Feral Reinjuired- Keeping in Basement

I have an update! We got a baby cam & he is still holding his leg up! Back to the same vet he goes for the 3rd time now. Could it be broken? Would 2 cat bites cause him to still be holding it up?

OrangePoe said:

I have an update! We got a baby cam & he is still holding his leg up! Back to the same vet he goes for the 3rd time now. Could it be broken? Would 2 cat bites cause him to still be holding it up?

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I hope you find some answers.  Poor dear.  At least you now know.

Another update! We put the trap in the play pen & he wouldn't go in :-( finding Grey another vet just not sure how we are going to get him there. Is there something the vet can give us that makes him go to sleep so we can just put him in the crate? Not sure what to do! He saw the trap and just wasn't havin it!

OrangePoe said:

Another update! We put the trap in the play pen & he wouldn't go in :-( finding Grey another vet just not sure how we are going to get him there. Is there something the vet can give us that makes him go to sleep so we can just put him in the crate? Not sure what to do! He saw the trap and just wasn't havin it!

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acepromazine 

Can you put a cardboard box or a cat crate in the playpen and maybe try gently guiding him in there with a stick or broom? I'm afraid to suggest you try to pick him up or touch him, especially given his leg is still hurting.

I don't know if they'll give OrangePoe anything without having seen the cat.

Hi everyone I have another update! We took grey to a new vet yesterday!They did in fact give us acepromazine & we protted him in the crate. The vet said his leg is fractured & that callous is growing around it. The vet gave him the 2 week antibiotic & we also have to give him medicine for 2 weeks crushed in his food. They also said one of his abscesses didn't heal right. ( I guess the first vet was a complete joke! ) They said it was up to us wether to see an orthapedic surgeon if he doesn't start to put weight on it. He stayed over night & we picked him up today.

The good news is that they said grey isn't Feral! The tech said he didn't hiss or try to bite. When I picked him up today she had me come in the back to see her put a towel over him, rub his head then put him in the crate.

He is back in the basement in his playpen, eating well. I am still spending time down here but don't know how to go about getting him to be friends with me. He still won't come out & eat while I am here!

Here is a pic of his xray!

Poor boo-boo.  So glad the X-ray cleared things up a bit.  I think once his pain level goes down and his routine develops, he will have no issues with you.  Right now, you are the human who has taken him to the vet, so he might still be a tad suspicious of you.  I would not worry about that.  Spend time with him - sit and read out loud if you have the time.  He will get used to you.

He's a lucky, lucky kitty!

Hi everyone! 4 months later Grey is still with us in the basement. He has the whole room to himself and yes he is STILL holding his leg up! Is this normal? I know it takes a while to heal but should he still be doing it at 4 months?

He uses the injuries foot to dig in the litter but he will never put it down. He hides all day long. I visit him many times a day and see his little head peaking from where he lies behind a bunch of boxes. He plays with toys and eats like a horse!

How can I get him to come out?? Its been 4 months I want him to be my friend!!

We have an eight year old cat, born to a feral mother and brought inside at six months. We did everything wrong. Chester (he's the cat in my avatar) is the sweetest boy but very shy. He will allow a ten-second head scratch every once in awhile. Any new people or noises and he is under our bed like a shot. But we love him as he is and I know he understands how much we care for him. Perhaps Grey has a similar personaiity. Basically laid back but shy and withdrawn.

He gets that he's safe now and he gets that you care. I would give it as much time as he needs. Blessings on you for caring for him.

Is there any way you can get him out of the basement so he can see day light?  I think it would be hard to live in a basement full time. 

Just keep working with him.  If he were allowed upstairs he might warm up and want to hang out with you. 

He doesn't let me touch him :-( i have a Rottweiler upstairs which I'm sure he hears too. I don't know if I should go in his area where he hides and try to touch him? I'm scared that he won't be comfortable in that spot anymore and will always fear me coming in.
He has a window but there is only so much I can do since he doesn't even let me see him!

Poor Grey -and poor you. I know how frustrating it is when socialization is so slow.

You said he does have a window in his room right? We socialize in a basement room with a window too, and once we feel we can let them out of the dog crate we put a step ladder up to the (closed) basement window. That lets them look out without the danger of actually being outside.

Can you actually get in close enough to try to touch him? What I do is offer Gerbers Chicken Baby Food (make sure it's the kind with no onions) on a long-handled iced tea spoon. They usually can't resist it -it's very smelly & yummy to kitties. I offer a bit on the spoon and hold it way out - usually their desire for the yummy baby food overcomes their fear of me, and so they'll come closer than normal. Keep offering it repeatedly. He'll get more & more comfortable with you being close. Just keep trying! And remember - he's better off healing with you inside than re injuring & reinjuring himself while he lives under a rock!

Obviously he's getting picked on horribly as his injury (the broken leg) makes him weak & easy to pick on for other males in the area! So being inside to heal is by far the best. Don't forget he's going to feel more vulnerable & scared while he's healing. Keep trying the baby food & the soft talking. He'll come around!