Trying to Catch Feral Cat Wont go in Animal Trap-Advice?

@ Shadows Rescue....well it went :/  After traumatizing him and I both trying to get him back into the trap and almost poking him in the eye with it,  I called the Ohio Alley Cat Clinic told them the situation and they said bring him in while in dog crate so I did.  Somehow, they were able to get him out of the dog crate and off he went.  I felt AWFUL trying to put him back in the trap and he was TERRIFIED so I am glad they got him out.

He is getting the works today all shots, flea checked/treated, ear mite checked/treated, checked for all diseases, neutered and apparently a shot of antibiotics that last for quite a while due to some wounds on his head which I kept seeing.  I definitely am fortunate they are so reasonable...their idea of expensive is a 25$ antibiotic shot and I am so grateful!

His room is ready for when I pick him up tomorrow-I left a cat carrier with them to put him in for transport. 

Quick question: for the litter box...do I put in a couple of scoops of this cat attract in the litter box with litter or just use Cat attract to replace the litter?  What should I expect when he comes home and goes in his room?  My main concern is building that trust back up again and him eating/drinking.  He is def a very chill cat or maybe he is just terrified and stayed very still.  He did not eat at all in the dog crate.

I REALLY appreciate the knowledge of everyone in this thread.....being a newbie it has been very helpful to have the feedback and suggestions.

I am so happy you were able to transport him in the cage and he will receive a neutering, shots, vet check as well as an antibiotic shot. 

Since he is used to going outside for his litter box, I would use the Litter Attract full strength.  That's what I did when I brought Marvin inside.  I also had another box that I used regular litter and scattered some dirt in it.  Sometimes ferals prefer one box for pee and one for poop. 

As far as feeding, just offer him food 24/7 along with water.  He may choose not to eat for a day or two, but in the end hunger will win out. 

Make sure he has safe places to hide as well as a place to look outside if possible.  It will make him feel secure to see the outside.  I would also get a feliway plug in.  You might also want to try composure feline treats or composure liquid max.  It will help to calm him.  You can give 3 treats 2x a day or 1/2 t. of the liquid 2x a day. 

Visit him often for short periods.  Always sit on the floor at his level.  Begin by just talking softly to him.  When you visit offer a yummy treat and leave another one when you exit.  I always liked to try and keep to a schedule.  I would visit in the morning with fresh wet food and refill of dry and water as well as to scoop the litter boxes.  I would then allow him to eat.  Next come back an hour later for a true visit.  Be prepared for him to hide or stay hidden.  That is ok.  Offer and treat and just leave it.  You might want to just read aloud to him or talk about your day.  I used to leave calming music on especially at night.  Marvin howled and yowled and cried for the first few weeks at night.  That is where the composure really came in handy. 

I also used a product called Feral Cat Rehab by Spirit Essences.  It has worked so well on all of my ferals.  I just put a few drops in their wet food daily and also spray some around the room. 

Make sure he has some toys such as mice and balls.  You can offer catnip toys, but you might want to wait a bit until he settles down as it can have negative effects too.  Get to know his personality first.

Does he have a scratching post or somewhere safe to scratch?  Since you won't be able to trim his nails for awhile, make sure he has something to scratch on.  My ferals prefer a vertical post as well as scratching mats.

Just remember to take things slow and celebrate the small steps.  There will be bumps along the way, but allow him to take the lead.  You have done the most amazing thing by rescuing him and saving him from a life outside. 

You have done an amazing thing.  Just coordinating things to get this far is amazing.  Like ShadowsRescue said, slow and steady.  When you visit him, always move slowly and speak softly.  You can even sit in the room and read out loud to him.

This is such good news.  Thank you!

Yeah for you - you did it!  You’ve already done an amazing thing for this kitty. He won’t have to fend for his life outside - plus you’ve done his health alot of good and extended his life with the neutering alone!!!!

Now for the socializing - it’s a slow process, but it’s rewarding in the long run (just check out some of the threads here from people who’ve gone through it - One that sticks in my head is “grateful for any advice” by epidaurus.  But lots of others to check out!

Sorry this is so long - but wanted to get as much info to you as possible asap since I know you're probably trying to find out as much as possible as quickly as possible  And I'm just one voice with only my own experience - there are TONS of great people with all kinds of experience here to offer advice!!! But below is some of what I've found....

First – block off as much off the spaces the kitty can wriggle into/under -- the less he can hide, the sooner he’ll be forced to bond. Promise - it helps ENORMOUSLY!!! No, it’s not easy - even in a bedroom - kittens can fit ANYWHERE. You can’t imagine the almost routine number of times I’d run screaming out of the room “______’s gone!!! I don’t know how but he’s gone! You HAVE to come help me find him!!!!” only to have my husband come in the room and find him simply tucked under a blanket frozen, or something equally simple. Cutting off places to hide forces them to deal with you more. Otherwise they’ll literally hide for life. We actually even sectioned the room off into half at first - making it smaller so the kittens were even MORE forced to deal with our forced love We always actually start all of our fosters/ferals with a small plastic kitty carrier inside a large wire (great dane size) dog crate. If you don’t have a big dog crate, having the large dog carrier in the room is great - just leave it open. But it’ll help you - and the kitty - in the long run if there’s literally not a single other place for the kitty to hide except the plastic carrier “den.”

Leave hard food & plenty of water out at all times, but treats/special yummy foods should be for only when you, “god of love & giver of all things yummy”, appear! We’ve found Gerbers (pretty sure it’s Stage 2) Chicken with Gravy (& boy does it smell yummy !) is what we’ve come to call “Kitty Crack.” We ONLY offer it from a spoon, & use it to lure them closer & closer, very very slowly. With some feral kittens it’s even resulted in them eating off the spoon AND our laps within days! Some kittens also do love tuna-but tuna alone is not enough for a diet (neither is the “kitty crack” - real cat food is needed for nutrition. But we’ve found Kitty Crack is a more sure-fire lure than canned food, etc. 

Leave something on with voices in their room--talk or classical radio on low 24/7....or tv turned low. And when you’re in with them-read read read and talk talk talk!!! Always in soft, sweet, (feminine-sounding - to my husband’s chagrin seems to help) almost sing song tones. And always immediately sit LOW (or lie down) -preferably on the floor for everything-eating, feeding, reading etc. The more you’re on their level the better! Cats instinctually fear things above them - makes them feel like prey. 

I think it helps to develop a routine - coming to the door I’d say in a voice I’d never want other humans to hear “Babies! Where are the babies? Looking for babies!” with our feral kittens so that they know we’re coming & eventually learn it’s not to be feared. Then we’d sit on the floor or mattress (we’d taken the bedframe down so that they couldn’t hide under) as close as we could to where they were ensconced. Then we’d start talking to them (again - in embarrassingly sweet voices) non-stop. We’d immediately offer the “kitty crack” (gerbers chicken). It’ll take time - our last feral litter took about a good week for any of them to even really eat in front of us. Within a week - one (Buffer, the orange & white one in the pic) - the alpha - decided what was on the spoon was far too tempting and started eating off of it. Within a few days we could lead him onto our lap while he as eating it. By week 4, he was purring and sleeping on our laps! His brothers - Pip and Izze - were FAR more skittish. It took about 2-3 weeks before they’d even consider eating off the spoon, and even though eventually they’d start eating in from of us, playing, etc. - we couldn’t touch either for a good 5 weeks. It took 7 weeks before we could pick Izze up - and TEN before we could pick Pip up. And he never did love being held. 

But now - all three are in amazing “forever homes!!!” And those guys taught me that every kitten/cat is different - even within a litter - and watching the clock or calendar and trying to figure out “how long should this be taking” is a game that’s useless. Just remember that it’s a process. But in the end it can be a VERY rewarding process. I’ve always come out on the end of it feeling like I got more out of it than the kitty I’m saving!

Hope I didn’t overwhelm with advice - but I did SO much reading on feral kittens to work with these guys - so thought I’d try and make it as easy as possible for someone else struggling with this very rewarding process!

Well he's home but i meesed up and although i thought i had every possible way under the bed blocked... He found a way.. Now what do i do? Just wait for him to come out?

ohiokrs said:

Well he's home but i meesed up and although i thought i had every possible way under the bed blocked... He found a way.. Now what do i do? Just wait for him to come out?

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Wait for him to come out is the only thing you can do.  He will come out for water/food/litter box eventually, but may go right back under.  It's really best to put the bed directly on the ground (no bed frame), place the mattress, box springs and bed frame up against the wall or remove the bed from the room.  Blocking under a bed is very hard unless you use something like cinder blocks.

Make sure you do have other hiding places for him so he can have a place that is safe.  Puts some treats in a safer spot or use some of the baby food to entice him.

Ok thanks for advice. Its a heavy wooden frame that site flush with floor.. Except for the one end. I threw a tarp over whole thing and weighted ends down with patio pavers to block that end. Guess that doesnt work. Sigh. Now i know. Will just have to wait it out

I should have specified - we do take the bed off the bed frame now (and put footboard, etc. in the closet) ----shadows is right - it's almost impossible. I feel awful that I didn't offer that particular part. I have done it with heavy books and LOTS of them (two layers out) ----but should have even told you that. SOOOO sorry.  Because it's amazing what a cat can wriggle itself into when it wants to hide. The foster kittens we just had - one was so shy that when he heard people in another room, he'd actually try to hide under an old dresser. I stress TRY since he was too big to fit under the antique heavily wood scrolled bottom that was only about 1 1/2 inches off the ground....so (wish I'd gotten a picture) he'd often just put his HEAD under, thinking he was covered. Of course the night prospective adopters came over he figured out with an extra hard SHOVE he could barely get totally under - so we had to make him unhappy to get him out - just what you want happening before someone's coming to look at an already shy kitten

He WILL eventually come out. And he aboslutely needs safe places to feel comfortable in. Like the carrier, and maybe a box turned on its side,with blankets inside. All should smell LOTS like you (things you haven't washed in awhile). My trick for when I've screwed up and a frightened cat HAS gotten under the bed (before we came up with the "take it off the frame" trick!!!)  is that I start at one end - preferrably the end he ISN"T holed up in, and slowly push large books in (talk softly to him while you do it as it was stress him a little to have his already scarey environment encroached on). But I just softly talk talk talk/sing sing sing while, over the course of hours, I start feeding long/big books, or long under-bed rubbermaid containers, etc. under ----anything to start closing off his dark space.

Of course we've also used this method -  just set the carrier open to where he snuck in, and then quietly lift the mattress off - 9 times out of 10 he'll run for the nearest "safe cave," which should be the carrier.  As soon as his "cover's blown" (i.e., the top of the bed comes off) he'll shoot out - just make sure the room door's NOT open - and that the carrier is near. And a few other options are scattered around. I hate adding to scaring him - but it will greatly decrease the amount of time it'll take to actually start interacting. 

And take a second look around the room with the eyes of a terrified cat. Get down on your hands and knees - you might be shocked at what you realize he can fit under/behind/etc. Blocking off takes work. In some cases it's easiest to just remove things from the room. We used to have a "kitten room" to foster - it was alot easier to ready since it only had an overstuffed chair, a foot stool, and two bookcases that go right up into the wall. To which I added two "hidey carriers". Shock of shocks - one day I couldn't find our frightened foster - he'd PUSHED BOOKS OUT EVER SO GENTLY in the bookcase and was hidden behind a row of books. Took 2 hours to find him. In a room full of basically nothing!

So look at the room with a new eye  - you will get him out (if you don't have to just "let him" it's probably best - if you can do it in a non-terrifiying way at all).

Keep us posted - you've made the first step in turning this cats life around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How is it going?  Did you get him out from under the bed?  Update when you get a chance.

Thank you for checking up on us!  It is much appreciated!  I did not get him out from under the bed but he has come out to eat at least 2x since wed.  The water was gone this am and I relieved as I was concerned about dehydration.  he has only pooped once and that was on carpet (so much for cat attract....) so I scooped  that in the litter box.  He does not seem to have peed so I am a little concerned about that.

The other thing is I found some blood on the window sill in the bedroom so of course I was freaking out thinking he was bleeding somewhere or smashing into the window but I cannot find any blood on the carpet or anywhere else and he is moving under the bed quite a bit so I would think I would see something somewhere? Thoughts?

I plugged in the cat calmer thing and removed the mattress off the top of the bed.  Since it is a platform bed with slats, he can see me and I can see him. I work from home and did a conference call in there for 90 min after the usual morning feeding chatter.  I went in again last night for 30 min to chat (we read facebook statuses out loud together  

Based on how long it took him to go into the back of the trap, I think this is going to be a very, very, very slow process......He seems terrified for now.

I am going to get those calm drops for his food. Right now, I am just happy when the food disappears.  I am concerned about him not peeing though....of course he could be peeing on the carpet but I am not smelling it....so worried about that because water was gone this am.

I opened the window a smidge today since it has warmed up. Thought fresh air and bird chatter might be good. My cats always love that.

So far, so good.  Reading to him is a great way for him to learn you aren't a threat, even though you trapped him and took him to the clinic!  (LOL)

He will forgive you soon enough - he's learning quickly that you can be trusted, even though he isn't ready to admit it yet.

Hopefully, he isn't peeing on the carpet but putting the poop in the litter box is a good way to help him get the idea.  You might add another box (some cats like to use separate boxes for pee and poop).  Also, toss a bit of dirt or dried leaves on the top of the litter.  It is what he is used to using and may help him connect the boxes to "potty time."

Thanks for the update and keep up the good work!

Glad he's eating! He probably is terrified right now, and it probably will be a slow process, and it's good to recognize that. But you never know - sometimes a corner is suddenly turned! And you'll be amazed at how thrilled you'll be with every little step I'm always amazed how much a poop can excite me (not that I'd tell most of my friends).

The calming drops are great to try. The calming diffuser generally takes at least several days to begin working (if it's going to - not all cats react to it). 

DId you say if you put any soil into the litter box? With tough cases it's a good idea to even sprinkle soil on top of the Cat Attract. Or offer one box of Cat Attract and one of soil. Often it feels more familiar to a feral guy than litter, and you can transition to litter. And definitely leave the poop in the box. That will hopefully help attract him too. Do you have a black light? You can check for urine with that (they can often be found at pet stores or ordered online - and they're not that expensive). That's how - besides the "sniff test" - we keep an eye on how our 19-year-old kitty is doing (she misses sometimes now). It'll light the urine up as a different color on carpet/walls/etc. If you do discover where he's going - then you can put another litter box right over the spot. Hopefully, although no one wants it on the carpet, he is going somewhere as you're right - 2 days is a concerningly long time not to pee. 

The blood - if it's not a large amount - could be just a bit from the neuter. You'd also said he had a puncture wound, right? He could have scraped off a scab when you weren't around rushing in or out from under the bed. I wouldn't panic if it's not a ton - just try to keep an eye on him. I know - easier said than done  

I'll be interested to see what anyone else says - I'm not sure I'd leave the window open until he's more comfortable. It my just make him more frantic to smell his old outside smells. I learned that the hard way - and had a feral get its arm stuck and panic in a window that I (stupidly, knowing cats) thought was too high for it to reach and was so barely open I didn't dream he could reach a paw into. Never again! But I may be the only one who's had that type of experience - others may have positive window experiences. I certainly understand why you'd want to and think it's such a kind gesture - but I do think it may rile him up.

It's great that you're going in and reading, etc. Even more short visits are great (although I know not everyone works from home like I do, so that's not always easy). The more the better! 

And be patient...two days isn't long at all. And log in here whenever you need to. It's a great support group!

It's good to know he has been coming out to eat and use the litter box.  Putting the poop into the box is great and if you find any pee, sop it up with a paper towel and bury it in the litter.  He will get the idea.  If he keeps having accidents, you may need to try some litter mixed with dirt. 

If possible, I would go in more often for shorter times.  He needs to get used to seeing you many times each day.  Bring him something yummy and place it somewhere on the floor.  You might want to start with something strong smelling such as cooked chicken or tuna to entice him out.  He may not come out at first, but if you keep bringing the good stuff, he will associate you with delicious treats.  You also might want to play a radio or soft music 24/7.  Some people us a talk radio station, but I prefer something calming such as a classical or elevator type music.  My cats love harp music I downloaded from Amazon. 

A conference call might have been a bit overwhelming for him.  Was it on speaker for him to hear lots of other voices?  For now I would just get him used to you and others who live in your house.  Always sit on the floor at his level so you are not looming over him.  Tell him how well he is doing and that you rescued him so that he can have a wonderful life with people who will love and care for him.  Also tell him that you know he is scared.  I always tell my cats what I am doing.  It may sound crazy, but they do have a way of knowing.  Keep your visits to 5-15 minutes, but come every few hours if possible.  Talk quietly so that he feels safe.  Conference calls would be best later down the road when he is more comfortable with you.

Does he have a cat tree or perch to look out the window?  Can he see the birds?  I have a few feeders outside my cats window for him to watch.  Speaking of the window... he might very well have thrown himself against the window and drawn some blood.  When I first brought Marvin inside, he threw himself against the window for a few days trying to get outside.  Be careful with cracking the window if you are not present as he may do his best to try and escape.  When I would open, the window, I would only open the top portion and it was a sliver.   I was so worried about Marvin when he came that my DH bought a cheap indoor wireless camera to put in the room.  It has a pan and tilt option so that I could find him and watch him as well as either recording him at night or having it send emails on motion. 

It will be a long slow process, but it sounds like progress is already being made.  Keep us updated.

I forgot to ask if you live in Ohio? 

I just realized the three of us may all be in Ohio! .ShadowsRescue is and so am I - and it just hit me that your name has Ohio in it -sometimes it takes me awhile I'm in Northwest Ohio (Toledo) .

I also should have mentioned (ShadowsRescue has mentioned "good smelly food")....the Gerbers chicken is unbelievably smelly (it truly is disgusting - I don't know how people do it with babies!), but we also use canned mackerel. We've had better luck with it in enticing less-than-thrilled cats. But never leave the REALLY yummy stuff (like gerbers kitty crack, tuna, cooked chicken, mackerel, etc.) around when you're not there. You need him to associate extra yummy food with you.

And we actually alternate between TV and radio (although I always make sure that the tv isn't turned to something that will go suddenly loud, like gunshots). I like having the TV on some as it seems to desensitize to voices AND movement some. My favorite thing to have on recently (while we were socializing our last undersocialized kittens, Tom and Jerry) was the Kitten Bowl (that showed during the Super Bowl). I've actually got a picture of Tom watching it! It's kind of hard to spot Tom - he's the same color as the plywood we put up to section the room off for socializing. But he was glued to that Kitten Bowl for 20 minutes!

Definitely stay low-  I take my phone or my laptop in and work or make calls, but I lay on the floor or sit. Best not to sit on the bedframe in particuar over him as he'll definitely feel like prey.

You're truly on the way though!!!!! 

Yes...I am in Cincinnati area.  He does not seem to be moving around too much and the conference call was me with headphones in just responding...I am worried about the neutering thing and the blood and the not peeing.  I think he was so scared today he peed on the carpet.  I have to replace it anyway.......a black light in my house is a scary thought.  before I move..I will be doing new carpet throughout the house.  i am doing more frequent visits throughout the day now at your suggestion which works better for me anyway.

He raised his head to look at me (prob more to see if I was going to come near him) but at least he looked a little curious.  He  has 2 litter boxes in there...but the soil thing is going to be a last resort as I really do not want it all over.  He has only pooped once so far and I find that concerning....he was tested for everything at the Ohio AlleyCat Clinic and given shots etc.....so I hope I am being just slightly neurotic over nothing.  Both litter boxes have the cat attract.

I rolled up some of the slats on the bed so he could see there was a huge amount of space.  I usually sit where he can see me and not on the frame and do not look him in the eye.  (I read cats consider that a challenge or threat I think).  As long as he is eating and pooping I am good...I am just concerned about that piece bc he had surgery....I am def going to try and offer the baby food etc...I just really hope there is nothing wrong.  I feel better when i see he has eaten.

and your cat is REALLY cute!Especially watching the tv with kittens on it

I saw what appeared to be whiskers near him and even after drinking a lot today, i still dont see any pee anywhere. Going to add some dirt but REALLY starting to get worried

So he still appears to have his whiskers so who knows what that was...drinking a ton of water and eating some but still no sign of pee/poop.  I have put leaves in one litter box with the Cat Attract and soil in the other with Cat Attract. I think I thought he would be more inquisitive or moving more but he is not.  I do not see any discharge or blood so I am thinking his surgical site from neutering is ok.  If he would just go to bathroom I would feel a whole lot better.

The room has beige carpet so I would be able to see a pee stain.

I think if he peed on the carpet you would smell it too as the strong male urine scent will not have disappeared yet.  Cats can hold it for a very long time. One of my indoor boys sometimes doesn't pee for over a day.  Is he eating wet food? 

I would definitely try some composure treats or liquid or the Feral Cat Rehab from Spirit Essences.  It is a really long process and he is so very scared.  Make sure when you visit that you are not sitting on furniture.  You need to be on the floor at his level.  You  might try having a few toys scattered about as well as a catnip toy. 

Are the litter boxes away from where he eats and sleeps?  Cats don't like to potty near where they eat or sleep.  Have them across the room from each other. 

If he pees on the floor again, sop it up with a paper towel and bury the paper towel in the litter box.  You might bury it in both boxes. 

Definitely try the Gerber Stage 2 baby food (chicken or turkey).  You can start by putting some on a plate and moving to putting some on a spoon and then to your fingers.  You might also go onto Youtube and watch some videos on socializing feral cats.  There used to be a wonderful 3 part series that is no longer available. 

Keep up the good work.  You will be amazed in a few weeks!

Oh, I am in the Columbus area.

Yes...the peeing is starting to be concerning....but bet he's going in there somewhere. If he's not - you're right to be concerned. If there's really no evidence of urine truly - I personally would call the vet now that it's been what, 4 days? 

Personally, I'd get on my hands and knees (if you don't want to go the blacklight route - ti really is easier and doesn't cost much- and you can usually tell fresh from old, so don't be scared!) and put my nose to the ground and pat every squae incho f the room . At this rate he HAS to have peed?!?! Is water disappearing at all? Is the water and food somewhere a little "safe" -a s in not right inside the door? If you can find where he's going on the carpet. put paper towels all over the area, and once he's gone  on thepaper towels, wad one wet one up and put it in the litterbox. I'd also then ADD a second litterbox right over wherever you found he'd gone. Eventually you can probably move it back to one letterbox - but for now, 2 isn't a bad idea.

Is it possible the whiskers you saw was regurgitated whiskers? Sometimes ferlas in particular get so worreid about eating without being discovered, so they wolf it down and then end up vomiting it back up. So tae a look at it, and make sure it's not regurgitated. If so, remove it, then bring new whiskers back in with you.

Try some mackerel too - it's in a can in the tuna aisle.