My feral black cat I took home - Salem

Hi,

I wanted to start this thread, because I have a feral cat I'm taking care of. He is an adult cat - 7 years old, who lived outside all his life. Recently, I took him home (4 days now). There are moments I question myself and ask if I'm doing him and myself a favor or if I'm keeping him captive and he hates me for this. So I decided to post my progress over here and also ask you guys for help and support. Also, some people may search for information about taking the feral cat home (I know I did), so I want this thread to be a tool for others in a similar situation to maybe learn on my mistakes and little victories. 

So let me start from the beginning...I always considered myself a dog person. Cats were nice, but not for me, until....well about 7 years ago. My mom came to visit me at that time. From her room, she noticed that there were 3 kittens born in the neighbors' yard. But my "nice" neighbors threw them out after few weeks. My mom started feeding them and, of course, made me promise that I would continue it after she goes back home. So I did. At that time I did not know anything about cats. I naively though that after a while they just start coming to me and I would be able to domesticate them and find them good homes. Well, I was wrong. They stayed feral and were just coming to eat. At that time, the mama cat left. 

When the winter came, I left the garage door a little open and left them an old suitcase with my old sweaters. I was shocked, when I walked to the garage one day and saw the mama cat with brand-new four kittens in that suitcase. Well, at that point I had 8 cats! And let me remind you - I was not a cat person. So I said enough is enough. I educated myself about the cats and found some info about the trap-neuter/spay-release program. I trapped the older kittens and fixed/vaccinated them. I also closed the garage door and trapped the little kittens and the mama cat there. I took care of them until they were old enough to take them away from her. When I finally took them away, they stayed with me for another month. My daughter and I socialized them and they went to two good families (each family took two cats). After fixing/vaccinating the mama cat, I ended up with the small colony of outside cat-family (3 older kittens and the mama). I continued feeding them for years. I also left a doghouse for them as a shelter. But slowly one by one, they disappeared, except one... 

So this brings me to the other part of the story - the new chapter, which JUST started. About a month ago, I noticed that there was just one cat left from the whole family. I knew something happened, because he would come by himself and cried and cried and cried. He is a black cat with a beautiful green eyes. His name is Salem (my daughter and I named him after Salem from "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch", which we used to watch together). He was always a little distant. I could only pet him, when he was eating. He would always stay a few feet away from me. He never "hit" me with his paw, but he would occasionally hiss. 

Well, I decided that he is not going to survive there all by himself, especially that I saw few coyotes in our neighborhood. Plus, he does not seem like a strong, dominant cat. So on Tuesday, I finally trapped him. Oh boy, he was mad.  I took him to the vet, his tests came back negative, and he was vaccinated. I think that neutering him years ago and the fact that he stayed with his small family all this time, eating mostly what I gave them, helped in keeping him healthy. 

I prepared the spare bedroom for him in advance. Thank God I removed the pictures from the walls and pulled up the blinds (and put the strings up). When I let him out of that cage, he went crazy. I never saw a cat jump so high and I though he was going to break the window. I backed off and tried to calm him down. And he did. I gave him water, food, and made some places to hide (a box and a cat tree, which I bought in the pet store. That "tree" had also a hideout place on the bottom). 

Next day I went there and...he wasn't hiding. He was laying in the bed on the top of that cat tree.  He looked adorable. He stopped hissing and was just watching me. I sit down on the floor and read some stuff. I stayed there for few hours. He was mostly sleeping. He wasn't eating or drinking though. And he did not use the bathroom. 

Later on, I read that it's normal for the first day or two for the cat not to eat. I also brought him a second litter box, this one filled with soil from my yard (someone suggested it). And I think it was a good idea, since I had to clean up the newspapers I spread there, because he peed. He did not use the other litter box with the unscented litter yet, but he started using the one with the soil. 

Today is the 4th day, since I brought him in. He cries at night and moves around much more. During the day, he just stays in the bed at the top of the cat tree by the window. I also started putting food and water on the window ledge and he finally started to eat. He hisses, when I come too close. But I have to, since I need to put the food and water on that ledge. Then, I push it with the stick to the other end, close to him. 

Since I am studying for some exams, I spend some time with him, just sitting on the floor with the laptop. He mostly sleeps. Sometimes he meows. And I talk to him. The only thing, which worries me is that he is not really interested in interacting with me. Today I moved closer to him and he did not mind. But I got the feeling he did not really care. And this is my only fear - that he will be just not interested in any interaction with me. He is not a young cat and he may not be willing to change.

Well, my goal is to have an outdoor/indoor cat. I'm hoping that he eventually accepts me and will want to spend some cold nights in the house. I don't want to keep him captive in the house forever. 

Well, wish me luck. I will keep you posted ^_^

Welcome to the forums!!  You are doing a wonderful job with Salem.  It will take time, but you are following everything in the book!!  I will give a few suggestions.  Last year I brought a 3 year old feral into my home.  He had been living outside for about 2 years.  I had him TNR'd a few months previous.  I care for other ferals in my yard.  This guy (Marvin) was causing a lot of problems with my other ferals.  I had to do something.  It was a spring and kitten season so my only option was to bring him inside my house.  I cat proofed the spare room for him and was able to get him into a carrier ( it took me 3 hours and only 2 scratches!) and brought him inside.  Living inside my house was my resident indoor only cat of 5 years and my large dog.  It was certainly a process.

1.  Get a feliway diffuser and/or spray for the room Salem is in.  This will help to calm him.  You can find them cheapest on Amazon.

2.  As for litter boxes.  My guy didn't care for the soil mixture.  I had to get Dr. Elsey's Litter Attract.  I used it straight, but you can also mix it with soil and/or regular litter.  It worked within one day.

3.  Composure to help calm him.  Marvin had the same reaction as Salem.  He literally bounced off the walls.  I thought he would go through the window.  I had pulled the blinds up too as well as taken the bed up and blocked all spaces under and behind other furniture.  At night Marvin would cry and cry.  I brought in my ipod and played calming harp music for him all night.  That helped, but he still cried.  I first used Composure feline treats.  I would give him 3 at bedtime.  They took 30-45 minutes to work, but wore off after 4-6 hours.  Yet they did work.  He stopped crying.  I then switched to Composure liquid max and mixed it into his wet food.  This worked much quicker and lasted longer.  I have it 2x a day.

4.  I would visit often.  I always sat on the floor so not to loom over him.  I would talk quietly to him or read aloud to him.  I tried some regular cat toys, but he had no idea how to play.  A shoe string hidden under an old towel and pulled slowly was his first toy!!  He also like a little catnip sprinkled on the towel and a catnip toy.  Later we moved to the laser light and da Bird.

5.  Gerber stage 2 Baby food is your friend!!  It's in the small jar with the blue label.  You want the chicken or turkey.  Make sure it is just chicken or turkey and water with no added spices.  I get it at Target for $1.  Cats love it.  You can offer a bit on a small plate for him to taste and then move to him licking it off a spoon and then to him licking it off your fingers.  It is known as "kitty crack"! This is just a training tool and not a meal replacement.  Plain cooked chicken/turkey work well too.  Whenever I would visit Marvin, I would bring a yummy treat and then when I left I offered another.  At first he wouldn't eat it in my presence, but he began to associate me with yummy things. 

6.  After he is more comfortable.  You can try a brush.  He may like the feeling of a brush rather than a hand. 

7.  Remember to keep your gaze down, if direct eye contact freaks him out.  Look over the top of his head or keep your gaze low. 

You are doing so well.  Keep us posted on Salem's progress.

Wow, I am really impressed with your work - and you have been very successful so far.  I second everything ShadowsRescue said.

Keep in mind that after all this time, he may not ever be a lap kitty.  But it sounds like he has the potential of becoming a very happy house cat.  I do think that you should probably keep him inside permanently.  Once he gets used to the amenities, he may not really want to go back outside.

Ondine said:

 
Wow, I am really impressed with your work - and you have been very successful so far.  I second everything ShadowsRescue said.

Keep in mind that after all this time, he may not ever be a lap kitty.  But it sounds like he has the potential of becoming a very happy house cat.  I do think that you should probably keep him inside permanently.  Once he gets used to the amenities, he may not really want to go back outside.

Click to expand...

I kept Marvin inside permanently.  He has rarely ever tried to get outside.  He loves looking outside from his cat tree, but he knows he has it good inside. 

He is not a true lap cat.  He will sit on my lap, but is very nervous doing so.  He hates to be held as well.  Yet he loves curling up next to me and snuggles all night in bed.  The past two nights it has been quite cold out.  He wanted under the covers!  I sometimes wonder how he survived out in the cold for 2 years. 

Thank you both, ShadowsRescue and Ondine, for your reply and advise. I will definitely use all of your suggestions. 

ShadowsRescue, thanks for writing about Marvin. After your first post, I was actually wondering how far he got as far as getting used to the new home. It's great that he became a house pet. 

I do realize that Salem may not be a lap cat. He was always a mama's boy (and mama was a mean cat. She would look at me like she was saying: "Just give me my food and go away", haha).  Salem was never like that, but he would mostly keep close to her and usually stayed few feet away from me. If he let me pet him, it was only when he was busy eating. But every time he realized what I was doing, he would jump back. His brother, Leo, who stopped coming few years ago, was quite different. He loved being petted. I would have taken Leo home, but, at that time, I thought he was happy with his family. 

Today is day 5 and Salem is making a little progress. I sit closer to him now - about 5 feet away. He trusts me more now that I'm not going to burst his invisible 3 feet personal bubble, so he is relaxing on his cat tree. And for the first time, he got very interested in me playing with the paper-ball I made. I was throwing it up and down, picking it up and throwing it again. He was watching my every move. So finally I got some interaction!

Here are his pictures. I think he kind of "moved in" 

I just read Salem's story and your followup post.  It does look like he is settling into his new home.   And I know he will love his cat tree, because my cat Ruby has the exact same one and sleeps in the upper bed all the time.  Did you get it at Petsmart?  

Hi Ruby's Mama, I think I got that cat tree at PetCo. They have many choices, but I picked this one, since I thought he was going to hide in that bottom area. Well, he surprised me. I think I'm starting with him at a little better, higher stage than some owners, who bring a very feral cat home. I think he is semi-feral, since he has known me for so long. Although he's not hiding and hissing at me all the time, I also realize that going forward may not be easy at all. So far this week, he "helped" me pass 3 exams (I have one more towards completion of the certificate), since I've been sitting with him studying and reading out loud. He will be one very smart cat!

Hi Kasia. Good to hear that you and Salem are doing well with your exams. 

Hi,

So today is a week since I took my Salem home. He is still afraid of me, although he started moving around the room more. He sits now sometimes on top of my black Ikea dresser, which I'm actually trying to move, since he started scratching the top. 

Not too much changed. He still hisses at me sometimes. He started using the litter box with the regular litter, although I still mix some mulch from my yard with it. I still sit with him and work on my laptop. And he just watches me. I know that "patience is a virtue", but I'm not a very good at it. I would like him to just come and snuggle with me. 

I'm going on vacation in 3 weeks, so...I called my good neighbor to ask her if she could check on the kitty when I'm gone. She said she would be happy to do it. I'm going to introduce her to Salem before I leave. I told her that it's hard to find two such crazy neighbors, one who asks: "Would you watch my wild cat?" and the other saying" "Of course, I would", haha. 

I have one more problem, which I need to resolve quite soon - I have two dogs. One is a female Dalmatian, Roxy. She is our princess and won't bother Salem. She will be curious, but will respect his boundaries. Boo, my black lab/pitbull mix, is a different story. He is an awesome dog, very friendly towards kids, but gets really aggressive with other dogs (except Roxy, of course). He is also a hunter. He can hunt all day for squirrels in our backyard (never caught any yet though). I just hope he accepts the cat, when he realizes that Salem is part of our family now. But I worry about that.

Ruby's Mama, Salem actually used my carpet (the one actually on the floor, not on the cat tree as a scratching toy. Actually, I think he was trying to get out, because he seriously damaged my carpet right by the door. Luckily, we will be changing carpets upstairs, although the one in the guest bedroom was in quite good shape and I considered leaving it. Well, now, I have no choice. I removed most of the pictures from the walls, but the one, which I left started leaning to one side too much. It was hanging right above the dresser and I had a suspicion that Salem was playing with it. Well, now, I took that "toy" away.

So that's pretty much it so far. Except I think he still hates me for keeping him in that "prison".     

Just remember a few things:  Feral cats take lots of time and patience.  It will take him awhile to adjust to indoor life.  When I brought Marvin inside last year it took him an entire year to adjust.  He had lots of progress along the way, but it was one full year before he, my other cat and my dog were all acclimated to one another. 

I would really try to get him some Calming treats or the Composure liquid.  Especially with you going on vacation.  Last year when I brought Marvin inside, I too went on vacation after he had been in the house for about a month.  I had someone come to the house to feed him.  It was hard.  He was so scared of her.  Also be sure that when the cat sitter comes, that he doesn't try to escape the room.  I had a sturdy chair pad outside of the door for my cat sitter to block the entrance while she went into the room.  I did not have my sitter try to interact with Marvin.  It was just too much.  She just fed him, gave fresh water and cleaned the litter.  Be sure to tell her to keep her gaze down ( no eye contact), speak quietly and do not try to approach him or pet him. 

As far as intros to the dogs, do not rush the process.  Salem needs to adjust to indoor life and also get better with you before meeting the dogs.  It may be months before he is ready for that.  When the time comes do start with the easy dog first.  We used a baby gate and allowed the dog to see him through the gate.  I then used yummy treat rewards (plain cooked chicken) to entice them both.  The intros need to be very short.  If and when you are ready for a face to face intros, be sure the dog(s) are on leashes and well under your control.  Salem will need to know that you can control the dogs and that you will protect him.

As far as scratching and ruining the carpet in front of the door, Marvin did this too.  He wanted out so badly.  We ended up getting a piece of firm plastic that goes under a desk chair and placing it in the on both sides of the door frame.  It extended about a foot in each direction.  We just used duct tape to keep it in place.  This was the carpet was safe.  Scratching posts were hard as Marvin preferred carpet.  Try different types of cat scratches and sprinkle a bit of catnip on them to entice him.

Also remember to take things really slow with Salem.  It's often as one step forward, 2 steps back with ferals.  When you frighten them, it often takes them awhile to get the trust going again.  Keep working on him. 

Did you try the babyfood?

ShadowsRescue, thanks so much for all the suggestions. I did not try the baby food, because I cooked the chicken for him I did not add anything, just water. He liked it, but it looks like he prefers the canned food. I mix some with the dry food, although, right now, since I'm trying to bribe him, I feed him mostly cans. He likes them. 

I did frighten him a bit today I think, because I cleaned the room. Of course, no vacuum cleaners, haha. But I moved around the room, cleaned the window (which he made really dirty), swept the carpet, etc. He was sitting on the dresser with his ears down. I talked to him, but he was still not very happy.

I bought him another cat tree (he is one spoiled kitty). This one is just for scratching and climbing. It's quite tall. I want to replace my dresser with it, although I don't want to frighten him again, trying to move the dresser. So we see. I may wait till tomorrow. 

I will definitely go get the calming treats. And that plastic by the door is a great idea. Thanks.

So Salem jumped down from my dresser today and ate his food, which I put it on the floor. It's a step forward, since so far he would not do it. I had to put the food on the window latch so far. Otherwise, he would not eat. But today he finally jumped down, while I was sitting on the floor, talking to him. 

It's funny that he behaves more wild now than when he was outside. Like he reverted to the more feral stage. When I was feeding him outside, he would come very close to me and sometimes I was able to pet him. Now, the major break is when he jumps down on the floor and lets me sit about 5 feet away from him. But I'm guessing, this is a life-changing event for him, so he is traumatized by the fact that he got caught and put "in prison". So now, he needs to re-learn again that I'm not going to harm him. 

Here is his new pic. He started venturing out of his usual spot, which is a good thing. He also started interacting with me more. 

It seems that he is really progressing!!  Keep up the good work.  He certainly is quite handsome.  He will be forever grateful to you for bringing him inside to a loving home.

Hi everyone,

It's been almost a month since I took my feral cat home.  I know that everyone says that the patience is important, but I'm getting little anxious. I feel like we came to the standstill. He is stalling any progress. He mostly stays in his cat tree or on the top of my dresser. When I walk in, he hisses, but then settles down. If I play with the toy, he watches me. If I come too close, he backs off. Also, he waits for me to leave the room before he jumps down to eat his food. Even if I put the food and stay there for two hours, he still waits. He walks around the room only when I'm not there. If I knock, he jumps back to the cat tree or dresser and does not move. He doesn't usually hide, although he did that couple of times, when my husband was fixing something in the house, making some noise. 

I understand that Salem is 7 years old, so he's not going to chase the toy and be playful like a little kitty. He is a mature, more settled cat (which I think I actually prefer). But if he decides that this is not for him, would I have to let him go? 

I live in Atlanta and we have some cold winter days, so I decided that I'm going to keep him inside for sure till end of March. If he still hates me by then and doesn't want to have anything to do with me, I may have to let him out.

When I was taking Salem in, I knew that since he was 7, he may not want to change. I knew I was taking a big chance. And maybe in the next 4 months, I will see the positive progress. Now, I'm not looking for a sweet, lap cat. I'm just looking for a cat who will accept me, who I can let out of the guest bedroom and who will find his place in my house. I guess the time will tell if it's possible.

I read some heartwarming stories on this site about people taking in the older cats (although they were still younger than Salem). I especially like the ones, which show the changes in the behavior over months. So there are some nice stories where after several months, cats usually settle down in the house. But I'm wondering what is the success rate? Is my cat in "the other" category? It seems like he is not afraid of me, but rather ignores and hates me. 

He doesn't hate you - you just still scare him a little.  Remember, he was on his own for a long time and his world turned upside down.  As far as he's concerned, that was because of you.  That does not mean he won't get used to the idea of living inside and of having a human being in his territory.  It just means, like you said, he won't be a lap cat.

I do think keeping him inside is a good idea.  He'll hide when there are strange noises (all my cats do that).  He may hiss if you approach him suddenly or too quickly or something else changes.  One of my cats, inside for eight years, hisses when he hears me granddaughter's ringtone (a cat meowing).  She has to put her phone on silent when she's here.

I know this may not sound very reassuring but honestly, you are doing great!  I wouldn't hang around him all that much - actually, ignoring him for a bit might be what he needs.  He may become curious about what's going on and surprise you.

Thank you for some words of encouragement. I needed it 

Salem is still hissing at me, but now goes through hissing and mewing interchangeably. I decided that I'm going to push the boundaries a bit, not to scare him, but just inch by inch get closer. So now I sit about 4 feet from him and he is completely relaxed, sometimes even sleeping. He jumped down from his cat tree to eat today with me being in the room, which he never did before. I bought him some tuna in water to bribe him a bit. It's just a little treat. He usually eats dry food mixed with cat's canned food.

I'm going away for 9 days and my good friend and neighbor is going to watch him. I prepared everything for the kitty, but I still worry that he does not know her very well. When she first visited him, he hid under the dresser (he doesn't do it with me). Now, she is coming again on Thursday to see him and then I'm leaving on Friday. If he hides again, I may have to move the litter box and the food closer to the door, so when she comes to feed him and clean his litter box, she does not have to go into the room too far. If he runs out of the room while 'I'm on vacation, I'm going to have a problem. I have two dogs and one is quite aggressive towards other dogs and cats. Otherwise, he is a super sweet dog, great with kids and my other dog. So I was hoping that slowly he will accept Salem. But not if Salem runs out of the room and run into him. I just hope that won't happen. 

You will be able to assess his reaction to the neighbor, which is probably going to be his reaction to any new person.  Moving the litter box and food can backfire, because it will be another change.  I do not think Salem will attack you neighbor unless she pushes herself on him.  She, too, has to move slowly and quietly and talk softly to him.  She can describe what she's doing - tell her to use a baby voice.  It sounds silly but it does work.

I'd invest in a baby gate and leave it in the door.  That way, your neighbor can step over it but it will stop Salem at least long enough for her to close the door.  Reinforce to her that the door must be closed whether she's in the room or not.

BTW - have you tried sitting in the room reading out loud to him.  It gets him used to your presence and your voice.

Just remember, this is another change in his life.  He'll probably be set back a bit.  But it does not mean he's a lost cause.

Yes, I did read out loud to him. Sometimes he does not pay any attention to me, sometimes he keeps looking. Right now, his behavior fluctuates widely. Sometimes he mews and I think we are making progress, sometimes he goes back to hissing. Sometimes he lets me come very close and other times he keeps me further away. It's like he is not sure what to do. 

I will buy the gate. That's a very good idea. I really don't want him running around my house while I'm not there. It would be a disaster. 

It's so weird that cats have such different personalities, even in the same family. Salem's brother, who disappeared few years ago, was such a sweet cat. He would come, rub against my legs, and let me pet him.  Salem was always a mama's boy and mama was mean. He would observe his brother, but never approach by himself. 

Tomorrow, my neighbor is coming to see him. We'll see what his reaction is going to be. Also, I'm a little concern that when I come back from my vacation, I will have to start from square one with him. He so quickly reverts back to being wild. 

Last year when I brought my feral, Marvin into the house, I too had to go on vacation after he had been in the house for a short time.  I was gone for 5 days.  My niece came over to feed him 2x daily.  I had a gate just inside the door for her to step over.  One time she did knock it over and that really scared Marvin.  Another tip I have is to use a sturdy piece of cardboard or chair pad.  Have it outside the door to Salem's room.  Your friend can use it to keep in front of her (low to the ground) to gently push him back should he try to escape.  My niece never needed it as Marvin was very afraid.  He hid as soon as he realized it was her.  I decided it was best for her just to feed Marvin, give  fresh water and clean the litter box.  She would talk to him and I told her to move slowly and keep her gaze down.  The first 2 days, he didn't eat much.  But hunger won out and he started eating.  There was a bit of a set back when I got home.  He was more skittish and it took some time.  Yet, he was safe and cared for.