Feral cat now taken over dining room - advice needed.

Hi, I posted about Baz a few days ago. He is twenty months and I have been feeding him everyday in the village near our home. We have had him at home since Mon 3 February. He's been in a big cage and we have been excluding our other two cats at night and giving him the run of the room from 8pm to 8am. He has always gone back into his cage in the morning without a problem. Today he will not go back in the cage, although I have got his food there. It is now 4pm and he is in a little box that is part of a tall cat stand. My problem is that in one way this is good that he is now comfortable with the run of the room, but we dare not let our other two into the room. Ginger had just about got used to Baz in the cage and had stopped spitting and jumping at him. My husband is also not happy to let Baz take over the dining room, we don't have another room that we could use. My husband feels it is unfair to the other two boys. I feel uneasy that we have cut them off from him just when they were beginning to tolerate him. But it seems like a backward step to lock him back in the cage. I would be really grateful for advice on this.

Well m y first question would be what type of socialization are you doing. Keeping him away from the others maybe better for the safety of all as ferals can be unpredictable.   Are you sure kitty is feral or is cat showing feral behaviors due to survival outdoors. Many cats that did live in a home will show feral behavior while not truly being a feral cat. These cats tend to be better with human contact but not other felines as they are territorial due to  needs.  As a foster I keep the cats apart for at least 2 solid weeks than start to lock up my cats int eh room foster was in and let foster roam the house. My most recent foster took a month in the washroom with only contact from me than a month of only cat contact when I was in the room. She was semi feral as she  came from a 700 sq apartment with 120 other cats so no human trust.   We started socializing right away with finger feedings of wet food to have her gain trust in me.  Now after 2 months she is out with everyone and still a little shy and untrusting but coming along everyday.

This was Baz when I first knew him, and I have been taking food up to him everyday in our little Spanish village, so he is a true feral but reliant very largely on having food delivered. Before I grabbed him and put him in the trap, he would let me stroke him and was very comfortable with me. Since we have him at home, all that has changed and he is very, very wary of me. I have been spending most of each day in the room with him, but he has been in his cage. We left the room when we let him out at night. While I was in the room with him I was constantly talking to him. Do you think it would be better to let him stay out with the run of the room even though it means excluding the other two who were just getting used to him? Thank you so much for taking an interest.

I would let him have the room to himself. As long as the room is able to be completely closed off from the others. When you are in with him talk to him and just let him be. I would also suggest placing a radio in the room with lots of people talking on the channel you choose.  I would also start feeding him wet food off you fingers to hep build the trust.  Slowly over time move the bowl closer and closer to you and try to pet while eating but do not try to pet right away. He needs to trust you again.  Once he is more comfortable with you I would let him out of the dinning room and put your forever cats int eh dining room. This will help them learn each others smells.  Just remember to take time with this process and do not rush Baz or the others.

check out this sites info on taming ferals.... http://www.urbancatleague.org/TamingFerals

It may be a good idea to let him be in this room. Be there in with him as much as you can.  Sit or lay low.. You can surf on the computer, sometimes you read aloud.   sometimes you make a lot of friendly contact noises to him...

You can sleep in there too.  It makes them brave, quite possibly he will lay down in the bed with you...

Cage should work too, but there are advantages with a whole room

Pity it didnt worked out your cats, although tolerating his presence now, doesnt as yet accept him.  Having THEM as the positivie example of contact cat - humans, makes often things easier.

Good luck!