I gained a stray cats trust and was able to pick him up and put him in a carrier. He manage to get o

Over a year ago I began to put food out for the stray cats in the apartment complex where I live.  I took one of the strays in as my own.  Months ago a orange tabby showed up and something about him, his demeanor, his appearance, tugged at my heart in a special way.  I began to make it my mission to gain his trust and take him in also.  Over time he finally began to let me get close to him and eventually I was able to pet him.  When he would come to eat every night I would go out and see him, talk to him, and just sit with him while he ate.  He was always so guarded even during those times, constantly looking behind him and around him.  I knew that when I made my move to capture him the first time was going to have to be successful because of how he was.  Two weeks ago I went outside and was petting him and I decided I was going to make my move to bring him inside.  I brought the cat carrier I had outside and sat it on end with the door open and then gathered up my courage to make my move.  He was rubbing against my leg and enjoying me petting him.  I picked him up by the scruff of his neck and walked over to the carrier with him.  I felt him stiffen but he couldn't do anything because of how I had a hold of him.  I lowered him into the carrier and that's when he went crazy.  He started doing flips in the carrier as I was trying to shut the door.  Because of his flipping around I couldn't get the door to stay latched and he managed to jump out of the carrier and run away.  That was two weeks ago and he hasn't been back since.  Immediately after it happened I was sick.  I go online and email a guy who does wildlife trapping and told him what happened and asked if the cat would ever come back.  He said it would in five days, especially if I put food out.  The cat has not come back, not even to eat any of the food I have continues to put out at night.  I know he hasn't come back because when he would eat he didn't eat the normal way animals eat.  He would scoop the food in the bowl up with the bottom part of his mouth like a bulldozer which would cause the cat food to fall over the sides of the bowl.  That was how I was able to know he came and ate at night time when I didn't see him because he came so late and I was sleeping.

I'm sick and devastated that he hasn't come back.  He doesn't know I was only trying to help him.  Does anyone know if he will eventually come back or should I just figure he's not going to?  Everything I said couldn't happen did happen. 

I am sorry that he has run off.  He was very frightened.  He may still come back if he hasn't found a reliable food source.  I would be very cautious of leaving food out overnight.  It will attract many unwanted critters.  You could set up a trail camera ( you can find them on Amazon) to see if anyone is coming around at night.  He may be around you just don't know it.  Then if you see him, you could get a humane trap and trap him.  He will be afraid at first, but it can be done.

I hope that he returns and you are able to trap him and make him a pet.

I've made my fair share of trapping mistakes, and I know exactly how you feel. If this cat has another food source, he may very well not come back. If he doesn't have another food source and he gets hungry, then he likely will return. Continue to leave food out the same way you have done in the past.

If he returns, consider renting a humane trap from a local Humane Society or other organization. You will need to watch the trap very carefully so you can bring him in the moment he's trapped, and so other animals don't go into it. The best way to trap a cat in the carrier is to put food in the back of the inside of the carrier, and when he is completely inside of it, close the door at that point. But he will likely not go near a carrier now.

My experience has been that if a cat has no other food source, he will return, even after a trapping mishap scare. If he doesn't return, then he likely has had another food source or two all along. Cats will not allow themselves to starve to death when they know where they can find food, no matter how scared they are. So don't beat yourself up, we've all been there, and it's wonderful that you're trying to help these cats.    

Thank you for your reply.  I have prayed every night that he would come back.  At this point I will just have to wait and see what happens.  The hardest part of this whole situation is knowing he finally began trusting me, and me only.  When any of my neighbors would come outside, or even any of my family members, he would run.  He never gave anyone a chance except for me and now he thinks I was doing something bad.  This has definitely been a learning experience for me.

I have read about putting food at the back of the carrier in order to get the cat to go in.  Honestly, I felt like he would have went without the food rather than going in no matter how hungry he may have been.  I shouldn't have allowed my opinion to decide how I handled the situation.  I haven't seen any trace of him and honestly I don't think he's going to come back, hopefully I am wrong.  This has been an extremely hard lesson for me to learn. I've prayed almost every night for him to come back.

Thank you for the encouragement.  It's been hard not to beat myself up

He very likely has another caregiver/food source elsewhere. You'd be surprised at how many people feed strays and ferals. It helps to communicate with neighbors on your block so you know who's feeding what animal, and can let each other know when a familiar cat disappears or a new one appears. Also, I believe there is often a reason for why things turn out the way they do. Two summers ago, a few passersby and myself tried to catch a stray cat that was in a mall parking lot and in a lot of distress, starving and crying. One woman ran home and brought out her pet carrier, and a mother and her kids went into a nearby Petsmart and bought a can of cat food. I put the food in the carrier and the cat went inside---BUT I was anxious and tried to close the door too soon, and the cat bolted. We were all heartbroken. I tried for several days to return to the parking lot to feed the cat and catch it. The Humane Society ended up trapping the cat. It had HIV and they euthanized it. Had I caught the cat and taken it to the vet and learned it had HIV, I would have had a real dilemma because I had 5 healthy cats inside my home and a healthy feral outside. So God spared me that dilemma by having someone else trap the cat. So just trust that the right person will help the cat you care for at the right time in the right place.

msaimee said:

He very likely has another caregiver/food source elsewhere. You'd be surprised at how many people feed strays and ferals. It helps to communicate with neighbors on your block so you know who's feeding what animal, and can let each other know when a familiar cat disappears or a new one appears. Also, I believe there is often a reason for why things turn out the way they do. Two summers ago, a few passersby and myself tried to catch a stray cat that was in a mall parking lot and in a lot of distress, starving and crying. One woman ran home and brought out her pet carrier, and a mother and her kids went into a nearby Petsmart and bought a can of cat food. I put the food in the carrier and the cat went inside---BUT I was anxious and tried to close the door too soon, and the cat bolted. We were all heartbroken. I tried for several days to return to the parking lot to feed the cat and catch it. The Humane Society ended up trapping the cat. It had HIV and they euthanized it. Had I caught the cat and taken it to the vet and learned it had HIV, I would have had a real dilemma because I had 5 healthy cats inside my home and a healthy feral outside. So God spared me that dilemma by having someone else trap the cat. So just trust that the right person will help the cat you care for at the right time in the right place.

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msaimee,

I am revisiting the conversation concerning the stray I attempted to capture back in 2016. If you re-read the conversation I'm sure you will remember ... since that time the cat, Buddy, that's what I call him, came back about 4 or 5 weeks later. I'd like to bring you up to date on what has been going on since then because I am in need of advice once again.

I was very careful after Buddy came back about how I approached him. I didn't try to touch him, pick him up, or push myself off on him in any way. Eventually, Buddy started to relax and trust me and since that time it has only gotten better. About six months ago I noticed that Buddy doesn't have any teeth, or at least not his canines. I havent tried to look in his mouth by opening it because I don't want to scare him. I am the only one Buddy trusts. For the first time since I have started looking out for him I heard him purr and now it's a common occurrence. I started giving Buddy canned chicken when he would come to eat at night and he loved it!! In the last couple of months we have made progress in the process of taking him inside, from outside into the foyer of my apartment building. Believe me that is a major accomplishment. Since I have been able to get close to him I have also discovered that he has some decay going on in his mouth because of the smell that is coming from his mouth and black that runs along his bottom lip and various areas on his upper mouth and a few specks on his nose. He also has ear mites. In the last week I have managed to coax him up the steps in the foyer of my apartment building and just inside my door. He came in one time and looked around but then went back into the foyer outside my apartment door. Every night now he comes up to the apartment building I let him inside by propping a small rock in between the door and the threshold (there is a main door into the building and then eight apartments total inside), so he doesn't feel trapped like he would if the door was shut. I'm concerned about the decay in his mouth. It's only going to get worse. Buddy acts like he wants to come inside but he's scared. I'm not sure if I should just go ahead and pick him up and carry him into my apartment or let him get more and more comfortable and then make my move to take him in. With the decay and possible infection inside of his mouth I'm concerned about waiting. Can you give me some advice on how I should handle this so that I don't make any mistakes a second time. Thank you

I think you should do everything you can to get him to a vet. If he has tooth decay, that can be quite painful. They can sedate him and clean his teeth and remove any decayed teeth, and give him an antibiotic shot. It can be a little pricey though if it involves removing several teeh (which hopefully it won't). You should also get a SNAP test, which is a test for feline AIDS and feline leukemia. Sometimes cats who are infected with feline AIDS get mouth infections. If he were to test positive for that, he could still live several more years, but it would be best if you keep him indoors because he could infect other cats, and he will need rest and care which he can't always get outdoors. Hopefully he is healthy and maybe just needs an antibiotic and his teeth cleaned. Once he is no longer in pain, he may very well be happy to settle into indoor life with you. Let me know how it goes.

msaimee said:

I think you should do everything you can to get him to a vet. If he has tooth decay, that can be quite painful. They can sedate him and clean his teeth and remove any decayed teeth, and give him an antibiotic shot. It can be a little pricey though if it involves removing several teeh (which hopefully it won't). You should also get a SNAP test, which is a test for feline AIDS and feline leukemia. Sometimes cats who are infected with feline AIDS get mouth infections. If he were to test positive for that, he could still live several more years, but it would be best if you keep him indoors because he could infect other cats, and he will need rest and care which he can't always get outdoors. Hopefully he is healthy and maybe just needs an antibiotic and his teeth cleaned. Once he is no longer in pain, he may very well be happy to settle into indoor life with you. Let me know how it goes.

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If I can figure out how to post a picture on here, if there is that option, I am going to put a picture on here so you can see him. Two years ago I took in a stray after making friends with him and he has been an absolute pleasure to have. I already had three other cats so when he came into the house I thought it would be the normal "get acquainted with each other" and things would flow as normal. I couldn't have been more wrong. I have had to keep them separated from day one because he (Lucien), spent so many years as a stray, and I say that because when I took him to the vet and the doctor walked in the first thing she said with emphasis was: "Oh, you've been a stray for a very long time." He doesn't trust other cats considering there is so much rivarly between cats on the streets. I'm just now starting to let them be around each other but they have to be supervised. The one thing about Lucien ... he has FIV. When he first showed up outside his eyes ran like he was crying all the time and I could hear him wheezing when I was around him. Since I brought him in he has gained so much weight, he never wheezes, and he no longer has runny eyes. The doctor I take him to remarked the very last time he was there, "Lucien is the healthest FIV cat I have ever seen." We're headed towards year three and he is thriving in everyway. Back to Buddy ... he has characteristics of a feral cat as far as avoiding people, not approaching people, protects his body with his tail, won't make eye contact, will not meow, beg, or purr, definitely nocturnal. The one difference with him though is according to what I have read a feral cat will probably have a clean, well kept coat but Buddy's wasn't that way but it's getting better. A few months ago I heard Buddy meow for the first time, a couple of months ago he looked at me. If I'm not home when he get to my apartment he waits for me and runs up when I pull up and park. His whole demeanor and his body language has changed from cautious to happy when he goes up the steps. He is such a special little guy. He deserves to have the finer things in life finally. I know he's tired. Tired of looking over his shoulder, tired of being outside, I can just tell. Oh, one more thing, because he doesn't have his teeth he avoid confrontation with other cats at all costs. I heard a cat howl one night when Buddy hadn't showed up yet. I went outside and didn't see any cats and then heard a cat howl again. I yelled "Buddy!" and I went down the sidewalk and into the parking lot. I saw Buddy laid down against the pavement and another cat was towering over him. I went towards that cat and Buddy never moved, he let me handle it and didn't even get scared by me going after the other cat that was right by him. He knew I was looking out for him. I will definitely keep you up to date with what happens next. Thank you for your input. It has really helped me.

Another thing I did notice about Buddy is that the black spots are not only on his mouth/lip area but they seem to be on his nose, but they are specks unlike the black larger coverage around his mouth area that I have to assume is from the decay in his mouth. If you notice in the picture I posted he also has tiny dark specks on the paddy's of his feet. I've never saw a cat with those kinds of markings on them like that and I'm sure not thinking they are freckles.

msaimee said:

I think you should do everything you can to get him to a vet. If he has tooth decay, that can be quite painful. They can sedate him and clean his teeth and remove any decayed teeth, and give him an antibiotic shot. It can be a little pricey though if it involves removing several teeh (which hopefully it won't). You should also get a SNAP test, which is a test for feline AIDS and feline leukemia. Sometimes cats who are infected with feline AIDS get mouth infections. If he were to test positive for that, he could still live several more years, but it would be best if you keep him indoors because he could infect other cats, and he will need rest and care which he can't always get outdoors. Hopefully he is healthy and maybe just needs an antibiotic and his teeth cleaned. Once he is no longer in pain, he may very well be happy to settle into indoor life with you. Let me know how it goes.

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msaimee,
Tomorrow night I plan on bringing Buddy inside my apartment because I have a vet visit scheduled for him on Thursday. I need your advice. Although, Buddy trusts me for the most part, he is still very cautious and guarded. I have to move slow around him and be very gentle. When he comes into the foyer of my apartment bldg I leave the main door propped open so if he needs to run out because another tenant comes into the hall he can. There are times when I shut the door and he seems to be okay with it and other times he is not okay with it. It's like he gets really nervous at the thought of being inside with no way out, which leads me to my question. When I bring him inside I will be putting him in my room and obviously closing the door. At this point I have no idea how he is going to react. What should I do if he starts freaking out and going crazy because he is shut in my room? He has no canines so getting bit is not a concern. I'm just feeling anxiety over how he might react and I don't want the anxiety I feel to get in the way of my success.

Imatwyn, thank you for taking such good care of Buddy. With regard to the marks on his mouth, nose and feet, orange cats can get those marks. It is some sort of pigmentation thing. When they first showing up on my two orange cats I freaked out and found out it was pretty normal. I can't remember off hand what it is called. With Cheddar, I first noticed a few small ones on his lip and he eventually got several quite large ones. Nacho's are smaller but he has a few as well. I don't think I have ever noticed any on their feet though. Hopefully that is what Buddy has as well. Best of luck with you vet trip.

Can you keep him in your bedroom tonight? “ I can't remember if you mentioned if you have other cats in your apartment. If you do, you'll have to keep them separated from Buddy tonight. But it would be good if he could be with you instead of alone in a room. And if he meows and objects, remember that this is for his own good. You can release him after the vet visit if all goes well. And it's true that orange cats tend to have black pigmentation around their lips, but if he's missing teeth then there is some kind of issue going on. Let us know how it all goes.

dahlia said:

Imatwyn, thank you for taking such good care of Buddy. With regard to the marks on his mouth, nose and feet, orange cats can get those marks. It is some sort of pigmentation thing. When they first showing up on my two orange cats I freaked out and found out it was pretty normal. I can't remember off hand what it is called. With Cheddar, I first noticed a few small ones on his lip and he eventually got several quite large ones. Nacho's are smaller but he has a few as well. I don't think I have ever noticed any on their feet though. Hopefully that is what Buddy has as well. Best of luck with you vet trip.

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I enjoy every moment that I am able to spend with Buddy. He is such a beautiful little guy. The transformation of him in the past three years is absolutely amazing. He has went from no eye contact, no purring, and no meowing, to doing all of that with me. He even sleeps and purrs at the same time. My heart has an over abundance of love for him

msaimee said:

Can you keep him in your bedroom tonight? “ I can't remember if you mentioned if you have other cats in your apartment. If you do, you'll have to keep them separated from Buddy tonight. But it would be good if he could be with you instead of alone in a room. And if he meows and objects, remember that this is for his own good. You can release him after the vet visit if all goes well. And it's true that orange cats tend to have black pigmentation around their lips, but if he's missing teeth then there is some kind of issue going on. Let us know how it all goes.

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MsAimee, My mission to get Buddy inside was a success. I was scared to death almost over picking him up and walking over the threshhold with him. After what happened the last time when I tried to get him inside ... I had to stay calm and keep my confidence. I picked him up by the nap of his neck and in we went. He stiffened and started to try to get away. In my room I let him down and I wasn’t sure what he was going to do. I know his heart was racing becuz I felt it. With eyes wide like saucers, Lol, he looked all around my room. I just repeated over and over that it was okay. He eventually started purring and is now sleeping not to far away from me. The vet appointment will be another huge experience for him. I will let you know what he says after seeing Buddy

Buddy is about to find out what it’s like to not have to constantly look over his shoulder. He’s going to be warm, fed, loved, and kisses on. This has been my goal for over three years. Tonight has been a very fulfilling night. The best is yet to come for Buddy

imatwyn said:

Buddy is about to find out what it’s like to not have to constantly look over his shoulder. He’s going to be warm, fed, loved, and kisses on. This has been my goal for over three years. Tonight has been a very fulfilling night. The best is yet to come for Buddy

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Aw man that story was Awesome!!!
I am trying to get a Feral in my house too, she has popped in a couple times.

Great job! You did it!

How did the vet trip go?