Feral or stray?.. its in my linen cupboard...

thats what I needed to hear Kskatt!  I knew you lovely lot would shake me back on track! I'll check in in a couple of days with progress, and see how she goes tonight with the freedom to wander the house...​

BREAKTHROUGH!!!!!

We were sitting watching tv last nght and the cat (Minnie) walked from the bathroom, across the lounge area, and under the ktichen bench...we looked at each other in stunned silence, then she turned around and went back to the bathroom..... about 1 this morning she was sitting by the door meowing (first time she has meowed) and another cat was meowing from outside, then i realised the cat flap was not locked,... i didnt want to freak her out so i just ignored her and went back to bed... thinking I would leave it up to fate... this morning I got up and no Minnie, I was at the shop when my daughter rang and said she was under the bench and Molly (our resident cat) had gone in to check her out then wondered back out and gone to sleep on her bed. So Minnie is in the main living space- albiet under he bench! I have left her dirt box where it is and put another hidey box by the bench as well... and I am catching up on the washing! have we turned a corner???

It's great that she's venturing out! It might take a while for her to "expand her horizons" even more, but it sounds like her acclimation is going really well.

Oh that's great! So you think she went out of the cat flap and then found her way back in again? Amazing progress! Even better that your resident cat seem happy with her being there.

Molly and Minnie! So sweet!

Update...... MInnie managed to squeeze through an opening and got outside, she has not come back. I had locked the cat flap so it wasn't through there. I have to trust that she is safe, she was under the house for a day or so and I continued to feed her but I haven't seen her for 2 days now. Thank you all for your support over the last few weeks. I am a bit gutted to be honest and feel that I have let her down. Maybe she will appear again in a few days. 

I'm sorry to hear she got out. It's been a while since her spay, so it's not a total disaster. Maybe she'll be back in a while. I take care of a lot of ex-feral cats and they do sometimes take off for a few days. Minnie has got the street smarts to take care of herself and she knows where to find you when she is hungry. Try leaving some food under the house in her usual spot, she'll be back when she needs you.



Vibes for a safe return.

oh my gosh! Minnie has just appeared on the deck with a friend! she is eating and the friend is behind her! I am thrilled!!!

Oh, that's great! She's so sweet. Her friend looks lovely too.

I guess her friends missed her. She's probably saying,

"Hey, this is where I've been hanging out. They give you free food here!"

Norachan said:

Oh, that's great! She's so sweet. Her friend looks lovely too.

I guess her friends missed her. She's probably saying,

"Hey, this is where I've been hanging out. They give you free food here!"

:lol3:

Click to expand...

How funny she's brought home a friend!

I'm glad to hear that she has returned. My feral that I had befriended has been gone for a little over a week. He was to the point that he came running when he saw me and sometimes let me pet him (after two years of trying), and then he is off again. He disappeared for about 4 months or so over the winter but showed up in April, so I'm hoping he comes back soon as I want to get him a cat shelter built for the upcoming winter. I was trying to fatten him up a little too! I'm glad Minnie came home, even if with a friend...that seems to happen a lot...I sometimes wonder if they DO tell other cats about the free lunch! Obviously Minnie has returned "Home"...great job! It is my feeling that once a cat comes back, like Minnie, then they consider your home as their home.

  Jim

JMarketell? any sign of your Feral? its amazing how they wheedle themselves into your affections isn't it!? If he has returned, and with your weather getting colder now I am sure it will just be a matter of time.... my two, (now known as Sylvester and Minnie) are spending lots of time on the deck, not just for a fleeting visit at 5.30 meal times, they are playing with each other and cleaning themselves right in front of the ranch sliders, they have just eaten a snack I put out in front of the open ranch slider! I am pretty sure they will decide they own the place within a few months! YAY!!! my resident cat just sits out there with them, or watches them from inside, no fuss from either party. What does a constantly twitching tail mean? 

Maybe the reason Minnie was so desperate to get out was so she could go and check on Sylvester and bring him back.  What a sweet and loyal friend.  I am glad everything is going well and Minnie and Sylvester are settling in on your deck.

 

Spot the brave Minnie and Sylvester... they are becoming very curious! I think you are right Dahlia about her wanting to check her frend... they are together all the time, our resident cat just watches and talks to them sometimes they are all very harmonious! 

Wow.  I am impressed by how brave they are getting.

Ha ha... this is how cat colonies are formed!  We only wanted one little kitty to replace our siamese that had just died.  That was 10 months ago.  Currently we are caring for 4... and I think another one has heard rumors about free food because I have been hearing a timid little cat cry from the bushes below our balcony the last couple nights.

How are Minnie and Sylvester doing?

Getting more confident by the day! 
Spending most of the time on the deck in the sun or gazing in through the ranch sliders now and then having a walk into the house to check out the place and pretty relaxed as long as we dont move suddenly or approach them!  Definately mellowing!

Sylvester is very handsome. Is he completely feral or do you think he might have had a home at one time?

Hi Norachan, isn't he beautiful! and shes pretty sleek and shiny! I think that Sylvester had a home for a while, and then they got Minnie as a wee kitten and then decided to up and leave, leaving the cats behind.. . they are very protective of each other and I think maybe he looked after her, he is very timid, but seems to like being around us...he is also very vocal, whilst Minnie hardley makes any noise, she does tend to be in charge tho, and frequently swipes at him (I assume its a boy!) he frequently sniffs her backside, which is strange because we TNR'd her....thoughts? he seems to have a sore mouth or tooth, he works his mouth on one side when he has eaten, but I dont want to trap him yet as i think it would undo weeks of work at this stage and I would rather try to get him in the cat travel thing instead....  if he was in obvious discomfort we would,  but he is eating fine at the moment and there is no sign of anything from what i can see. thoughts? 

Oh poor things! It breaks my heart when people leave their cats behind like that. If he meows at you then he must have had human caretakers at one point. Feral cats don't do it, they haven't learnt that we feed them if they cry.

All my cats are spayed and neutered but they sniff each other's behinds all the time. They do it as a way of greeting each other, checking the other cats health and checking how well fed the other cat is. That's why if you start feeding one stray others turn up. They can tell that cat is being fed and follow them to find out where the food source is.

He probably does need to have his teeth checked, gum disease and bad teeth are really common. My latest rescue had to have all her teeth removed, but she's doing fine without them.



Do you still have your trap? You could leave it out on the deck so they get used to seeing it around and then start feeding Sylvester in it. Then when you're ready to trap him he will already be used to going into the trap and you won't have such a hard job.

Thank you for taking care of them both, they're lucky to have found you.