Possible feral cat hanging around outside my house

purdysmom

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Hello everybody!

I'm new here and I need some advice. For the past few months I've noticed a cat hanging around my house, mostly in the evening or at night. He's usually lounging in the yard, hanging out in the alley, or as recently noticed, digging through my garbage looking for food. 

I'm not sure if he's feral or not. I assume he is because he digs through garbage looking for food, is usually out late at night, and runs away when I try to go near him. 

I've started putting food out for him but it's nearing winter and I'm worried that he won't survive the cold. I want him to trust me enough so I can get him inside and have the humane society pick him up or bring him in to be neutered and find a home for him but I have no idea how to do this.

I do have an indoor cat already and I don't want to cause any problems with him but at the same time I can't leave this cat outside to freeze.

Any advice?
 

StefanZ

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If he is ferale, it may be dangerous to let Human society or similiar pick him up. Most shelter pts ferales immediately.

So unless they clearly tell you they DO have fosterers etc, be careful.

Better bet is to find some Rescue group or TNR group.

Seems the cat to be adult?  If yes, he had already made through a winter, and thus, will surely make another one, if he gets food, and have some sort of shelter.

although it is good if he gets neutered. Makes it easier for everyone.

So. Unless you find some rescuegroup (where do you live?), you have two variations:

TNR him, (you must prob trap him first) and let him be your outside kitty.

Trap, vet check up, neuter.  Home into a spare room or similiar.  This spare room will be the quarantine room.  Simultaneously you begin to foster.

After some time you begin to introduce them.

So, you are anxious about your resident. Quite right so.  But the skissed procedure of vet check up, including deworming depararasiting preferably also tests for Felv, FIV etc... (Felv is most contagious, FIV just so so),  quarantine - careful inroduction, -there are seldom problems, and virtually no danger for the resident either.

HOW strickt quarantine depends on. If your resident is healthy, used to roam outside, you dont need to overdo it. If he is strickt indoor, perhaps not perfect health - you are very cautious...

I think, if you are even somewhat thinking on trying to take him inside and foster and perhaps adopt (or let some friend adopt) - do it.

Lots of work, but VERY rewarding.

Welcome to our Forums!

Good luck!
 

diggerled

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Some goodhearted people who already have a cat or two indoors don't want another cat inside. Sometimes it's because the cats themselves would never have it. There are many options available to you though. The simplest is to just feed and water for now and study this site for ideas that you can live with.

If you want to take a very positive but not so simple approach (this is what I recommend for you), continue to feed and water. Call your local humane society and ask about TNR (trap, neuter, and release). You would trap the cat, take it in for a neutering, and release it back where you trapped it. In my area, stray or feral cats that are brought to the Humane Society clinic in traps are neutered at a discounted rate that day. M-Th only.

If it so happens that the cat just has an irresponsible owner it won't hurt a thing. 

Cold weather? Make the cat a simple shelter. Ideas for easy do it yourself shelters can be found by searching this site. Food, water, shelter. What more could a feral cat want? 

Best part: After you care for him for awhile, you and your cat may want to think about inviting him in. (caution: study about cat introductions on this site first)

Between now and that possibility, just feed it and let it get to know you. Even if getting to see you present the food is all. In time the cat will be calmer around people and be a lot easier to find a home for. 

I had an indoor cat who was a feral kitten when the next feral came around. This method is similar to how I have done it. It worked well for me. 

PS; the second feral cat now lives inside with me, my wife, and our other cat. His name is Marlow and you can read all about how he came to be indoors only by searching "Marlow" on this site.
 

catwoman707

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You should basically assume this cat is a feral, and if he was ever an owned cat he surely has been dumped and forced to revert into a semi-feral/scared of people state from lack of socializing.

So as a feral, you need to decide what you are willing to do.

I see you are from Canada, now I don't know about there, but here the huge majority of humane societies will simply be rid of him and euthanize. There are no answers from them and a dead end for a feral.

This means you can help change his life and his fate, with or without much effort, depending on how much you want to help him.

You can either borrow a trap from the humane society, use tuna as bait and trap him yourself or ask around for a rescue group who will help you trap. Find out about low cost spay/neuter clinics, either from the rescues or some humane societies offer low cost fixing or a voucher for a specific vet to do this.

When he goes to get fixed be sure that they deworm, vaccinate, and hopefully will test for FELV (leukemia)

Once he is recovered, you can either acclimate him to inside your home where he will be either a ghost kitty (if he is a true feral) or slowly but surely will come around and trust that he is safe.

Remember cats are ferals from humans, they do just fine with other cats and it can actually really be a huge help in gaining trust with you as well.

OR you can return him outdoors but set up a feeding spot for him in a sheltered area, if you have a garage, or anyplace where he will have protection from the cold winter months, and make him a nice warm bed where he will feel safe, near where his food will be left from here on.

Poor kitty, in the 100's of cats and kittens I have personally saved, not to mention the 1,000's my rescue group has saved, it's the ferals and old adults my heart aches for. It's just not their fault and have so few options. And they have the same needs and wants as any other tame cat does. They simply are too afraid to know it.

Oh and fyi, any hungry cat, whether tame or feral will dig in garbage for food, sad but true. None of them like it either. Even the ones that do it on a regular basis, cats are clean creatures but do it to survive.

Imagine having to dig through smelly trash just to find a tiny bit of food to eat. Sad.

If you chose to allow him to live indoors, I am happy to give advice on how to do this transition smoothly.

Thanks for caring.

Saving one cat won't make a difference in the world, but it makes a world of difference to that one cat.
 
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