DC Feral/Stray Cat

It is great that Jonas just sat and watched while Rob worked.  It will make it much easier for her now that she cannot hide and is forced to observe and be out in the open.

As for bringing Cavendish in and the wagging tail and purring:  You have to be careful with wagging tails in cats.  In dogs we associate a wagging tail as excitement and happiness.  In cats a wagging tail is often a sign of agitation or uncertainness.  Also purring is often present in a stressful situation.  My cats always purr at the vet and not from excitement or happiness, but from the stress. 

It might be time to go ahead and start scent swapping with the cats.  You can get a few clean wash clothes or rags and wipe each cat down.  Be sure to get under the chin and the pads of the feet as these are where the scent glands are located.  I know you can't wipe Jonas down, but is there a blanket or something she lays on that you could bring out to your resident cats? Bring the wash cloths or rags into the room and lay them out for Jonas to smell.  Hopefully he will transmit some of his scent onto them too.  Allow your resident cats to smell the blanket or bedding Jonas has been on.  Maybe allow them to smell the shelter you had for Jonas.

If you have a baby gate, you could get one and put it in the doorway and crack the door.  Have  one of you on each side of the gate.  Bring one of your resident cats ( only one as you don't want it to be overwhelming).  Choose the cat that is most laid back.  Jonas may not react and  the person inside the room, may need to leave to the other side of the gate.  Just observe.  You are looking for reactions.  You want positive reactions.  If you see or hear any growling, yowling or hissing then this is way to soon for sight visits.  It just might be a trick to see if Jonas would be motivated by another cat.  Just be sure you are present in case your cat would try to jump the gate.  I used a cheap wooden screen door from Lowes.  I attached it to the door with tension rods.  It was a pain to move, but easy to set up.  It allowed the cats lots of sniff time.  I did keep a baby gate in the door way for extra protection.  I do have a picture of this set up if you'd like to see. 

I wonder if Jonas hung out with other cats while living on her own.  She may like companionship and sometimes other cats can be very motivating to help a cat socialize.  It just depends on the temperment of the cat aligning.

Understood - although from what I know about Cavendish's behavior, I don't think he was alarmed. But, yeah, I get it.

Truth is, we have been doing a little of what you suggest already - the scent swapping and such. I don't think it's quite time for the gate, though I've been a little more loose about allowing cats to look outside the door and entering and leaving Jonas's room - they definitely know about each other.

My bigger concern is about Jonas adjusting to the other cats than the other way around, of course. I think they'll be fine, but I'm unsure about her. I'm encouraged that she hasn't changed her behavior when she's seen the other cats, but then again, her behavior is pretty protective - so there's that. I don't know about her social life when she was outside, though I'll say every time I saw her, she was a loner.

Chris

Anything new to report?

Not really. Still hanging out on her favorite little window sill most of the day, seems calm but not really wanting to socialize a lot. Rob's worked in the room with her the last few days, and he tells me that they've blinked at each other a lot, so that's nice. She's definitely making us work for her trust!

We did have a bit of an unplanned encounter with Cavendish when he sneaked into the room and walked right up to the window sill. Bit of a puffy tail on Cavendish's part; no movement or noticeable reaction from Jonas. Not the end of the world, that encounter - Cavendish is definitely wondering quite a bit about his new sister. I wish I could talk to them to find out the story - in my very imaginative and unrealistic mind, I think of Cavendish explaining to her that it's all OK, and though we don't let him run around in the yard unfettered, we take care of them and it's a good home that she's stumbled upon...

-Chris

ChargingRhino said:

Not really. Still hanging out on her favorite little window sill most of the day, seems calm but not really wanting to socialize a lot. Rob's worked in the room with her the last few days, and he tells me that they've blinked at each other a lot, so that's nice. She's definitely making us work for her trust!

We did have a bit of an unplanned encounter with Cavendish when he sneaked into the room and walked right up to the window sill. Bit of a puffy tail on Cavendish's part; no movement or noticeable reaction from Jonas. Not the end of the world, that encounter - Cavendish is definitely wondering quite a bit about his new sister. I wish I could talk to them to find out the story - in my very imaginative and unrealistic mind, I think of Cavendish explaining to her that it's all OK, and though we don't let him run around in the yard unfettered, we take care of them and it's a good home that she's stumbled upon...

-Chris

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The slow blinks are still progress! 

I have used an Animal Communicator quite a few times especially with my feral cats.  It has given me some info on their past and also helped with the transition to inside.  It's not for everyone, but there are quite a few of us here who have used one.  I received lots of valuable help when I was introducing the feral I brought inside with my resident cat.  It made quite the difference in how things were handled. 

You might try some scent swapping with the cats.  Does Jonas sleep or would she sleep on a blanket or towel?  If so you can take that blanket or towel out to let your other cats get a good sniff.  You can then give Jonas a blanket or towel that has your other cats scent.  This is a good next step.  A baby gate might be nice too.  You just have to watch to see if one of the cats would jump it.  Some people stack two together.  I used a cheap wooden screen door instead with the baby gate in the door way. 

I have a blanket in a basket in there that was used by Cavendish. I don't know if Jonas is actually sleeping in it, but she seems to like moving it around after hours, funny enough, so she at least smells it. We were going to borrow a gate thing from a friend. Of course, Cavendish is athletic enough, I can see him jumping it, so a cheap wooden screen door may be a better idea. I still feel like we're not at that place yet - I mean, doesn't it make sense for us to wait until little Jonas is comfortable enough with us to actually move around the room when we're in it?

-C

ChargingRhino said:

I have a blanket in a basket in there that was used by Cavendish. I don't know if Jonas is actually sleeping in it, but she seems to like moving it around after hours, funny enough, so she at least smells it. We were going to borrow a gate thing from a friend. Of course, Cavendish is athletic enough, I can see him jumping it, so a cheap wooden screen door may be a better idea. I still feel like we're not at that place yet - I mean, doesn't it make sense for us to wait until little Jonas is comfortable enough with us to actually move around the room when we're in it?

-C

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I can go either way.  Jonas may be motivated by the other cats.  Sometimes by watching you interact with the other cats helps.  I wouldn't put up a gate or screen door and just hope for the best, but it might work for short bursts.  You could put up a gate and sit outside the door with Cavendish.  You could pet/brush/play and see how Jonas reacts.  If there is no reaction or any hostility, then it's too soon. 

It's also fine to wait and allow Jonas more time. 

My outdoor feral cats are very motivated by each other.  When they watch one another interact with me, it often speeds up the process.  Yet each cat is different and beats to his/her own drum.  It's all trial and error to see what works. 

Oh well, that's interesting. I'm certain she has actually seen us interact with Cavendish when we leave the room - there's been plenty of times I've walked out to see Cavendish at the door and given him a pet or even picked him up. Maybe that's doing some good!

So tomorrow I get to take the little girl back to the vet for her booster shots. Getting her into a box and out the door should be interesting, as I have to handle it all by myself since Rob is out of town. Still, it's gotta be done, right?

Chris

I remember when I took Marvin in for his first appointment and was told I had to return for the booster. I was crushed. I had so hoped I wouldn't have to take him back but it was necessary for his health and ,y other cats health. The hardest part is getting them into the carrier.

I hope she does well for you. Just be calm. Let us know how you both do.

Hi @ChargingRhino,

I came across your thread and it clicked in my head that you were one of the members that replied to a thread I started awhile back in January. I was the one who brought in a stray cat before the blizzard just like you...and went through a mess of a situation. I'm so happy to see your progress on your little girl (she's a beauty) and love that name Jonas. Shoot! I should have thought of that LOL! It took awhile for us to name our boy, we decided on Oz short for Oswald Cobblepot aka "The Penguin" from the batman comics, since we already have a female kitty named Harley Quinn and plus he is a tuxedo cat

Anyways, it took since that week in January till about 2 weeks ago for us to let Oz out into the house and interact with Harley. We kept him in the upstairs bathroom. We too used the scent swapping and then after a week we opened the door with baby gates to let him and Harley interact. Also had a felliway diffuser plugged in and lots of treats when the two would interact with each other.  It was a long progress and one we had to be careful with because we found out he is FIV positive (which is another long story I was documenting in my thread). But luckily he turned out to be one of the most affectionate and loving cats I've ever met. Now him and Harley are playmates and so far it's been great. Now I'm working on trapping another sick cat outside and another who is pregnant due in a week so I'll have to start the process all over again! Yikes!!

So, I'll check in again and see how you are doing with your girl. Feel free to stop by my thread too, maybe you'll find some more helpful advice, although you are getting great advice already. Good luck!

How did the vet visit go?  I hope Jonas did well.

HarleyQ143, thanks for the support! I'm definitely checking out your thread too, and I love tuxedo cats too (our middle child, Styby, is a tuxedo cat - Jonas just borderline so).

All, the visit to the vet when as well as one could expect, I guess. It was a little easier than I thought getting her in the cat carrier, though she initially freaked out and tried to basically climb up the side of the window. :-( Getting her with a big towel helped, though, and once I got her near the box, she immediately climbed into it. I think she maybe views the box as a safe place.

Poor girl was just so scared, though! She didn't attack or anything; just engaged in evasive tactics. She's actually a very sweet girl. Same thing happened at the vet - she didn't want to come out of the cat carrier, then once out, hid behind a garbage can. The vet got an assistant to help and they used a similar towel technique to eventually get her and give her the booster shots. No sedating was necessary this time, yay!

Once I got her home, she stayed in her cat carrier for a bit after I opened the door to it. I went ahead and left her dinner, with a little trail of cat treats leading from the cat carrier to her food bowl. :-) She did eventually eat dinner by around 9ish or so, which isn't bad, considering her appointment at the vet was at 7.

Rob got home late last night and is working in the office with her today. Evidently, she's seemingly back to where she was before, hanging out on her window sill and just observing what's going on.

Between her observing our interactions with the other cats (which we're regularly doing with the door to her room open) and all the other stuff we're doing, I'm hoping she'll start to make some progress getting out of her shell. In any case, I'm grateful that we don't have to take her to the vet for about a year now! :-)

Chris

Update: Rob just told me that she's sitting on her window sill (right next to the desk where he's working) and she's sleeping. I think sleeping in the presence of the human must be a good thing, right?

ChargingRhino said:

Update: Rob just told me that she's sitting on her window sill (right next to the desk where he's working) and she's sleeping. I think sleeping in the presence of the human must be a good thing, right?

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That is a good thing.  It means she is getting comfortable with you!  Grooming in your presence will be another step!

Sounds as though she did well.  I remember breathing that sigh of relief too when I realized my boy didn't have to go back for another year.  Unfortunately as well adjusted he is now, the vet and cat carrier are a nightmare.  Marvin goes back next week for his year check up.  He does fine once there, but getting him into the cat carrier is never easy. 

Rob sent me this picture of her snoozing. Looks relaxed to me.

So, I'm unsure of next steps with our little girl to help encourage getting her out of her shell. She's hanging out on her window sill pretty much all of the time, though you can tell she's moving about at night when we're not in there - including a great deal of play and meowing. We have had some introduction between her and the other cats with a barrier in between, and have even allowed the other cats to come into a room a bit with a lot of supervision. It's gone OK, with no major incidents (save for one, when Cavendish went to sniff Jonas, causing her to jump a bit, though not leaving her perch).

I guess the questions are: 1) how are we to interpret the meowing at night? She's never meowed before, save for a few chirps when she lived outside and we would bring her food; 2) are we now just in a waiting game, on her timeline to come out of her shell? Is there anything more we can do to encourage her?; 3) at what point do we just leave the door open for her, allowing her to just wander around the house?

-Chris

Have you tried bringing one of the cats into the room and playing with that cat so Jonas can watch?  I wouldn't bring both cats to start as that might be a bit overwhelming.  See how she reacts watching you play with a wand toy, laser pointer, mouse, catnip toy, etc...  Whatever one of your cats like to do.  Maybe have her watch you pet, brush, hold one of the cats. 

I have 3 feral ( now more semi feral) cats living on my deck.  The last one to show up lived under my deck for 6 months.  I would feed him under the deck and the only way I ever got to see him was by using an outdoor surveillance camera.  The first time I ever saw him face to face was the day I trapped him.  He was so upset by the TNR that he left my property for 8 months.  Some how he returned.  He was so frightened.  I decided if he wanted to live here, he had to do so on the deck.  So his food was served on the deck.  It took months and months to make progress.  Yet the best progress was him hiding under some porch furniture and watching me interact with the others.  He loved watching me play with them. 

Does Jonas have any interest in toys like a wand toy, shoe string, laser pointer? 

As for the meowing at night, that could be happy sounds or her communicating with you from afar making sounds for the your cats. 

Another thought is to try a screen door.  I brought one of my former feral cats inside and when it came time for intros with my other inside cat I used a cheap wooden screen door from Lowes/Home Depot.  It was around $20.  I put a baby gate in the door way and then added the screen door.  I attached it with tension rods.  It wasn't too bad to get up and down.  This allowed the cats to have some time to sniff safely.  It also allowed the new cat to hear more of what is going on in the house.  I only did this set up when I was home and with supervision.

I wouldn't leave the door open just yet.  You do not want an all out cat fight which might happen if she would venture into unknown territory or if the other cats got into her space. 

I would try play with the first one cat and then both and see how she responds.  If you can swing it a screen door would be great too.  I have also see people use tri or bi fold screens. 

Here is a picture of my set up.

I like the toy-playing idea; I'll definitely try that. I'll look around for a screen-door set-up, but that toys is something we can do right away. So it sounds like maybe the late-night meowing is a good sign, one way or another...?

Cats usually meow to communicate with humans.  Maybe she is playing and making some noise behind closed doors when she is playing. 

I hope the playing goes well and she is at least interested enough to follow the toy with her eyes.  It may take awhile before she does anything, but maybe even bringing the wand toy up to her level.  I'd try a shoe lace first as the feathers might be overwhelming to start.  Just go for simple to start.