Stray in my backyard, how do i proceed?

I moved in to a new apartment about 6 months ago and it has a nice little backyard patio area. About 2 months ago a little 1-2yr old black stray showed up in the backyard. I had my door open to cool off the place and let my siamese cat(Frito) stare at the bugs/birds as they go by. The stray got nose to nose with Frito and they began yipping at each other and bumping noses through the screen door. I'm assuming its a female cat because Frito has a crying fit when the cat leaves.

Now its 2mo later of putting out food and water for the skinny little thing. She comes into the yard around 7pm at night, eats, and then calmly plops down and hangs out for awhile. However, she runs i go anywhere near her. It seems like she's gained trust for my backyard and my cat, but not me.

advice?

Well...

She is a stray, and we don't really know her story, so gaining trust could be hard, and it could take time.

Maybe put out an old blanket with your scent on it, for her to lay on. Or offer her some treats.

Try being outside around the time she comes to eat and drink, possibly with your cat. If she sees that your cat is your buddy, maybe she'll start to trust you too.

Jackson Galaxy has some good videos that may help you out:


Or try making a feral cat home!


Hope that helps!

Catguy123 said:

. I'm assuming its a female cat because Frito has a crying fit when the cat leaves.

Click to expand...

Not necessarily so.  If he is a siamese, he is probably quite lively, and thus appreciates a cat pal...

But  if she is a female, your priority nr 1 is to spay her (if she isnt spayed already).  You probably prefer not to have an additional 5-6 kittens to take care about...

Neutering a male is useful, but it is not hurry in the same way, especielly as it is apparently a friendly cat, avoiding unnecessary trouble.

The answer what to do next depends in much on your plans and will to help.   I understand you want to help, but in what extension?

Do you want to take this cat inside, and foster into your second resident?    Or foster and adopt himher out.

Or are you contented with having this cat as your outside kitty?    If so, make sure she is spayed, and otherwise you can essentially continue as now...

Some little hut for protection wont hurt,  but she manages anyway, as she apparently does.

See you!

Good luck!

ps.    And the trick to get hold on her is to use a trap! and off to the vet....  

She may have been mistreated by humans, so.she's unsure about you. Actually, the fact that she and Frito get along is a bonus. Usually, cats have difficulty adjusting to one another. So more than half your job is done.

If you want to help her, get her vet checked ASAP. The vet can tell you if she's been spayed and give her a health check (fleas, worms, FIV, FELV, etc.). If she isn't spayed, get that done immediately. You do not need her to bring home kittens!

Thank you for helping this kitty. It sounds like Frito may have a new room mate! You are a godsend to her.

Luckily Frito doesn't really have that usual feline territorial thing. I think maybe his unusual early life made him extra social. My cousin found him on the street with his two siblings and the very feral mother at 4wks old. She got the kittens and took the mom to a no-kill shelter. Frito and his siblings lived with my cousin until 8-10wks where he was around two more full grown cats and an adult rottweiler(big puppy). Oddly enough Frito became best friends with the dog. They ate from the same dish, slept in the dog's bed, and he'd swat at the sliding glass door if the dog was outside. Since then he occasionally stays at my parent's place when i go on vacation and is pretty happy to playfully pester my parent's cats.

Ideally, I'd like to be able to bring the cat in. Especially since Frito seems so vocal about making a new friend. The outside cat would be fine enough if I planned to live at this spot for a long period of time, but i'll be here 1-2yrs tops. For the time being i put out an open cat carrier with a towel in it, but i suspect my next step is gonna be to rent a trap and get the cat checked out.

Catguy123 said:

 
I moved in to a new apartment about 6 months ago and it has a nice little backyard patio area. About 2 months ago a little 1-2yr old black stray showed up in the backyard. I had my door open to cool off the place and let my siamese cat(Frito) stare at the bugs/birds as they go by. The stray got nose to nose with Frito and they began yipping at each other and bumping noses through the screen door. I'm assuming its a female cat because Frito has a crying fit when the cat leaves.

Now its 2mo later of putting out food and water for the skinny little thing. She comes into the yard around 7pm at night, eats, and then calmly plops down and hangs out for awhile. However, she runs i go anywhere near her. It seems like she's gained trust for my backyard and my cat, but not me.

advice?

Click to expand...

This reminds me about our long felietong by Diggerled, about the two cats  Sasha (resident) and Marlow.  (the newbe).

For example this thread http://www.thecatsite.com/t/205008/marlow-and-sasha-friends.   There are a couple of threads more by the same author about the same cats.

Im sure you will find some ideas in these threads.

Good luck!

Bringing this back from the dead.

Here is where I'm at and wondering if I'm moving in the right direction. When i posted the first thread, the stray(currently known as BYC) was terrified of me and stayed on the backyard fence when i put out food. It slowly started getting closer as I put out food. I've gotten two sneaky "pets" but each time the cat recoiled in fear. Last night seems was the closest i could honestly get. I had my hand right next to the food dish as it ate. It also seems to be getting a lot more curious about the inside of my place. Often times when i put out the dish, it seems to be looking past me at whatever is in my kitchen. Sometimes Frito, sometimes not.

Is there a point at which i'll know when to try and bring it in? Would trapping destroy this trust I've built up?

Catguy123 said:

 
Is there a point at which i'll know when to try and bring it in? Would trapping destroy this trust I've built up?

Click to expand...

Trapping is much better than running after him trying to catch as catch can and taking him by sheer violence - THIS is traumtizing...

Really, trapping is the trick!   He probably will not understand it was you who sat up the trap, instead, you are the one who let him out, into the prepared room, with everything he need to live in.

Good luck!

Trapping usually sets things back a bit but almost never destroys trust.  It might be better to get it over with and get her to a vet (worming, spaying/neutering if needed and shots).  Decide what you are going to do with her, though. If you bring her in, she'll need a small place to herself to help her make the adjustment (a bathroom is fine).  Once she's used to being in, you can introduce her to Frito (although that may be just a formality)

If you decide to leave her outside, she'll need shelter and consistent food.  AND you'll need to make plans for her for when you move.

One last set of questions:

This stray comes around at night and i have an issue with raccoons. Which puts me in a situation of seeing the cat at night, setting the trap, and hoping it goes for it. This means I would be trapping well after the hours of when i could get it to a vet.

So would i trap this cat, put it in a "safe" room and wait until the next day? And then wouldnt it be too afraid of me to get into a carrier?

As for the transition room, How big does the room need to be? I'd like to use my bathroom, but its tiny and i'd probably have to put its temp. litter box in the tub. Which I hope wouldn't set up the cat to start using the bathroom in my bathtub?

Trapping at night can be tricky.  You will need to monitor the trap, actually.  First, to keep the raccoons away and second, to make sure you get the trap inside before she sits in it too long (after she's trapped).

She can actually stay in the trap overnight.  Put pee-pads under it and cover it with a blanket, so she feels secure.  She may bounce around in it when you are carrying her but don't worry about that.  Let the vet know you had to trap her, so he pre-warned she may be a little wild.  It may be messy in the morning if she's had to go, so have plenty of paper towels handy when you pick up the trap.

The tub is a good place for a litter box but make sure the drain is closed.  Don't rinse any litter down the drains - it will clog things up.  I doubt she will use the tub as a box later but if she does, without litter in there, you can just rise the pee down, flush any poop and spray all with Clorox clean-up and rinse it away.

It's best if you could trap her at daybreak or before the sun sets, when you don't have to deal with raccoons. If you set out a humane trap in the dark, you'll need heavy gloves and someone to assist you in case a raccoon or opossum goes into the trap and you need to release it (I've been there, done that with a neighbor--it can be a bit scary).

Is there a 24/7 veterinary clinic in your area? In my area, there is a clinic that allows me to bring in my feral/strays at any time of day or night, and they will fit the spay/neuter surgery into their overnight duties and will not charge me an emergency fee. As soon as I trap a cat (which has usually been at night), I give them a call and bring the cat straight over in a trap. They also board the cat for me while it recovers for free. They are pro feral. It's worth a shot to see if you have a vet clinic in your area that might accommodate you, as well. The problem with trapping the cat and then letting it out into a room of its own is that if the cat is really feral, you'll have a devil of a time getting it back into a trap or carrier to get to the vet, and you'll want to get the cat to the vet ASAP to get SNAP tested (for FeL and FIV), de-wormed, and for flea medication. If the cat isn't that feral, you could use a carrier instead of a trap. Put some tuna fish in a dish at the back of the carrier, and when she is completely inside, close the gate. If she is allowing you to be right beside her while she is eating, then you can sit right beside the carrier and she'll go in. Your other option is to feed her in the carrier for several days first, and then when this is the routine, call and make an appt for her to get spayed, and on that morning, close the gate to the carrier.

Cats are amazingly smart when it comes to litter boxes, so I wouldn't worry about her using the tub. Just mix some dirt in with unscented litter in a litter box and she will figure it out. After a few days, you may want to move her into your bedroom so she gets used to your presence and is more comfortable. It will upset your resident cat for a while, but she will get over it.