Can a 4 year old feral cat be moved indoors?

For the past 4+ years, I have lived next door to a feral colony in SW Pennsylvania. The woman next door, Diane, had wonderful intentions, but didn't know a great deal about feral cats, so I helped her over the years have all cats TNR'd & get their shots, work to socialize the cats, and help feed them. I am retired, so I was able to sit outside with them every day and work with them. Some of them are more social with me than others. The colony is down from 14 cats originally to 6 currently. I had my uncle make 10 cat boxes, which are fully lined & have fleece bedding, and gave 8 to Diane and kept 2 on my front porch for myself. I have fresh water & dry food on demand every day for them, and I make plates of food for each cat at least once a day with cheese, cooked chicken breast, sometimes canned tuna, and other food they seem to enjoy, along with some goat's milk. Most of the cats mark me, want their ears & heads rubbed, and generally seem to enjoy hanging out with me when I sit outside.

My dilema: One cat in particular, who I have known since she was a kitten, and who I call Puzzle, took up residence in one of the cat boxes on my porch. While the other cats seem to know this is not their home, Puzzle thinks this is her home. Puzzle sits on my lap, likes to be wrapped in a warm blanket on chilly nights and lay in my arms, and is the only cat that 'talks' to me. Conversely, she is also a very skittish, high strung cat. I love all of the cats, but this one in particular tugs at my heart strings. I am moving in a few months, and am brokenhearted about leaving Puzzle behind. I have tried repeatedly over the last several years to bring her inside, and she freaks out every time, wanting no part of this indoor living stuff. I currently have one indoor only, front declawed, 18 year old male cat, and worry about introducing another cat, let alone a feral cat. I know I could cage Puzzle, and bring her with me, but is this fair to her. All she knows is that the whole world she sees is at her disposal and she is free to be the cat she has been for the last 4 years. Is she better off with a shorter harder life of 'wonderful' versus a longer lifetime of 'confinement'?  Is it possible to take a feral and bring them inside and have them be happy? I know the woman next door will continue to feed the cats once a day, altho not the rich & varied diet they get from me, and she does not have the time to socialize with them, and for this I feel sad. When I move, I will be moving my cat boxes next door...will Puzzle find her cat box? Will she know to look for food next door? Puzzle seems to be more on the periphery of the colony, I guess because she stayed on my porch from a young age. I am buying a Townhouse/condo, so I cannot bring Puzzle with me to live outdoors.

I am agonizing over this, and am worried that Puzzle will not survive once I am gone. So, I am for information from folks that maybe have been thru this. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.                 

Take her with you!! She will adjust. I promise. She will be scared, but she will evetually adjust. You have forged this bond with her don't abandon her. In the long run she will have a long happy life inside, with maybe 1-6 months of being freaked out while adjusting. And your male will be fine as well. Cats are social animals. They do fine alone, but given the oppourtunity they will become social. Don't just throw them together. Keep her in a small room by herself. Visit her and play with her. Let your male get used to her through a door. Yes, they will hiss at each other, but it will stop. If they do not become friends they will learn to tolerate each other.

Oh yeah, I fully agree - take her with you.  You could succeed with a feral cat that's never seen a human before, so starting with one that will sit in your lap and in your arms is like starting half way there   More than half way, really.

She will freak out at first, but it will pass.  While she would obviously not enjoy indoor living as much as outdoor living, she would NOT be miserable indoors, not even close - especially with you and your kitty around.  So it's not unfair to her.  Unless you keep her in a cage, I wouldn't call that a life of confinement.   Like you said, she might not even survive outside. 

I would advise against letting Puzzle outdoors after you move.  If you do this, she would have to be permanent indoor kitty.

If everyone is neutered/spayed then it would not be a problem to introduce the feral to your current indoor kitty.  Just take it slow, don't throw them face to face right away and they will be just fine.  Probably even good friends down the line.

Good luck and keep us posted!! 

PS:  Thanks for taking care of that colony of ferals

Some addt'l information. I also want to state that my male cat is neutered, and that Puzzle, who is spayed, would have to become an indoor only cat if I take her with me. Actually, prior to bringing her into my new place, I would need to take her to the vet to have her brought up to date with shots, have her Capstar-ed (fleas), probably have her wormed, and have her tested for any diseases.....neither my vet nor Puzzle will likely have an easy time with this.

I have always taken in cats that were front declawed because I could give them an indoor only home, as all of my cats have been rescues from animal shelters and/or failed fosters. I am a little concerned that Puzzle has all her claws intact (and I would never change that), but my senior male is front declawed and would be less able to defend himself if need be. I am balancing trying to keep my male cat safe in his final years and doing what will give Puzzle the best chance at a happy life. 

Welcome!!!!!!!!! YES, please take Puzzle with you. She is not a feral cat. If she sits on your lap, cuddles in a blanket, etc. Then she needs a home before you leave IF you do not take her with you. I think she relies on your care, food and comfort now. Puzzle would adjust beautifully as an indoor kitty :nod: First, do take her to the vet for all shot's, tests, deworming and flea product. Capstar will only kill the fleas she has on her and will not work long term like Frontline or Revolution. Revolution will also deworm her as well. Talk with the vet and see what he/she recommends.

Puzzle sounds like a real sweetheart and you can easily train her to scratch on appropriate cat made scratchers. We have many great suggestions here on TCS. If you go to the Care and Grooming Forum you will find many great ideas for scratching posts. Will find a recent thread that has some great suggestions and post it here for you. I really do not think you need to worry that your senior declawed cat and Puzzle will not get along. If you do proper introductions and supervise in the beginning, all will be well. I don't think that should stop you from taking Puzzle in.

Here is that thread with some great suggestions for training a kitty to scratch appropriately http://www.thecatsite.com/t/242888/this-close-to-declawing-her-not-seriously-but-very-frustrated

I'd take her!

My fiance and I just took in a stray about 3 weeks ago, she is 5 says the vet. While she was clearly a stray and had feral tendencies she has been adjusting very well to out home and our cats. It sounds like Puzzle trust you already, I'm sure she would be glad to make a home in the house with you.

I know what going to the vet with a stray is like, not always a good time. But vets are trained to deal with cats like that, just warn them when you call for an appointment. Puzzle won't like it, but she will get over it quickly.

Keep her in a small room by herself. Visit her and play with her. Let your male get used to her through a door. Yes, they will hiss at each other, but it will stop. If they do not become friends they will learn to tolerate each other.

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 This is the phase we're at with our stray, but every day she does better and though they may never be "friends" like my other two are, they will adjust cats always do.

You'd be surprised how well and quickly cats adjust (i sure have been!). It will be an adjustment for you, your cats and Puzzle, but it will work out and I think from what everyone else has said that you should take her with you for sure.

Take Puzzle with you! My little feral-to-housecat Mitten moved in 2 months before she turned 3. She barely let me touch/scratch her for a few seconds, but once she met my boy Sneezer through a baby gate she wanted in with us! I spent 3 months working with her, letting her wander in when my cats were in another room, letting her meet them through a baby gate, letting her come in for 15 min at a time then meow to go back out. Eventually she was sleeping inside every night and meowing for outside every morning, then one day, she just never asked to go back out. She's going to take some time to be comfortable with petting, but she is getting there, and she LOVES my boy Sneezer. And kitty beds. And toys-lol

Please take her! She may miss being outdoors, but I think she will miss you more if you leave her.

Even if she becomes an outdoor kitty where you move, or an indoor/outdoor kitty, I agree - take her with you. TCS member Momofmany moved her entire colony when they moved homes. The truly feral cats were NOT happy about the confinement. I believe she kept them in the sunroom at the new home for six weeks, to establish the feeding schedule before she let them outside. Most became indoor/outdoor kitties at that point, but some were simply not cut out to be indoor-only cats. And having lived outside only for four years, that may be the case for your Puzzle.

BUT.... if you confine her to a properly set up room in your new home for a similar length of time with whatever your feeding schedule will be, no matter how unhappy she is about it, she will make the new territory hers instead of trying to find her way back "home." And, of course, after six weeks inside, you'll have a REAL good feel for whether or not she would adjust to life inside only. :nod:

But because of your bond with her, I think absolutely, whichever way things go with her, take her with you. If she wants out, after that six weeks, you let her out. If she settles down, you can work on SLOW introductions to your male. But because he was inside first, if this stresses him out or she wants to be dominant and is too aggressive (unlikely - outside she's not aggressive to other kitties is she?), then again, you still have the option to let her out, but she'll know she's where she's supposed to be for her food and care. :rub:

But there are repeated stories of kitties that completely freaked out when being brought inside - and when given a few days or a week to settle down, those kitties ended up becoming very happy inside-only, very loved and pampered kitties. :lol3: Of course, there are the few that don't adjust, and are happier being outside, or allowed outside. But when moving territories, there simply is no choice but to confine them in some way for a minimum of three weeks - and six is best - so that the feeding routine is WELL established. This prevents kitty from bolting to find "home." They need that time to understand that they need to make this territory theirs now.

Just make SURE the room is VERY cat proof. Based on her reaction to being inside before, it sounds like she may do her darndest to find her way out of there. At least at first. :lol3:

Of course - she may surprise you. Explain to her what is happening before you go. Do NOT wait until the day of the move to put her in the cage you will use to move her. I know this will tear your heartstrings to see her so miserable, but just keep reminding yourself that it's what she needs to be happy in the long run. But tell her what's happening. And buy Feliway spray, and use it on the crate/cage and in her new room. Get a throw-away t-shirt REALLY sweaty, and put it in her crate with her. :nod: BUY HARP MUSIC and use it during transport and play it in her new room. It has an AMAZING calming effect on stressed/scared cats - especially ferals. And after an initial freak out for a day or a few days, she may settle down - and settle in! But surround her with friendly scents (feliway) and familiar scents (her box and bedding), and yummy food... and just play it by ear after you've given her enough time to understand she belongs in this new place. :heart3: