Feral tomcat finally trusts me, advice on behaviour, how to proceed and some questions

This refers to the huge male feral cat from my previous post, see here for background. Let me sum up how the situation is going so far:

Frequency

He now visits me every day  Some days he won't come close easily but if I throw food towards him once or twice he always comes in the end. When he is scared it helps if I blink slowly or look away. He tends to leave after finishing his food but some days he'll come around more than once.

Behaviour

I've been slowly introducing him to petting while he eats. Initially the very movement of my hand anywhere close to him would provoke a sudden hissing and he'd depart but despite some "one-step-forward-two-steps-back" days we've had (to be expected), the overall situation is greatly improving. He has been eating less than a foot (30cm) away from me for more than a week now and most of the times I can pet him more and more while he eats. Today he has been a real lovebug letting me pet him continiously for over 10 minutes while he finished his can of wet food. When he's had his fill he even sits on his bottom a couple of feet (60cm or so) away from me, with his back turned and his tail relaxed. IMHO it's a clear sign that he trusts me since I assume no feral cat would turn their back on something they aren't confident isn't a predator. However I've noticed he doesn't purr at all which I find weird and he also only meowed once these past two weeks which I assume is normal for a feral. No rubbing on me so far.

Health

His eye still looks bad with discharge. I've taken a video so if anyone would like me to upload it please let me know and I'll link you. Today he ate a lot too, almost twice as much as the days before, a whole 400g (14oz) can of wet foot. I'm feeding him as much as he will eat hoping this will help boost his immune system. I can't trap him as I cannot afford a humane trap (they cost upwards of 130€ here and thats on the low end...) and nobody I know can lend me one so until I'm able to trap him in a transport box he can't get any vetinary treatment

Now onwards to the questions

1) Should I be happy/worried/unconcerned that he ate more today?

2) Is there anything at all I can do to help his poor eye? I'm sure he won't sit around for me to put eyedrops in it so maybe some sort of over-the-counter drug I can crush into his food to help him?

3) I have to leave for one last time for approximately 20 days. Now, of couse I've made arrangements and my sister will keep putting food out twice a day but that means I won't be able to keep an eye on him and keep socializing him for that long. Is there anything I can do to prevent his progress from being lost?

4) Should I be worried over his lack of purring?

5) Any other suggestions that may help?

Today was a good day, he finally purred while I was petting him! It was inaudible but there is no mistaking that lovely vibration when they purr

It has also been the first time he only hesitated for a second before coming directly to me when I came with the food. Usually I have to throw a couple of bites towards him and then look away to get him to come close.

He even looks better. His attitude is more confident and he seems healthier (despite the eye issue).

I'll keep stuffing him full of food for now. Still I'd like some answers on the questions above if anyone wishes to advise.

I'm no expert but in my limited knowledge I would say

1) Happy - calories are good for fighting off what ails you and keeping the immune system healthy to fight off new problems etc

2) I wouldn't do anything without taking him to a vet first.  It's unsightly but you don't want to make things worse unintentionally

3) Some progress will undoubtedly be lost but cats have long memories for those who treat them ill and well alike.

4) Don't worry at all, not all cats purr - it's a personality thing - males in my limited experience are less likely to purr than females

5) Try contacting someone like http://www.ninelivesgreece.com/ regarding the loan of a trap (they do it free but I have no idea if they are in your specific area of Greece)

Thanks for the advice JMJimmy

He flinches less and less every time I pet him. Today it was barely perceptible and he let me pet him more than usual and everywhere on the upper part of his body all the way to the end of the tail (didn't try the face since he was eating). He didn't seem to mind petting at all, in fact, I think he is beginning to like it.

His eye also looks better. There is still some discharge and the "third eyelid" (nictitating membrane) now covers a bit less than half the eye but it looks way less irritated and red than it used to. Hope it keeps getting better.

Now he comes around almost twice a day and eats a bit more than he used to. Unfortunately tomorrow I'll be leaving for 20 days but I've arranged for him to be fed so hopefully not much progress will be lost and he'll stay around till I'm back.

His progress is so fast and consistent that I think he may be lapcat material...

Hi there!! I just went through your previous thread. I'm sorry about the female that you lost. People can be horrible. What comes around goes around though. 

Thank you for caring for this boy. The fact that he clearly has a VERY good appetite is excellent. 

Have you contacted any animal advocate groups in Greece?? Here's one:

http://www.animalactiongreece.gr/1019_2/Neutering-

Can you post a picture of his eyes? 

Since you can't wash his eyes, you can add some L- Lysine to his food. https://www.vetinfo.com/cat-eye-infection.html

This should be available in health food stores or online

While you are gone, you can leave something that has your scent on it near where he eats or hangs out when he visits. A piece of clothing that you have worn but not washed. 

His lack of purring isn't something I would worry about. My Henry was in a shelter for 8 years before he came to live with us but he was not socialized while he was there. He didn't purr at all for a long time. He does now, but not as much as the girls do. All cats are different. I wouldn't take this to mean that he's unhappy or doesn't like you. 

You're doing very well with him. You're taking it slowly and letting him progress the way he needs to. I have a feeling that he has had some contact with humans in the past. It may not have been good though. He's learning to trust you and that is wonderful. 

Try the slow blink. When you look at him, look just to the side or above his head. Then close your eyes and keep them shut for a few seconds before opening them. The slow blink is a way that cats greet each other. It's a "Hi! I see you and I'm not a threat to you." All cats know this. it is instinctive. Do this frequently. In time, you will notice that he will do it back and then he will do it first. 

Talk to him. Let him know that you care about him and want to be his friend. Cats are very intelligent, intuitive animals. He knows deep down that you are  his friend but he's wary. Just keep reassuring him that you are there for him and want him to he happy and healthy. I really believe that they understand a lot of what we say than some people realize. 

Keep up the good work!! He's so lucky to have a friend like you! Again- thank you so much for caring. 

Kat0121 said:

 
Hi there!! I just went through your previous thread. I'm sorry about the female that you lost. People can be horrible. What comes around goes around though. 

Thank you for caring for this boy. The fact that he clearly has a VERY good appetite is excellent. 

Have you contacted any animal advocate groups in Greece?? Here's one:

http://www.animalactiongreece.gr/1019_2/Neutering-

Can you post a picture of his eyes? 

Since you can't wash his eyes, you can add some L- Lysine to his food. https://www.vetinfo.com/cat-eye-infection.html

This should be available in health food stores or online

While you are gone, you can leave something that has your scent on it near where he eats or hangs out when he visits. A piece of clothing that you have worn but not washed. 

His lack of purring isn't something I would worry about. My Henry was in a shelter for 8 years before he came to live with us but he was not socialized while he was there. He didn't purr at all for a long time. He does now, but not as much as the girls do. All cats are different. I wouldn't take this to mean that he's unhappy or doesn't like you. 

You're doing very well with him. You're taking it slowly and letting him progress the way he needs to. I have a feeling that he has had some contact with humans in the past. It may not have been good though. He's learning to trust you and that is wonderful. 

Try the slow blink. When you look at him, look just to the side or above his head. Then close your eyes and keep them shut for a few seconds before opening them. The slow blink is a way that cats greet each other. It's a "Hi! I see you and I'm not a threat to you." All cats know this. it is instinctive. Do this frequently. In time, you will notice that he will do it back and then he will do it first. 

Talk to him. Let him know that you care about him and want to be his friend. Cats are very intelligent, intuitive animals. He knows deep down that you are  his friend but he's wary. Just keep reassuring him that you are there for him and want him to he happy and healthy. I really believe that they understand a lot of what we say than some people realize. 

Keep up the good work!! He's so lucky to have a friend like you! Again- thank you so much for caring. 

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Thank you sooo much Kat though I have to point out that I am the lucky one in this situation. My grief over losing my precious kitty is softened by his gentle behaviour and I've come to look forward to his daily visits.

Tried the slow blink in the past, he does respond but not as much as some other cats hanging around. Maybe his bad eye makes it harder for him, I still do it every now and then to reassure him even if he can't/wont blink back often. I'll upload a video I shot 5 days ago of my feeding him where you can see his injured eye. I'm afraid he won't look at the camera long enough for a photo but you can see a lot in the video and his eye looks a bit better now.

I'm also talking softly to him while I'm feeding and stroking him to get him used to my voice.

Hope he hangs around while I'm away and doesn't forget me. I'll keep working with him and hopefully, if he keeps progressing like this, adopt him and bring him inside.

FeralsRule said:

 
Thank you sooo much Kat though I have to point out that I am the lucky one in this situation. My grief over losing my precious kitty is softened by his gentle behaviour and I've come to look forward to his daily visits.

Tried the slow blink in the past, he does respond but not as much as some other cats hanging around. Maybe his bad eye makes it harder for him, I still do it every now and then to reassure him even if he can't/wont blink back often. I'll upload a video I shot 5 days ago of my feeding him where you can see his injured eye. I'm afraid he won't look at the camera long enough for a photo but you can see a lot in the video and his eye looks a bit better now.

I'm also talking softly to him while I'm feeding and stroking him to get him used to my voice.

Hope he hangs around while I'm away and doesn't forget me. I'll keep working with him and hopefully, if he keeps progressing like this, adopt him and bring him inside.

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You're both lucky to have each other!! 

Keep doing the slow blink. It really does help to communicate with him the way another cat would. His bad eye might be an issue but it might just be that  he's still developing trust with you. it took a while for any of my cats to do it back but they did start and now they instigate it frequently. 

Yes, talking to him in a soft, reassuring voice is good. 

He should hang around as long as your sister keep sup with the feeding. Does he know her at all? if he doesn't, can she start to come around when you are there so he can start to associate her with you? She can also talk to him softly and let her know that she is his friend as well and that everything is going to be OK. 

I'd tell him that you will be away for a while but that she is going to feed him and make sure he is OK but you will be bask soon. I know it seems silly but I really think that they understand a lot of what we say. 

I think that the chances of you successfully bringing him inside are very good. You're really doing a great job with him. I'd contact the people at Animal Action Greece in the link I posted above and see if they will loan you a trap. The sooner you have him neutered the better. 

Here is a video of me feeding him (available in HD up to 1080p for more detail) , you can clearly see his injured eye.


I shot this back in March 10 so his eye got a little worse and then a little better. Now it's better than it was in the vid but still far from healed.

Isn't he handsome?  

Got back yesterday and was surprised to discover that virtually no progress has been lost, if not the opposite

Not only did Mith let me pet him, but he purred louder than in the past and even meowed (!!!) a couple of times, albeit relatively silently.

His eye is still bad, I'm confident that he'll let me pick him up within a week, if not I'll find a way to trap him and take him to the vet for treatment and neutering.

Awesome news!  I've been dealing an eye issue with one of our strays as well - a couple things I've learned:

 - Could be a respiratory infection that needs antibiotics if it persists

 - Cotton pads, like those used to remove makeup, soaked in some warm (just warm not hot!!!) green tea are great for removing the buildup around the eye.  If you hold it on there the warmth  helps loosen the buildup & the tea soothes the irritation. 

JMJimmy said:

 
Awesome news!  I've been dealing an eye issue with one of our strays as well - a couple things I've learned:

 - Could be a respiratory infection that needs antibiotics if it persists

 - Cotton pads, like those used to remove makeup, soaked in some warm (just warm not hot!!!) green tea are great for removing the buildup around the eye.  If you hold it on there the warmth  helps loosen the buildup & the tea soothes the irritation. 

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Thanks, I'll see if he lets me clean it up like that. Good job on pointing a possible respiratory infection too since it hadn't crossed my mind this could be causing his silent meow.

I'll call a few vetinarians tomorrow and see if anyone has (and can) lend me a humane trap and is willing to treat him as an emergency when I catch him. Poor Mith is definitely housecat material and I can't let him keep living on the streets.

Today he was a little hissy even before I approached him, he hasn't done this since I first met him and I'm afraid he might be in pain

Hissing is often fear or warning.  It could simply be he had a bad encounter with another animal that night and was still spooked.  It could be something as simple as you approached too quickly or in a way that he didn't like and he was letting you know he was unsure of you for the moment. 

JMJimmy said:

 
Hissing is often fear or warning.  It could simply be he had a bad encounter with another animal that night and was still spooked.  It could be something as simple as you approached too quickly or in a way that he didn't like and he was letting you know he was unsure of you for the moment. 

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Hope so

It's mating season so he probably has clashes with other males trying to safeguard his area.

Updates:

Talked to vets in the area but unfortunately they can only treat his eye pharmaceutically and nobody can undertake a surgical procedure if required. If his eye is seriously badly damaged I'll have to take him to an animal hospital not quite close to where I live and this is the only place he can get treatment. Tomorrow I'll know more about the cost of the operation should the need arise. I'll take Mith to the vet as soon as the trap is here and then we'll know if it can be treated or if it will require surgery.

Yikes that's not good.  Enucleation can get expensive... as high as CDN$2000, hopefully it's not that bad in your area.

JMJimmy said:

 
Yikes that's not good.  Enucleation can get expensive... as high as CDN$2000, hopefully it's not that bad in your area.

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Hopefully not. It helps that he's a stray as AFAIK the animal hospital does considerable discounts for strays. I will know more about pricing tomorrow and until I get a final diagnosis, hope it can be treated with drugs alone.

Major behavioral update!

Until now he would only let me pet him while he ate and mostly at his back, he would avoid my hand if I reached for his head between his ears with more than a single finger. He also used to go and lie down a couple of meters away after he ate but never next to me. Well, not any more

Today I tried something different in addition to food: treats. It worked like a charm, I slowly fed him the treats closer and closer to me while sitting on a step until he was eventually eating between my feet. That and presenting him with my fist while offering him treats led to very affectionate head bumping and cheek rubbing When he was done, he sat there and happily let me pet his head over his ears

A bit after he ate the treats he laid down for quite some time just a foot (40cm) away and blinked slowly at me several times, which he had never done in the past

Now, I'll start giving him treats whenever he exhibits affectionate behaviour to encourage him

So glad you've got access to a trap now! Because obviously the sooner he gets looked at the better.

Surgery for removal of the eye definitely isn't cheap here in the states (I didn't watch the video to get an idea how bad it truly is since I'm eating lunch while I look at this  but if you've got access to reduced rates for strays/ferals that's fantastic It's possible it won't need to be removed, just treated. It's amazing what antibiotics can take care of! Obviously the big issue is getting him neutered asap, as fighting for females and territory is going to keep getting him in serious trouble (or worse) until he's testosterone-free! It's possible an upper respiratory infection is the cause - or at the very least, making it worse. I'm sure regardless, it's a nasty infected mess at this point, and antibiotics will likely make all the difference in the world and might even save his eye. Obviously only a vet can tell for sure. It's got to be so painful for him - so glad you'll be able to get him help!

It sounds like he's already well on the way to trusting you! Once you've found a kitty's "food weakness" it makes socializing alot easier! 

Keep us all posted here - and good luck with your new buddy

I could take a look at your video.  One of my boys has feline herpes virus flareups occasionally.  I give him megadoses (1000mg) of L-Lysine for a couple of days.  I don't know if this is your guy's problem but it's a relatively safe solution to try.  If you do this, buy a high quality Lysine.  NatureMade or Nature's Bounty will do but not store brands.  Very best of luck. Deanna