Abandoned cat??

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lefty96

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No, I don't know the sex of the cat yet - I'm leaning female but I have no basis for this at all.  We decided this morning that if the cat lets us take it in, we will get it to the vet to get fixed and it will be indoors at least part of the time(I guess how much depends on the cat) .  My wife seems very attached to the notion of this all working out, so I really hope it does.  
 

Kat0121

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it sounds like everything should work out. That's great that your wife is on board with having a kitty. Kitty seems to be on board with everything as well. 
 
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lefty96

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it sounds like everything should work out. That's great that your wife is on board with having a kitty. Kitty seems to be on board with everything as well. 
It is funny both my wife and I had apparently been having the same thoughts about the cat for days before we fessed up.
 

marmoset

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It sound's like there is a lot of hope for this cat.  It does sound like the cat was living in a home at some point.  If it's not wary of your dogs it must be used to dogs from where it lived before.  You also mentioned "she" was meowing from the bushes.  True ferals will not meow at people.  Meowing is an attention getting behavior so she wants to have some relationship with you but she is unsure of you at this time so she is maintaining cover.  The next time she is in those bushes I'd sit or crouch down and just spend some time "flirting".  Look in her direction for just a moment and then blink slowly and turn your face away off to the side.  Or look at her and blink slowly twice before turning (or looking elsewhere).  This is cat body language that translates as "I notice you are there and I'm not a threat."  What you do not want to do is look at her directly in her eyes without blinking.  Just sitting and being non-threatening can go a long way.  Even if you are just reading a book or playing with your phone and only occasionally looking up it will help the cat feel comfortable around you.  Be calm, exude calmness and the cat will eventually be calm too.

Since the cat is likely to have been in someone's home you have a better chance that he/ she has already been fixed.  What I would do right now is call your vet and tell them you have a stray that is hanging around and you are thinking about taking him/ her in.  Ask if they want you to make an appointment for bringing her in or if you can just call them whenever you manage to trap her.  My vet will see strays right away and if an appointment is made they allow last minute cancellation if trapping was unsuccessful but I'd always ask a vet first just to be sure.  Then ask all your questions about what tests they will want to run, vaccines and spay/ neuter costs.  Get all the details on pricing and timing.  Having all the info ahead of time allows you to be much calmer once you do manage to trap her...and that could happen in crazy unexpected ways without planning on your part.  I've heard of cats who though scared of people have bolted into a house or garage.  

I'm sure I'll have more to add later but the Dinner just finished for the cats which means it's our turn to eat now:) 
 
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lefty96

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So far, no cat tonight. We have some severe weather brewing so I suspect she is hunkered down. It looks like most of the food was eaten during the day and we either for a hair ball or a bit of bird as a tip. I couldn't really tell.
 
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lefty96

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Last night she showed up for supper.  She was sitting on the low wall on our porch and I was able to approach her and sit on the ground near the food bowl.  Taking the advice from here, I didn't try to pay her too much attention.  Eventually she started grooming herself and then rolling around on her back - I think she was  trying to get my attention.  I reached over and got a bit of food and as soon as I did this, it is like she immediately figured it all out.  She hopped down off the wall and went and got some food from the bowl.  For the next few minutes she altered between eating and rubbing up against my legs and letting me pet her.  After she finished eating, she just came over and crawled into my lap.  My wife joined us and the cat was friendly with her too.  She let us pet her, she climbed up my back and play swatted at my hand a bit, she even let my wife pick her up.  After a bit, the storms started  rolling in and bot the cat and we got a bit confused as to what we should do, out of 1/2 jest, I just opened up the front door and said "come on" and she just hopped up and went in the house.  

Once she was in the house, she definitely got a bit nervous.  She wouldn't stay still and just wandered around alot.  If we stopped her and pet her, she purred but quickly after she resumed the pacing.  We really didn't know what to do and certainly didn't expect things go go this quickly.  After a bit, it was clear she was pretty confused, but she wanted no part of going back out on the front porch so I took her to our garage(it is an open garage) and she wandered around it a bit.  I kept the door open to the house and she just couldn't make up her mind.  Ultimately since we had no bed, litter box or anything, we settled on making her a bed in the garage as she seemed the most comfy there.  It looks like she stayed the night there b/c she was on the front porch for her breakfast this morning.  My wife pet her awhile, she had left to patrol by the time I got out of the shower. 

So, today we are getting a bed, litter box and a scratching post.  The plan is to set up a little home for her on the porch and let her get to know those items and us a bit better and then at some point move her and those indoors.  But after that, I need y'alls help.  Sooo....

I've read up on setting up a room so I get that, but what to do from there?

We both work away from home all day so where do we keep her while we are gone and she is still adjusting?  We want her to be comfortable but at the same time don't want the house scratched to bits while she gets adjusted.

I would assume that indoors full time is safest?  Since she is obviously adjusted to life outdoors, do we do both?  Another cat has already found her food(there are 3 loose cats around that I know of) so it seems if we keep feeding outdoors, we'll have a whole host of cats before too long.  

I know we need a crate for the vet, I'm not too concerned with that.  She is perfectly content to let us handle her.  
 

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Last night she showed up for supper.  She was sitting on the low wall on our porch and I was able to approach her and sit on the ground near the food bowl.  Taking the advice from here, I didn't try to pay her too much attention.  Eventually she started grooming herself and then rolling around on her back - I think she was  trying to get my attention.  I reached over and got a bit of food and as soon as I did this, it is like she immediately figured it all out.  She hopped down off the wall and went and got some food from the bowl.  For the next few minutes she altered between eating and rubbing up against my legs and letting me pet her.  After she finished eating, she just came over and crawled into my lap.  My wife joined us and the cat was friendly with her too.  She let us pet her, she climbed up my back and play swatted at my hand a bit, she even let my wife pick her up.  After a bit, the storms started  rolling in and bot the cat and we got a bit confused as to what we should do, out of 1/2 jest, I just opened up the front door and said "come on" and she just hopped up and went in the house.  

Once she was in the house, she definitely got a bit nervous.  She wouldn't stay still and just wandered around alot.  If we stopped her and pet her, she purred but quickly after she resumed the pacing.  We really didn't know what to do and certainly didn't expect things go go this quickly.  After a bit, it was clear she was pretty confused, but she wanted no part of going back out on the front porch so I took her to our garage(it is an open garage) and she wandered around it a bit.  I kept the door open to the house and she just couldn't make up her mind.  Ultimately since we had no bed, litter box or anything, we settled on making her a bed in the garage as she seemed the most comfy there.  It looks like she stayed the night there b/c she was on the front porch for her breakfast this morning.  My wife pet her awhile, she had left to patrol by the time I got out of the shower. 

So, today we are getting a bed, litter box and a scratching post.  The plan is to set up a little home for her on the porch and let her get to know those items and us a bit better and then at some point move her and those indoors.  But after that, I need y'alls help.  Sooo....

I've read up on setting up a room so I get that, but what to do from there?

We both work away from home all day so where do we keep her while we are gone and she is still adjusting?  We want her to be comfortable but at the same time don't want the house scratched to bits while she gets adjusted.

I would assume that indoors full time is safest?  Since she is obviously adjusted to life outdoors, do we do both?  Another cat has already found her food(there are 3 loose cats around that I know of) so it seems if we keep feeding outdoors, we'll have a whole host of cats before too long.  

I know we need a crate for the vet, I'm not too concerned with that.  She is perfectly content to let us handle her.  
Wow. This is going so well. How awesome for all of you!! Do you have a spare bedroom or something like that that she can use as her safe place until she gets adjusted? It sounds like that shouldn't take too long. Are your dogs always out back?  If so, she may not need the safe room as long. Do you plan on introducing her to the dogs? If so, this is a very helpful article. http://www.thecatsite.com/a/caring-for-cats-and-dogs

When I first brought the girls home from the shelter, I tried the safe room thing because I have a dog who lives in the house. They were in there the first night about 2 hours or so and I went to check on them. When I was leaving the room, Lilith darted out and ended up face to face with the dog. They checked each other out and Lilith went on to inspect the rest of the place. In my panic of placing myself in between them, I failed to notice that the door was open and Sophie wandered out. Now Lily was off exploring and Sophie was face to face with the dog (who's a very sweet, gentle soul). Same thing, they gave each other the once over and Sophie joined her sister in exploring. They have had free run of the house ever since. So basically, I'd offer her a safe room to get adjusted in but don't be surprised if she just wants to be with everyone in the house and not off on her own. She sounds like a pretty confident cat.

I got Lilith and Sophie a cat tree about 2 weeks after they came to live with us. It is large and has 10 scratching posts. The will occasionally use the carpet to stretch, knead, etc but they have never scratched the furniture. Neither has Henry, my foster kitty who is still in his safe room. I also work full time and my DD is away at college most of the time so they do spend most of their days home alone. A scratching post is a good thing to have but a tree with scratching posts is better. It offers them vertical space that they love. They feel safe when they are looking down at you and not vice versa. The tree was probably my best investment for them. I actually have 2. Henry has one in his safe room.

If you're really concerned about her scratching the furniture, I'd put the scratching post near the piece of furniture you're concerned about and spray it with catnip spray. It does attract most cats to whatever you use it on. You can also use a Feliway diffuser. This is a pheremone solution that you can plug into the wall like one of those plug in air fresheners. Humans cannot smell it. . It's supposed to help deter "bad behavior" by creating a feeling of calmness in cats. This can be found in most pet stores, Amazon, etc. It's pricey though. Some people swear by it, others not so much. It is expensive so be ready for the sticker shock. The initial bottle and adapter was about $50. It's also available in a spray. 

Yes, the best scenario is an indoor only kitty. Lilith and Sophie were both rescued from an abandoned house in town, most likely a backyard breeder who had to move due to foreclosure or something like that and they left the cats behind. There were about 20 of them in total. 
   Lilith ran out the front door the other day when I was taking the dog out and she got about 5 feet from the door then turned around and ran back in. She knows what it's like to have to fend for herself and I guess she didn't like it. She's definitely gotten used to being spoiled. Sophie doesn't even try to get out. 


Some people here do have indoor/outdoor cats who are happy and healthy but IMO, the cat is safest indoors and most outdoor kitties can adjust to being indoor kitties just fine.

It's not just cars they are up against, it's other animals, weather and unfortunately, nasty people. I have a screen room at the back of my house that I let them out in so they can have a bit of the outdoors and still be safe. The love to chase lizards out there and in Florida, there are plenty of them. 

If you continue to feed outside, yes, you will attract other cats. You may become a multi cat family sooner than you planned. 


Thanks for taking care of this sweet kitty. She's lucky to have found you. 
 
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lefty96

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The dogs do stay out back exclusively, they are too big and unruly for the house.  I don't have any plans to introduce the cat to the dogs.  We have a game room, but we do have kids in and out quite a bit so the current thought is to just use our bedroom - no ideal but that is where we are at least as of now.  

We have extra kids at least through Saturday this weekend, so we are planning on Sunday being the move in day.  I'll definitely add that spray to the list.  I am pretty optimistic on the adjustment, I was really surprised at how things went last night.  I anticipated doing outdoor feedings and meetings for at least a week - she caught us way off gaurd.
 

Kat0121

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She's obviously figured out that she can trust you. Cats are very good judges of character. They are intelligent and intuitive. Her transition from outdoor stray to indoor pet should go smoothly. How old are your kids? How do they feel about having a kitty in the house? 
 
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lefty96

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The kids are 10 and 12, I have told them that we are taking care of the cat and it may/may not be moving in(didn't want to get their hopes up).  They are with us every other weekend and a couple of days  during the week.  I don't think it will be an issue for them, but I was trying to get a quieter time to introduce the cat to the house if possible.
 

Kat0121

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Those are good ages. I agree. It more than likely won't be an issue and getting the cat acclimated to the house while it's a little quieter is a good idea. This really sounds like it's setting up to the be the perfect situation for everyone involved! 
 

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Oh, and I would recommend lots of play things for when she is by herself. If my hunter gets bored, he runs around and gets into trouble. Cat nip mice that she can throw around would help with that when you aren't home.
 
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lefty96

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Friday proved to be very interesting/exciting.  My wife and I got all of the stuff we needed to set up a spot for the cat and we saw him(nope, not a her) a bit earlier in the day chasing a rabbit through the woods next to our house.  It got on up into the evening and I was starting to think he wouldn't come back when I heard a terrible yowl and the sound of 2 cats in a scrape.  Sure enough, there he came running through the woods with a much larger grey cat right behind him.  I took off to try to get in between them and ultimately managed to do so they got into a bit of a standoff w/ the grey cat looking for an angle on our cat hiding behind a tree.  I chased off the grey cat and our cat saw me and came from behind the tree and approached me.  I decided at that point that that was the end of this, he was coming in tonight extra people at home or not.  He might be stressed out in the house, but he wouldn't get hurt.  

So that was that really, we set up shop in our game room and I spent the night with him in there.  At first the dogs barking at night really freaked him out - he would climb the blinds or whatever he could to get high when they were near but about the 3rd time the dogs came by, he just curled up on my chest and stayed there most of the night.  He has taken up with everyone in the house perfectly and started using the litter box w/o one mishap.   We will be scheduling a vet appointment this week.  So far I can tell you the she is definitely a he.  He is not fixed(yet), has no fleas but a few ticks and based on what we've researched we are thinking he is around 9 months old(last summer kitten).

We've named him Crowley after the character in Good Omens.  

 

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Wow. That could have gotten pretty ugly if you hadn't gotten them away from each other. That's great that he's already fit in so well with everyone. I'm glad he didn't get hurt. I like the name.It suits him. 
 

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Awesome , I am so glad you were able to get him in the house .   He sounds like a  lovely boy .. I love that name too .. Congrats on your new addition ..
 
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