It only started as one.........

Hi everyone.  I have been reading this site over the last few days - reading the happy and sad tales of these furry friends.  So I feel obliged to post my little addition.

It only started as one.........

Having moved from the capital of the UK to a very rural area - A Farm house (Not the farmer - just live on the farm land) I enjoy watching the animals roam about the barn roofs and the sheep eating and cows moo'ing... you know "rural ways"...

Anyways... So this cat has been interested in me over the last 4 months - I fed it, having no idea about males / females - It was just "a cat" that I started to feed randomly during the day.  There are of course the farm cats that look like they have been around a looong time.. They are super sketchy and I only eve saw them run across the roofs every now and then.. thought nothing of it, just another animal to watch out the window (I work from home....)

No idea how old it was  / is but it came back next day...and so on..  Now this other "little thing" came shortly in the days that passed... along with another...... and so on...

There are now 14 cats including the established farm cats that are about 15-17 yrs old the farmer tells me...  There are about 8 cats that are young and not "lived the farm life for long" - not strays - apparently there is a colony thats been around for years in the woods up the road... the farm cats and them must have "come together" during last year... september'ish maybe..

Fast forward to now some 3 + months later and it seems that the newest ones ~5 months old now come and eat by my feet outside in a group along with some of the big ones.  No touching though... Im too scared to get scratched or bitten..

There is/was this one kitty that would sit at my bedroom window (upside down house - living room upstairs..) with a long stretched neck, looking in, looking around the room through the glass... In telepathy terms it was asking me if it could come in... I swear..

So I spent a few days with the door open - scared incase 9+ cats all attacked me via the open door.... remember that I knew nothing about cats nor read any sites at this point... so glove-less  / sleeveless in jogging bottoms.... surrounded by wild animals with claws and teeth.. exciting is a word that doesnt explain it very well

Dropping a few dry bits of cat food along the floor I got this kitty to come into the spare bedroom and it would grab one and run off.. each time / hour coming a bit more into the room... I sat and pondered for about half hour what to do.  I felt like this was meant to be - it had asked me afterall.. Im sure he did via mind waves... anyway.. Im a dog person, cats never did much for me until I got friendly with a cat a few years back before moving down to rural land.. I really enjoyed him jumping up on me and drooling on my blanket.... sorry... drifting off topic here....

I had discussed with the girlfriend / wifey / "forever girl" about this kitty and we agreed what would happen going forward...

So I tricked the cat into coming in and whilst he was eating looking the opposite way, I kept slowly inching the door closed until I got to about 4 inch open... I had to decide on the spot if I was about to do the right thing for it..

I JUST SLAMMED THE DOOR SHUT - those few inches.  The cat hit the glass, tried climbing the wood window frame, wanted out... I understood he was freaked out - I would have been too!

Thats it now - DONE - No going back unless it really wanted out.

It was calmer than I expected, it tried to hide in a corner with 3 sides to it.. pretty rubbish place to hide..anyway.. he quickly calmed down, or was it just submission... maybe the many weeks feeding the fluffy's helped... Ive no idea.

This was last Thusday 9th Jan 2014. 

Here it is 1 hr after capture...


I had to now get him out of this room and into the room I prepared whilst he waited in the other room... He hid behind that TV so made a box and something for top of TV and kinda pushed his bum and he went into the box, I closed and moved...

Now in the other room - I could tell he was scared now.  In fact he was absolutely petrified and messed where was hiding.. ok now I get it - I need to let it calm down..

I put water and some food and a tray I rushed out and bought....  I left it over night.

So three days after capture..... This is it on the window in his safe room.. by now I had done some reading and understood how to get a good idea on the gender... It was a boy from what I could see...

I will now stop calling it "it", "kitty"

It's a boy and I started to think of names with the other half.. I did not want to name it properly until I went to VET and they do what they have to to allay my fears (having read some sad sotries about cats and diseases....)...


We have been to the VET now (the monday 13th Jan - 3 days later from capture).

I asked for the FLV whatever lab test - He passed

He weighed 2kg and had a pot belly... a farm cat with the teeth it had made it around 5 months old maybe 6..  He had to have worms..

Anyway - wormed vaccinated - tested - flea frontline.. everything I could get done was... altering later in the month after second jab...

Meet Wilson : -


I have had Wilson 8 days now (at time of posting).

He goes to his litter tray for everything

I can pick him up for a short while.

I can touch him everywhere

I can rub him to sleep

He rubs his face on mine

He makes me melt inside....

That is Wilson and his story -

I have some questions I need to ask that are not related to very searchable things....

Question 1 to start:

1,  We are on the same farm.  Wilson can see the rest of the colony via his window and they see him - Its where I feed them daily.  Is this bad?  He sometimes looks up at the window and makes  a squeak, he climbs on his house to look at them.. I think Wilson will be an indoor cat but one day he might get out by accident...

Will there be a problem with Mum, Dad, Bros and Sisters around everyday - that he can see?

I want to feed the other cats out there as normal but at the moment I randomise it during the day so they dont get used to it.... Farmer wants good mousers...

PS: I have arranged with the farmer that I can get them all to my feet at will and so I am going to help TNR very soon   Nothing will happen to them dont worry I wouldnt let it happen   They will come back but stay as the size they are I guess....

Ill come back with better formed Qs...

Thanks for ready...

Wilson will have a great life.

Great story.  You have made amazing progress with Wilson in such a short time particularly since he was essentially feral when you got him.  Congratulations.  You jumped in head first and it paid off.  I am glad you are going to TNR the other cats as well.

Here is a rub time:


And this is the group in the yard.  They live in that tin barn with the cows - you can see Wilson "out there"   He staring at me as usual... Telepathy

Hi JohnMc, i love your story. I think it's fantastic what you are doing for all these cats. I think they are very lucky that you moved into this house. :lol3:

I would not worry about Wilson been able to see his brothers, sister etc... from the window. Cats don't have any recollection that they are related. That's why they are happy to inbreed with each other.

ps. I'm looking forward to reading more about how you are getting on and more photos of cause Lol. :lol3:

Great story. He's come a long way!
I didn't know anything about cats when I got Ritz (long story), and Ritz didn't have any experience with humans (sad story). Our four year anniversary is next month, and she loves belly rubs. We're still both learning together how to be Human and Cat.
Has "Wilson" be neutered? If not, he'll soon want out, like in the worst way.

A long way indeed..

He has to go back for the second injection about 25 days and I think we are having it done then.

I cat proofed the house - even assuming that he is a einstein cat - I bought window locks haha...  I used expanding foam on any holes I found and put tin foil near the arga ... need to think about that more...

So I left the door open last night and put bits of chicken leading him to our bedroom - I watched him come in via the dim light I left on he took the chicken and went back to his den on the window ledge...  He some how closed the door during the night with him inside!!!! maybe sniffing about - no idea.

He is not a frightened cat in his room with both of us banging around and hoping he wont go nuts and try to hide / run - he did not last night anyway.....

Ive sat in all day today and left the door open - calling him etc... but he has not come out of the room yet in daylight... soon he will I am sure...

His visits to the litter bin have slowed down now - he has been doing the range from runny to the paste type... but today he has been once and eaten once. Vets portions...  So I hope the wormer has worked and the less rich diet helps him to adjust...  A lot to deal with in a few days for the cat - diet - health and emotions... If he does not go to the loo anytime soon / tomorrow then I will whip him up to the vet to check..  he shows no signs of stress / strain / sickness and rubs / plays / cuddles right now (just been down to see him )...

So I hope he has turned a corner - cleaned himself a lot - sorted his tummy out - and so it begins....

Im a techie so I have setup a motion camera in the room... Here is the latest motion trigger sequence... so glad he went to the loo (see last post)...

So pics... sorry for pic overload ...

His windowsill with a fur cave + blanket viewing spot....

WOW !!!! What a brilliant idea !
He looks happy and well settled in already. Imagine what he will be like in a weeks time.

No need to be sorry for pics. We love them on this site ! More the better :lol3:

Just love your story!  Wilson is one lucky lucky boy to have you!!!  You are doing fantastic with him.  I think it is fine for him to see the others outside.  Just be sure he doesn't slip out the door or you might have a hard time getting him back inside. 

Kudos for you for TNRing the outside group!! 

Oh what a lucky kitty!  And I believe you are right - he was willing you to bring him in.  And we think we domesticated them.  HA!

Even though he's adjusted well and quickly, he may need more time to get used to the "big house" and all the new sights and smells.  He's probably so relieved to be inside, fed, warm bed, safe, he's only just now had time to think about things.  You will notice him calming down once he's neutered as well.

For now, he is just needs time to make all adjustments needed.  Thank you so much for helping him and especially for the TNR work you will be doing on the others.

That is fantastic!   He's definitely a keeper and a sweetie too!

You've made some great progress with him in a short span of time.  I probably wouldn't let him out of the house for quite some time.  He'll come around to other rooms once he feels he's learned everything he can about the one he's in.  Although if there's a way of closing his view of the window, you might try that one day to see if he gets bored and starts investigating other areas.  There may not look like there's much going on out there, but windows are like cat tv.

He definitely wanted you to bring him in.  Sometimes cats, like us, just want something a little different for their lives than what everyone else is doing

Thank you everyone for your warming replies.

Quick update:

Thursday last Left his door open to the whole house.  He has shown no inclination to "run / escape" (far too cushy lifestyle....).  He came out and got some chicken bits overnight.....

Friday - Nothing - He did however discover "a shadow" on the floor... it was him all along - spotlight face down on floor... stared at it for a while.... his number 2's have settled now, healthy looking stools..

Saturday night scratching about on floor... no idea what he is doing (yet)....

I have taken down the plastic coverings on Sunday and re arranged the room for more space for him, he still has his cave no change there.  Moved his food closer to the open door so he gets comfortable there.  No issues so far.

Sunday night... scratching - chomping - munching - (litter/food/dry biscuit food in another bowl)... He is now playing with his food!!!!!! The go-cat biscuits are now toys that slide around on the floor once he has eaten enough of them...

Woke up Monday morning and went upstairs to make coffee... I see Wilson - we look at each other - he "trotted" back around the couch and went back to his cave... Was a nice surprise to see him upstairs - was a  funny moment, he was not scared nor did be bolt off at 100mph... he just trotted back past me and downstairs.....  well happy about that.  Found a warm patch on the sofa.... I wonder who that was!!! big smiles inside though.

Monday - whilst out... He played for about 25 mins with the dry food on the wood floor..... jumping pouncing and sliding for it..... I came back and the last picture on the motion camera is him sliding into his cave.

So that's it so far... winning I think.

...

With regard to the window being a cat TV... Yes he sits in the window most of the time and can see out from his cave.  There are ALL the other cats out there during the day.. on the floor on the roof, birds on the roof etc... lots going on out there....  I can block the window from outside easily...  You could be right... he maybe too entertained... will try this out tomorrow (want to see if he comes upstairs tonight).

Will post when we make a new level of harmony...

PS: He goes into a trance when I rub his belly.  He rolls over and exposes himself, like we wants more... then he realizes whats going on and skips into his cave.

He has gone to put his jaws around my knuckles a few times - about 4 or so... only at certain times... like I touch a "funny bone" area and he gets a weird feeling... no sinking in of teeth... like a close to show rather than close to bite.... make sense...  I walk away at that point.

Thanks for reading about Wilson.