Two Steps Forward ...& Three Back??

About six years ago I found a tiny orange kitten playing with the Halloween decorations on my front porch. I attempted to catch him then - no luck. Over time, I'd see him cross my yard and once hanging out in a tree, but he still wouldn't let me get close. Finally, I built him two ASPCA insulated shelters(one under my large, elevated, covered porch and one under) and provided an enclosed, heated cuddler on an Adirondack chair on the porch. In a fit of true brilliance, my husband and I started calling him, "Orangie".

Orangie learned to come when called for "breakfast", "dinner" and "treats" plus he always had water and dry food available. He became great friends with my cat Rio, but wouldn't let me pet him. Seeing him sit on the doormat peering in the sliding glass door made me feel sorry for him especially in our cold NY winters. I decided that one way or another he was going to be a real member of the family. Over the past three years I've been working with him; first getting him to come in(sometimes he would, other times not) and finally, in September '12, I was able to touch his tail. The day I was able to give him a full petting he went nuts - He LOVED it and you could see the lights come back on - he remembered this from sometime in his past.

Long story(ha) short, I was able to coax him into a carrier and get him to the vet. Per the vet, he was terrified and hid in the back of the holding cage, but didn't bite or scratch. He did have to be sedated for his pre-surgical exam.

Healthy, vaccinated and neutered I brought him home a month ago. I started him off in his own room with all his needs. He'd hide under the bed but come out for pets and brushing - I was able to give him his medicine and even able to put a collar on him which he'd manage to get off by the end of the day.

As of today, he has full run of the house. The dogs don't bother him, he doesn't seem to have any interest in going outside, he's not destructive - so what's the problem? He still spends most of the day sleeping under a bed. When I walk near him he bolts, however he'll hop up on the couch while I'm watching TV and he loves to play with toys with my husband. At night, when I'm reading in bed, he jumps up to lay next to me for more pets. He even laid down on my chest and touched his nose to mine, but if I sit up he bolts. The new Lupine collar(tougher to get off) - forget it, he's not going to let me near to put it on. He won't let me pick him up which means attempts to groom him beyond brushing i.e., nail trimming, ears - at least as of now, it's not going to happen. He's due back at the vet's next Friday for his boosters, and micro-chip and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get him back in the carrier.

I'm wondering if I did the right thing by bringing him in - should I let him go knowing he'll hang around? I really don't believe in letting  my cats roam - too many dangers. Do I get a catch pole and use it to corral him for vet trips and grooming, knowing he'll really mistrust me? Do I just give it more time and accept that I may have to rely on his being sedated at the vet's as my opportunity to groom him?

I'm open to any suggestions!

Thanks - Leslie

He is a cutie and I love his name! I would definately keep the little guy inside. It sounds like he is happy there even if he hides sometimes.

Roods Ranch said:

I'm wondering if I did the right thing by bringing him in - should I let him go knowing he'll hang around?

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yes, you did the right thing in bringing him inside. seeing as how good he is doing in so short a period of time is the confirmation of that.

Do I get a catch pole and use it to corral him for vet trips and grooming, knowing he'll really mistrust me?

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check out Batsfriend's thread regarding getting Patches to the vet. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/253310/trapping-vibes-needed-for-patches

Do I just give it more time and accept that I may have to rely on his being sedated at the vet's as my opportunity to groom him?

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from how he is behaving i would bet that more than likely you will eventually be able to groom him - at least to a degree.


thanks for taking care of him, you won't regret it!

You are doing very well!  You cant demand more from a ex semiferal, even if he knew you since before. You both (all three including DH) are doing nicely!   Time, patience and love will do the rest!

A couple of remarks.

I dont see why you shall have a collar on him?  Being inside he doesnt need it. And if he happens to go outside, he will manage out there, he is used. So he doesnt need it outside either.

I think I understand: having a collar on him is your recipe and proof he is now a owned kitty who do belongs.

But as said, it isnt necessary, and gives you this drawback you talk on, as he doesnt like to carry it.

Cats do sleep much, so him sleeping much under the bed isnt peculiar.  An alternative is, if you can lay down the bed so it is directly on the floor. So he cant get there.   And instead give him a nice cat igloo or similiar.

And let him be when he is in the igloo.  You can look at him if necessary, but normally it will be his own undisturbed place.

A couple of tips for handling, is to wrap him up in a thick soft towel. Immobilized this way, he goes passive.

This is common enough for cats who dont like to be nail clipped...

When it is time to go to the vet. Dont wait to the last moment before you must ride in for the appointment, when you are stressed and he feels it.

Take him several hours before. This way you will be unstressed - and have several hours to try to do it.

Him being ex semiferal is used to be somewhere, in a hole, several hours....

A good tip is also, you do always have the carrier open and accessible. With a nice thick towel in, so he can use it as one of his cat igloos.  You can also put in some treat there now and then.

This way, the carrier will be not only the bad thing for transport to the vet, but also something which usually is quite nice....

Welcome to our Forums!

   Good luck!

Wow! Lots of great advice and reassurance - which I greatly appreciate. Ditto for all the reasons pro & con re; the collar, but it's also for me...so I can hear him before he might bolt out the door. Even our "Rio" with his collar is a sneaky devil who can slip out without either my husband or I catching him. We now have to make it a point to confirm, "Rio Is In The House!" before we all go to bed. If he isn't, I'm the helicopter kitty momma waiting up. One range-rover is enough!

More progress - Orangie is actually out and about the house today. Apparently he doesn't discriminate - he takes toys out of the dog AND cat baskets to play with. He's also playing a game with Roscoe where one hides in the curtains and the other attacks - definitely playing and pretty funny to watch.

Am looking at corralling him into a bathroom and into a carrier from that point. I have the sardines ready!

Orangie Update....

Found the Big O sleeping on the couch with my tabby tiger, Rio and he didn't bolt when I sat down to watch TV!  Was awaken around 4pm by the Big O snuggling up to me! He's now asleep under a table in my office snoring. Fingers crossed that someday he'll be a full-fledged member of the household.

that is great!

snuggling up to you? it sure does seem as though you are well on your way to having another family member. heck, sort of sounds like you already do.

Absolutely, your Orangie is already more tame than my Patches and he sounds like a sweetheart.    I say just give it more time and know too there are some things you just never may be able to do with him - like trimming nails.   There's the ultimate gold standard of care of all we can do for a fully tame cat with no financial limits.   But within those limits sometimes you gotta compromise and that doesn't mean you still aren't doing something great.    By bringing Orangie in you are protecting him from so many outdoor dangers - I worry now so much about the feral I'm feeding.   I heard an owl a couple nights ago outside my window, a great horned one by my internet research, and I sure hope he leaves my dear Hercules alone.

When Orangie was still living outside, I happened to get an ASPCA magazine with an article about build inexpensive shelters from Rubbermaid containers - which I did. I was able to find a color that blends with my house and ended up building two - one is on my covered back porch, the other is under the porch. Both have insulated panels, hay and blankets and even though both Howie and Orangie now live in the house, the shelters will remain since I never know who might show up needing a safe place  -from fox, owls and whatever else is in those woods.

Orangie Update...Much to my surprise, I found Orangie snoozing ON(not under)the bed with Rio the morning and cringed at the thought of how far back this 'trap & release' was going to cost me as far as our relationship goes. My husband and I closed all the doors down the bedroom hall, closed the end of the hall with a 5' gate, put the open carrier in front of the gate and turned on the vacuum. Bada -bing, Orangie was in the carrier in mere seconds with no fuss. He behaved at the vet - no need for sedation. Go his ears cleaned, nails trimmed, microchip, booster and the tech put his collar on him. In other words he made me look like a complete liar about his not letting me handle him.  Brought him home, opened the carrier - he got a doggie kiss from Tippy and Murphy before he went into hiding. Rio and Roscoe on the other hand are pouting as they'd hoped to have their territory back. Just like a bunch of kids!

Update a la Orangie...He's been fully groomed by me twice(ears, teeth & nails too)! Still shy, but no longer bolting when you walk in the room and he's laying on the bed. Loves to play and the 'hide behind the curtain' game he plays with Roscoe is too funny. The orange fur on the burgandy curtains - not so much. Actually gets toys out of the cat toy basket on his own. When we get up in the morning there are toys everywhere!

 He follows Rio around so much my husband calls him the "Squatty body guard" - well, Rio does act like he's big stuff, so maybe he does need a bodyguard!?

that is so awesome that Orangie has continued to come around so fast!

thanks for the update on the progress -next time, don't wait so long to update

Sounds like you guys did awesome with Orangie!

I can't wait until Lucy finally lets us pet her and brush her. She has such nice soft fur and it just asks to be brushed! But we're taking our time with her and last night she actually touched her nose to my hand and batted my hand playfully (before scaring herself for touching a person and moving 2 feet away to stay at her "safe" 3 feet distance from people)

Orangie sound slike quite the kitty and like he's loving his life as an indoor baby!

When I brought mine indoors, it took few months to see them, they did hide always when I entered to room, I'm still working on with picking up one and with another one we are not in terms of touching yet, but with that one there was one year of escaping and on the run, so had to start almost from zero with her at last autumn.

Getting indoors is bit of shock, I could pet one of mine outdoors but when caught and brought to indoors it took months and months again to get to that same level, can't remember if it was even a year. Depends from genes a bit too, also if cat is socialized at kitten, but with more recent ones I learned that lot to do with genes, it did not take even a month until one was on my lap, sleeping there, they were not seen human before me, but their mother was tame cat, unlike mother of those original ones that has not much tame in her, fathers unknown to me.

One of the original ones got spooked of something that did not exist, so he reverted to scared one and it took almost a year for him to return to state where he was before, he is my leg warmer as he likes to sleep against my legs or top of my legs, often comes to and rubs his head against my nose too, but he still gets spooked if I move too quickly, or if I move and look his face, he is fine if I look next to him instead. Slowly however he learns that he is afraid of things that don't exists.

If cat is tolerating human in same room, it is good thing and it will not take too long until things are restored, however don't rush it, cat will be ready when cat will be ready, anything done against cat's will, is going to cause some setback until cat is fully trusting. For bringing to vet, trap might be easiest way for cat too, closing carrier door is something cat certainly will connect to you and it would be better that cat would connect opening the door to you instead.

We can do many things in different ways, thinking ways that in cat eyes look less scary or even things cat may like, are then such that one could try to find as that would speed up taming process.

For example usually my cats tend to make sound when jumping or just before, it is like car honking to let know here I go, silently getting up might be something that cat can't predict and gets spooked of sudden act, making small sound always same before getting up teaching them soon that they can except big monster getting up. They operate much faster than we, imo. So what is happening immediately same tame for us, has some gap between sound and action for them. As we don't have whiskers, moving ears, tails, fur that can be buffed out, or even eyes that could be adjusted by emotional state, we can only make sounds or some gestures that they can learn to read.

Wonderful story about Orangie. This kitty does not sound like a truly feral born cat. He definitely had human imprinting when he was young and reverted for survival when he got lost/abandoned. If they could only tell us their stories how we would shudder. :uuh:

You have done incredibly well with your cat. I already do think he is part of your full-fledged household. Try not to have any expectations more than what he can give you. I am certain that someday he will surprise you and possibly sit in your lap all of his own accord. Some cats, feral born or hand raised, just have an inherent personality, temperament to be shy, skittish cats and very, very cautious. I always am grateful for just the slightest gesture on their part as it is like receiving a gift. I think Orangie is so much better off inside and is so lucky to have you.

The latest on Orangie...

Well, "Biggie O" has grimy ears which required daily cleaning and medicating so I braced myself for a battle. I was pleasantly surprised to find that other than grabbing him, he's a breeze to handle. He doesn't like it, but he'll let you without biting or growling. I've learned that if my intent to to pick him up, I have to pretend I don't even see him and then pounce. Nevetheless he's developed a new routine...he peeks around the corner when I'm getting ready to get into bed...I can see him out of the corner of my eye as I kneel to pray. As soon as I get into bed and crack open a book, there he is for his pets. As cute as that is, it's been even more of a surprise the Rio & Roscoe have accepted him as part of the pack and they'll all pack into one bed. At night they play games and if I'm downstairs it sounds like a bowling alley upstair!. Won't even comment on Orangie's new habit of licking the dogs!