Feral to Stray to Now Hoping for Inside cat

Hello,

I'm new to this site, so I apologize if this is posted in the wrong area.  I've been taking care of a feral and stray cat colony in my apartment complex. I really strive for the TNR programs.  I have already adopted one of the stray cats about 1.5 years ago (her name is Reggie). About 9 months ago, a new calico kitten (named Reese) was wandering around looking for food. She was extremely feral. For 6 months I really worked with her. She got used to me.  As of today, she has had one litter of 6 kittens, and was pregnant again by the time I was finally able to catch her. I was able to catch her in time to terminate the pregnancy and get her spayed and vaccinated. 

She is so friendly now, well, even before the spay. She comes into my apartment. Plays with all the toys and sleeps in the cat nest. We can pet her, pick her up, she purrs none stop. She sleeps on our porch. And when I come home from work she runs right up to me. If she isn't around, i just call for her and she comes running. 

Here is the biggest problem. Although she will be in the apartment for hours, I mean HOURS (6+) on end, sleeping, playing, roaming, I can't keep her inside. Not because I don't want to, but because she doesn't want to.  Due to this, i must keep my sliding glass door open the entire time she is inside. Therefore, that means, I must keep Reggie locked up in another room (my husbands office, which he is always in with her). and bugs are constantly in my apartment. And the a/c bill is rediculous because of this. Winter is coming around the corner and I want to try to get this settled. I hate locking Reggie away. 

Here is why we have a problem. Moaning, scratching, etc - all those are annoying but i can handle. But Reese doesn't do ANY OF THESE THIGNS. In fact, here is the real issue. If i shut the door, she FREAKS out. More than I have ever seen a stray cat do while getting adjusted to living in doors (i've adopted over 10 stray cats in my life). She runs, not just runs, but SLAMS, into the sliding glass door. Over and over again. Enough to hurt herself. It is terrifying! I have no idea how to stop this behavior and keep her indoors. I know she loves being inside and it's not about wanting to be out. When she is outside and I close the door, she runs to the door and scratches and meows to come in. She wants to be inside.  Can anyone help me? How do i transition her to be used to the door being closed WITHOUT having to see her slam her head over and over? Please I'm so desperate. My colony is dying off, and i think it's because of the wildlife, i border woods, and i'm worried about her during winter, tornado season, and the wildlife. I want to adopt her. but need some desperate advice. Thank you so much!

Lee

I can feel your pain.  My feral, Shadow came to me 3 years ago.  He was about 7 months old when I found him and a few months later I neutered him.  It took me months and months for him not to run when he saw me.  We have progressed by leaps and bounds over the years, but it is always a slow process with a few steps forward, but many many steps back.  The first winter I had him, he began coming just inside my sliding door.  Of course I could never close the door as he wouldn't stray too far away.  I had to put my dog and indoor cat away for fear they would get out.  If I tried to close the door, he would yowl, cry and frantically run around trying to get out.  I spent the entire winter allowing him to come inside at night with the door left open enough so he could get out.  That same year, he was inside during mid March when an unexpected thunder/rain storm popped up.  I couldn't send him out, but had to close the door.  I just kept talking to him over and over and over.  We got through it.  That spring I began to have him come inside and I would close the screen door.  I told him over and over that I would immediately open it if he wanted out.  We played the in and out game over and over.  Yet, he then trusted me.  I could close the screen and he was ok.  I would then immediately distract him.  I would get a toy or some yummy food.  Sometimes I would get him into the family room, talk loudly and distract him while someone else in my family closed the door.  If he noticed or discovered it closed, I would distract again.  This took about a month, but it did work.  He never wants to stay inside long.  He likes to come inside for naps or some attention, but then it's right back outside.  During the very cold winter/ snowy nights he has stayed inside all night.   Also during really bad wind/thunder/rain storms.  He sleeps with me downstairs.  He uses a litter box too so that is helpful.  I have so wanted to bring him inside and have him live his life with a family.  Yet, it is not for him.  He lives on my deck and has a most wonderful winter shelter.  He has lived his entire life outside.  I keep hoping that one day he will change his mind and decide to join us inside.  It's always a struggle.  I have started worrying again since it won't be long before winter is here again.  I now have a new stray inside the house along with my dog and indoor cat.  The stray does not like Shadow at all.  It will be very hard for me this winter to bring Shadow inside and put away 3 animals.  Also since the weather has been warm for months, Shadow rarely comes inside.  Once it gets cold and he does want in, I have to start the process all over again with the door.  He does remember more quickly, but it still takes a few days.

How wonderful that you care for a colony as well as taking in these two babies.  I hope you will find a way to make it work for you.
 

Hi and welcome to TCS! Thanks for saving and taking care of the ferals/strays. Is it possible for you to install a cat door? I'm wondering if that would help her calm down, knowing she can come and go if she needs to.

Thanks! Unfortunately - the apartment complex will not allow the use of a cat door. They check the buildings often for "violations of lease". But even, if i could get away with this - I couldnt use the doors that are free opening, because of Reggie. Do you know if they make these cat doors (the full standing to attach to sliding glass doors) with the collar and lock.  Meaning the ones where it only opens for the one animal wearing the special collar? I"ve tried searching for them and couldnt really find it. But maybe someone else knows. 

It's just frustrating. She is sitting at the door right now, meowing to come in. But I can't watch Reggie currently to ensure she doesnt run out if i leave the door open. I know this will take a long time and lots of patience. I just don't want her hurting herself as I try to get through this process. It's so scary. I wish she would just moan or claw at the door instead of running into it. 

Thanks so much and if anyone else has any suggestions that would be so wonderful! Have a safe holiday! 

I know that you can get a cat door that will open only for a cat that has been micro chipped and then programed to use the door.  I looked into this a few years ago.  I couldn't do a regular cat door either because my indoor cat would then get out.  I read about the micro chipped ones, but they were expensive and my feral would never let me trap him to take to the vet for a micro chip.  Also being feral I don't know if he would use the door. 

Would you be able to put some type of catio on your porch for the cat?  It would keep her safe when she is outside.  Amazon sells a few or you can google catio to see what is available. 

Here is a link to the door

http://www.sureflap.com/products/details/1-microchip-cat-door

A friend of mine solved her inside/outside cat problem by getting two thick sheets of Plexiglass cut to the length of her doorway by about 15".  She put both sheets together (I think she glued them together, to make them sturdier).  At the bottom of the two sheets of Plexiglas, she installed a locking pet door.  She opens her sliding glass door 15" and slides the Plexiglass  "sandwich" into the opening.

I think she uses this pet door:


I imagine if you do a search, there are other manufacturers of these doors, too.  My friend thought about using a sheet of plywood but decided on the Plexiglass because it looks a little better.  It does work.  She locks it at night and keeps the kitties in but you don't have to do that.  You can secure the sliding door with a security bar that keeps it from being slid open.

Welcome to TSC and thanks for helping this kitty!

atriethmil said:

. Do you know if they make these cat doors (the full standing to attach to sliding glass doors) with the collar and lock.  Meaning the ones where it only opens for the one animal wearing the special collar? I"ve tried searching for them and couldnt really find it. But maybe someone else knows. 

Click to expand...

Cat doors opening just for a cat with the special collar does exist.  Perhaps just in swedish online shops, but I have seen them several years ago.

If they can be used in glass doors?  I suppose it can be done, by somebody who is technically minded. A good carpenter or so.

The only left you talk sweetly with people in charge at your apartment complex, and talk them over.

Good luck!

ShadowsRescue said:

 
  I could close the screen and he was ok.  I would then immediately distract him.  I would get a toy or some yummy food.

Click to expand...

Some great news -with your help! I am now able to close the screen door with Reese inside! We started by finding a toy she couldnt resist. Every time the screen was closed and her eyes got wide with fear we played with her away from the screen and she came to the toy. Not bothered by the door being closed. It's been a few weeks of this and it's going really well.  Not the best yet. But we can keep Reggie out now. Now, to get them to get along! Reggie chases Reese to the screen and she wants OUT! But we're getting step by step closer to making her a permenant member of the apartment. Thanks for everyone's advice. She is not a treat cat - but loves her toys... we even started closing the sliding glass door. She no longer runs into it. She runs up to it, but realizes its closed. she meows and claws at it - which is okay - i'm just glad she isnt hurting herself anymore.