Caring for stray cats. Strays or feral? & getting them to trust you.

So I have been feeding stray cats. I don't know how many, but I know the 3 general cats in my area.

An orange tom cat. (This cat got my cat pregnant months ago, She had her kittens we kept 3 and found the other one a good home, and she went to get spayed today.)

A female gray and orange cat. (not sure if she is spayed)

and a gray and white female. (I think she is spayed)

I want to know how I can possibly get them to come out. Everytime I go to feed them I never see them, I just notice the food is gone.

I want to know if anyone knows a way I can get them out? I dont think they are ferals because when I caught my cat with the male I started talking to both of them to get my cat to come over, and it almost looked like he wanted to come over, but I havent seen him since. and I almost got the small gray and orange female to come to me but I havent seen her in months either. The gray and white one I know the people that used to live next door to my owned. They got kicked out of their house and just left their cats go. I even took one of their old cats in. He now lives with me.

And with the cold weather what can I do for them since they wont come out?? Do you think they would use a box with a blanket if I made one??

I want them to come to me because I'd like to get them spayed and neutered. If possible I'd like to even set up an area in our garage for them. But the problem is they wont come out, I want to know if they are healthy too in case I should take them to the vet and maybe get them the shots they need and everything. Is it possible that they watch me when I fill the food dish? Maybe if I talk to them they will come out? Any tips would be appreciated!!

Thanks!

ps-all my cats are fixed now btw, my cat getting out was an accident, my dad let her out when I was in tennessee. I know the importance of getting your cats fixed. I just didnt have the heart to get her fixed with these beautiful little kittens growing inside her.

Keep in mind that if you haven't actually seen them, it may be raccoons or possums eating the food.  You may want to determine if it is the cats first.  One way to do that is to take the food up before dark.  The cats will learn to come when the food is available.  It won't take them long.

If you can afford it, you could also try installing a video camera.

As for them allowing you to see them, if they are truly feral, that may never happen.  If they are stray/used to be owned by someone, that will probably take time.

First determine if it is the cats who are eating.  Then you can build proper shelters for them.  Use straw inside them, not blankets, as blankets will absorb moisture and mold.  There are lots of ideas on how to make shelters - from buying them online to using Rubbermaid totes.

Another approach is to set traps for them.  This will allow you to determine if they are fixed and to get them fixed if they aren't.  You can also get their vaccinations done then.  This way, too, you can assess their "feralness" during the rehabilitation process.

Thank you for helping them!

Thank you for taking care of these kittens and cats.
I would keep on feeding them, same time, same place, as much as possible. If you want to get them use to your garage you could try feeding them close to it.
Some cats will never warm up to you; in which case you should just go ahead and, using a humane trap, get them spayed/neutered. Male cats especially tend to become more friendly/less skittish after being neutered.
Regarding a shelter: you can build a really simple one, using a LARGE plastic tub, inside of which put styrofoam or a stryofoam cooler, and line with lots of straw (not hay). You can cut a hole in the side of both the plastic tub for easy access. And, it's really up to the cat to decide whether to get into the shelter, some as just too leary, some will sniff a lot, and then after a few days (and sub-freezing temperatures), go into the winter shelter and bury under the straw.
Here are some pictures of winter shelters from the luxurious to the simple but effective.
Finally the word you can repeat to yourself is: patience. Lots of patience and time, can lead to lots of love.

A feral cat is simply a domestic cat that has not been "socialized" with humans. Strays are cats that have been socialized but, for whatever reason, have lost the connection to their dependence on a home/humans. I'm guessing you have ferals or strays that have been strays for so long they are now feral.

As for making contact: Cats love schedules; even ferals. Feed them at the same time every day. If you've been fairly consistent with feeding times, chances are they're making rounds or are already lurking around waiting for you to drop the food and run. To speed the process along you may want to get a clicker or a dog whistle (cats can hear them too) to let them know when the plate o'food hits the ground.

Once you have their little Catio tummy watches set, you can work on getting them to trust your presence. Keep your distance, move slowly and avoid eye contact. Cats see eye to eye contact as a threat. When I started, I'd put the food down then sit about 15' away, turned to the side, just so they'd get used to me being around in a non-aggressive way. Within a matter of weeks, my five had it figured out that I equaled yummy dependable food. Now I can't even get out the patio door without getting climbed on.

Remember though, ferals are essentially wild animals. Unpredictable is on the list of things that you need to keep in mind. Some cats, like mine, will warm up... others may never.

As our priority is first and foremost the cats, and ensuring there will be no breeding, we trap first, get them sterilized and vetted, then return and release them where we trapped them. If they are stray, they become friendlier again MUCH faster without the hormones. The vet can tell if a male has been neutered, and females they can shave the abdomen to see if there is a spay scar.

We have them all ear-tipped so we and others (if they migrate somewhere else) know they are fixed and vaccinated. This makes them no less adoptable if they turn out to become friendly.

The cats become more trusting and friendly if fixed anyway.

So I agree with Ondine: make sure it is cats eating the food. If so, the next priority should be trapping to sterilize them.

Thats why I hope they are just strays! I know the 3 I saw before were only strays, but then again I have seen other cats around that could be feral. So I'm not sure which ones are eating the food. Hopefully the strays get used to me. Thanks for the advice on how to get them to trust me!

Ritz,

Thank you! I really hope I can get them to trust me. I actually think I have more cats around here than I know of, so I'm praying the strays warm up to me. I'm aware that the ferals wont. I just want to actually see them so I know if they need anything from the vet. I know outdoor cats only live a few years, I'd like to change that for these guys and girls. I do think I'm gonna get a live trap and maybe trap them. Do you think that would scare them away for good though? I'd like them to stay around so I can keep them safe and healthy.

Ondine,

I actually have thought about whether they were actually cats. I am 99% sure they are cats only because I have seen 3 strays around, (one that got my cat pregnant as I mentioned in my first post) So he definately is a tom cat, I want to trap him. The one female was owned by the people next door but that is a whole different story, and it makes me sick! So I'm assuming she might be spayed. The small female running around I know nothing about her but the fact that I saw her playing with my cat when she got out and she almost came to me. Si i'm not sure who owned her, but I'm sure she is also a stray. But since I never see them in the day light, I'm guessing they adapted to hiding during the day. (we have alot of birds of pray around here) Is there a way to get them used to coming out during the day instead? I tried putting food out and watching out the window but I dont see anything. I even tried going out around 10 at night with a flashlight but didnt see anything because I think I scared them. I noticed food gone but they took off. thanks for your advise on the shelter btw!

I started out with strays and ferals about a year and a half ago. I have all but 4 that are now socialized. I do it with TLC. Toys. Love and chicken. Plus patience. I cook chicken and sit outside. If I see the cat I will toss it some chicken. I make the tosses closer and closer as time goes by. After a while they have to take the chicken from my hand. By then they are not afraid if me

That is when I start bringing toys. The little ones are easy to get to know when it is playtime!

I need to add that I feed the cats one back deck and they see me every day.

When I play with them I use toys that have a stick and a string so they don't have to get too close to play.

The first of my colony to come around was Pounce. I had been feeding chicken and I always feed and play siting down so I don't tower over them

Pounce was playing with the toy and he rolled over on his back with it and was laying across my feet.

I just reached down in a matter if fact way and rubbed behind his ears. The purring was immediate and loud! He kept leaning into my hand so I began rubbing him other places too.

In just a few minutes he was like jelly. The next time I saw him he was rubbing himself all over me and he had been that way for about a year now.

I know that these cats communicate with each other In a few days three or four of the others chimed in.

Now the bulk of the cats are social. They come into our utility room via a doggy door. I doctor them when needed and love and pet them. They sleep inside when they want and we get so enjoyment from them!

Good luck with yours !

I agree that they should first be trapped, neutered-spayed, then socialized.

After n-s, chances are they will become more friendly, certain less likely to roam looking for love.

It really depends on the cat whether they will return:  some of the cats I trapped I never saw again, some I still see.

Patience, scheduled feedings, slow (baby kitten steps):  these are the first steps to socialization.

Good luck and again thanks for taking care of these cats.

Ritz,
 

Thanks again! I guess your right. Even if I dont see them again it's still better to do it anyway. But lets hope they stay around because no one around this area would take care of them.

There is a clinic every friday that spays and neuters and gives shots for good discounts. So I'm at least in luck with that!

Thanks for your help

Sweetthangtx,

Thank you for the advice! I will have to try the chicken thing. As of right now they only come to eat at night. Maybe if I leave chicken out for them with their food they will realize I give treats too and they will start coming out during the day?! I hope so anyway. I'm dying to pet them and play with them once they get used to me.

I wish you the best if luck. It sounds like you have a big heart for our furry friends.

I have made a ton of mistakes with mine because I was so eager to love them. When I trapped them to get them neutered I would keep them in the bathroom overnight befor I turned them loose.

We have one beautiful black kitty with green eyes that was very standoffish. When we had him in the house overnight I kept going in and petting him and kissing on him. He wasn't trying to get away even though I could tell he didn't like it.

In the morning I raced down the hall to " socialize" him some more. The room was empty! He had managed to wiggle out from under the door and had gone outside via the doggy door.

He was so traumatized by all if my unwanted attention that for several months he would turn around and run the other way every time he saw me !

It took some time but now he enjoys petting. He doesnt like to be picked up it kissed though.

Thats what I'm afraid of doing! I dont want to push them too much once they do get used to me!

I found a stray (one of the cats that the people next door abandoned, and it took alot of time to get him to completely trust me. I got him to the point where he was scared of everyone but if he would hear my voice he would come out. He now lives inside. His old owners found out I had him and kept saying how much they missed him but they said they are glad I had him. And they told me that he was 10. poor old guy was all alone outside I never offered to give him back because of all the health issues they left him with. They had tones of cats and apparently their little kids even put kittens in the microwave :'( when they moved out you could smell the cat pee 2 houses away when they were gutting the house. Thats when we started seeing cats everywhere. So I hope I can get them used to me! If any are in as bad of shape as Leo was, they will definately need medical attention. Along with some love.

I want to share the story of . . Charlie is an old beat up cat who ate at our trough from time to time. He never socialized with the other cats and wanted nothing go do with us. A few weeks ago i saw him under a table on our deck. At first i thought that he was dead, he was so still. When i gently touched his paw he pulled it back and hissed. Ok.

A couple of weeks later he was sitting on the table where we feed with his face in a bowl. Without even thinking about it i petted him on top of his head as i walked by. He took a breathe and looked up at me from under his eyebrows ( kind of a Jack Nicholson thing) after a pause he breathed out , as if to say " ok if i don't do this she will never leave me alone" and he curled up his lip and hissed. I laughed and laughed. For the next week or so i made it a point to scratch Charlie on the head whenever i saw him. He never made a move to swat me and seemed to even like it a little.

One day i was distracted and didn't scratch his head. After a minute or two he came over to me while i was filling bowls and nudged my arm. When i bent over to scratch his head he reached up and gave me the cat forehead bump. I cried and cried. I was so touched that he trusted me enough to claim me as a friend.

I have no idea what Charlie has gone through in his life. From the looks of him it has not been all catnip and treats. I just hope he will hang around and let us make his later years better than some of the earlier ones. He has touched my heart.

. This is my Pounce. We had been away for a few days. The first thing that i did when we got home was call for him. He was home in a few minutes and he was almost as happy to see me as i was happy to see him. He is my favorite of the outdoor cats.

Oh my gosh! It's amazing that you got him to that point!

Poor guy. He's gorgeous! I wonder what made him so bitter. People can be so mean to animals, and even more so to cats. It's good to hear that he is warming up to you.

Maybe in time (if I ever see these cats in the day light) they will eventually stop running from me. I hope they let me help them the way you help those cats!!

. These two photos are of Smudge. She is one of our foundation colony cats. One is her as a youngster and the other is of her all grown up. Her mother was quite feral. Smudge is a lover. She reaches out when you walk by so that you will stop and pet her. She even did that to my grown son who she had never seen before!

She is also an enforcer. She keeps the youmger cats in line with just a look , modt of the time. She will deliver a swat too if necessary. We love outr smudge.

Smudge as a youngster.