Hello! Questions about a stray cat

I have a bunch of questions but I know this is just the intro page, so HI!

Hi nice to meet you. Feel free to ask any questions.

Okay it's a stray cat, maybe I should post there? I don't know.

Anyway I just moved in and this cat lives out on the back porch of our apartment building and he obviously used to live here at one time because he always sleeps outside my back door and thinks this is his house. I let him in and he goes right into the bathroom and starts meowing like he wants food. He's nice and lets me pet him but once he eats he runs back out.

He won't play or sit on my lap and let me pet him at all, he just eats and leaves. But otherwise he's a good cat and I think I'll adopt him. But it's been a few months now and he still doesn't seem to trust me. I like him and all but I really didn't want a part-time cat. Is there any way to get him to warm up since it's obvious he used to live here?

Welcome to the site. Sorry about the delay in answering your question. And, YES, this is the correct place for your stray questions. :nod: I am heartwarmed to read about this cat and sad at the same time. Very sad that someone abandoned him. So thank you for taking care of him. First off, is he neutered??? Can you get him to the vet for a check up? He probably needs some vaccinations and dewormings. Will you be keeping him indoors? Because I would recommend you doing that, initially, anyway. This will give you many more opportunities to bond with this sweet cat who needs you so badly. This will allow you to care for him in the safety of a confined space and will, in a gentle way, force him to get closer to you and trust you completely. After that bond has been solidified, then you could allow him to be indoor/outdoor if that is what you prefer. I prefer indoor only. Much safer for the cats. There are many dangers (and diseases) for a cat living outside. This kitty sounds like he really needs and wants a home with you. He is probably feeling quite sad, wondering what happened and why his previous people left him. :shame: Keep updating!!!

Hi again! Thanks for the replies.

So many questions! lol I don't know if he's neutered or not. He has two big bulbous protrusions below his butt. So I'm guessing the answer is no? He didn't have any kind of a collar or anything to indicate he was someone's house cat, but he's not beat up with scars and scratches the way a stray would be so maybe he was taken care of. I'll take him to the vet, that's no problem. I just need to know is there's a way to get him to warm up to me because I do want an indoor cat. Not one that eats and leaves.

He's really a nice cat, he's just not affectionate. I guess I just had my mind set on having a cat to sit on my lap and purr. Oh well.

That's great you are willing to help this kitty!

Everything Feralver said. yep.

and my suggestions:

First, since he's used to being outside, I'd feed him by the door.. show him that you are a good person. whenever he decides to come in, give him some treats to show him it's a good thing to be in the apartment!

I'd also suggest once he warms up to you, take him to the vet to get a checkup for worms and other illnesses, and a microchip scan to see if he's chipped or not. If he's not neutered, I'd suggest that too, or he'd want to keep running outside.

It will take time.. he won't get used to you over night. sometimes days, sometimes weeks.  I also prefer indoor only cats.

You will have to make up your mind first about adopting him because the bonding won't come overnight.  If you decide to give him a home, can he live inside.  I think it would make the bonding easier and faster. But if he is going to be an outside cat he can still learn to love and trust you.  This kitty thinks he lives there already.  LOL

Absolutely get him to the vet first off for his neutering and check up. I can assure you that he will not be leaving the safety of your porch anytime soon. AND the sooner you get him neutered the sooner he will settle in and not go off roaming to breed. It will take a few weeks for the hormones to completely dissipate from his body but when he is hormone free, you will see a new cat emerge. :bigthumb: He may end up being a lap cat for you :cross: But, it will take time and patience. He is not a feral cat as he has let you pet him. He is just abandoned and needs someone like you to take him in. If you are going to have him live outdoors, make sure you offer him a winter shelter if you live in a cold climate. If not a cold climate, then make sure you have a feeding station on the porch and a nice cozy shelter for sleeping. Straw is the best insulator for bedding. If you need shelter ideas, just let us know! OR maybe you will take him indoors someday and he will be your lap kitty :cross:

Please let us know when you will be taking him to the vet!!

Okay, so I took him to the vet yesterday and got him neutered. He's just been sleeping on the bed and not moving around much today. Poor little guy is not happy at all. But the vet tech told me he's definitely not a stray and only about a year old, so he should form an attachment to me in a few months.

Winter is coming and it does get cold here, I think I'll have to keep him as an indoor cat for his own sake, even though I think he'd rather be outdoors because he's a pure white kitty and I'd think he'd be in his element hunting in the snow

He's a good kitty. I guess as long as he's willing to have me I'll have him

Hi, and welcome...and thank you for being an Earth Angel to this poor abandoned furry soul!

If he's only a year old, chances are he has no real experience with being outside during the winter. You may want to start now, if you haven't already, by bringing him inside for short periods of time. Keep the experience with you fun and enjoyable. As you know, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, LOL!  Give him a couple of treats while he's indoors with you...and save them for only when he's indoors with you. This will give him something special to look forward to and only something he enjoys when he's physically with you. This will speed up the bonding process. When I show my cats, after they come back from a ring, they get a very small taste of Gerber's baby food, either chicken or turkey. They do not get this during any other time of the show, except for when they come back from a ring. They learn this very quickly, and when I get them back to their cage, they are pawing at my hands expecting their treat for being a good kid for the judge!

Sit down on the floor with him, but allow him to come to you. Getting down on the floor, in his mind, brings you to his level, and makes you look less threatening.  I know when my horse gets ornery, if I 'puff' up by bringing my shoulders up toward my ears, and putting my hands on my hips, he immediately looks at me differently and lowers his head. Looking big, or looking small does have an emotional and psychological impact.

Most cats are lactose intolerant, so if you want to give him milk, use goat milk. It is readily available in cans in the coffee aisle of your grocery store. Shake it well, refrigerate after opening. You can always pop it in the microwave to take the chill off before serving. I have successfully raised several litters of kittens on goat milk. It is easily digested, and does not cause intestinal upset.  Careful, however, because it is packed with calories.  Too much goat milk may make too much kitty!

Have you chosen a name, or did I miss that in earlier posts?

I'm sure that you have already figured out that when you ask a question here, advice is readily given. Don't feel overwhelmed when it comes in from every direction. Read through, and use what you feel pertains to your situation.

The secret with forming a relationship with your new guy is go S L O W L Y.  Let him set the pace, and follow his lead. If you get eager and push too quickly, it may scare him...and it may not.  Cats are all individuals, just as we are. What works for one, may not work for another. You sound like you have a genuine heart, and he will sense this in you, which will (and has) draw him to you. These are pretty smart critters, and it can be hard to stay one step ahead. I tell my kids all the time that I'm higher on the food chain...but there are times when I'm not 100% convinced! LOL

Most importantly, have fun, enjoy, and remember, the best part of the years ahead is the journey you take together.

We're here to help you over the rough spots, and to share in your joy.

Purrs,

procatbreeder

I think the cold weather will force him to not be so independent. The last few weeks he's been eating much more than in the summer months, like he's trying to put on fat. And then the last few nights he sleeps at the foot of my bed like he's trying to find some warmth to snuggle up to. I don't turn up the heat until about the middle of November, so he's going to have to get used to me if he wants to be warm

I've been putting off giving him a name because I don't want too get attached to him...just to see him run off. That happened before and it really bummed me out. So, he's going to be "yo, kitty" for now.
 

I would name him Lucky for his luck for finding you.  I used to let cats go in and out, but now, I just keep them in.  I have a little stray who, once she was spayed, really settled down and she is about a year old.  My advise, get a cat box and just keep him in.  It is so much safer for him indoors and you won't have to worry about him leaving. 

I was thinking more along the line of Edgar, as in the Edgar Winter band, just because of his white fur. Edgar is a cool name, and he's a cool kitty.

He's going to have to stay indoors because it's getting too cold to leave the back door open and let him come and go at his pleasure anymore, at least until I can put a kitty door in for him. And he just talked to me for the first time last night. He wanted out and meowed me.

AWWWW Edgar. I am so glad that he is now neutered and I am certain that things will progress quickly. :cross: I think keeping him indoors is the way to go for now. Let's just see how he comes along over the winter!!! I have a feeling Edgar will surprise you and become very trusting of you and very loyal, grateful for you care and love.

It's 35 F here now and he snuggled up against my legs last night to stay warm. When I woke up I reached down to pet him and he just sort of gave me a scowl but he didn't object. He then hid under the bed again. I went to cook breakfast and he smelled bacon and got curious and sat there watching me but wouldn't eat the little morsel I offered him. So I heated up a can of wet food and he gobbled it up. The rest of the day I just let him free feed on dry food. He seems to be eating a lot lately and I suspect he needs to put on some fat because he looked skinny. I'm sort of afraid of over feeding him but I can't tell if he's putting on weight or his winter coat is just filling out.

I put a little electric space heater under my desk to keep my feet warm while working at the computer and loves it down there. So now I put a blanket under there for him to lounge on and he seems to like it. So he's getting acquainted with  his environment. Last night he unspooled about 20 ft of toilet paper off the roll in the bathroom I'll have to keep him out of there.

Thundrull said:

. Last night he unspooled about 20 ft of toilet paper off the roll in the bathroom :lol3: I'll have to keep him out of there.

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:rofl: OMG he really HAS made himself at home!!!!!!!!!!!! Excellent :lol3: Love the update and hearing how well Edgar has adjusted. I suspect in the days to come he will be making more and more progress. AND, that coat will start to shed !!! That way you will be able to see his body condition and adjust his food amounts accordingly. He is lucky to have found you OR should I rephrase that and say, he is lucky that you moved in!!!! .

Feralvr said:

OMG he really HAS made himself at home!!!!!!!!!!!! Excellent

Love the update and hearing how well Edgar has adjusted. I suspect in the days to come he will be making more and more progress. AND, that coat will start to shed

!!! That way you will be able to see his body condition and adjust his food amounts accordingly.

He is lucky to have found you OR should I rephrase that and say, he is lucky that you moved in!!!! .

Click to expand...

Heh, that shedding is a bit of a problem. All my black clothes have white kitty hairs stuck in the fibers I don't know how that happens because he can't get in the closet or the drawers, it's like the static electricity in the air is acting like a magnet for cat hair. So I'm going through a lot of lint rollers.