Hi Everyone, my name is Geri and I own a three year old cat and her name is Pickles. Pickles is a tabby who started her life as a barn cat. She has a warm and caring personality and I swear if she was a human being she would be a gymnast. Last summer a beautiful orange and white cat started to hang around in our backyard. Since our neighborhood has a lot of cats I wasn't sure if this cat belonged to any one or if it was a stray. After talking to the Humane Society and Animal Control we were pretty certain that we were dealing with a feral cat. We order a insulated cat house and a soft mat that heats up when Perry lies on it. We also have the heated food and water feeding unit. Perry has since made this his home and seems comfortable enough. He will not allow us to touch him and will take off if we make any sudden moves. Just recently he came close enough to smell my fingers as I was holding some cat treats for him, but as I started to put the treats down in front of him, he immediately backed away from me. Pickles who is an inside cat, acts very badly when see spots him from different windows throughout the house. I have truly fallen in love with Perry and worry everyday about him. This spring/summer I am going to have to capture this little guy to have him neutered. He will have to stay inside the house for a week to heal. My questions are will I loss the small amount of trust that I have built up with him? Has anybody captured a feral cat and how easy is it? Can I get Pickles to accept Perry? And last of all could Perry ever become a house cat or would he always need to be outside? Thank you.
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Pickles and Perry
- Thread starter geri-p
- Start Date
Welcome to TCS!!!
We have several members who are feral and stray experts and I'm sure they will be along soon to help you with your concerns.
You are doing a wonderful thing by taking care of Perry and I'm sure with plenty of loving care, he will soon become more use to you. He may never become fully tame or a house cat but he should give you many wonderful years as long as you are there to take care of him.
You can get a safe trap from your local humane society to trap him. If possible you could also talk to them about their costs on getting him neutered and his vaccinations. That will help you and him in the long run.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!
We have several members who are feral and stray experts and I'm sure they will be along soon to help you with your concerns.
You are doing a wonderful thing by taking care of Perry and I'm sure with plenty of loving care, he will soon become more use to you. He may never become fully tame or a house cat but he should give you many wonderful years as long as you are there to take care of him.
You can get a safe trap from your local humane society to trap him. If possible you could also talk to them about their costs on getting him neutered and his vaccinations. That will help you and him in the long run.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!
It is very possible for Perry to adjust to indoor life. You will need to trap and fix him and have the vet check/treat for parasites and test him for FELV and FIV.
Once he's vetted, give him his own room for a while. The less furniture, the better (the bed can be placed right on the floor to prevent him from hiding under it). A box or carrier can give him a hiding place and a cat tree is a bonus.
Once he's in the room, visit as often as possible. Sit down on the floor and read out loud to him. Try wand toys to play with him. He's going to take awhile to adjust to being inside, so plan out a several month time period before you introduce him to Pickles. You can get a screen door to put up at the door to his bedroom, so they can see one another but not yet touch.
Thank you for caring about him!
Once he's vetted, give him his own room for a while. The less furniture, the better (the bed can be placed right on the floor to prevent him from hiding under it). A box or carrier can give him a hiding place and a cat tree is a bonus.
Once he's in the room, visit as often as possible. Sit down on the floor and read out loud to him. Try wand toys to play with him. He's going to take awhile to adjust to being inside, so plan out a several month time period before you introduce him to Pickles. You can get a screen door to put up at the door to his bedroom, so they can see one another but not yet touch.
Thank you for caring about him!
Yes, Perry can adapt to indoor living. It will take some time and lots of effort and patience on your part. There also will be the introductions between Pickles and Perry.
Over 2 years ago, I was feeding a male feral cat. He had been around my property from time to time for over a year, but he would never stay. I care for other feral cats and they usually chased him away. A few winters ago, he must have been very hungry as he came back and really needed food. I fed him 2x a day. I noticed he was intact and got him trapped and neutered. He was not so friendly with my other feral cats. Even once neutered he was causing issues. He lived on and under my deck for a few more months and then he just would not stop going after one of my meek feral cats. I was crushed. I had no idea what to do with him. I had been working on getting him to come up to me and working on starting to touch him. He was most likely a stray cat that had developed feral tendencies from being on his own for so long. I tried my best to find a rescue group to take him. That did not work out. So I decided to bring him inside. I had another indoor only cat as well as a large dog. It was not going to be easy. He got a room of his own and lived in that room for a year. He did get time out of the room when I was working on cat to cat intros, but he was in there when no one home and at night. It took a year for him to be able to be out full time. I worked with him numerous times each day. It was hard work. He freaked out for about 3-5 days, but each day got better. He is now the sweetest most loving cat. He is still very skittish and when others come to my house, they never know he exists. Yet with us he is wonderful. I am so glad I took the chance and worked with him. Below I will add an extensive list of ideas for working on socializing. You can use some of the tips outside as well.
Thank you for rescuing him. I would get him neutered ASAP as once the weather warms, he may take off in search of a mate. Un neutered males can roam miles and miles away from home in search of a female. He may start to fight, yowl and spray. Males don't take long to recover from the neuter at all. Just a day or so. But once you trap him for the neuter, don't let him back out or it will be quite difficult to get him again. Just be sure you have everything ready beforehand.
1. Make sure the room is completely cat proofed. If you are using a spare bedroom, pick the bed up or place it flat on the floor. Under a bed is the first place the cat will run to hide. It is next to impossible to then get the cat out. Also block behind all large furniture. Cats can squeeze into very small places and get themselves stuck. Get on the floor and think like a cat. Make sure closets are closed tightly. You do want to have appropriate hiding places. A cat tree with a hiding box is a great idea. Even an old cardboard box with a cozy blanket works well. I like to turn the box so it is facing the wall. This gives the cat a bit of privacy. Do watch for windows, blinds and curtains. Keep windows tightly closed. Put the blinds up and hide the cords/strings. Also watch for curtains.
2 . Be sure to watch direct eye contact. If this bothers or frightens your cat, have your gaze down or over the top of the cats head.
Sit on the floor so that you are not looming over the cat. It can really frighten cats when you sit above them or stand in front of them.
3. When you enter the room, announce your presence. Come in with a special treat. Try to make it something extra special such as plain cooked chicken or canned tuna or salmon. It doesn't have to be much just a small piece. Offer this to the cat once you are sitting. The cat may choose not to eat it in your presence at first. This is ok. You want him/her to associate you with something good.
4. Another food tip is to try Gerber Stage 2 Baby food. It comes in a small glass jar with a blue label ( in the US). You want to use the chicken or turkey. This contains no added spices or sugar, just meat and water. You can try offering some on a plate. Most cats love this and as you progress, you can have the cat move towards eating off a spoon and then eating off your fingers. Remember this is only a training tool and should not be used as a meal replacement.
5. Make your visits short at first, but frequent. I like to visit for 5-10 minutes, then return again in a hour or so. Sit on the floor and talk to your cat. You can even read aloud from a book or magazine. If the cat approaches, remember to keep your gaze down. You can offer a closed fist (knuckles pointing towards the cat). This represents the shape of a cats head. Cats like to head butt other cats or humans to show affection or acceptance.
6. Try playing music for your cat. You can leave it on a radio station that also has some talk. This will continue to allow the cat to get used to human voices. Just have the music calming. I like to leave the music on almost all of the time at first.
7. Try using Feliway plug in diffusers. The phermones are calming to cats. You also can try Composure calming treats or Composure liquid max. Both are nonsedating calming supplements that help a cat to feel more calm. The liquid is easy to mix into wet food.
8. 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.
9. I found a lot of good tips in the video called “Tough Love”. It's a 3 part video series on the rescue and socialization of feral kittens. http://www.urbancatleague.org/TamingVideo
Over 2 years ago, I was feeding a male feral cat. He had been around my property from time to time for over a year, but he would never stay. I care for other feral cats and they usually chased him away. A few winters ago, he must have been very hungry as he came back and really needed food. I fed him 2x a day. I noticed he was intact and got him trapped and neutered. He was not so friendly with my other feral cats. Even once neutered he was causing issues. He lived on and under my deck for a few more months and then he just would not stop going after one of my meek feral cats. I was crushed. I had no idea what to do with him. I had been working on getting him to come up to me and working on starting to touch him. He was most likely a stray cat that had developed feral tendencies from being on his own for so long. I tried my best to find a rescue group to take him. That did not work out. So I decided to bring him inside. I had another indoor only cat as well as a large dog. It was not going to be easy. He got a room of his own and lived in that room for a year. He did get time out of the room when I was working on cat to cat intros, but he was in there when no one home and at night. It took a year for him to be able to be out full time. I worked with him numerous times each day. It was hard work. He freaked out for about 3-5 days, but each day got better. He is now the sweetest most loving cat. He is still very skittish and when others come to my house, they never know he exists. Yet with us he is wonderful. I am so glad I took the chance and worked with him. Below I will add an extensive list of ideas for working on socializing. You can use some of the tips outside as well.
Thank you for rescuing him. I would get him neutered ASAP as once the weather warms, he may take off in search of a mate. Un neutered males can roam miles and miles away from home in search of a female. He may start to fight, yowl and spray. Males don't take long to recover from the neuter at all. Just a day or so. But once you trap him for the neuter, don't let him back out or it will be quite difficult to get him again. Just be sure you have everything ready beforehand.
1. Make sure the room is completely cat proofed. If you are using a spare bedroom, pick the bed up or place it flat on the floor. Under a bed is the first place the cat will run to hide. It is next to impossible to then get the cat out. Also block behind all large furniture. Cats can squeeze into very small places and get themselves stuck. Get on the floor and think like a cat. Make sure closets are closed tightly. You do want to have appropriate hiding places. A cat tree with a hiding box is a great idea. Even an old cardboard box with a cozy blanket works well. I like to turn the box so it is facing the wall. This gives the cat a bit of privacy. Do watch for windows, blinds and curtains. Keep windows tightly closed. Put the blinds up and hide the cords/strings. Also watch for curtains.
2 . Be sure to watch direct eye contact. If this bothers or frightens your cat, have your gaze down or over the top of the cats head.
Sit on the floor so that you are not looming over the cat. It can really frighten cats when you sit above them or stand in front of them.
3. When you enter the room, announce your presence. Come in with a special treat. Try to make it something extra special such as plain cooked chicken or canned tuna or salmon. It doesn't have to be much just a small piece. Offer this to the cat once you are sitting. The cat may choose not to eat it in your presence at first. This is ok. You want him/her to associate you with something good.
4. Another food tip is to try Gerber Stage 2 Baby food. It comes in a small glass jar with a blue label ( in the US). You want to use the chicken or turkey. This contains no added spices or sugar, just meat and water. You can try offering some on a plate. Most cats love this and as you progress, you can have the cat move towards eating off a spoon and then eating off your fingers. Remember this is only a training tool and should not be used as a meal replacement.
5. Make your visits short at first, but frequent. I like to visit for 5-10 minutes, then return again in a hour or so. Sit on the floor and talk to your cat. You can even read aloud from a book or magazine. If the cat approaches, remember to keep your gaze down. You can offer a closed fist (knuckles pointing towards the cat). This represents the shape of a cats head. Cats like to head butt other cats or humans to show affection or acceptance.
6. Try playing music for your cat. You can leave it on a radio station that also has some talk. This will continue to allow the cat to get used to human voices. Just have the music calming. I like to leave the music on almost all of the time at first.
7. Try using Feliway plug in diffusers. The phermones are calming to cats. You also can try Composure calming treats or Composure liquid max. Both are nonsedating calming supplements that help a cat to feel more calm. The liquid is easy to mix into wet food.
8. 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.
9. I found a lot of good tips in the video called “Tough Love”. It's a 3 part video series on the rescue and socialization of feral kittens. http://www.urbancatleague.org/TamingVideo
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
Thank you for all the kind words, encouragement and the advice, it is really appreciated. I don't feel quite as lonely and lost. My little dude Perry has decided to talk to me, for the first time, today. Perry is feed first thing in the morning around 8 a.m. which consists of half a can of soft food. Usually around 3 p.m. I replace the soft food with hard food. I bring in what's left of the hard food around 9 p.m. due to the roaming racoons in the neighborhood. It was explained to us by our Vet that by feeding him soft food, this would supply Perry with some of the fluid the young man needs, and the hard food would fatten him up and prepare him for the cooler weather. After eating breakfast, Perry will retire to some stairs in our backyard and groom himself. This morning after grooming he approached the back door and just sat there. I of course opened the door and stepped outside all the time talking to Perry, who totally surprised me by answering me with a meow. The only thing I could think of is that he was looking for a cat treat that I sometimes give him. I always try to get as low as I can to the ground when I approach Perry, and will hold open my hand so that he can see and smell the treats. As usual Perry retreated a few steps from me and I put the treats down almost in front of him. He looked very content. I smiled most of the day.
If he's meowing, he may not have been a feral all his life. Ferals usually don't talk to humans, as socialization is what teaches cats that humans respond to their meows. Ferals, by definition, are not socialized.
It sound like he may have been someone's pet at some point in his life. He probably has a memory of what inside means.
It sound like he may have been someone's pet at some point in his life. He probably has a memory of what inside means.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
This is good to know. If a cat has had a home before and for whatever reasons that cat is now homeless, how long does it take for a cat to become feral? Also Perry has not come home to sleep the last couple of nights. Yesterday I saw him briefly as he came for something to eat and then left again. I am once more in a panic. Is it normal for a cat to disappear for a couple of days like this? And one last question. We have raccoons, one to be specific. I startled one last night as I went out to retrieved Perry's food. Would Perry be staying away from home due to this racoon. Is there safety issues here that I am not aware of and if so what should I be doing? Thanks again for all your help and support.
A cat can be living outside on its own for a few months to a few years and develop feral tendencies. The longer they have been living on their own the more feral they become and the less they remember about living inside. The cat I brought inside had been living outside for 1 1/2 -2 years.
It is normal for males to disappear. He could be out and about wandering looking for a mate. He may also have another food source that you are unaware of.
As for raccoons, they can tangle with cats if provoked. I always am on the watch for them. I try to bring in the food no later than 9 pm and some nights earlier as the raccons will come. He could be staying away if he is afraid of the raccoon. My cats are not afraid of the raccoons around here, but they do not interact with them.
The safety issue, is if the raccoon bites the feral cat. First off the wound will cause an issue and then you would worry about rabies. It is best to pick up the food sooner than later. You can always set it out again if Perry comes around.
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2015
- Messages
- 376
- Purraise
- 91
Hi, I just wanted to say welcome to the catsite! [emoji]9786[/emoji] [emoji]128568[/emoji][emoji]128049[/emoji]
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #10
Thank you, it's a pleasure having a place to go with questions and fears that creep up during the day. I find comfort here and enjoy reading about other members special cats, the history on how they got their kittens/cats, the love, the mischief our four footed friend's can and get in sometimes. I also feel the pain of losing a cat and often end of shedding tears.
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2015
- Messages
- 376
- Purraise
- 91
So true. This is a wonderful place to be. The stories that people share about their experiences with their cats can be amazing...happy or sad. It's so nice to have a place to share.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #12
Here's the latest adventure of my girl Pickles. I had gone out early yesterday morning, and around noon my Husband called to say that he had taken out some pork chops for dinner and that they were thawing on a plate in the sink. On my returning home and after changing I went downstairs to talk to my Husband. After being down there for a while I realized that Pickles was still upstairs. When I have been out for a few hours Pickles will follow me everywhere for an hour or so. The little voice in my head kept telling me to go upstairs and I finally did. I arrived in the kitchen just in time to catch Pickles walking across the counter with a pork chop in her mouth. She had also eaten a small corner of it. She was so intent on the pork chop that she had not heard me coming up the stairs. She immediately drop the meat, sat down and looked at me with those big brown eyes and meowed, which I took to mean, "It's wasn't me. And I do not know how this got here." I wish I had had a camera and I did have a good chuckle. Pickles is never been not allowed on the kitchen counter as it is dangerous and unsanitary so this is now an issue that be must be addressed. Wish me luck.
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2015
- Messages
- 376
- Purraise
- 91
Too funny![emoji]128516[/emoji][emoji]128516[/emoji]You just have to post a picture of pickles! I have to see what this pork chop [emoji]128022[/emoji][emoji]128055[/emoji][emoji]128061[/emoji] loving kitty looks like haha LOL!
Last edited:
