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Stray cat help?

post #1 of 13
12/15/11 at 4:01pm
Thread Starter 

I have a stray cat that has been hanging around my porch the last 5 days. He/she is near my porch as soon as it gets dark out. I feed a possum scrap food every night on my porch for the last 2 months. Somehow the stray cat (grey tabby) smelled the food and now has been showing up. The cat appears to me normal weight with no collar. It has a runny eye. It eats all the dry food that I put out so the cat is hungry. I have no idea if the cat has a home or not. I live in a residential subdivision. I guess that I will make a decision in about another week or so before it gets too cold in Michigan if I should trap the cat and take it to a no kill shelter 06.gif I am already owned by 5 indoor only cats and do not need another. The cat will not let me touch it yet as we have not established enough trust yet. All suggestions are appreciated smile.gif 

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post #2 of 13
12/16/11 at 5:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slave2_Ragdolls View Post. I have no idea if the cat has a home or not.


If you think this cat may be owned, you should seek after the owner.

 

Do you think it is a freshly astray or dumped, just days? Take in her immediately, and seek.

Why immediately? The death rate by accidents and predators is highest in the beginning...

 

Apparently used to be outside?

If you can get hold on her, set up a collar on her, and a message capsule in this collar. Write there your tel nr and name, and ask the owner to contact you.

 

If you cant get hold on her (as here) - write up her on the message boards around your neigborhood...

 

Her being shy is very probably she is homeless. But it is not 100%. I have noticed many owned cats, but allowed to go out, are more or less shy. Which is of course wise of them. Not all people are friendly to cats.

 

If you do have somewhere to keep her, you can even consider to try and catch here as soon as you can do it.  The keeping place doesnt need to be your bedrom or spare room.  It can be your cellar, or a big cage in a garage, or s omething like that.  As long it is protected there.

And of course, parallelly search.

 

Good luck!    *vibes*

 

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post #3 of 13
12/16/11 at 9:01pm
AW poor kitty and it is most likely an abandoned stray - or lost pet - or even possible feral. True also, as Stefan says, that even a "friendly" lost house pet will be quite shy and run from people. I know for a fact - if Perkins, my cat, ever got loose eek.gif He would forever run from people and would need to be trapped to be caught.... So it is hard to say right now if this is a feral cat that is just so hungry and is used to people feeding him that he comes close. but also possible it is a lost pet. I would take the cat in and to a vet to see if it has a micro-chip. I guess I would start to call a rescue organization and see about borrowing a trap and have a plan for the cat after you trap it - ie. a safe room in your house - or a foster network in your area - to see if this cat can be socialized and where the cat's temperament stands.

You could even, before trapping, start to put some flyers around your neighborhood with the cat's description and see if you get any calls of someone missing this cat. I just think it unlikely it is owned frown.gif - would be great end to the story though - but unlikely...... Good luck and keep us posted. vibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gif
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post #4 of 13
12/21/11 at 4:49pm
Thread Starter 

Welp the "saga" continues........the cat is on time every night between 5:30 - 6:30 PM....... It will eat one 5.5 OZ can of wet + about 1 whole cup of dry food before it leaves for the night. It consistently eats the same amount every night for the last 6 days. This is a medium framed cat Oh My God! I have never seen a cat eat this much all in one setting like this before. I wonder if it is pregnant? The kitty knows now that I will feed it nightly........I just do not understand the gluten ways of this cat. I have not been able to come close to it.....so maybe it is a feral? I am owed by 5 indoor cats and will not except a 6th.

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post #5 of 13
12/22/11 at 9:15am
Very typical for them to eat up that much food in one feeding. You may be the only food source and this kitty will be hungry by that time of day and eat up everything. She/he must have gone without food at times and now that there is a constant food source, she will eat it all up. Plus, it is cold now, winter. I see you live in Michigan. Feral cat's always eat so much more in the winter month's. They need the extra calories in the very cold weather. I would absolutely make plans to get this cat trapped by contacting a TNR organization in your area. Just try to make some calls and see if there is some place that could possibly take her. OR at the very least- you could just trap her and get her TNRd and release her back outside. Even IF she is early in a pregnancy (and this is a female, could be male dontknow.gif) they will still do the spay. frown.gif. Just google Trap-Neuter-Return program in your county and see if you can get some assistance. This cat will for sure be coming now each and every day for food. So you could easily trap this one agree.gif Thanks for caring heartpump.gifhugs.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gif
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post #6 of 13
12/22/11 at 9:18am
Here is some more excellent resources for you from a veteran member here on TCS with much experience agree.gif. Hope this will help too smile.gif.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/16045/helping-ferals-socialization-trapping-and-low-cost-or-free-spay-neuter-resources
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post #7 of 13
1/8/12 at 6:36pm
Thread Starter 

I have been feeding this feral now for about a month nightly. I am now able to pet the cat while it is eating tonight for the first time biggrin.gif It only scratched me once tonight (drawing some blood) and hissing its ass off at me. rub.gif.......... I already have 5 indoor cats and do not mind helping out the feral cat agree.gif

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post #8 of 13
1/8/12 at 7:12pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slave2_Ragdolls View Post

I have been feeding this feral now for about a month nightly. I am now able to pet the cat while it is eating tonight for the first time biggrin.gif It only scratched me once tonight (drawing some blood) and hissing its ass off at me. rub.gif.......... I already have 5 indoor cats and do not mind helping out the feral cat agree.gif

The feral now trust me and allows me to touch "IT"...........I will feed "it" as long as it takes. This cat is "wild" and never had human hands on it. I have no clue if it is a male or female at this point. It just ate a 5.5 once can of wet and wanted another cup or more of dry food. Is it getting "fat" on me?
 

 

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post #9 of 13
1/8/12 at 7:26pm
I would not worry about the cat getting fat - not living in the outdoors. I would also suggest feeding the cat the same time each day. It will make trapping the cat much easier. I hope you can do this very soon, trap this cat. Try to contact a local TNR organization quickly - if this is a female - she will soon have kitten's frown.gif. That is great that you can now touch this cat when he eats. There is a easy way to then crate this kitty instead of having to use a trap. Start putting the food in a crate with the door propped open and still sit there when the cat goes in to eat. This will make it very simple on vet day to just close the crate door and latch it quickly. Thanks for caring and much luck cross.gifvibes.gifvibes.gif
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post #10 of 13
1/8/12 at 7:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Feralvr View Post

I would not worry about the cat getting fat - not living in the outdoors. I would also suggest feeding the cat the same time each day. It will make trapping the cat much easier. I hope you can do this very soon, trap this cat. Try to contact a local TNR organization quickly - if this is a female - she will soon have kitten's frown.gif. That is great that you can now touch this cat when he eats. There is a easy way to then crate this kitty instead of having to use a trap. Start putting the food in a crate with the door propped open and still sit there when the cat goes in to eat. This will make it very simple on vet day to just close the crate door and latch it quickly. Thanks for caring and much luck cross.gifvibes.gifvibes.gif


I am getting attached to the feral.......I feel sorry for it as I have a big heart.  I am trying to tame this wild cat. If I capture it and take it to a rescue........IT will be put to sleep as it is "wild" and not fully tamed yet. Maybe "it" has a chance with me? I would love to have "it" in a happy home. The chances of a wild "feral" to a happy home are what? 2%..????  Maybe less than that? Please contact me with more information.

 

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post #11 of 13
1/8/12 at 8:02pm
There IS much hope for this cat and how incredibly wonderful you want to commit to caring for him or her dontknow.gif. First off, a TNR organization will NOT take the cat from you anyway. They are an organization and advocate for the feral cat's in the community. They offer the vet and will supply you with the information you will need to get started. You will be responsible for getting the cat to the vet and picking up the cat and returning the cat to your property where you will either care for this cat outside OR try to socialize indoors. It is a very inexpensive way for you to get the much needed vet work done for very cheap - about $35.00 - $40.00. This will include. The sterilization, the shot's, the deworming, flea product, microchip and the ear-tip. The ear tip is done so that we as feral caretaker's know if a cat is already sterilized, just by sight. We can see the ear is tipped and then we don't re-trap that particular cat. You can get all of these thing's done and either release this cat back out in your yard and build a shelter and care for this cat as an outdoor cat OR you can bring the cat inside and keep him in a "safe" room or small room for the socialization process. It can take month's..... BUT it can be less or more depending on the cat and it's personality. It is possible that this cat has had some human contact in it's past since you are already able to touch him, but we never really know until we get these cat's inside and start working with them. We can help you along with this process - the indoor socialization - if that is what you end up deciding to do. Either way, the best thing and the first thing you should do for this cat is get him fixed. AND if you are already able to touch this cat - WOW - that is a huge step. That is why I suggested feeding in the crate clap.gif Will makes it much less stressful for the cat and for you. We are here to help as we LOVE the poor stray kitties who need someone to love them so very much heartpump.gifwink.gif
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post #12 of 13
1/8/12 at 8:06pm
Thread Starter 


I am very confused as I feel sorry for the cat. It is wild and is NOT adoptable at this point.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Slave2_Ragdolls View Post


I am getting attached to the feral.......I feel sorry for it as I have a big heart.  I am trying to tame this wild cat. If I capture it and take it to a rescue........IT will be put to sleep as it is "wild" and not fully tamed yet. Maybe "it" has a chance with me? I would love to have "it" in a happy home. The chances of a wild "feral" to a happy home are what? 2%..????  Maybe less than that? Please contact me with more information.

 


 

 

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post #13 of 13
1/9/12 at 8:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slave2_Ragdolls View Post


I am very confused as I feel sorry for the cat. It is wild and is NOT adoptable at this point.

It is hard on our hearts and we do get easily attached to them. heartpump.gif But you are taking good care of this kitty - better than if he/she had not found you. He/she now has someone to care for him. hugs.gifhugs.gif
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