"Feral" cat help!

Hi!

I started feeding two cats, Gus and Anna, in August at my store.  They live under the building.  Fast forward to today and I still have them around.  They've made a lot of progress in the last few weeks and let me pet them- although it's only for a few seconds each time. They wait for me to get here in the morning and respond to their names.  I'm a "dog person" and cats are not my specialty!  These two have carved their way into my heart.  The good news is they are healthy and Anna has been spayed (by our animal shelter- they spay ferals and clip their ear).  These two are inseperable and depend greatly on each other.  Here's what I need some help with:  I want them to keep making progress with me and let me pet them! They will eat out of my hands and sit in the backroom at my store and watch me with interest.  Any tips to help their progress along?

Gus is the dominant cat and nudges Anna out of the way for his food.  He is the least scared of me but wants to be touched the least.  He sits near me and sleeps or is very relaxed. If Anna doesn't follow him he meows for her.

Anna is skiddish but is more likely to stay around all day.  She won't let me approach her without Gus.

My other question is what led me to find this site.  I googled "Do cats get mad?" and ended up here.  Someone dumped two kittens in our parking lot last night (we found them homes-no worries).  While they were still here I was holding them and Gus,my male cat, was sitting about 5 feet away watching intently.  It looked like jealousy and possessiveness.   All day since the kittens left Gus has refused to have anything to do with me.  He and Anna have sat outside the door and he has refused to even look at me.  Gus is usually perched on a box right inside my backdoor as if he's my "look out".  He seems upset.  Upset? Jealous? Angry? Is that possible?

Another problem just came up:  As I was typing this I heard a cat fight out back. There has been two large female cats that are bullying my cats.  They stare them down as they eat and are aggressive with them.  How can I get rid of them.

Thanks,

Kate

First...........cats are VERY territorial. so, yes. It is very possible Gus was upset with you...........LOL

As for making progress...............you can try the Feliway spray on your hands when you try to pet the cats and spray it on and around your body. It mimicks their smell and they feel more safe.

If there is anything special that they like to eat........you can try to coax them by bringing the food in closer to you bit by bit each time.

Bullying is a different problem. If you can get to the "bullies" you can spray them with a spray bottle full of water. But you will need to ensure "your" furbabies are not going to be sprayed or startled by the spray when you do it.

Has he been neutered? Neutering generally makes a big difference in the male cat's personality...........they tend to be less aggressive and/or more loving.

Thankyou for being so kind to these cats! We definitely need more people like you!

First, thank you for taking care of these cats.
Alley Cat Allies is the premier organization that deals with stray/feral cats. Some good tips for socializing cats and trapping them.
Here is a thread that discusses ferals/strays/socializing.
I think you need to decide if you want to eventually adopt these cats, or get them socialized enough to adopt out.
Basically, you need lots of patience and time. And even brothers and sisters in the same litter have different tolerances. "Twiddledee" is friendlier, more trusting that "Twiddledum", and they are litter mates (who I fed at my colony--abandoned, formerly owned).
And Ritz is/was the loner of her litter. Still have four years is scared easily.
I would try trapping Gus and the other female cats (well, any and all cats that you can). That will make them friendlier and cut down on the number of kittens Is Gus a male, neutered? The new cats may be fighting for food; do they look very skinny? The only way I know of getting rid of the cats is to quit feeding them, but I don't see that as an option.
And while I don't know if cats can be jealous, they can be upset easily; so Gus may be reacting to the newness of the kittens, he/she's unsure. So she is acting more aloof. At least, that's my take on it.

Thank you for the suggestion of the Feliway Spray! I've never heard of it.

They don't like any special food. They turn their nose up at a lot.

Gus is not neutered. I would like to adopt them. they are definitely "mine" and I adore them. I have hesitated in trapping them because I have no experience with trapping. As I stated, I'm a dog person. Lots of stray dog experience. I don't want to "traumatize" them.

None of the cats are skinny. Several "live" at the store next door. That's where the two bully cats are.

One thing about them that puzzles me. They rarely meow. They meow at each other only to get their attention. Even then it's very soft and meek.

Welcome to the world of loving cats, they do have a way of wrapping themselves around our hearts before we know it.  I wish you all the best with taking Gus and Anna in and socializing them more.  It sounds like they are already enjoying your company and some of the comforts of sharing hum  an accommodation.     Perhaps that local organization that spayed Anna would help you trap and neuter Tom, and possibly to bring them in?  

It is a shame they are being joined by other cats competing for the food being left out.  If the other females have not been spayed they will not give any respect to Anna as spayed cats have the lowest dominance in any group.  I am not sure about Tom and how he might behave with them, but certainly if there are entire females about it is best to get him neutered as soon as possible and then try to keep them indoors with you. Gus and Anna look lovely together, what a fantastic photo you have posted here.

You ask about meowing: cats do not often meow with other cats and most communication they use between each other is non verbal (plus those hisses and growls you get with fighting). Cats are thought to meow more when socialized with humans as they learn that it gets a positive response.  

The suggestion from @Rits to look at threads over in the Ferals and Rescues Forum is a good one.  I suspect that members posting there, and the advisors who spend more time in that Forum will have a lot more advice that will be helpful for you.  There are a lot of threads there discussing socializing feral and stray cats.

First of all, thank you!  Taking on the responsibility of these cats is major.  I am thinking they may have been littermates, which is one reason they are close.  Gus, as an unneutered male, would normally wander in search of love, so their bond must be strong.  Good they are being kept together.

So, get Gus neutered, anyway you can.  Trapping and the surgery will traumatize but he will get over it very quickly and his personality will calm down - it really is amazing.

The bullies - if you have the resources, make sure they are fixed, too.  You don't need more cats back there, anyway, and if it gets too crowded, there is a possibility that Gus and Ana will be chased off.

If it is feasible, can they just be inside cats, staying in the store?  Especially after Gus gets fixed, this would be a great option.

Again, thank you for helping them.

I've wondered if they were litter mates. Their bond is incredible. I've never seen two animals so committed to each other. I had never seen them before until August. They were at my back door the morning after I had to put my 16 year old dog to sleep. I felt like they were suppose to be there.

I want to get Gus neutered. I know in the long run it's better for him. This morning Anna was at the door but Gus is no where to be found. He'll be back in a few hours, I'm sure.

Both the bullies are spayed. They not only fight my cats but they fight each other too. I'd love to have Gus and Anna be inside store cats. Next month I'm moving to a new store space (3 doors down- no relocating headaches for them- whew!). The new space triples my size and they will have the perfect home. My dog comes to work sometimes which does present a problem. Milla (a rough collie) miraculously doesn't bark at Gus and Anna. She's "approved" them I guess. They hiss at her but don't run from her.

Oh, that is wonderful news!  You definitely want to get Gus neutered before he moves in or he may spray the new territory to mark it as his own.

They are so cute!  Thank you for taking responsibility for them and making sure they have a nice place to stay.  I love stores that have cats in them.  I think it gives them a homey feel.  What type of store do you have (if you don't mind sharing that info)?

They look wonderful together and your plan to offer them a safer future home is a wonderful thing.  May everything work out for you including Tom returning and managing to trap and neuter him in time for your move.  What an inspiring story.    I hope to hear more as things progress. 

Bad news since my last post. I was getting ready to trap them and take them into my vet and Gus has gone missing. I saw him Monday. He seemed frightened and frantic. He was shivering wildly. I couldn't get close to him but he was in distress. He was staring at the "grate" (vent to under the building where he lives). I wondered if something had gotten him under the gate. The past two mornings Anna has been here to greet me. She's meowed at me (a rarity) and is searching for Gus. She normally will not eat until he is there. She disappeared for a short while this morning (presumably to find Gus) and came back alone. She finally ate and then left again.

I'm heartbroken.

   How distressing to see them like this, and so close to trying to bring them in to a safer home environment.    I will keep up positive vibes that you see Anna back again looking for food and that she looks alright, and perhaps even some chance that she has found Gus and whatever had got to him has passed and he has not gone too far away or been injured.  If Anna keeps returning but no trace of Gus would you try to bring her in on her own?   Her life outdoors without him would be a very different existence I am sure, they sound like they have been incredibly close to each other. 

Anna is here right on time this morning. She's still meowing at me but ate straight away instead of waiting for Gus. I'm still planning on rescuing her. I can't leave her. Especially now that she's lost Gus.

Interesting twist. In Gus's absence another cat has appeared. I've seen him periodically over the past few months. Bless his heart, he is not a pretty cat. He's black and "splattered" with orange. He is very wary of me but he is out and wanting food. He is eating outside my door right now about 10 feet from me.

From your description, unless you can see "his" package, he is probably a tortoiseshell, which are almost always female.  You may want to trap him/her too and make sure!

Gus may have wandered in search of love or been chased off.  There is only room for so many cats in a territory.

You might consider amping up efforts to spay Ana (and the new cat).  Bringing Ana in is a great solution for her.

Has  Gus ever roamed off in the past? Intact toms always do wander off, at least occasionally, to look for a mate or to settle a territory dispute. When there's a female in heat somewhere in the area, they can look distressed, meow for the female, run up and down the street, and eat very little. They can also disappear for a week. They go temporarily insane! It's only been 3 days, so I wouldn't worry yet. Have you driven around looking for him, or shown his picture to neighbors?  Also, I've never heard of spayed females driving off a tom cat from his territory. Territory fights usually occur between intact males.  I hope you can find Gus soon! I know the anxiety you are feeling.

So glad Anna is still coming to you, and hopefully you will be able to bring her in, perhaps also trap this other cat too.  Keep hoping Gus will return and then be able to trap and bring him in also.  Sending vibes for you all.

I trapped Anna today and she's at the vet. She got a clear bill of health and I'm scheduled to pick her up tomorrow. Now I've got to make the decision to keep her indoors or put her back outside. She lives at my store and I have a backroom or a bathroom I could put her in to adjust. The problem is that both rooms will be used during the day. I don't have a room I could leave her in by herself. I have a large wire dog crate (the extra large ones) that she could stay in to adjust but I'm hesitant to do that. The crate is plenty big to have a litter box, bed, bowls, and still room to walk around. I purchased the feliway spray but am conflicted what I should do. Help!

I think the crate is an excellent transition place.  She'll be out but not if you know what I mean.  If she gets stressed, you can cover the crate with a sheet or large blanket, which should calm her down.

Once she understands what its like to be an inside cat again, (maybe two weeks or so) you can let her have the run of the shop.

Thanks so much for the update!