not a cat person... yet

andthatisalllll

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I'm moving into a house and I believe the former tenants abandoned their cat and it is currently living under the house. As of today (Nov. 6th, 2015) the cat may have been there for four (4) day since that is when they moved. I have been leaving the cat food and water under the house under the cage (the cat slips in-&-out as it pleases) so only Peach (its what I'm going to name it if i am able to keep it) can get to the food without any wildlife interrupting it.

I am on this forum because I have been reading information about cats online and it seems they do not like loud noises and i am about to do major demolition to the kitchen and bathroom and i don't want the cat under the house while I am destroying things but i don't know how to get the cat from under the house. There is crawl space but I am sort of a big person and I don't want to be under the house if the cat starts clawing at my face. I start demo this weekend, any helpful tips and/or advise as to retrieving the feline safely and humanely (for both the cat and myself)  would be awesome and much appreciated.
 

dandila

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Sheesh...this weekend starts in a few hours.  We'll see what we can do.  Cats are best coaxed out with food and it kind of depends on if they are tame or feral.  Since we don't know where this cat came from I'd suggest getting some of the stinkiest cat food available...some sort of canned fish flavor and dump it on a plate and see if the cat won't come out for a bite of food.  It would be easier if the cat is really hungry so I would remove it's access to any other food for a time.

If after sitting out there waiting on the cat to come out, it fails to cooperate, try going in the house and watch out the window for the cat to come out.  Feral cats mostly only come out in the open after dark.  If it is tame it should come out in the daytime for you.  If all of that fails, your only other recourse is to set a trap up.  Let us know what happens, okay?

I would guess if it is frightened by all of the demolition, it will come out quickly once you start.  Do you intend to keep it as an indoor pet?
 
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kittens mom

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If you can contact the former tenants you might be able to get some information about the cat.

If you have someplace to contain the cat once you capture it I'd skip to the end and use the trap right away. If it's tame it will be offended but get over it. If the cat is feral you have it in hand to go to the vet for shots, worming and fixing.
 
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andthatisalllll

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Over the past few days I have been leaving food for it but I've only seen it once before it dashed under the house after it saw me, but i was planning on securing it first this weekend before any work is done to the house. I would like to keep this cat because its have a very cool color pattern on its fur and i would like it to be inside and I will be able to keep it at my current residence till i move in to the place I'm working on but to be honest I'm sort of terrified the cat will bite me, I got bit as a child on my thumb so I'm afraid to touch it.

A main concern of mine is frightening the cat while I'm above it smashing the only home its ever known. i want to keep this cat, and give it a new home if it was left by the old tenants. I asked my landlord to contact them to ask if they did leave a cat but judging by the state they left the house(remodel kitchen and bathroom), I wouldn't put it past them.

I cant afford a trap but i have a cardboard box and after watching a bunch of youtube videos of cats doing things, it appears they like boxes a lot. After typing that sentence I am realizing i have no idea what to do for this cat. I will suck it up and i will not let you guys down and keep you posted on how I acquire this animal that I want to transform into a companion.
 

dandila

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Animal Shelters will sometimes lend out their traps if you leave a deposit.  They give it back once you return the trap.  Animal rescue organizations may help you if you give them a call.  Do you know if there are any in your area?
 
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andthatisalllll

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Yes I do know where my local animal shelter is at so ill swing by there after i get off of work and see if they have one i can use. In the mean time i want you to know i am doing whatever i can to get this cat out before any work is done. thank you so much for your input dandila this situation is stressing me out more then the renovation to the house is.
 

dandila

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I'm sure everything will work out okay.  I think there are tube videos on how to set the traps...you want to make sure to put a little bit of food clear to the front of the trap.  That way you'll be sure the cat is all the way in the trap before the door shuts.  If you need help...we're here!
 

kittychick

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Definitely check with any and all local animal shelters about borrowing a humane trap. As mentioned, a lot of shelters have a system where you leave a deposit that's returned as soon as you return the trap. If the shelters won't/can't loan you a trap - ask them for phone numbers for any local spay/neuter clinics. Since those organizations focus on spaying & neutering vs rescuing & housing, they often have a larger number of traps to loan. Usually they're happy to instruct you on setting up the trap. Some clinics (& some shelters) will actually help you trap if you haven't done it and are nervous. They may not be able to schedule the help immediately though, as often it's done by a troop of volunteers. I've never heard of anyone trapping with a cardboard box (although just bc I haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist!)---and I'd worry about doing it that way, particularly since you have no idea how friendly it is with people --and most any cat gets panicked when trapped. I can't imagine a cardboard box standing up to the panic of a trapped, scared kitty. Not that it would be trying to get out to hurt you - but just trying to escape the situation. I always tell people to imagine it this way - it'd be like an alien who didn't speak your language came into your house and threw a box over you. Even if the alien were doing it for your own good - if you couldn't communicate with it, you'd be a little panicky!!

The main thing is - don't hesitate to keep asking organizations until you find someone who'll help.

Even if you can't get it trapped before you begin demo, keep putting food and water out. The kitty may bolt from the noise during the day, but will also likely return to what it considers "home" at night when all's quiet.

Keep us posted!
 
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andthatisalllll

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hey guys just an update, ive been doing work on the house for about a week while i had the cat in a box (a big box i spared no expense) and over the week the cat has been staying in the box under a tree away from the house. its a guy cat so i think we will get along. i haven't touched him yet im still waiting for him to make initial contact but i put out the food and water in the box and when i reach in to change it out he doesnt bother me and i dont bother him. i left a sock and shirt in the box with a blanket to have my smell in there but all is well and his name is Peach. Its a girls name but he's a cat and all cats look alike so if anyone ask ill just tell them its a girl. i have a cage to take him to the vet to get him fixed and to see if he belonged to someone and for his shots if he needs any. thank you all for your support and help and if i have any further inquiry i know exactly where to go.

p.s. the former tenants said they never owned a cat so i dont think its a house cat but an outside cat.
 

dandila

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Oh...thank you for taking him on.  It sounds like he's really a nice cat.  Believe me, there are plenty of them out there that need any care you can give them.  Did you end up trapping him?  Does he have shelter from rain?
 
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