Brought home a feral....now what? Help!

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry in advance for the long post, but I wanted to include all pertinent information. A cat was trapped at a wildlife rehab facility (TWC) where I volunteer. Animals unfortunately are dumped there from time to time, so I'm unsure if that was the case with this kitty or if he was born feral. I foster cats for the Humane Society, but he is currently unsafe to handle and therefore non-submissible to HS (they would have to euthanize). My plan is to keep him short term to see if his disposition improves at all, which would demonstrate a potential become a good companion with some further socialization. If it does, I will find a "Home Again" foster through HS (it's a program for animals requiring longer term fostering, which I am currently not able to provide); if not, I'm left with TNR, which is at least better than nothing.

The cat is a black DSH and looks to be in good condition (shiny coat, good weight, bright eyes), probably young or middle-aged. I haven't been able to determine gender (I only say "he" because I prefer that to "it") or spay/neuter status, as he is extremely defensive around people. He was in a kennel for a week at TWC and would lash out if someone approached to within a foot or so. He was dangerous and upset when we transferred him to a carrier, but completely calm during the drive to my house (stayed in the middle of the crate, rather than bunched in the back; no hissing/growling, even when I talked to him or picked up the crate to bring him inside). He is staying in my spare bathroom now---this his first day with me---and hisses/growls some when I open the door, and meows a while (not unhappily as far as I can tell) when he hears my other cats meow, but is otherwise quiet. He likes to stay somewhat hidden (ex: behind the toilet or carrier), but doesn't scrunch into corners, tremble, or maintain dilated pupils. He seems calm overall, as long as he doesn't think I want to touch him. He came out from behind the toilet and into full view when I put soft food in front of him, which he happily consumed.

There are a few complications with this scenario, unfortunately. 1) I don't know this kitty's history whatsoever (not even "we've been feeding him for a few weeks", etc). 2) I can't keep him long-term, just long enough to determine the best course of action. 3) I have cats of my own, one of which is apt to hiss/growl at the door from time to time, and I don't know what effect that will have on him.

I have never attempted to socialize a feral cat before and would very much appreciate any input on the subject. Some areas I'm particularly concerned about are:

1) Rough time estimate, if there is one, for which ferals or strays begin to show any signs of improved disposition (ex: about a week, 1 month, etc). This is particularly important because I don't want to decide on TNR prematurely.

2) I am a University student, and my schedule changes throughout the week. I want to keep this kitty on a schedule because I know cats like consistency, but I also don't want to forgo socializing opportunities 4 days of the week just because I'm at school all day for 3 days of the week. Thoughts?

3) Is my one cat hissing/growling going to be considerably detrimental to this kitty's potential progress? Should I keep my cat away from the feral's vicinity (despite the closed door between them) while he's here?

If anyone has any advice, I can't express how grateful I would be. I really want to do what's best for this kitty but my research so far hasn't been able to shed light on this particular set of circumstances (most tips seem to be geared toward people who intend to keep the cat). Thank you all so much!

Hi, I too took a few ferals off the street a few weeks ago. I'm kinda new to cats so I don't know much but here's what I do know. You probably wont be able to get this close to him but to tell the gender have them lay on their back and there will be two hole, if the two are very close like basically touching its a girl, if there is a little space between the like about half an inch, give or take, its a boy, also boys are a little bigger in size. The second kitten I rescued was all thanks to friskies canned wet food, they love the stuff. If you want to try and socialize with him buy a few cans. Put it in the bathroom with him and just sit a few feet away from him while he eats. Based on what you say about his personality I wouldn't try to approach him while he eats, he could be very protective, you have to work your way to that point. Another good way to interact with him is to just buy a few toys. It'll take a lot of time but if you play with him enough and are patient enough i think he'll come around. Now this is just my opinion so don't take it too heavy. It sounds like hes kind of lonely and wants company, maybe you could try taking your most laid back cat, and try introducing it to him, it might be less likely to want to fight him than your other cats. But if you do this I think it would be much better to introduce them in a bedroom or some closed off space much bigger than the bathroom. That way if they fight you can separate them easily and they can back away from each other if they don't feel comfortable. I have no idea as to when cats start to get along, I would say around a week or two, but I also think it would depend on each cats personality as well. If you're worried about him being lonely while you're at school, just leave a few toys with him. Maybe try to get a friend or family member to spend time with him or just feed him on the days you go to school. But how fast he comes around depends a lot on you, the more attention you give him, the faster it'll go. Also, maybe a few hours a day you could put him in a different room than the spare bedroom, he probably goes crazy in there because of the size, especially if he was an outside cat before, that could cause him stress and could cause him to be more moody and wild as well. I hope everything works out for you, nice to hear another animal is getting a warm home! 

                                                                                      

Sorry, I have only a second right now...

In the "Articles" section, there are 2 good articles on ferals.

You can also search terms such as "taming ferals" or "socializing strays" etc...

Make sure to browse this forum as well...

even threads on higher numbered pages will have good info!

Hang in there - ferals can make wonderful, loving pets  

The first order of business in my opinion0n is his vaccination and sterilization status - regardless of what you do with him as far or fostering taming etc he/she will need to be sterilized and vaccinated - Low to no cost spay and neuters clinics are probably your best bet on a students income.

If  the cat  has already been sterilized then you know he/she is a stray  and will probably be pretty easy to re-socialize.

A concern that I would have at this  point is.........have you had him tested for all the kitty diseases?  Vets  have ways of making them calm for them to draw blood (possibly sedate  him with gas, but they will find a way)..........

Since he has already been exposed to your cats as far as any airborne diseases, that just concerns me.  I have done the same thing before.  As we speak I have exposed all my cats to a wonderful little kitten that the vet "suspects" might have FIP.  That is really bad news. 

You can sit and watch him eat...but from afar.  He might be food aggressive.  Playing with him might not be a bad idea, but get something that is on a stick.  I think the toys that are on a sturdy stick with feathers on the end are the best.  The "fishing pole" type toys require alot of room to swing them around!

I have one cat that was a feral.  And I mean FERAL!  She is still spooky (after about 12 years) and I am the only person that she will go to.  And sometimes even I scare her to death just by walking past her.  She might run off like I'm trying to kill her. 

Let the cat come to YOU, don't approach the cat or you might pull back a bloody stump. 

Yes, I second the motion:  what ever you decide to do, get the cat vetted immediately.  That includes tests for FIV/FELK, de-worming, de-fleaing, and neuter/spay.

The latter is important besides the obvious (pregnancy):  it will make the cat--especially male cats--calmer.

And pack some patience; let the cat dictate the socialization process.  Playing with a toy with feather or mouse is good.  After she/he is comfortable with that, you might try brushing the cat, to get him/her use to physical contact.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone for your input. This kitty is fairly wild as it turns out, and I had her spayed and vaccinated through the TNR program at my local Humane Society. I've spoken with many shelters and TNR organizations, and they all tell me to find someone who wants a "barn cat". She needs shelter, food and water provided for at all times, and her selling point is that she can safely and effectively control the mouse population. I've found a family who wants a total of five ferals, and she will probably be one of them. I'm very happy that she will be relatively safe and cared for, and can choose to either remain feral or become domesticated.

What a great solution.

Where I live (Washington, DC area) there are too many ferals and not enough farms/barns.

Hehpoof, I'm so glad you found a good solution!    How did you find this family that wants five feral cats?