What to do with my feral?

Hi, Ive been feeding a stray/feral cat for 4 months now.  He/she is a huge, black beauty and very friendly.   I can rub his face and body and he loves it.

I know he./she has been 'fixed' because of the left ear tip being snipped off. I thought it was a female because she had 4 rows of nipples but I read that the male cats also have the same amount of nipples.  I hav e not been able to actually see if there is a penis.....

The cat must weigh at least 10 lbs. and is long in the body and the tail.

1.  Should I feed 'him' a better wet food than Friskies?

2. Should I feed dry food, too?

3. I can't get him to drink water....anything I can put in it to make him like it?

4. How do you litter box train an outside cat?

I am afraid that is I bring him in, he will claw my couch and jump on my counters, etc.  He has jumped about 10' high on a fence outside to watch me in my kitchen.  He is very lovable and we have a bond.  But, he is still scared if I move too quickly around him (as when I am bringing him food).

But he comes back in a few seconds.

Any ideas to help me?

Thank you.

Lin

1.  What you feed any cat is just a personal choice.  We have a nutrition forum you can post in if concerned. As long as you are feeding him sufficent amounts of wet food though there is not a 'need' to add dry.  

2. Cats often just don't seem to drink much water.  If you are feeding him wet he is getting a good amount of water from that though. He may also be getting water from elsewhere, be that from other things he eats or from another actual water source. You can try putting ice cubes in it or using filtered water since some cats do seem sensitive to those differences.  However, in reality he is probably getting 'enough' water between the wet food and any other sources he has.

3.  For most cats litter boxes end up being extremely instinctive. It is usually as simple as making sure the cat sees the box, and perhaps raking your fingers through the (clean) litter and then placing the cat in the box.  The cat will likely just jump out but then will return when she has to go. Starting the cat in one small room (which is a good idea anyway for other reasons) can also help with this.

4. Generally I hope you can take this cat in.  It sounds like a stray who once had a home to me.

Thank you for helping him!  He does sound like a stray or formerly owned cat.  If he was feral, he would not be as approachable.

He most likely is getting enough water from what he hunts and the wet food.  If he was on a dry-food only diet, he would need to drink water but he may be OK as is.  Feed him the best wet food you can afford.

You will need a vet visit with him.  He should be checked for parasites (fleas, worms, etc.) and tested for FIV and FELV.  With FIV, he can live a long life if he has good food and shelter.  Talk to you vet if he tests positive for FELV - its a little more complicated.

He may not have been fixed - sometimes fights tear ear tips off and it can look like the traditional eartip given to outdoor cats when they are fixed.  The vet will be able to tell.

I agree with tulosai - he sounds like he had a home and got lost or was dumped.  Either way, he seems to have given you the honor of being his new caretaker!  Good luck and keep us posted.