new mom to a male feral cat- need advice

bratbaby · Jun 19, 2015

Hello everyone,
I am a new mother to a 7 month feral cat. He is my first pet and I'm not familiar with behaviors as of yet. I am getting him neutered within the next month or so. Is it normal for him to be so aggressive at this age. He bites and claws me. Also I heard they r in pain during this period. Is that true? What can I do to calm him down? If he is in pain, what can I do to ease his pain? Thx for any helpful hints

shadowsrescue · Jun 20, 2015

Welcome to the forums. I need a bit more information from you. First off, is this a feral cat that you found in or around your property? If not, where did he come from and is he truly feral ( you cannot touch him, he won't make eye contact, he hides in fear of humans and has had little or no human contact) or is he a stray that is scared? Also is this cat living in your home and strictly an indoor only cat?

A few reasons he may be aggressive: He needs to be neutered. The hormones are beginning to course through this body. I would neuter him sooner than later. It will make a difference in his behavior. Please be sure that during this time he is not outside. If he is allowed out and he may wander in search of a mate. Some unneutered cats will wander for months on end. When they are kept inside, it often becomes difficult as they will yowl, howl and claw to try to get outside. The longer you wait, the more pronounced his behavior may be.

Secondly, it sounds as though he hasn't been socialized too much. Can you pet him? How do you go about petting him. I would suggest sitting on the floor at his level. Try not to make direct eye contact with him. Just keep your gaze low or over his head. Talk softly and don't lunge or try to force yourself on him. Just calming talk to him. Food is usually a big hit with cats. Try offering him some plain cooked chicken, small pieces of tuna or salmon. Bring him just a tiny bit each time you visit him.

Have you tried to play with him? 7 month old kitties have a lot of energy. Play is also a way to their heart. Get a da bird wand toy or other similar wand toy or laser pointer and really get him moving. Do not use your hands as a toy. They will associate them as prey and want to bite and scratch. It's common for people to scratch blankets or the carpets to attract a kitty, but in the end they will not see your hands as anything other than prey. After a play session reward him with a bit of a treat. This will fulfill the hunt, kill, eat. Cats hunt their prey, kill the prey and then eat the prey. You can do the same with a toy.

Patience is your friend. Take it slowly. Also have you tried a feliway plug in? They work well with cats that are nervous, scared or aggressive.

StefanZ · Jun 20, 2015

bratbaby said:
Hello everyone,
I am a new mother to a 7 month feral cat. He is my first pet and I'm not familiar with behaviors as of yet. I am getting him neutered within the next month or so. Is it normal for him to be so aggressive at this age. He bites and claws me. Also I heard they r in pain during this period. Is that true? What can I do to calm him down? If he is in pain, what can I do to ease his pain? Thx for any helpful hints

You had got excellent questions and advices from ShadowsR. I shall wait with further advices till you have answered them.

But no, normally they arent supposed to be in pains at that age. What pains could there be?? IF he has pains, its a problem to try and solve, and its something outside the normal age behavior.

IF he is not really feral, some biting and clawing may be because he perhaps grew up without siblings, and hasnt never learn properly to take it easy when playing with your hands....

Or it may even be love bites, which he is overdoing, by the same reason.

Now Im guessing, as you havent told us much yet.

See you!

msaimee · Jun 20, 2015

It's not normal for any cat to be in any pain. Why do you think he's in pain? Only cats who are ill or injured experience pain. My advice is to get him to a vet ASAP--don't wait a few months. He needs a medical exam and to be neutered and vaccinated against rabies. Is he a stray or a feral? You can pet and approach a stray, but a feral will swipe at you and back off and won't allow you to touch him. If he is a true feral, he will likely not adjust to being an indoor only cat--it will stress him out, and he will continue to be aggressive towards you and increasingly stressed. At seven months, he may be too old for you to socialize him to being an indoor pet. After you neuter him, if he continues to be aggressive and stressed after a week or so, you should release him. You can be his caregiver and provide daily food and in the winter, a shelter for him, and he can live a happy and healthy life outside. If he's allowing you to pet him and approach him, he's likely a stray and not a feral--and in that case, he will adjust to being an indoor pet after some time--at least a few months--but he won't settle down until you neuter him. Good luck and thanks for caring for that kitty.

bratbaby · Jun 20, 2015

ShadowsRescue said:
Welcome to the forums. I need a bit more information from you. First off, is this a feral cat that you found in or around your property? If not, where did he come from and is he truly feral ( you cannot touch him, he won't make eye contact, he hides in fear of humans and has had little or no human contact) or is he a stray that is scared? Also is this cat living in your home and strictly an indoor only cat?

A few reasons he may be aggressive: He needs to be neutered. The hormones are beginning to course through this body. I would neuter him sooner than later. It will make a difference in his behavior. Please be sure that during this time he is not outside. If he is allowed out and he may wander in search of a mate. Some unneutered cats will wander for months on end. When they are kept inside, it often becomes difficult as they will yowl, howl and claw to try to get outside. The longer you wait, the more pronounced his behavior may be.

Secondly, it sounds as though he hasn't been socialized too much. Can you pet him? How do you go about petting him. I would suggest sitting on the floor at his level. Try not to make direct eye contact with him. Just keep your gaze low or over his head. Talk softly and don't lunge or try to force yourself on him. Just calming talk to him. Food is usually a big hit with cats. Try offering him some plain cooked chicken, small pieces of tuna or salmon. Bring him just a tiny bit each time you visit him.

Have you tried to play with him? 7 month old kitties have a lot of energy. Play is also a way to their heart. Get a da bird wand toy or other similar wand toy or laser pointer and really get him moving. Do not use your hands as a toy. They will associate them as prey and want to bite and scratch. It's common for people to scratch blankets or the carpets to attract a kitty, but in the end they will not see your hands as anything other than prey. After a play session reward him with a bit of a treat. This will fulfill the hunt, kill, eat. Cats hunt their prey, kill the prey and then eat the prey. You can do the same with a toy.

Patience is your friend. Take it slowly. Also have you tried a feliway plug in? They work well with cats that are nervous, scared or aggressive.

shadowsrescue · Jun 20, 2015

@bratbaby Your post is blank.

bratbaby · Jun 20, 2015

Hello Thx for ur reply. Ok let me give u the entire scenario so u have a better idea of what I'm dealing with. Sometime in mid 2012 I noticed one or two cats in my yard so I began leaving out food and water/milk. They seemed to be young adults. I never tried approaching them. This went on for months. That winter there was a small litter of kittens. Those babies had babies and so on. During this time I never approached any of the cats. I always took care when leaving food as not to scare them. Fast forward to Sept 2014. My father passed and we were selling the house. I had about 4-5 cats in my yard at this point and knew someone had to rescue them before I moved out. One of my sisters neighbors offered BC she has been rescuing for years and knew what to do. My house sold rather quickly so there was no time to lose. At one point I noticed four adult females and they were always huddled together which they had never done before. I thought maybe they had kittens and were protecting them. One day in particular something caught my eye as they huddled together. I went outside to investigate. This was Nov 29 of last year. All the adults scattered and sure enough there was a little baby. He didn't run off. He let me pick him up and didn't seem scared. I fell in love at this point. I brought him in. Set him up with everything he needed. Food , bed , toys. The first few days he was unapproachable. I spent a lot of time with him so he could get used to me. I had him in my arms and purring within two days time. I had a vet come out and test him for feline Aids/leukemia and vaccinations. He was negative. That was within the first week. The Dr told me he was about 4-5 weeks old. The first week in Jan 2015 we moved. He adjusted very well. During his time with me, he is strictly indoors. I haven't had any major issues with him until recently. He is more aggressive and keeps me up with his howling. I know his hormones r attributed to this. I bought the pheremone spray and the diffuser. It works to a degree. I can't get him neutered as of yet BC I'm waiting on some money to come in. Which should be soon. I have been his only playmate. I've had guests over but he won't let anyone get close or touch him but me. Also I thought he was in pain BC that's what an alleged cat expert told me. Hes very loving at times and we have fun playing but again he's more aggressive lately. Biting, licking and scratching. Thx for any tips. Oh also I have weined off of milk and wet food early on as i was told its bad for his digestion. He's on crunchy food and water. Which I change 3-4 times daily. He gets small meals not free feed. I also give him treats when warranted.

shadowsrescue · Jun 20, 2015

Thanks for your reply.

His behavior is almost totally due to him not being neutered. I would find a low cost clinic or a vet that will allow you to set up a payment plan. His behavior will not stop until his hormones are out of his body. After the neuter it is usually 2-3 weeks before things settle down. Be extra extra careful that he doesn't get outside. He is yowling as he wants to find a mate and aggressive as he wants to fight. There is little you can do other than neuter him. Please contact vets in your area to see if you can get a payment option or a reduced cost. In my area there are often $10 vouchers available.

As for food, dry food is ok, but wet food is better. I feed a bit of both, but wet food offers more nutrients and gets a cat more liquid in their diet. If you can afford to, offer a bit of wet here and there.

Thank you for rescuing this sweet kitty. I really hope you can get him neutered sooner than later. He will be a handful and there is very little you can do. Maybe you could set up a GoFundMe account or ask some friends for a loan. At my low cost clinic, males are $45 and that included a mandatory rabies shot.

bratbaby · Jun 20, 2015

ShadowsRescue said:
Thanks for your reply.

His behavior is almost totally due to him not being neutered. I would find a low cost clinic or a vet that will allow you to set up a payment plan. His behavior will not stop until his hormones are out of his body. After the neuter it is usually 2-3 weeks before things settle down. Be extra extra careful that he doesn't get outside. He is yowling as he wants to find a mate and aggressive as he wants to fight. There is little you can do other than neuter him. Please contact vets in your area to see if you can get a payment option or a reduced cost. In my area there are often $10 vouchers available.

As for food, dry food is ok, but wet food is better. I feed a bit of both, but wet food offers more nutrients and gets a cat more liquid in their diet. If you can afford to, offer a bit of wet here and there.

Thank you for rescuing this sweet kitty. I really hope you can get him neutered sooner than later. He will be a handful and there is very little you can do. Maybe you could set up a GoFundMe account or ask some friends for a loan. At my low cost clinic, males are $45 and that included a mandatory rabies shot.

StefanZ · Jun 20, 2015

StefanZ said:
You had got excellent questions and advices from ShadowsR. I shall wait with further advices till you have answered them.

But no, normally they arent supposed to be in pains at that age. What pains could there be?? IF he has pains, its a problem to try and solve, and its something outside the normal age behavior.

IF he is not really feral, some biting and clawing may be because he perhaps grew up without siblings, and hasnt never learn properly to take it easy when playing with your hands....

Or it may even be love bites, which he is overdoing, by the same reason.

Now Im guessing, as you havent told us much yet.

See you!

OK, I see. So its essentially as I though. 1. He is not neutered. 2. He is not enough trained with playing with siblings and adult cats, to know he must be cautious when making his play / love bites...

I suppose when this alleged cat expert said he was in pains, it was, because cats in pains dont have the same patience as usually, and thus, can show irritation and other bad humors.

Which would explain why he bites and clawes...   Partly true, but I hope wrong, and he isnt in pains.

So your plan should be: neuter as soon you can manage . Do not use your hands to play with him, untill he learns to be cautious.   And do mark clearly his bites do hurts... Alike his cat pals would.

You may even consider getting him a real cat pal. Preferably a friendly, well socialized young adult cat.    It is a little more costly, but its usually easier to have two cats whom are pals, then to have just one cat.

Continue to play much with him, and socialize / foster him, as he is at this moment not yet fully fostered. But it will be easier too when he is neutered. These hormones makes it difficult for him to relax and deep learn.

bratbaby · Jun 20, 2015

That's what I thought. U have more than answered my questions. Sorry for the long winded post. I want the best for him. I have researched prices. The lowest cost here is 120 which includes vaccinations. I have no intention of letting him out of the house or letting him go. That is not an option. I'm as vigilant as they come. I've seen examples of ppl that can't take their behavior and get rid of them. I am not one of these ppl. He is the love of my life. I really appreciate all the input. All of u have been so helpful.

bratbaby · Jun 20, 2015

I have a room mate with two adult male house cats. When the time comes we r going to introduce them. They r about 13 years old and brothers. They r the loviest. When I get more situated here I will post some pics.

margd · Jun 20, 2015

Will your vet let you post date checks and/or give you a payment plan? My old vet before I moved used to do both and it was a real Godsend. My current vet doesn't unfortunately but it is worth asking.

Kat0121 · Jun 20, 2015

ShadowsRescue said:
Thanks for your reply.

His behavior is almost totally due to him not being neutered. I would find a low cost clinic or a vet that will allow you to set up a payment plan. His behavior will not stop until his hormones are out of his body. After the neuter it is usually 2-3 weeks before things settle down. Be extra extra careful that he doesn't get outside. He is yowling as he wants to find a mate and aggressive as he wants to fight. There is little you can do other than neuter him. Please contact vets in your area to see if you can get a payment option or a reduced cost. In my area there are often $10 vouchers available.

As for food, dry food is ok, but wet food is better. I feed a bit of both, but wet food offers more nutrients and gets a cat more liquid in their diet. If you can afford to, offer a bit of wet here and there.

Thank you for rescuing this sweet kitty. I really hope you can get him neutered sooner than later. He will be a handful and there is very little you can do. Maybe you could set up a GoFundMe account or ask some friends for a loan. At my low cost clinic, males are $45 and that included a mandatory rabies shot.

I agree about finding a low cost spay/neuter clinic. If you have a local chapter of the Humane Society, they often give out free vouchers. I don't know where you're located but here's some links to help you find one. Once he's neutered he will calm down.

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/tips/afford_spay_neuter.html

http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html

Thank you for helping this sweet boy. I hope you have many happy, healthy years together

bratbaby · Jun 20, 2015

I've had a visiting vet and the vet I have now. There r no payment plans. I already looked into the ASPCA. The cost is 120 and its about ten miles or so. I don't have a car. I live in New Jersey

new mom to a male feral cat- need advice

bratbaby

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shadowsrescue

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StefanZ

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msaimee

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bratbaby

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shadowsrescue

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bratbaby

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shadowsrescue

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StefanZ

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bratbaby

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bratbaby

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margd

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