Should I try to integrate a loner cat into my colony?

I had never been around cats before my colony of 5 ferals, largely because I'm allergic, but I have always been a dog/animal person. I am moving back to a house I own. I have been living in a rural area where there would be no one to care for the cats, so I'm taking my 5 with me. I have already checked with the neighbors regarding the current cat count and whether mine would fit in.  There is a sixth cat, a loner, who I was fortunately able to trap and have neutered when the others were done. He shows up each day just after the others have eaten. They are afraid of him, and he frequently faces off with one of my males. They make the crying noise but don't actually fight.  If I trap him and bring him along, might he eventually integrate into my colony? He's a tough one that I suspect has been fending for himself for years.I am concerned both because he's a loner and because he's not one of "ours".  Leave him alone or trap him?

What is your moving date? I recently brought a feral female into my home of 2 other cats and 1 dog. She was aggressive for a while i let her get used to the enviorment a little bit. Shes finally settling down. She attacked my dog a few times but now she is fine with him. You might be able to gain his trust and get him use to the other cats it just takes some time. There is one feral male that i feed he spooks easily so i cant capture him but he is a nice cat i feel bad since its so cold out but he is just terrfied of people. =_= i am also allergic to cats and dogs; it wont stop me from loving them. =)

I will likely move in a couple of weeks.  It took nearly a year to earn the trust of the first 5 and two still will not let me touch them.  I was guessing it will take about that long with the wild one. So, he may be able to adapt to the others? With respect to the allergies, I agree. I love 'em all. Some just make me wheeze a little.

Are you going to bring the five inside when you move?  I ask because if you are bringing them inside, perhaps the loner can be an outside cat at the new place.  He sounds like he wants the territory to himself.

If he's the only outside cat, you will need a place to acclimate him to his new territory, so he will accept it as "home" and not try to get back.

If you are not bringing them inside, you will need some place to confine them, too, until they've acclimated as well.  A garage, a shed, anyplace secure where they can get used to the new place.

Having all six outside will complicate things.  If there is no one who can continue to feed the loner if you leave him behind, I would take him, too.  Good luck and thanks for caring for them.  Extra kudos for doing this with allergies!

Yes, alot of how to go about this depends on what you are planning for acclimation period.

One big plus is, that the new house is new to everyone, and there are no real claims on the new 'turf' yet.

Another big plus is that he is now neutered, and will lost that standing his ground way about him, plus he doesn't have any threatening cats in your group.

Honestly, I have seen some very difficult cats co-exist quite well given the time and chance to establish rank in the group.

This is very big in a cat world.

My garage is under the house and separated from the basement by plywood. I had planned to keep the 5 in the garage for 3 or 4 weeks. Maybe #6 ("Panther", jet black with green eyes) could stay in the basement. Ultimately, they will all have to be outside. They stay in insulated dog houses lined with straw.  I've been feeding Panther for only a few months. He is completely wild. His movements are jerky, he stays under the cover of hedges or vehicles, even the look in his eyes is that of a wild animal. There isn't really anyone who would make a commitment to feed him. I get the impression that he does want the territory to himself, that he has been trying to move in and take over.

The acclimation of a cat is a mental process. In the first 2 full weeks, maybe a bit more they focus on escape, getting back to where they came from, what they know as home. They fully resist the change.

Third week they begin to lose hope and begin to pay more focus on the new smells, sounds, atmosphere of the new place.

By the end of the 4th week, some are a bit longer, their memory and hope of returning has become quite faded. They are growing familiar with the new surroundings.

So it's very important to acclimate them for a sufficient amt of time.

During this time it's also important to somehow allow the solo cat and the rest to get aquainted. Not by being together but a way they can smell and slightly see each other somehow.

Once released the 5 should be put out first, then the solo cat.

Give it time, they won't actually fight, even if it sounds bad. This is part of the process of determining who's boss, and so on down the ladder of ranking.

ALL multi cat homes do this, sometimes you will know, sometimes you can't even tell.

Your group you will know, anytime there is more than one cat with a dominant personality, they will sound like a crazy, wild fight is about to break out at any second. It doesn't last.

Depending on who's in your group, once all males have been neutered for several weeks, they will co-exist.

The females are usually more dominating over the group.

But with a male like Panther, he has to learn with time that there is no threat, no need for territorial fighting, etc.

It all falls together in the end. They work it out.

Also, you said he is like a real wild cat. The truest feral may act that way but it's with people. The cats see one another as cats and no different.

He/they will all learn from smell and behavior (in time) there are no threats.

Thank you for taking the time to write  such a detailed reply. This all makes sense. It is largely a matter of time and patience.

The cats are acquainted with each other, as Panther has been here seeking food every evening for the past few months and likely around here for years. When he arrives,the others scatter. They usually keep a respectful distance until he leaves. I began feeding the 5 cats a year-and-a-half ago. Shortly thereafter, I trapped all the cats, including Panther, and had them spayed and neutered. In fact, I didn't know Panther existed until I caught him in my trap. Many of my observations about him being wild are through the window, and he couldn't see me. He is very attuned to potential  predators,only allowing himself to be out in the open for very short distances. He is always looking all around him and moves as though everything is a potential threat. With good reason. There is a coyote out here now.  He runs from anything unfamiliar.  Until recently, he wouldn't come to the house until just after dark. I would see him in the distance, sitting in some spot where he could quickly take cover. He would begin to move at dusk. He now arrives during daylight and  lets me get within 15 feet of him in order to set some food down.

It sounds as though when he is face to face with my male, that they are just kind of jockeying for position. It also sounds like you're recommending I try to take Panther along when I leave, rather than letting him fend for himself here at the farm. It was a horse farm until last Spring, but, now that the horses and their feed are gone, I suspect there are fewer rodents. The cats do get a lot of birds and moles. I'm ok leaving him here if that's best. I want whatever is most humane. I have gotten different views of whether I should try to take any of them. Some tell me it's best to leave them, and others say they won't survive.

I would take them all and introduce them to the new house together.  You've already done all the major work (bravo!).  The cats know one another and as catwoman said, the new house will be new to all of them, so even though there will be jockeying, no one will have the upper hand.  Panther will probably try to bully the others but you might be surprised at who ends up on top!

They say once dogs establish and alpha, it remains until that alpha dies.  With cats, they try to re-establish alpha-ness almost every day.  Sometimes I think it depends on the stars!

Is there a way to open the garage to the basement and keep them all together, giving them a larger area?  It will only be temporary, although I would suggest you leave them a portion of the either the garage or basement as their shelter even after they go outside.  (smaller houses inside, perhaps, or a few litter boxes).

If Panther has allowed you to come close, he will be fine in the move.  Annoyed (they will all be) but fine.

Thank you so much for all your help. I am reluctant to let them all into the basement, as I can't risk having cat hair and dander piped up into the living area.I will continue to evaluate the options. Going from zero cats to six is overwhelming in so many ways, not the least of which is my severe allergy.  In fact, I can't even visit people with cats. I just can't be in the house with them.

 I have spent a lot of time over the last year observing cat behavior, never having been around them before. The male that initially would bare his teeth and hiss if I got within 10 feet, is now a crybaby and a cuddler. He was just scared. The dominant cat is the smallest, a bold little gray female who never understood the word "feral" anyway. If I leave the door cracked open, I find her sitting on the stove. Panther will come around. It will just take him longer than the others. For years, I rescued pit bulls. My 8-year-old  female is crazy about "her" cats, always nuzzling and licking them. She chases Panther away from them, but I think she'll come around too.

Good advice Ondine, and I agree, although I think that Panther should be kept seperate but make it so they are able to know that the other are right there, see/smell each other, etc.

This is because of his intimidating behavior. I think it best for the 5 to be turned out for a few days before him as well.

It sounds to me like Panther is accustomed to being in a constant state of high alert for his survival, to me this confirms he will be so much better off taking him with you.

It's natural to live in survival mode for outdoor cats, but it is extremely stressful for a cat to have to live day in and day out in high gear that way.

It is very sad to me.

Things can go much smoother than expected, it's hard to predict, but I am very confident that the move will make it much easier to get these kids in a harmonious group, over doing it where you are.

It's sort of like when someone adopts a cat from my rescue, and it happens to be one of the more bossy/dominant cats and they question whether he/she will accept their existing cat, I explain to them that the new cat is coming in to a new situation where their cat already lives and is established, and the new cat is much more willing to see it as part of the new home rather than an intruder, since it is new turf.

The bottom line here is, they WILL adjust, period. Easily, or with a struggle, growling, maybe even as far as a swat exchanged, but however they work it, it WILL work out.

Feral cats are feral to us, not other cats. Panther obviously is living in high survival mode now, and I am anxious for that to be over. It will take time for him to lose that, it may be all he has ever known in his life, which is just so sad and tragic to me, but with time he will learn soon enough, no need to fear for his life/safety as before. He is safe, there are no threats, not from this human that feeds us, not from these other 5 here, not from coyotes, he is safe. He has a full tummy, he has shelter, he has a kind person who talks to him, and so on.

I LOVE that you are taking them with you.

I'm assuming no coyote threats.....(??)  Coyotes LOOOVE kitty cats, as you know. Fox as well. (fox love cats)

Raccoons coexist fine unless the cat gets in the way of the food source, (or of course if there are little kittens to snack on) opossums co exist excellent too.

Thank you so much to both of you.  Your characterization as being on high alert/survival mode, as opposed to simply "wild", is right on. I think this is not a happy cat.  I have wondered whether his demeanor when he comes into the driveway is the result of some sort of neurological problem or he is posturing. His forelegs are kind of stiff. He raises himself up on them and arches his neck up and forward. 

As for predators where we're going, they are of a different kind and more likely a threat to me than to cats. There are no fox or coyotes in the immediate neighborhood, and I've seldom seen raccoons.  I'm going from a rural area outside Nashville back to inner-city Birmingham. It's a one-acre lot, with the house back maybe 75 feet from the street. Their only risks would be cars and stray dogs.

Youre very welcome, I hope this gives some insight, as he is surely not a happy cat. I believe you will see great changes in him with time and patience.

I also want to thank YOU, for the effort and everything that goes into bringing these lucky cats with you. For getting them fixed, for asking questions you are unsure about, and caring about their lives, making a huge difference.

As I say in my signature line, "Saving one cat won't make a difference in this world, but it makes a world of difference for that one cat"........couldn't be truer.

It really does give me some insight. I've rescued dogs for many years, but cats are different. You have reassured me that I'm on the right track and given me some good pointers. It didn't feel right to leave Panther behind, but I wasn't sure.  It's easy to confuse some selfish maternal need with what's really the best thing for the animals. 

Exactly how long ago did they got spayed/neutered?

Especially Panther, that is.

His behavior so far is in much of a  intact tom,   including his bewareness of what is going in his revire...  And the others leaving when he appears.

As time goes by, and his hormone levels go down, he will have much easier to adapt to other cats, and they will also have easier to accept him, both males and females.

So my advice is like the others.  If it is possible for you to bring them with you do it. Him perhaps somewhat separated the first time, till you are sure his hormones are down. = at least one month, may be 3 months too with a dominating tom.

Good luck!

They were all spayed/neutered about a year ago, including Panther.  BTW, he is called "Panther" because he is all black and because he's a wild animal. He was like the Tasmanian Devil inside that trap when I caught him for neutering, all teeth and claws. The trapping and transport, four hours in the back of a pickup, will be stressful for him. I will plan the trip for a warmish day and bungee net a tarp over the bed of the truck so they don't get any wind.  This is how i transported 6 traps full of cats 35 miles to the spay/neuter facility last year, and it worked well.

This is how i transported 6 traps full of cats 35 miles to the spay/neuter facility last year, and it worked well.

Bless your heart!  I am always thinking about what I will say to the police if I ever got stopped on the way to or from a clinic!  "Yes, officer, these are all my cats!  Honest!"

In the meantime, the cats are freaking out in the back of the car.  I try to drive very cautiously to and from!

Somehow I didn't get pulled over this time, even though I was limping along through rural Tennessee in an old pickup with one broken spring, six cats in raccoon traps, and a large brindle pit bull. I'm always doing some something that looks a little peculiar if not suspicious, so I'm used to dealing with the police.

So, I finally moved to my house in Birmingham and brought the five cats. I've tried to confine them to the garage, but they have found a way into the basement that I can't seem to plug up. They are doing well.

I tried to trap Panther, using a cheap Tractor Supply raccoon trap. I had no trouble trapping him, but it took him no more than 30 seconds to bend the metal and get out. I used the money I got back from Tractor Supply toward a Havahart trap. Of course, it's much heavier gauge wire. Not surprisingly, the next two nights, Panther came to the back door for food but avoided the new trap I'd set. I even baited it with his favorite tuna cat food. I'm going to be making some trips up that way, probably just over night each time. I won't be able to hang around for several successive days.  I don't have high hopes of catching him now, but I've become obsessed with it. Any suggestions that might improve the likelihood of success? Give up on the trap and put some kind of fast-acting sedative in his food? I don't know if I'm kidding or not. That actually might work. I'm also reading about drop traps. Thanks.

Hi there! I had wondered a bit about how things were going

Yes! He is now trap savvy and will NOT go back into the standard trap, even if he is starving. It is now drop trap time.

You will easily trap him this way since he will not recognize that it is infact a trap, although he will be more leary of mosying in to anything for food.

A drop trap is basically a square, made with pvc pipe or other, filled with sand or something to weigh it down with so when there is a cat bouncing around, it won't raise up for easy escapes.

Then it has a dome like area made of usually heavy plastic mesh, and one side will have a trap door frame with a sliding wood door panel to get the cat from the drop trap into a reg. trap or carrier.

Unless you have seen it done, please get help before doing this. (besides the fact you will need the drop trap from somewhere anyway!)

Rescues, shelters, spca's, many places have drop traps as they work beautifully for ferals.

Imagine a cardboard box turned upside down, propping one side up with a stick, and a long string attached. Once the cat goes under the trap for tuna, you, from a distance, yank the string, the box drops down and bingo!

Years ago I did have cats escape though because the trap I used was not weighted down, so I constructed my own with steel rods !! No escaping it now!

So be sure it is weighted well.

Once the trap is dropped down, rush to it and cover with a blanket, to calm down the desperate cat. You will then step on the trap (it's soft and flexible mesh) stepping to ease the cat towards the door area. Raise the opposite end of the blanket off, the cat will not want to be in the open but will go towards the covered area near the door.

Have someone else have the trap or carrier ready, up tight against the trap door before raising the wood panel for the cat to go through, into the trap/carrier.

Then cover the trap or carrier for him to remain calm, otherwise they can really beat their faces up, I have even seen one cat break his nose trying to push through to escape.

So covering prevents too much trauma.