I just took in a stray & EVERYTHING is going wrong! AND feral outside has abscess, I don't know what

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie here and recently a newbie to the stray/feral cat world. I've been browsing the internet for several days trying to find some answers (& some encouraging advice) because I am at a total loss and I'm starting to feel regret about this cat situation I'm in. Here's the story, sorry it's a VERY long story:

Around fall time my resident cat decided that she didn't like the brand of dry cat food I've been giving her. I did not want to waste a full bag of perfectly good cat food. So I started to leave the food outside for the couple of feral/stray cats that I've spotted occasionally on my block. This is when I started becoming really aware of the feral/stray cat community that existed in my neighborhood and soon I had my daily group of cats (about 4-5) that showed up everyday. I started to connect with one in particular who I noticed seemed to be the cat that was bullied by the other cats. On several occasions While he would eat, he was chased away from the food bowls if another cat showed up. I felt bad for this little guy. I told my husband that I wanted to take him in. This cat used to run at the sight of me and I finally gained enough trust to have him rub my ankles and allow me to pet him. After thinking about it and second guessing myself for several weeks to take him in, I finally decided that I should just do it when a severe blizzard was forecast to hit the East Coast. This was last week. The blizzard was to hit us on a Saturday, so while I fed him on the Friday morning before the blizzard, I was able to get him into a carrier and bring him inside my house. I had prepared the laundry room for him in advance. Unfortunately this is when I made my first mistake. The vet I planned to take him to was not to open for another 2 hours. I also decided that I'll just give him a few days to adjust as to not stress him and with him thrashing and crying out from the carrier I let him out. Right away he freaked out and hid behind the washing machine and he stayed there all day. I researched and expected this so I knew I had to let him be.

From my laundry room there is an opening to a crawl space that leads to under the house but has no access to the outside. It is very low, very wide, and hard to go into. Even when we had pest control workers over they couldn't crawl in all the way. My second mistake: I thought I had blocked it off enough that even my cat (whose an expert at getting herself into anything) could not break through the barrier. Well, this stray kitty was able to get into the crawl space during the night. He stayed in the crawlspace for the next two days and only came out very briefly during the night because I noticed some of the cat food I left him was eaten. I left a baby monitor in the laundry room so I can keep a watchful eye on when he would come out. Over the next couple of days he did come out a few times to eat and to look around but the minute I opened the door to enter the room he runs straight into the crawlspace. We are having a hard time trying to get to the crawlspace before he does so we can block it off. Now a couple of days ago my husband noticed that the house is starting to smell like cat pee and I'm freaking out because that has never
happened in this house before. Even more, I have no idea how anyone will be able to get into the crawlspace to clean up his potty mess. I have a clean litter pan for him in the laundry room but I noticed he's not pooping in it, only peeing a little in it. He's obviously using the crawlspace as a giant litter box since the floor is dirt. To make matters worse, I noticed he started limping. He injured one of his front legs to the point that when he sits he raises the injured leg.

Enough is enough. Last Wednesday I decided to rent a Hav-a-heart trap and was able to schedule a neuter and vaccine appointment for the next day. But that night he didn't even come out of the crawlspace when he saw the trap in the room. Since then I've been placing the food bowls in the trap and slowly pushing it further back each day. Now it is Saturday and he has his rescheduled vet appointment on Monday so I'm hoping to trap him by tomorrow afternoon. He's also been meowing all night and my resident cat already knows that something is going on and senses him. I'm also trying not to stress her out too. I got some Felliway in hopes to calm both cats down and hopefully prevent him from spraying the crawlspace even more. I want my resident cat to meet the stray already but I will not will not let her near him until I know he's healthy. But honestly, I'm starting to lose hope with this cat and feel like I'm never going to trap him and get him checked. I feel like the trap is not going to work and when / if I do finally get him into the rest of the house he's going to be spraying everywhere and crying all night, disrupting this household.

At first I started feeling so bad for putting this cat through this, he finally trusted me but I felt like I totally betrayed him by taking him away from his world outside. He won't even go near me now and hissed at me a couple of times. Now I'm starting to feel regret on taking him in, like this was a big mistake.  I just feel discouraged and aggravated because all I want is to take him to the vet and integrate him into our household already. I want to move on with my life!! This has been stressing me so much that it shows on my face and I've been in such a pissy mood with my husband and toddler.

Oh and just to add to even more stress, I noticed that one of the ferals I'm feeding may be pregnant. AND just this morning another one of the ferals who has been missing for a few days appeared on my deck this morning and has what looks like a leaking abscess under his eye. His eye appears swollen and bloody and the abscess is dripping with liquid which I believe is puss. I saw on his cheek that he must have been bitten or scratched by some other cat or wild animal because there's a wound. This particular cat has lived outdoors all his life (I believe) and appears to be the OG cat in the neighborhood. He comes close to me when I put the food bowl out but I cannot touch him at all. But now I'm even more stressed because I don't know what to do about his wound!! Should I leave it alone? Will it heal on it's own? I don't know whether I should first fix this situation with stray kitty in my house since I only have a few days till his supposed vet visit. OR should I change my plans and try to trap OG cat first? He's going to be a hard one to trap because he never really came at a certain time. It has been very random. I also can't afford to be taking care of all these cats with their problems, I only meant to take care of stray kitty but now I'm feeling so bad for these other ferals who need medical help. UGH!!! I can't believe this situation. I only had good intentions feeding these feral cats but everything is going wrong!!! All these problems are coming my way.  I wish I didn't care but I do.

So that's the story. If anyone has some advice please share, I'm so lost and frustrated right now any help will be appreciated. Thank you!

First of all, place the Havahart trap outside with a rod or stick across the trap to hold the door open for now. Put food in it. The sooner all those guys learn to eat in the trap, the better. It is called "trap training" and the purpose is to get the cats comfortable going in the trap for food. This way you can time trapping with the vet appointment instead of gambling.

Then find out, what organisations are in your area to help with TNR and vet care. Ask animal shelters, animal control (sheriff dept), local pet stores or vets. Google. The more information the better. You need someone assisting you. And you need to have a bunch of cats fixed. Health problems and injuries can be addressed during spay/neuter surgery.

As for the guy in your crawl space, don´t worry about the mess right now. Worry about getting him fixed. If he has access to outside, and you have the trap with food outside, I´d remove all food from the laundry room and maybe even block access to the laundry room, so he can´t come in any more.

Or you could get (borrow) another trap and set it in the laundry room just for him. Trap Training for him too. Make sure there is no food anywhere else, so when the cats are hungry, they HAVE to go into the trap. Once they find out nothing is happening (rod across!), they will be fine and you can set the trap any time you want - timed with the vet appointment.

Once he is scheduled for surgery and trapped, you have time to clean up the mess, fix all holes in the structure, and kitty proof a room for him.

After surgery it will be easier to tame him. And if not, you can just let him out again, since he is fixed and vaccinated. So don´t panic! Everything will be allright!  

It's okay! You're doing the right thing. It's heartbreaking dealing with ferals because they don't understand at first, but what you're doing will help them enormously.

Keep the trap out for the cat in your laundry room. Only put food in the trap, not elsewhere so it has to go in the trap to eat the food. You can put a blanket and a pee pad in the trap because once you get him in the trap, you're not going to take him out until after he's been neutered. He's going to be very freaked out, but this is the best way to do it. Take him to the vet in the trap for his neutering and shots and while he's there you can try to cat proof the laundry room or set up a different room. Do NOT try to introduce him to your cat any time soon even if he is healthy! It is way too early for him to be comfortable with that. It's going to take a long time and a lot of patience, but you did not make a mistake and I fully believe you'll be able to transition this cat to an indoor life. The fact that you were initially able to pet him and put him in a carrier shows that he will welcome it! But scared cats adjust on a much slower timeline than we'd like, so you just have to hang in there!

For the other ferals: Do you have a local humane society/rescue organization that does trap neuter release? If so, you can work with them to get these ferals neutered and spayed. There is probably a low cost clinic around that does this for ferals a lot. At the very least, see if you can borrow some more humane traps from one of these organizations or your local animal shelter and start feeding them just in the traps. When they're comfortable with it, make their clinic appointments, set the traps, and take them in. Here is an extensive guide for the entire processs: http://www.alleycat.org/trap-neuter-return

Hopefully though, a local organization will have people who will be able to help you with this/do much of it for you so you don't have to handle it all on your own. The pregnant cat can also be spayed and have her pregnancy terminated if that's something you're comfortable with-you don't need any more cats in this colony. But if you do decide to, you can let the pregnancy run its course and try to find homes for the kittens who will be easy to socialize since they will be so young.

While the injured cat is at the clinic, they can also tend to his wound.

For socializing the cat you have in the laundry room: I'd choose a different room to keep him in just so there's absolutely no risk of him getting into the crawlspace again if you can. Cat proof this room as much as possible, make sure he can't crawl up into any mattresses or hide under things where you can't reach him. Put towels and sheets that you don't care about over things that you do, just in case. If you have a large cage or crate, this would be very helpful for the first several days, but if not, that's okay too. Now that you've taken away places you don't want him to hide, give him lots of places where he can hide: cardboard boxes! Put them open on their side or close them and cut out openings in 2 sides. Put some towels in them. These will be his favorite places. Then, you can use this guide to slowly get him to trust you and human companionship: http://bestfriends.org/resources/socializing-very-shy-or-fearful-cats

Once he's completed all of those steps, you can start introducing him to your cat like you would any new cat: http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/how-to-introduce-a-second-cat/ 

You're going to have good days and bad days along the way, but it will work out if you're very patient! I know it's difficult. You're doing a wonderful thing for all of these cats.

I don't have any advice because I'm new at this too - in fact, we brought a cat in from the same storm (working name is Jonas). But I did want to say hang in there and have patience! You're doing a good thing!

Wow! You've really been through a baptism by fire. The things happening to you usually come one at time or at least at a slower rate.

So blessings on you for hanging in there. The advice you've gotten is good. Take a deep breath, draw out a plan of attack and get to it. If you have an organization nearby who can help, call them.

Talk to your vet about the issue. He or she may be able to suggest resources. Good luck!

You explain yoursef well and analyze the situation honestly and accurately. This is a good first step to solving your current cat probems. The fact that you were able to figure out where, when and how the cat goes in the crawl space and how to keep pushing the food further back in the trap is a good thing. You are definitey doing the right thing and it sounds as if you will soon get him in that trap so you can take him to the vet. You have quite a loving heart to take action and help the little guy that was being bullied. Probably saved his life and will give him his forever home. After time, he will snuggle up to you when he decides the time is right, and will be fine with your other cat. Your other cat will definitely need more time to get use to him. Leave them in different rooms and use the spray for keeping the anxiety down (eventually - not now!) Anyway, I had a father feral cat many years ago with a baby and he had become bind and it was really sad. I was able to save them by trapping, bringing them to the vet and then home. He had virus (Herpes/cat) which I treated successfully with Lysine, which I crushed and mixed with heathly chicken broth and food. The father died 4 years ago - he was probably 14 or so and the kitten I took just passed away last week. He was about 14 years old. Feral cats are extremely loving and loyal to those that save them. It is worth the effort, but is sad because you can't save them all. Just do the best you can, you are doing everything right.

Wow, thank you so much for your replies! You all are blessings to offer such great advice and support. I have a huge smile on my face and feel more assured that what I'm attempting to do is a good thing.

@ Wingwalker...you're right. I do need some help in this. When I was browsing the internet for information a few weeks ago I did come across some TNR organizations but did not fully read their info.  After I read your post I went back to those sights and started to read more about the groups. I did come across a couple in my area (I'm in NJ). I'm thinking about reaching out to them on Monday. I always heard about TNR but I guess I just didn't want to dedicate myself into the whole process and take on the responsibility. I also get too attached to my pets/animals so when they pass on or get hurt it kills me. But I'd rather try to help these cats rather than ignore them.

My guy in the crawlspace is supposed to be completely trapped in the Hav-a-heart  this evening so I can bring him to his vet appointment tomorrow. The rescue told me to tie a string to the trap door so that it doesn't close and when I'm ready to trap him, just cut the string. I've been slowly inching the bowls deeper and deeper into the cage and so far so good.  Today I removed all his food for now to build up his appetite and will feed him this evening with the bowls placed all the way inside. I'm crossing my fingers that he takes the bait and goes all the way inside. Why do I feel so nervous?! LOL I feel like this cat is too clever to trap!

While he's at the surgery, we'll be closing up the crawlspace hole. @ Molly92...thank you so much for the helpful links and advice. Very good ideas. You reminded me that I have to be patient with introducing him to my resident cat and to take it slowly.  I have been wondering where to put him after his surgery and I'm thinking of placing him in one of my bathrooms while he heals. I would like to place him in a bedroom but do you think he will still be spraying around the room after his surgery? I'm trying to think of places in my house that will be easier to clean up after him. 

As for the OG cat with the abscess, he showed up this morning on my doorstep waiting for food. When I went out to feed him I got a better look at his eye and wound. It looks 10 times better than it did yesterday! I was so happy. But I still am a bit worried about it and if it's infected, etc. I still do plan on trapping him as soon as I can...I have to see if I can afford his expenses and also I'd like to talk to the TNR group first. I'm hoping to be able to help pregnant kitty at the same time. I'm not sure how I feel about the spay/abort issue. I feel bad about it but at the same time I understand why it's an option.

@ ChargingRhino...glad to see another storm trooper who is kinda in the same position as me (but I'm sure not as bad lol). Hope you're able to avoid the mistakes I made by reading this lol. Good luck with your kitty too and thank you for your support!

@ Ondine..thank you for your reply and words of encouragement! I noticed you are in NJ also? I'm about to learn more about what our groups here in NJ have to offer ( I'm located in Central Jersey).

@ chattiecattie...what a touching story and kind words. Thank you for sharing that with me. This will be the first feral/stray adult cat I'm bringing in my home so I'm nervous but excited to see how he will be with us in our home. My resident cat was born into a feral cat community in Louisiana, living on my husband's aunt's land, and we took her from the litter at 5 weeks old so I was able to socialize and bond with her easily. I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, you were an angel to those cats and I'm sure they are now cat angels still around you...

I will post a status once I get things going with my guy in the crawlspace. (I haven't named him yet, I'll do so once I learn more about him lol)

Thanks again fellow cat lovers for your replies and making a newbie feel welcome. This site is awesome!!

I'm in south Jersey, so there aren't too many overlapping groups.  I do know of this group: 

http://www.aplnj.org/projectTNR.php

They have a lot of info and I have heard they work with trappers and others.  

Interesting read here:

http://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-living/hope-for-the-wild-ones/

And I was surprised to see the the NJ Dept. of Health opposes TNR.

http://www.nj.gov/health/animalwelfare/stray.shtml

Hopefully, you won't have too much trouble finding resources.

@HarleyQ143, he might still spray for a bit or he might not. A bathroom would be perfect. Just clean out the drawers and cabinets first-he sounds pretty creative so he might figure out how to open them! (When I took in a stray kitten I kept him in a bathroom for a while and one day and went in and couldn't find him anywhere. Turns out he was curled up in a drawer, sound asleep!) If you want to and he's been pretty tidy you can move him into a bedroom later. That actually might be a nice way to get him used to things! I hope things go much more smoothly for you from this point onward!

After Spay/Neuter surgery it takes a couple of weeks for the hormone levels to go down. So don´t expect any changes right away. Several weeks post-surgery cats can still show mating behaviour and also the male cats urine still stinks.

Oh my gosh I wish I had seen this thread sooner, I have so much to say!!

First off, the trap if rented likely has smells from the last cat trapped in it.

So this will keep any cat from going in to it.

It might be too late now but I would have said take any spray household cleaner like 409 or any, spray it down well, let it sit a couple minutes and then rinse off really well with a hose and let dry.

No more food at all except in the back of the trap, and use tuna. Works like a charm, be sure some of the water is there too, that has that really irresistable smell.

Once the trap shuts, run and cover it completely with a towel. Otherwise he will injure his face trying to push his way out.

The cover really calms him down.

Set it on a peepee pad or newspaper with plastic to protect the floor.

Unfixed males have hideous smelling pee! Yikes.

Once fixed leave him overnight in the trap, sliding in a shallow dish of canned food with a little water added.

This is your chance to deal with the crawl space. Add dirt in to it to get the pee smell buried.

It takes a couple/3 weeks for his hormones to adjust.

The poor OG outside, he will heal fine on his own.

HOWEVER, you really need to find a way to get help with costs for getting these cats all fixed. That fighting is the worst possible, causing great harm since their intent is actually to kill, which they can't actually do but that intent can cause terrible trauma, blindness (just ask me, I have posted poor "Buddy's: pic more than once, and it is extremely disturbing.

I told him he did not die in vain and that I will share his story any chance I get.

Less than 1 yr old, not neutered and had his eyes so badly bitten and scratched out he was completely blinded and in horrific unimaginable pain, I had to have him pts

The preg girl can be spayed now, I would try not to wait as most people have a tough time spaying a prego girl, but early on is slightly easier to swallow doing.......

You will have a calm, manageable little colony you can safely care for.

I have been doing TNR for many years and continue to care for many colonies I have in town.

They are healthy and happy, some as old as 14 and you would never know it for cats who live outside.

As for your guy, once he is neutered I am more than happy to take it from there and help get you through this to get him acclimated and introduced to your kitty and home.

It will take time but you WILL regain his trust. Believe me, I have done this more than I can count, and they always forgive and come back around to trusting.

This was not a mistake, you just didn't have any guidance on the 'how to's' is all.

Just get his butt trapped, that's first

Hi there, thank you for all who continue to reply to this thread.

@Ondine, thank you for the helpful links! I have a bit of reading to do.

@Molly92, that is so cute! I just got home from the clinic and he's in his carrier in the bathroom right now. Hoping he adjusts to the new room

@Wingwalker, thank you that answers my question!

@catwoman707, thank you for your helpful advice! Especially about the colony. I saw OG cat this morning and he's healing pretty good! I know I have to deal with these other cats outside but I just came back from the clinic and...well if you can please continue reading. I have another issue on my hands that is really bothering me...

I meant to post the status earlier but a lot has happened today, plus some bad news. Well, first the good news: I was able to finally trap the cat in the crawlspace! He went for the food that I placed all the way in the trap & he was caught. He thrashed and meowed. I quickly covered the trap with a blanket and that calmed him down. But occasionally through the night I could hear him cry out. Poor guy. This morning I noticed he had a bit of blood by his claws, trying to claw his way out.

Anyways, I brought him to the clinic this morning to get vaccinated & fixed. I was feeling good because we were finally getting things rolling! Then I got a call from the clinic around 4:30 this afternoon saying that everything went well...except he tested positive for FIV. I'm devastated.

My husband and I went to pick him up and talked to the techs for a while asking as many questions as we can. They gave us all the facts. It all comes down to the fact that I already have a healthy cat here at home so I'm scared for her. I know there are situations that FIV cats can live with healthy cats but I'm so scared at that small percentage that my healthy cat can catch the virus. We are still unsure how my resident cat is going to get along with this stray. She's very territorial, I just don't want them to somehow get into a fight and one of them gets bit. Or when we are out for the day and they get into a tussle. I'm pretty much freaking out, again!

I don't know what to do. Just when I thought everything was going to be ok, now I have this new problem to deal with and this really blows! The clinic did say to get another test done at a full service vet to make sure the test is 100% positive. They told me they only gave him a SNAP test which sometimes is not that accurate. But if he does test positive again and if the cats don't get along somehow I'm going to have to find a new home for him which completely breaks my heart. If I didn't have a cat already I would have no problem in keeping this stray but I'm just scared for my cat.

Does anyone reading this thread know much about FIV cats? Does anyone have FIV and healthy cats living together in the same household? I'm also worried about the other cats outside now because I'm sure one of them or a few of them also have the virus. Including prego cat. I'm so upset. Please advise!

Go ask in the health section about FIV. Good luck.

Hi Harley!

I just found your thread and you are doing a fantastic job!  As another poster said, you had a lot going on at once!  Glad you are looking into getting some help with the outside ones, and glad for them too that there is someone that cares about them and for them as you do!  The pregnant one is definitely key, even though it's hard to swallow.  The way I've handled it, is I've told the spay/neuter place that I don't want to know, and I remember something I read that for every kitten that's born that you find a home for, that's one less possible home for a kitten that already born that's in a shelter and needs a home.  Keeping that in mind is the only way I can stomach it.

The low-cost spay/neuter place I go to with my ferals is one where you don't need an appointment for ferals.  You just show up between 7:30am and 8:00am and they fit you in, because they know you can only catch 'em as catch can.  So if trying to line up and keep appointments for them proves to be a challenge, there might be a place like that where you'll have one less thing to worry about.

For recovery, I bought the largest dog crate I could and I put a disposable little box in it and some food and water.  And then when the cat comes home, I put the carrier in the cage and open the door.   I did get some heavy plastic sheeting from Home Depot to put under the dog crate and out to the sides, just in case there was any mess directed outside the cage, but in actuality that hasn't been a problem.  Your spay/neuter place will probably tell you this, but for boys, it's best to use pine nuggets (I believe that's what they are called) for litter for the first few days.

The cats tend to hide like a statue in the carrier while you are replenishing food and water and tidying up, and while this has never happened so far with me (knock on wood) it's always good to be on guard that they don't get bold and run past you.

They say to keep females in for 3 days and males for 1 day, if they are cats you intend to put back outside.  The "true" recovery period is 10 days for your typical domestic cats, so when I caught this semi-feral tom cat that I wanted to keep inside, I kept him in the dog crate in my bedroom for 10 days.  Since the clinic warned me that he was "fractious", that also allowed him time to get used to me and for me to evaluate him.  However, he did make these heart-wrenching "honking" noises at times during the night.  And even when I let him out to roam the room, he would still make these sounds at night for quite some time.  He'd paw frantically at the window and sniff where the window sashes came together because he could smell The Outside.  It was really breaking my heart, and I started soul-searching too as to whether or not I was doing the right thing.  But I'm happy to report that I haven't heard him make that sound in quite while.  The first six weeks or so were the worst.  Now he meows at me, and then runs up on the bed to be loved on.

He is also FIV+ and I did some soul-searching with that as well.  My four indoor girls are my babies, and I was so worried about even the possibility that they might contract FIV from him.  I learned, as others have posted, that it is very hard to transmit except for things like deep bite wounds.  And thinking back, with all of the cats I've introduced to each other, I have never had a single case of a bite wound, nevermind one that would be serious enough to allow FIV to be transmitted.  They hiss and they might do a drive-by swat, but if you take it slow, that's the worst I've ever seen.  That's what set my mind at ease.

So I have started introducing my FIV+ male to my girls, one at a time, and I am so proud of him.  He has been a perfect gentleman.  They hiss and he doesn't react except maybe to move a few feet away and lay down.

I think this will go well.  And he's adjusted remarkably too.  And I'm so glad, because especially with FIV, he really needs to be inside.

Please keep us posted!

Also there's another thread with someone that had the same concerns as you about taking in a cat with FIV, and they are posting their progress with introducing him to their cats.  I will try to figure out how to link it.  It's going well!  

Wonderful news that he fixed and safe and sound in the bathroom! The hardest part is over!

I'm so sorry about his FIV status. It's okay, this isn't the worst thing in the world. As they probably told you at the vet, FIV positive cats who are well cared for can live long, nearly full length lives before complications begin. I have an FIV + cat myself, but I don't have any other cats just because she used to live with cats that bullied her in her foster home and I want to give her a break. For living with an FIV negative cat: there are a lot of recommendations out there that will say one thing or another, but it does seem that most people are erring on the side of caution when they recommend against FIV + and - cats living together. The more we learn about this disease, though, the more doable it seems.

FIV is transmitted from saliva to blood, so your cat wouldn't get it if she bites crawl space kitty, just if he bites her, and it has to be hard enough to draw blood, so a real fight. Unfixed, territorial, feral cats do get into these serious kinds of fights, which is why FIV spreads in these populations, whereas indoor, fixed, house cats rarely do, especially if they learn to get along, which a good introduction process will teach.

Introductions are a long way off, though, so you have a lot of time to think about this and see how the cats are reacting to each other's presence in the house. Worst case scenario, your cat just does not feel comfortable around him no matter how carefully they are introduced, so you keep him separate behind closed doors until you can find a home for him. Even if he lives in a bedroom for months, his quality of life is going to be so drastically improved than how he was living before, so don't think for a second that you made the wrong choice bringing him inside!

This thread has an ongoing discussion with tips on how to successfully cohabitate FIV + and - cats: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/310433/need-input-fiv-and-fiv-cats-living-together-risks-concerns

When the time comes, I really like the idea of putting up a baby gate for the first several face to face supervised interactions. That way you can get a good idea of how they feel about each other without them being able to make any serious physical contact. Don't give up hope if there's hissing and swatting at first. That is very normal for cats in the early stages of introduction.

I'd read absolutely everything you can find about introducing cats just to give them the very best chance at living together happily possible! The key is going to be taking it verrrrrry slowly, I think.

There is the option of vaccinating your cat against FIV, but this is somewhat of a contentious idea. Talk to your cat's vet and see what they think. The thing is, it's not 100% effective (I'm not sure the exact statistics), and if your cat ever did get bitten she would test positive regardless of whether she'd gotten the virus or not. Also, if she ever got out and was picked up by someone and tested positive, that might put her at risk for euthanasia, although if she's microchipped that's not very likely.

When all of the socialization and introductions have been carried out, I think you'll have a good sense of whether or not these cats will be able to live together peacefully. You might want to separate them in different parts of the house when you're not there for the first few months just to be on the safe side, but it has been done successfully many times.

For the outdoor colony, there is not a lot you can do besides getting them fixed unless you notice others who are more people tolerant than the rest. Once you've socialized this kitty you're going to have learned so much, you might be able to do it again with another! But that's wayyyy in the future. Fixing them will really help, because they will be less aggressive with each other and it's less likely they'll get into fights and spread the FIV even more. Some clinics will offer euthanasia for feral cats that test positive for FIV, but I don't think that's necessary at all! TNRing that group does not sound super urgent, with the possible exception of the pregnant one, but if you can talk a TNR group into taking care of a lot of it for you that will help you tremendously.

@Molly92  -- great advice!  And thank you for posting the link to that other FIV thread!  I did also ask my vet about the FIV vaccine for my girls, and got pretty much verbatim what you said--my vet, who I highly trust, recommended against it even in this circumstance where I'm introducing an FIV+ cat to FIV- cats.  They will always test positive for it, and even though they are microchipped and stay inside, I didn't want to take the risk, especially since there are still a lot of questions about it.

@HarleyQ143  -- I forgot to mention, yes, there is a test to confirm FIV.  Most false positives occur with kittens, but it's still possible.  So I did it, and it cost about $350.  I guess I was still hoping that *maybe* he didn't really have it and I could simply set my mind at ease period.  But he does, and it's okay.  A waste of money really.  He's a love bug with me, and I'm starting to learn that he's very patient with my girls and their hissy fits, which I know will pass.

And also, he was good about using the litter box from day one, as have all of my ferals.  However, it could be that I had kept them in a large dog cage with the litter box being their only attractive option.  And now that my boy has the roam of my room, he still reliably uses the litter box.

Oh, and by the way, my "avatar" picture is my boy, when he was still living outside, and I zoomed in on him with my phone camera, as he was sitting out on my deck looking into the house when I returned from vacation (I had someone else putting food out), with a look like, "And where have YOU been?!?!"

And another thing---hahaha!  My boy, Nero, trusted me outside too, and then when I brought him in, he'd hiss at me whenever I entered the room.  So don't lose heart because of that.  Hell, he STILL hisses if I bump him with my foot or whatever while he's rubbing against my legs.  And recently when I got too comfortable and leaned in suddenly with my face to talk to him like a baby, he swatted me upside the head (no damage) and hissed in my face.  LOL!  In hindsight, I can't blame him--I scared him.  I'm 20x his size, and he's not used to that sort of thing.  (Or...maybe he just didn't like to be talked to like a baby....)

In the course of things, I've gotten a few minor scratches that were more out of fear, and twice he put his teeth on me, but didn't bear down at all.  It was just his way of saying, "I'm scared" or "I don't like that".  I can't say what your boy will be like, but considering you were able to pet him before you even brought him inside, I think he'll do great!  I couldn't even touch Nero outside, but now I can pick him up (I always keep him pointed away from my face, just in case).  I noticed that he was better if I was laying down.  Sometimes when I was standing (essentially towering over him), he'd be okay for the first few pets, and then suddenly twist his head around like The Exorcist with an anxious look on his face and react, mostly by running away, sometimes with a hiss as he did.  Or if he happened to turn just as I was raising a hand to pet him, he seemed to think I was swatting at his face and he'd swat back in defense.  Timing is everything.  LOL!!

Just take it one day at a time, and if there's a "setback" don't let that dishearten you.  I remember being upset/bummed/disheartented about this incident or that along the way, but it's turned out really, really good.  I'm so proud of him!  He snuggles right up to me at night and runs right to me, tail up and friendly when I come into the room.  He's really the one that had to do the "heavy lifting" in this relationship--I could leave the room at any time, and he couldn't.  Nero has come a long way, and I'm sure your baby will too!  

And honestly, I believe Nero will never be quite like my "domesticated from birth" cats.  He might always hiss if I do something that makes him fearful that my domesticated cats might not react at.  And that's okay, and I won't take it personally.  Before now, he had, "a bad childhood" and it's not his fault.  He might always respond differently to different things.  I've had cats that I could pick up above my head and blow kisses on their bellies.  He would probably take my eyes out.   HAHAHAHA!!

HarleyQ143 said:

 
Hi there, thank you for all who continue to reply to this thread.

@Ondine, thank you for the helpful links! I have a bit of reading to do.

@Molly92, that is so cute! I just got home from the clinic and he's in his carrier in the bathroom right now. Hoping he adjusts to the new room

@Wingwalker, thank you that answers my question!

@catwoman707, thank you for your helpful advice! Especially about the colony. I saw OG cat this morning and he's healing pretty good! I know I have to deal with these other cats outside but I just came back from the clinic and...well if you can please continue reading. I have another issue on my hands that is really bothering me...

I meant to post the status earlier but a lot has happened today, plus some bad news. Well, first the good news: I was able to finally trap the cat in the crawlspace! He went for the food that I placed all the way in the trap & he was caught. He thrashed and meowed. I quickly covered the trap with a blanket and that calmed him down. But occasionally through the night I could hear him cry out. Poor guy. This morning I noticed he had a bit of blood by his claws, trying to claw his way out.

Anyways, I brought him to the clinic this morning to get vaccinated & fixed. I was feeling good because we were finally getting things rolling! Then I got a call from the clinic around 4:30 this afternoon saying that everything went well...except he tested positive for FIV. I'm devastated.

My husband and I went to pick him up and talked to the techs for a while asking as many questions as we can. They gave us all the facts. It all comes down to the fact that I already have a healthy cat here at home so I'm scared for her. I know there are situations that FIV cats can live with healthy cats but I'm so scared at that small percentage that my healthy cat can catch the virus. We are still unsure how my resident cat is going to get along with this stray. She's very territorial, I just don't want them to somehow get into a fight and one of them gets bit. Or when we are out for the day and they get into a tussle. I'm pretty much freaking out, again!

I don't know what to do. Just when I thought everything was going to be ok, now I have this new problem to deal with and this really blows! The clinic did say to get another test done at a full service vet to make sure the test is 100% positive. They told me they only gave him a SNAP test which sometimes is not that accurate. But if he does test positive again and if the cats don't get along somehow I'm going to have to find a new home for him which completely breaks my heart. If I didn't have a cat already I would have no problem in keeping this stray but I'm just scared for my cat.

Does anyone reading this thread know much about FIV cats? Does anyone have FIV and healthy cats living together in the same household? I'm also worried about the other cats outside now because I'm sure one of them or a few of them also have the virus. Including prego cat. I'm so upset. Please advise!

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So happy you got him out and fixed today!! Great job!

Regarding the fiv, I have been sort of coaching another member for a while about a very similar situation, you should definitely read through it!

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/310433/need-input-fiv-and-fiv-cats-living-together-risks-concerns

Prego cat is no different then any of the others, if she is allowed to deliver, and think long and hard about that one, it's highly unlikely the babies will get it, as it does not cross the placenta.

As for the colony,  clearly there is someone spreading it out there, so there's a decent chance that others may be positive also. All the more reason to get their butts fixed! 

Stop this fighting and you will have done a very, very good thing and saved many more from getting it as well.

There are rescues who will help, I'm sure you can't shell out money for all to be fixed.

Now, as for recovering this boy, and btw just a mention, if he cried last night, he is NOT  a true feral, he's been out there for most of his life but ferals don't cry to humans. Makes sense right??

So for now, keep him covered in the trap and placed on newspaper or whatever as he will pee and it will smell badly, if the trap has a back door that is flat and slides up? Then use that end to slide a shallow dish in there of canned food with some water added so he stays hydrated.

He really only needs to be in the trap overnight now, so try to decide where is best to let him loose tmrw. Someplace you can go in to, where he can't escape, lay down on the floor and be able to let him get acquainted, you will start by doing this with food in your hand.

But I can get in to details when you're ready.

Haha!  Case in point....

Just now, Miss Julia and Nero were having a visit (I do them frequently in his room but of relatively short duration), and it went really good.  It's funny, me sitting there cross-legged, between them, and he has the patience of Job, but just at the right time, he seems to know when to push, and just how much to push the envelope without pushing it too far.  He's really the one making positive progress happen.  I don't know how he knows when to do what when, but he does.

So I decided to end it on a good note, and reached up to the doorknob to let Julia back out, and Nero wanted to follow her.  Clearly, with the other three out there, I couldn't allow that, so I was shutting the door quickly and blocking him, and he hissed at me.  LOL!  I have to admit, he has a pretty impressive hiss.  But he made no move to hurt me in any way.  He was just pissed and let me know it.

And now, in a brief pause in writing this, I find Julia at his door.  Sighs.

Maybe I should rename them to Romeo and Juliette.

Many thanks for your replies, it's really helping to read all your thoughts and experiences in this matter. I've been reading up on the virus on the internet since my last post to learn more about it, etc. I do have mixed emotions about it though...such as feeling hopeful about some things but then feeling sad about others. I realize that I just received the bad news today so my emotions are very fresh. Hoping to feel better in a few days...

@CatSnip404...thank you for your posts, I enjoyed reading them! I brought the stray cat to a low cost spay/neuter clinic that was referred to me by a local shelter. I did make an appointment because they did not accept walk-ins for the surgery ( I wish they did!)  I had to be there between 8-8:30am and the line of people waiting to get their animals fixed led all the way out the building. Majority of the animals were, of course, cats! My little guy is now in the bathroom with a litter pan, his food bowls and a sleeping area in the bottom of the linen closet that's in the bathroom. He is meowing/crying/moaning like crazy...(I think he's making the same sound that you described your cat made...honking lol) at this very moment. My resident cat, Harley Quinn, has been sitting at the door listening to him. I'm dying to know what she is thinking. She's literally just sitting there staring at the door. But wow after reading your experiences I'm wondering how long will he be crying out...I hope it's not going to be 6 weeks! The bedrooms are right next to this bathroom! Nero is beautiful! Awesome you were able to get a great pic of him. Please keep me updated on your kitty introductions! I'm so curious on how things will turn out as far as interactions go but I'm sure everything will go fine for your little ones. That's probably what I should be telling myself too...soul searching, that 's what I need to do to.

@Molly92...excellent advice, I'm being slowly convinced that the disease itself is not that bad as I initially took it. And yes, I really have to prepare for a good introduction. Right at this moment, I do have a baby gate at the bathroom door. I put it up to keep him or my cat Harley from running in/out of the bathroom, just in case. I'm planning to leave that door closed for awhile. Then I'll put up a second baby gate on top and leave the bathroom door open at brief times when I think they are ready to see each other face to face. Apparently from reading everyone's post, I should be prepared to do this introduction slowly. And thank you and @catwoman707 for the threads on fiv. I'm about to read them after I type this. Also thankyou @LLuvcats3 for directing me to the health section, I didn't realize there was one.

  I haven't reached out to the TNR group yet since I got so caught up with this little guy today so  plan to in the next couple of days. But yes, the group outside needs to be dealt with. Funds are a problem so hopefully the groups can help. I really admire all of you who dedicate your time and energy into helping these stray / ferals! Especially hearing how many of you have done it plenty of times! This is only my first stray I'm helping and I'm already so stressed out about just this first one!