My Christmas Feral

I'm new to this site and new to the world of ferals. I rescued a Mom and 5 kitties in the fall and they are now all adopted. I had a feeling there was another cat around and started feeding it. Eventually it got cold and I trapped it on Christmas Day. It is a young Russian Blue. It lives now in my bathroom. I have created a safe box for it. It spent the first week in there. It now hides behind the toilet and sink. It has started to meow when it hears my husband walking around the house. I go in to feed him/her 4 times a day and recently have started to read to him/her. It is curious when I read. Watching me with Interest behind the toilet. Besides this, it hisses at me if I get too close feeding him/her. The bathroom is small. I bought a felliway and that has helped a bit. I haven't tried music yet. Because I am new to this, I struggle with giving it space and visiting. I worry about it being alone by itself most of the day. Any advice on this? How many times a day and for how long should I visit my little blue?

Have you taken the kitty to the vet yet?  You would want to be sure that the cat is not microchipped as well as checking for spay/neuter, vaccines, etc..

What are you plans for this kitty?  Are you planning to keep her?

Is is possible to move her to a larger space that is completely cat proofed?  A spare bedroom would be great, but you need to be sure the bed is flat on the floor or picked up.  A cat will immediately run under the bed to hide making it almost impossible to retrieve.  Also other large furniture would need to be blocked off.  Cats can squeeze into very small spaces.  A bathroom is fine, since there are few places to hide if that is your only option.

I would visit often for short periods.  You want to bombard her with visits so she gets used to you.  Each time you enter, bring a yummy treat.  Something extra delicious such as plain cooked chicken or canned tuna or salmon.  Just a tiny bit.  She may not eat it in your presence right away, but it will allow her to associate you with something good.  Make sure you are sitting at her level and not looming over her.  Watch out for eye contact too.  Try too look over the top of her head or keep your gaze down. 

Music would be good if she is alone a lot.  Put a radio in there on a station with softer music, but also some with talking so that she gets used to hearing human voices. 

I would visit as often as you can, but only for 5-10 minutes at a time if she seems stressed by your presence.  You can try to block off behind the sink/toilet if you feel she is spending too much time there.  Yet only one at a time.  She is hissing as she is afraid.  She will get used to you over time.  She needs to know that you are there to help and that she can trust you.

When you visit her to feed her how long do you stay?  Do you only visit when you feed?  Do you know how old she is?

Thank you for your reply.

I have not taken him (not sure if it's a boy) to my vet. I thought I would wait for him to get more comfortable with me. I don't really have another room for him. I don't stay when I feed him. I wait for an hour and then go in for 10 minutes. The good news today is that he is not completely hiding now. He shows his little sweet head when I visit and I think he likes listening to my reading John Grisham. I always leave treats where I have been before I leave. He eats them.

I'm not sure how old he is. I guess maybe 6 months.

I'm not sure what the long range plans are. I want to get him to a vet soon. And I hope beyond hope he becomes comfy with me. Every day I become so much more attached to him.

LuciaSammie said:

Thank you for your reply.

I have not taken him (not sure if it's a boy) to my vet. I thought I would wait for him to get more comfortable with me. I don't really have another room for him. I don't stay when I feed him. I wait for an hour and then go in for 10 minutes. The good news today is that he is not completely hiding now. He shows his little sweet head when I visit and I think he likes listening to my reading John Grisham. I always leave treats where I have been before I leave. He eats them.

I'm not sure how old he is. I guess maybe 6 months.

I'm not sure what the long range plans are. I want to get him to a vet soon. And I hope beyond hope he becomes comfy with me. Every day I become so much more attached to him.

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I would start by feeding him in the carrier so he gets used to it and you can get him to the vet.  If he is getting older ( and it's a male) you will want to get him neutered very soon.  Once his hormones come into play, he will begin to yowl, howl, and try to get out.  It's what male cats do.  If it's a female, she will come into a heat cycle. 

I would try to get him to the vet soon.  Once in the carrier, you can cover it with a light sheet or towel to help him calm down. 

Thank you for rescuing him/her.  I hope that things works out and you are able to keep him/her.

Things are going great with my little blue Russian i call Blue. I started playing spa music and Blue is very relaxed now. I stay in the room when I feed Blue and he comes out to eat and groom about a foot away from me. I read a book out loud when I'm in with him. Yesterday, I looked over and found him completely upside down staring at me. I'm hoping to try to get him to eat out of my hand soon. The question I have is when will it be ok for me to let him out of his room? I'm not in a hurry. Also, I have 3 wonderful shih tzu's and I'm worried about introducing them all to each other. Thank you.

You do not want to start introductions with the dogs until the kitty has been to the vet.  He/she may have worms or other illnesses that you do not want passed on to your dogs.  A vet visit with a spay/neuter appointment should be the first priority.

It sounds like you are making some really good progress.  Have you tried reaching your hand out making a fist ( knuckles pointing towards cat)?  This will replicate a cat head and cats like to head butt other cats or humans they are fond of. 

When you are ready to start petting your cat, try making a petting wand. I like to use an old sturdy wand toy (a dowel rod will work too). I take off the toy at the end or just cover it with an old sock. I wrap it around a few times and secure with duct tape. I then cover the sock eith a piece of soft flannel. I can use this to entice the cat with a bit of play and then gently start to touch the cat with the end. I often find it's easier to use when the cats back is to me as they don't see it coming at them. Many cats like to have their rear ends rubbed to it's a good place to start. It often takes a few days and many attempts for the cat to learn to be ok with the wand. Sometimes you will find that it is too soon and you will need to try again in a week or two. After the cat has adjusted to being touched with the petting wand and seems to really enjoy it, you can start to replace your hand with the wand. I like to start with the petting wand and gradually pull it towards my body while my hand is moving to replace it. Start slowly. You can always move back to the wand if it's too soon.  Here is a picture of the one I use:


Also here is a great set of videos on socializing feral cats.  It starts with the rescue of feral kittens and progresses to some great socialization tips. 

http://www.urbancatleague.org/TamingVideo