Taking in a feral?

anotherkitty · Dec 18, 2015

I have a 9 year old dog and a 7 year old cat. My dog loves the cat and is very submissive. My cat was rescued as a baby from the middle of a busy street. He is a grouchy guy but likes his family....he even plays with the dog. A few months ago I noticed a stray cat around my neighborhood. I noticed she had a scratch or wound of some sort to her eye. I felt bad for the cat so I started feeding it a few weeks ago. I then noticed she had a wound to one of her hindquarters that was bleeding. I was able to get some antibiotics for her and put it in her food...her leg is better and her eye to some extent. Her eye will never be good but I don't think the infection isn't out of control but her eye weeps...some days worse than others."Kitty" now comes when I call her to eat. I feed her twice a day. There is another cat (I think this cat has a home) that wanders the area and Kitty is terrified of it. As a matter of fact, last week Kitty didn't come after calling her for dinner...I then noticed the other cat was lurking. Kitty now trusts me enough that she will get very close to me at meal time and a few days ago I was able to give her a pet behind her ear. Even though I feel she trusts me to a certain extent, she is a nervous wreck, always listening to everything going on around her. She has bolted from mealtime after hearing something that I couldn't hear. In spite of having a dog and cat I am thinking about trapping her and trying to integrate her into my household. Am I crazy for thinking this could happen? Thank you for your input!

PS: Her left ear is tipped so I think she has been part of a TNR program.

StefanZ · Dec 18, 2015

anotherkitty said:
I have a 9 year old dog and a 7 year old cat. My dog loves the cat and is very submissive. My cat was rescued as a baby from the middle of a busy street. He is a grouchy guy but likes his family....he even plays with the dog. A few months ago I noticed a stray cat around my neighborhood. I noticed she had a scratch or wound of some sort to her eye. I felt bad for the cat so I started feeding it a few weeks ago. I then noticed she had a wound to one of her hindquarters that was bleeding. I was able to get some antibiotics for her and put it in her food...her leg is better and her eye to some extent. Her eye will never be good but I don't think the infection isn't out of control but her eye weeps...some days worse than others."Kitty" now comes when I call her to eat. I feed her twice a day. There is another cat (I think this cat has a home) that wanders the area and Kitty is terrified of it. As a matter of fact, last week Kitty didn't come after calling her for dinner...I then noticed the other cat was lurking. Kitty now trusts me enough that she will get very close to me at meal time and a few days ago I was able to give her a pet behind her ear. Even though I feel she trusts me to a certain extent, she is a nervous wreck, always listening to everything going on around her. She has bolted from mealtime after hearing something that I couldn't hear. In spite of having a dog and cat I am thinking about trapping her and trying to integrate her into my household. Am I crazy for thinking this could happen? Thank you for your input!

PS: Her left ear is tipped so I think she has been part of a TNR program.

Your plan is good, just be sure you have some qood quarantine period, before you let her met your residents. So she is dewormed, deparasited, you are sure she hasnt no contagiow with her. A good tip is, if you catch her in a trap or lure her into a carrier, take her to the vet for a check yp, before you take her home and release.

If she will get along with your residents? The chance is excellent, the ex homeless are as a rule easier to get along with resident, than a bought home raised cat.

they are usually anxious ti get along, to please themselves in. So they are either sociale by themselves - used to manage and coexist with other cats - or they want to please themselves in, being very submissive.

Exceptions do occur, but nothing is completely safe. "the day, the sorrow" as the swedish proverb says.

Help her and take her in, with suitable precautions, the rest you will solve with time.

anotherkitty · Dec 18, 2015

Thanks for the feedback, StefanZ! I have borrowed a Havahart trap and will contact my vet's office before trying to trap, Kitty. I want to be able to bring her in to the Vet before bringing her inside my house if possible. I'm hoping everyone gets along!

StefanZ · Dec 19, 2015

anotherkitty said:
Thanks for the feedback, StefanZ! I have borrowed a Havahart trap and will contact my vet's office before trying to trap, Kitty. I want to be able to bring her in to the Vet before bringing her inside my house if possible. I'm hoping everyone gets along!

Good! One point I forgot. If you trap her, and you have time at the vet first next day, just let her calmly be in that trap. Lay some towel on the trap / carrier, make sure its not cold nor hot, and it will be as a nice hidey hole. Homeless are used to hide many hours if necessary. Look, a shy adopted or bought cat, often does hide himself even up to 48 hours under a bed or behind the sofa, before he goes out and use the litter and eats and drinks...

So, this waiting 24 hours isnt optimal, but its no catastrophe either. Also even, IF she get highexcited and aggressive at the moment of catching (yes, common enough), she will have time to calm down when she realizes there is no immediate danger nor meaniness. It will be easier so for all if she comes to the vet already calmed down somewhat. Even if the vet is prepared, and also does have a battery of Feliway in spray, and perhaps even Felifriend spray.

anotherkitty · Dec 19, 2015

Thank you so much for the support! I am just so nervous!

wingwalker · Dec 19, 2015

It looks like she is not really feral, otherwise she would not let her touch you. I suppose she is used to people, maybe someone dumped her some time ago. When they fend for their own out in the streets or woods they develop feral behaviour to some extent to protect themselves from predators. I think she will turn out to be really friendly, once inside and cared for. Bless your heart for giving her a home!

Oh, and by the way, when you trap her, make sure the trap is covered with a blanket, just as Stefan said. Will reduce her stress of being trapped.

When you have the appointment with the vet, start feeding her in the trap a couple of days ahead of time, without trapping. Take a rod (wooden dowel, metal rod, or long cooking spoon) and stick it across the trap to hold the spring loaded door open. That way you can get her used to eat in the trap and timing with the vet is easier.

Good luck. Keep us updated!

Marion (TNR manager)

anotherkitty · Dec 20, 2015

I also thought she may have been a pet at one time but her left ear is tipped....so she must have been part of a trap and neuter program. Thank you for the tips on trapping her and I will definitely keep you updated!

StefanZ · Dec 20, 2015

anotherkitty said:
I also thought she may have been a pet at one time but her left ear is tipped....so she must have been part of a trap and neuter program. Thank you for the tips on trapping her and I will definitely keep you updated!

Sure, but its not proof she IS born feral. She can have been TNR after dumping. Or she may have been spayed by the owner, at a TNR clinic, because its much cheaper than by the regular vet taking regular payment.. And if the vets are spaying on TNR discount, they do make also the ear tipping, even if they understand the cat is really owned home-cat.

anotherkitty · Dec 23, 2015

Well, I have an appointment for Kitty to go to the Vet on Sunday. I put the trap out with a stick to hold the door open and put her food just inside the doorway....thanks for that advice! i will take the stick out Sunday morning. Wish me luck!

Taking in a feral?

anotherkitty

TCS Member

Thread starter

StefanZ

Advisor

anotherkitty

TCS Member

Thread starter

StefanZ

Advisor

anotherkitty

TCS Member

Thread starter

wingwalker

TCS Member

anotherkitty

TCS Member

Thread starter

StefanZ

Advisor

anotherkitty

TCS Member

Thread starter

Latest Posts

Connect with us