Stray/feral "Trixie" inside now not eating much

rayd

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Trixie is a stary/feral i have fed outside for 8 months.. she has come around to me over the past month.. I have tamed many ferals before.. she wont let me touch her but she rubs my legs etc.. she has been inside since 2 am July 5th.. but she has only eaten very little. outside she was a can a day feral friskies.. comming around at 1 am..will get her to vet hopefully today getting her in carrier tough..she comes around when i go into the bathroom and she talks with me.. just need some advice on getting her to eat a bit more.. tuna juice not working..
 

StefanZ

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Trixie is a stary/feral i have fed outside for 8 months.. she has come around to me over the past month.. I have tamed many ferals before.. she wont let me touch her but she rubs my legs etc.. she has been inside since 2 am July 5th.. but she has only eaten very little. outside she was a can a day feral friskies.. comming around at 1 am..will get her to vet hopefully today getting her in carrier tough..she comes around when i go into the bathroom and she talks with me.. just need some advice on getting her to eat a bit more.. tuna juice not working..
she is probably more or less tensed and nervous, that is why she doesnt eats much, less aptite..   Also, she moves less now so the energy demand is lower.

Put perhaps on a calming and relaxing music.  Classical harp music is best, but most may work...

Give her mostly at night, as previously...

A tip re carrier and the vet.   Get her into the carrier when you manage, NOT immediately before you go to the vet visit.  If you do, you are stressed and nervous.

But if you do the other way around, the chances are better.   As semiferale she is used to hide in a hole even 24 hours...  So its no big problem to let her wait in the carrier even 24 hours...

Good luck!
 
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rayd

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Thanks yes have music going Enya type etc.. Have had success before with this.. will stay patient and keep updating
 

shadowsrescue

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Do you have her confined to a small room or is she allowed to wander the house?  It's often best to start with a small room so the cat gets used to the small space first.  It's often over whelming having an entire home to roam. 

When I brought a feral/stray into my home 2 years ago, he didn't eat as much as he did outside either.  For the first week or so he would only eat dry food that I left for him at night.  He hardly touched the wet food.  When cats get stressed they often do not want to eat.  You can try some canned tuna and/or the tuna juice.

Do you have a feliway diffuser?  It might help her too.

I hope you can easily get her to the vet for a spay.  Thank you so much for caring for her.  Her life will be so much better with your help and love.
 
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rayd

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yes confined to bathroom feliway diffuser on , music etc.. shes already TNR im just going to try and socialize her for adoption been feeding her for 8 months outside thru that horrible winter she made it all alone living under a pile of rocks.... shes at vet now for bloodwork, microchip, etc..ill be patient with the feeding..
 

calm

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Rayd

I just recently brought in a semi feral stray, like you i had been feeding him through the winter. The poor guy had a really rough time through the winter, but I couldn't take him I until the summer because I already have 2 cats and was temporarily caring for 2 more. In any event as soon as I could I brought him him in, with the plan that he would be settled before the next winter. He has been in now for just over a week. I have called him Nubi. We had a failed attempt at a vet visit, so we are going to wait a few more weeks. Unfortunately, the stress was a lot for him. The first two days he wouldn't eat. I really thought he was depressed. I listened to some of the tips from people on this forum, including providing him with his own safe room. it really did seem to help. He now let's me pat him and is eating twice a day and using his litter box. His spirits seem up. Last night he let me lay down beside him and he placed his paw on my hand when input it out to him. Hope all goes well with Trixie. My vet did tell me the transition can be hard on them. Hang in there!
 

StefanZ

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Rayd

I just recently brought in a semi feral stray, like you i had been feeding him through the winter. The poor guy had a really rough time through the winter, but I couldn't take him I until the summer because I already have 2 cats and was temporarily caring for 2 more. In any event as soon as I could I brought him him in, with the plan that he would be settled before the next winter. He has been in now for just over a week. I have called him Nubi. We had a failed attempt at a vet visit, so we are going to wait a few more weeks. Unfortunately, the stress was a lot for him. The first two days he wouldn't eat. I really thought he was depressed. I listened to some of the tips from people on this forum, including providing him with his own safe room. it really did seem to help. He now let's me pat him and is eating twice a day and using his litter box. His spirits seem up. Last night he let me lay down beside him and he placed his paw on my hand when input it out to him. Hope all goes well with Trixie. My vet did tell me the transition can be hard on them. Hang in there!
THAT is a good trick you found!   Also, laying down and stretching a paw forward, is sort of a friendly gesture.   They dont bother to get up, but they want to show they greet you.

Its a reduced variation of the stretching forward or backwards standing up, as cats do to greet a friend.    Such stretching, and also yawning, are thus very often not making gymnasics because they just awoke, its very often greetings...
 
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