add fat to feral cat food for the winter?

it looks like today will probably be the day i will borrow the trap and trap the cat, wish me luck.

it seems to come for its food between 12:00 pm to 6:00pm so i will probably make that the time i try to trap it. i will check the trap every hour not just because of potential freezing but because it must be terrifying to find oneself in a trap and not know whats going on. if it doesnt come between 12-600 i guess i will have to try again tomorrow.

any idea why it comes for its food only every 24 to 36 hours? i seriously doubt anyone else is feeding it. hardly anyone would know about it because im the only person who takes outdoor walks for exercise in this neighborhood, and thats how i noticed it and the previous one, everyone else is in cars.

 So you need to plan for a few weeks (three at the least) of confinement.  A garage is an excellent place, although you should make sure there are no places she can hide and no way she can escape.  That's where a large dog crate would help.  If you can't do that, just make sure she can't hide or escape.

Click to expand...

the cat cant escape the garage, but theres lots and lots of stuff in the garage, plenty of places to hide, if i have to clean out the whole garage will delay this project. but what if there is a heater in the middle, and the foot warmer, and a card board box with my old thermal blanket near the heater. am i right that when let out of the trap the cat will hide somewhere, but once left alone the smell of purina canned cat food on a dish which could be on the foot warmer would draw it towards the heat? and the heater could be there next to a cardboard box with my old thermal blanket and that would make it stay where the heat is?

 And watch the foot warmer - I looked at the Amazon entry. and it sounds like it gets pretty hot - and they say not to put anything on top of it. I' hate to see you set your garage and the cat on fire! You could always set it in the cage - or if she's loose in the garage, set it in there and let her have the option of sitting on/by it when she wants and moving off of it when it's too hot.

Click to expand...

yes that makes sense, the foot warmer shouldnt be under anything. i was hoping i could but it in the box for the cat but i guess i cant do that.

i guess i need to make a kitty litter thing with a cardboard box filled with dry sand? i dont want to buy a lot of stuff.

i found that the garage door can be wired shut through holes on the railings that it opens on to prevent anyone accidentally opening it. so i just have to deal with the side door.

the car wont need to be in the garage for the 2-3 weeks while the cat is in there.

im hoping that i can do this with out the dog crate. can a dog crate even fit in a normal car? 2001 Honda Accord Sedan.

i tried to call both animal shelters near me around 3:00 in the afternoon for the last 3 days to find out things like this but just get answering machine. luckily i was able to get one call through originally when i found out they lend the traps.

as i said although i havent had a cat in 20 years but i did have the experience of trapping a ferrel cat that was living under my building when i was in oakland california, to get it neutered. there was a free neutering program. this experience should be less intense for the cat and myself because its just a 3 minit walk to my house and then its in the garage with heat and food, as opposed the the neutering thing were it had to wait in the trap outside the house all night before it was time to take it to the neutering place. even before that that ferrel cat was always paranoid of humans despite i would give it food. but i think it had probably been born in the street, as opposed to this one that seems to have been abandoned.

We have a saying in the rescue world.  "Don't trap until you have a plan."  And that plan should include every step - trapping, vet care (including spay or neuter, shots), recuperation set-up with food, bed and litter and what's going to happen to the cat post surgery (adoption, release, etc)

The garage you have does not sound like a good set-up.  There are too many places for her to hide (and get trapped or bolt from).  You need to have access to her.

I would caution against releasing her anywhere until after her spay (or neuter if its a boy).  How are you going to re-catch her for that if she's loose in the garage?

So you probably shouldn't trap her until after you have an appointment for the surgery.  At the time of surgery, she can get any vaccinations (in low-cost clinics, they are usually included in the price).

The crates fold up, so they will most likely fit in the trunk of your car (if the back seat folds down).

If you have a spare bedroom or bathroom, she can be released in there after her surgery (instead of the garage).  If she's going to become  a housecat again, she will need to get used to the sights and smells of a house.  Plus a room inside the house is easier to secure.   (If you use a bedroom, make sure the bed is on the floor so she can't hide under it).

You are doing the right thing.  A lot of us are on tight incomes (I'm retired and have NO extra money).  So please be aware that you are not going to be able to do this without spending some money.  You can go overboard (buying the crate can costs upwards of $45; food and litter can add up).  Please do not go into this thinking you can do it for no money.

Ps  A box of sand will work for litter -  she is used to using dirt.  It won't be as easy to clean up as litter, though.

it looks like the plan has been delayed, i live on my parents property and although they like cats they are paranoid of lyme ticks which apparently cats and deers transport. my dad has had to pay for doctor visits for lyme tick infections and take antibiotics for it. i just found out their close friend took in a few cats and got lyme disease and now he has to take antibiotics for the rest of his life. i didnt actually know that lyme disease was that bad, that permanent. i also had to take antibiotics once for a lyme tick bite as a precaution from a bite. my mom asked me to find out here if there is a way to prevent a cat from carrying ticks. taking a cat to be checked for ticks or de-ticked at the vet doesnt stop it from being a tick carrier.

so right now my dad wants to go with building a styrofoam box and leaving it under a building in the camp idea, at least for the time being. how well does a well made styrofoam box keep the cat from getting frostbite in upstate NY winter? would it really do the job?

 So you probably shouldn't trap her until after you have an appointment for the surgery.

Click to expand...

i have serious personal problems i need to deal with and i dont like seeing my self thinking about or worrying about a cat when i need to be focused on other things. maybe simply putting a styrofoam box under the building and leaving it food each day might be better for me.

 The garage you have does not sound like a good set-up.  There are too many places for her to hide (and get trapped or bolt from).  You need to have access to her.

Click to expand...

then can dog crates be rented? every time i call the local shelters i get an answering machine.

If she's going to become  a housecat again, she will need to get used to the sights and smells of a house.

Click to expand...

i dont really want a house cat, i just cant stand to think about how cold it is outside and that its under a building with no heat, and that it could die of the cold.

ironically my mom use to rescue cats, when we lived in brooklyn (im not jewish) she saved a total of 5 kittens, she must have spent well over a thousand dollars with neutering/spaying and other things. but shes not as much into that now. it could be partly from the heartbreak of loosing our favorite young cats.

the spca shelter near where i live is a "no kill" shelter but the answering machine message is saying they cant take cats right now because they are full. if i understand correctly they have a large room or area where the cats can roam around. still i feel that if i can just get this cat to make it through the winter to the spring it would have a much happier time as an outdoors cat hunting mice and doing outdoors things.

A lot of us are on tight incomes (I'm retired and have NO extra money).  So please be aware that you are not going to be able to do this without spending some money.  You can go overboard (buying the crate can costs upwards of $45; food and litter can add up).  Please do not go into this thinking you can do it for no money. 

Click to expand...

do any of you guys have any different opinions, i am really in need of getting my personal life together, i dont want to be focusing a lot of energy on a cat, this makes it seem like putting a styrofoam box at the campsite and giving it food and hoping for the best would be best for my life.

any other opinions?

update:

i just spoke to my mom, they are not concerned about the expense of spaying/neutering and other expenses, their entire concern is about ticks, their close friend took in a few cats and got lyme disease because cats transport ticks, now he has to take antibiotics for the rest of his life. so she asked me to find out here if there is a way to prevent a cat from carrying ticks.

so the question is, is it possible to prevent a cat from transporting ticks and how well would a well made styrofoam box under a building at the campsite keep the cat from getting frostbite in upstate NY winter? would it really do the job?

A Styrofoam cooler or box is sufficient to keep out the cold.  Line it with straw and she'll have a warm, cozy place to sleep.

If that and a daily meal is all you can do right now,  that's all you can do.

About the ticks.  If you trap her and get her to the vet immediately, the vet can make sure she has no ticks, plus give her a topical treatment (like Revolution @$25-30) that will prevent ticks and fleas for a month.  Some topical treatments also help with worms.

She can also be spayed/neutered and have her vaccinations.  Once the vet clears her of ticks, you can keep her in the garage and you won't need to worry about the little bloodsuckers.  I, too, was bitten by a Lyme's tick and it was no fun, so I can't blame you for worrying.

Our local rescue group will lend or rent traps and crates.  They are dependent on the answering machine, too, as they are all volunteers.  It can be irritating when you need help.  If your SPCA/shelter has an office, is it possible for you to go over there during their hours?  Might save you some frustration.

But again, Mike, whatever you do for this poor kitty is more than anyone else is doing.  You are to be commended for caring at all, especially with your own issues.  Thank you!!!!

thanks

i should have the styrofoam box done today.

About the ticks.  If you trap her and get her to the vet immediately, the vet can make sure she has no ticks,

Click to expand...

if the vet says the cat is tick free doesnt solve the problem, the issue is that where i live outdoors cats supposedly pick up ticks and transport them.

plus give her a topical treatment (like Revolution @$25-30) that will prevent ticks and fleas for a month.  

Click to expand...

is that something that is put on by the vet or by the cats owner?

He or she will probably not eat snow - for the same reasons a person wouldn't.  The cat will need to keep it's core warm and eating snow would defeat that.  Cats get their water from their food, so any time you can put out wet food will benefit it. 

Click to expand...

last time i put canned food out it froze in an hour, so i switched to dry food which doesnt seem to freeze. the water freezes soon too.

i think i will have to spend a day checking every hour to figure out what time the cat goes for its food, so that the water will most likely still be liquid. that will also prevent the food sitting around for a different animal to find.

im curious, at this time of year around here all natural water is either in the state of frozen or snow, how can wild animals survive 4 months without water unless they eat snow?

is that something that is put on by the vet or by the cats owner?

Either.  It isn't hard to put on - the application goes between their shoulder blades at the base of the neck.  I usually ask the vet to do the first application at the first visit.  Ask him about the ticks specifically.  There may be something else available for that.

im curious, at this time of year around here all natural water is either in the state of frozen or snow, how can wild animals survive 4 months without water unless they eat snow?

Most wild animals get enough water to survive from their food (a mouse has a lot of moisture in it).  Also, a lot of wild animals hibernate or semi-hibernate in cold weather.  That cuts down on their need for food and water.

I think if you can determine when she comes to eat, it will tell you a lot about her other habits (like, she may have another person feeding her out there somewhere)

Good luck!

the styrofoam box is in place. my dad did an excellent job making it, he probably felt guilty about not letting me trap the cat.

i had sent him the link about how to make those styrofoam boxes. the hole looks a bit small to me. how can i be sure that the cat is using it?

he said the hole should be a small as possible to loose the least amount of heat, then i had an idea, once your sure the cat is using the box, why not tape a piece of cloth above the entrance like a curtain to keep the heat in, has anyone thought of that or tried that?

Good going!  If you are sure the cat is not in the box, open the cover and check out the straw.  If she's using it, there will be an indentation in the straw where she was laying.

Because anything new intimidates them, it may take her a few days to decide to try it and a few more to decide she likes it.  Because of this, once she uses it (and likes it), the curtain might make the cat stop using it.

She may not realize that all she has to do is push it aside and she may stop going into the house.  It is worth a try but once you know she's going in, it is probably best not to change anything.  If she is using it, it is acceptable to her, which means she's warm enough.  If she isn't comfortable, she won't use it.

There are houses made with curtains made of sheet plastic but usually, they are put out that way originally.  As I said, change make cats nervous.  They have to have things the same - anything else means danger to them, just because they don't know what to expect.

I had a few things to add to this topic, firstly thank you for taking steps to hep this little kitty. As far as ticks of any kind getting on house pets, yes they will bring them in if they roam and the only real way to prevent them is keeping pets indoors and for animals outdoors checking them visually and combing them over thoroughly each time they come in is a must. The topical treatments to help prevent them are also awesome. I used to live in Kentucky and our long haired dog would bring ticks home during walks by the Ohio river so we had to stay diligent to keep them out of the house since we have all indoor pets, we never had any issues.

If your parents do change their minds and allow you to bring this cat home know that many cats do adapt well to life inside and can become amazing house pets.

You also said you wonder if the cat is a pet since it only comes around certain times. Hina the female we took in would only show up at around 11 pm every night meowing for food, I'd leave food and water out but she'd still only come at night. Sometimes other people do give handouts so the cats make their rounds but this kind of behavior doesn't always yield food. I found out that my neighbor had also been giving Hina scraps here or there but not on any regular basis, cats will also eat from garbage cans which I saw her doing a few times as well as another we took in.

Hoping this kitty makes it until spring is great but if it does there will be kittens and those kittens will make more in half a year. You said your parents only issue is the ticks so would they be willing to trap the cat get it fixed, let it heal a week then release it at least then continue checking in on it and feeding it?

As far as the keeping it in a kennel if you end up being able to, I had Hina in a dog crate for 2 months total, 1 month while she was pregnant and another while the kitten were still small. She didn't enjoy it but she still trusts me more than anyone else in my home, so don't be afraid to try if the chance pops up.

Best of luck, keep us posted!

its still not using the box, i will put the food closer and closer to it. at least its not cold today.

i can never know for sure if its the cat that gets the food. ive only seen it eating a couple of times. i guess cats arent smart enough to know that if it doesnt come for its food as soon as its put out theres a risk of another animal getting it. but ive seen the food there untouched for up to 24 hours even 36 hours once so i guess other animals have not found it. where i put it is on tarmac away from forest etc. it looks like the camp people have forgotten to lock the front gate so i go in and put the food there.

the cat is still not using the Styrofoam box. the box is pushed about 2 feet under the building but im thinking this cat is so paranoid that it prefers to go way under a building, despite theres been plenty of below freezing days.  if it gets super cold perhaps it will use the box?

i have never been able to get closer than 50 feet to the cat so i didnt know what it exactly looks like, then yesterday i put my wireless webcam by the food so i could see it up close, it looks to be really enjoying its food

here is the video, i uploaded it to youtube,

You also said you wonder if the cat is a pet since it only comes around certain times. 

Click to expand...

i dont think its a pet, it is so paranoid of humans, resembles feral cats ive seen before. the previous cat that they appeared to leave behind the year before was not seen again after the winter.

Hi, Mike:  Sorry I haven't responded - we were called away for a few days.  Anyway, if the cat isn't using the box but is still eating well, he or she probably found a warm spot to sleep.  I would leave the box, just in case.

You should probably make plans for trapping the cat soon and having it vet-checked and altered.  You have the advantage now that it is coming regularly for the food.  If you can borrow (or buy) a humane trap, start feeding it inside the trap with the trap tied open so it doesn't spring.  It will intimidate it at first but gradually, it will get used to eating in the trap.  Once you make the vet appointment, you can untie the trap and let is spring closed on the cat.

I can't remember if you said there was low-cost spay/neuter help available but call around to a few vets and see what they say.  NJ has a state program that subsidizes surgeries if you are on any form of government assistance.

You will also need to figure out how you will recuperate the cat after the surgery.  (If it is female, it will need at least two days before you can release it back).  A crate in a your garage is good.

Get all that in place first before you trap the cat.

Loved being able to watch the video - she definitely seems to be enjoying the food!! Isn't that such a good feeling to know that she's getting a good meal all because of your kindness? Smart idea on the webcam!

Have you tried putting just a little bit of a really tasty morsel (like a little bit of mackerel - which cats generally can't resist) right outside the box? You don't want to put much out - or put it in the shelter - as that might attract something to it you're not wanting (like raccoons in particular). But just a teeny bit outside might lure her to check it out.

Are you sure she's not using it? (as in - do you do something inside like straw that you can check and see if it's been slept on?) Because if you're waiting to see her come in or out of it - that could be a long wait Of the 3 we currently have as regular ferals, only 1 do we ever see come and go from her shelter. And that's because she's less frightened of us. The other two - although we see them eat - we never see come and go from their shelters. And I know others who say the same thing about their shelters. 

And as Ondine said - it's possible she's found an even warmer place to sleep, but that place provides no food so she comes to eat from what you provide. But in any case, I'd leave the styrofoam box - since it's not causing problems - where it is in case she does end up needing it. 

 Isn't that such a good feeling to know that she's getting a good meal all because of your kindness?

Click to expand...

yea it is a nice feeling to finally see it enjoying the food.
 

 You should probably make plans for trapping the cat soon and having it vet-checked and altered.

Click to expand...

im still not sure if it will make it through the winter, i cant believe how cold it gets sometimes and the plumbing is all drained at the camp, theres no hot water lines or anything.

there wont be any cats around here until spring at the earliest. the camp starts up in july and they are known to bring cats so if this cat is still alive by spring i will definitely have it spayed or nutered.

on christmas morning there was a fine layer of snow on the ground and i was surprised to see the cats paw prints trailing all the way from the camp to my door about 1/4 mile. the cat never lets me see it, it wouldnt have followed me because it gets straight to eating when i leave the food, so i guess it must have used its sense of smell to smell my footprints leading to where i live?  the paw prints came right around the house to the back door which is were my apartment is.  i have a separate apartment in my parents house so the fact that the paw prints came right around the house to my door makes me think it must have been smelling my shoe prints? so since then ive been leaving food outside my door in case it comes back but it hasnt come back so far.

on friday dec 27th a person stopped by the camp in a minivan and put a "no tresspassing" sign on the front gate of the camp and put a lock on the gate, so im guessing someone probably noticed my footprints leading up to the gate and into the front of the camp. so after that ive been putting the food just under the gate instead of inside the camp, and im planning to leave the food a little further and further away from the front of the camp each time so that it will be as much closer to my house as possible.

my dad thinks theres a chance they might take the styrofoam box so i climbed over the fence and took the styrofoam box back home since the cat wasnt using it. i think the cat wasnt using it because the bedding wasnt pressed down like you said. we didnt have straw so we used a layer of shredded newspaper which should show some having been pressed down by now if it had been used.

it sure would be convienent if the cat made another trip to my house and found food, because to get it to come this far by gradually moving the food closer and closer would take ages to cover 1/4 a mile.

 
Have you tried putting just a little bit of a really tasty morsel (like a little bit of mackerel - which cats

generally can't resist) right outside the box?

Click to expand...

yes i had been doing that.

That's amazing that she followed you! I would have said there wasn't much of a shot of pulling her down to your house---but I definitely think you've got a shot now! Cats amaze me with their ability/willingness to travel for food, etc. And isn't snow the best in that kind of case? You would have never known she followed your trail if you hadn't been able to see her tracks - how cool! We just got a dusting of snow on Christmas -- and for the first time we were able to see where our ferals really travelled. It was the first time we were able to see that several of our ferals actually come up to the french doors on our deck. And, while one of the slightly friendlier (and I do mean slightlier) ferals I did spot once a few weeks ago on her hind legs peering in through our back door, we've never seen any on our deck. So amazing what following those tracks can show! Anyway....back to your situation. I think it's pretty cool that not only did she follow you to your residence - but actually came around to your back door/entrance - shows she definitely was following you and that it wasn't random wanderings.

This definitely isn't anything I have experience in (I've moved feeding areas for ferals before - but never that far) -- but very possibly someone at this forum might have. You might even start another thread that's titled something like "need to move feral feeding spot - need suggestions" or something like that. HOpefully one of the people who's been around on this forum more than I have (like Ondine) will weigh in on that.

Obviously the best thing (in my opinion) for the cat - short of trapping her and bringing her inside to socialize her - is probably trying to relocate the feeding station. Has she been eating the food at the gate now? (you might utilize your webcam to double check if she won't come eat when you're there). And how far is the gate from where you were feeding her near the buildings? My only thing I can weigh in on the moving the feeding area is to utilize a little mackerel in the bowl every time you move the bowls. Cats really do go nutty (generally) for it - and I've had ferals sniff it out and find it when they wouldn't travel any distance for any other food! It's got such a high "stink level" that I think they can also smell it quite a ways away.

The only thing I would suggest if you do get her into utilizing the styrofoam box (and hopefully eventually she will be down at your place and using it) -- you really might look into finding straw. It's generally pretty easy to find (and very very cheap) --- the easiest way in our town is garden centers/nurseries, so I'm guessing it's the same there. Straw is just more insulating (although the shredded newspaper was great - and certainly more warming than nothing!!!!) and it actually dries out versus newspaper. But certainly not something that I'd go nuts over until you know she's in the area of the box.

And don't get horribly discouraged that she won't make it through the winter - she's obviously got you - which gives her a MUCH better shot than any of her predecessors! And it's great to hear that you're willing to try to trap her in the spring. The only thing I'll say about that (which I think you'll really understand now that you've seen how far she travelled to your place!!!) is that cats can routinely cover several square miles as far as territory. So it's possible that (assuming she is a she) she'll go into heat before you trap her ---and either she travels to mate, or a male (and they travel even further than females) comes in from a long distance once she comes into heat. And then you end up with 1 cat and 4 kittens to worry about! But I understand that money, etc. all come into play - so that's my two cents.

So hopefully someone will have suggestions as to how to get her down to your place. Good luck - and keep us posted!

 Anyway, if the cat isn't using the box but is still eating well, he or she probably found a warm spot to sleep.

Click to expand...

im thinking its probably using the same place as the one from the year before that wasnt seen after the winter. so i guess you mean that with adequate food plus i add some fat that could make enough difference?

 Has she been eating the food at the gate now?

Click to expand...

yea, and it will be just a few feet more away to where i can leave food far enough to not show footsteps.

 My only thing I can weigh in on the moving the feeding area is to utilize a little mackerel in the bowl every time you move the bowls. Cats really do go nutty (generally) for it - and I've had ferals sniff it out and find it when they wouldn't travel any distance for any other food! It's got such a high "stink level" that I think they can also smell it quite a ways away.

Click to expand...

at first i thought to use canned tuna fish when i was first trying to get it to find the food because i figured tuna fish has a strong smell. do you think that mackerel is a more potent "cat attractor" than tuna fish? and did you mean canned mackerel or mackerel from the seafood department?

the thing is i dont think it "followed" me because its scared of me and when it gets its food it goes straight to eating, it seems as if more like it followed my smell or sometimes i wonder if cats could be a bit psychic when it comes tracking things.

its been 5 days since it came to my door and it didnt come back, i can tell because the food i leave on my front steps in case it comes back is still there.

 
This definitely isn't anything I have experience in (I've moved feeding areas for ferals before - but never that far) -- but very possibly someone at this forum might have. You might even start another thread that's titled something like "need to move feral feeding spot - need suggestions" or something like that. HOpefully one of the people who's been around on this forum more than I have (like Ondine) will weigh in on that

Click to expand...

ok

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/270274/would-like-to-move-feral-feeding-spot-need-suggestions

She probably did follow your smell.  She has associated your smell with food, so maybe she was checking out the source.  I would keep as close to the status quo as possible.  If she's doing OK with the feeding routine, keep it the same as possible.

If she didn't eat the tuna, it could be simply she doesn't like it.  Some cats don't.

Again, unless there's a problem and you absolutely need to move her, leave things as they are for now.  As soon as possible, though, set a trap and have her fixed.  Male cats can travel miles if they smell a female.  If she's a she, she will get pregnant, even if there seem to be no males around.  If she's a he, he will go looking for love and most probably get into a fight (or God forbid) get run over.