering four cats who we trapped in order to socialize them and adopt them into Forever Homes.
One of the signs of progress is when they feel comfortable enough to play--DaMouse is popular as are balls that make sounds.

I am a little confused - please clarify.

You took a trapped feral to the vet and it did what exactly? Did it bite the vet? Scratch? What happened? Did the vet not offer sedation? A feral cat needs to be checked out by a vet ASAP and spayed/neutered. It needs vaccines, de-worming, and flea meds applied too! The first thing I would do is check around to vets who are willing to sedate the cat to do the necessary medical procedures.

You also can not socialize a cat if you are not with the cat. Percy was very shy and about half-feral when I got him. His mom was a stray and to my knowledge, he had never seen a person before he came to the shelter. When he first came to us, he hid a lot and ran away to safe hiding places. He is still more shy than most of my other cats...but he is warming up to us. For a long time, I carried him around like a baby (when he WAS a baby) talking to him, playing with him, petting him, taking him to visit other people, letting my kids' friends come and love on him. It didn't take long for him to start to enjoy the attention If I had left him out in the garage and just played with him once in awhile, he would probably still be running from us!