Need Advice

We had a small cat that suddenly began appearing on our deck.  The cat is not a kitten but appears to be young .  Since we already have two older cats we had cat food about and decided to feed it. Doing so we discovered the cat  was ravenous to the point it would even come into the house for food as long as the deck door remained open so it could escape.  We canvassed the area but no one had lost a cat.  The physical condition of the cat seemed excellent and left us feeling that it was impossible to know just how long the cat had been on its own outdoors.  . We decided to catch the cat by renting a trap so we could have it checked out our vet .. The cat is very skittish but when it ate I could sit a foot or two away without it running away. .  It responded with a meow if one spoke softly to it. I tried to touch it and it but out its paw to scratch me.  It did not seem excessively fearful of humans but was certainly wary if one tried to approach it quickly.  . While at the vet the cat was neutered, given treatment for worms (which it didn't necessarily have,  treatment for fleas  etc ., and a rabies shot.   The people at the clinic were able to touch the cat though it was as mentioned pointed out as skittish.  After about a week at the vet it came back to the house. I have a home that sits in a large ravine area bordering on a park . Our two cats have from day one always been able to go out and thankfully for over 8 or 9 years always returned safely.  We prepared a cat room in the house for what we discovered was a male,we named Theo.  We setup a

cat box safe-home in the room  for him , feeding area, kitty litter toys etc.,  The morning after his return I discovered he had eaten all the food we left out and used the kitty litter.  However he had returned to his cat safe box and there he remained through the day . Tonight, the second evening  of his return, I opened the door to feed him and found him in front of me.  He  was his skittish self and went off to hide  but did not rush back to his cat box , eventually he crawled under a dresser in the room. I gave him food for the evening , spoke to him and left him for the night.

My need for advice rests about where do we go from here  Theo is now , so it seems, willing to move out to some degree from the safety of his save-box within the room.  I feel badly having him caged in the room but my aim was hopefully trying to socialize him to the point where he could be touched and would hopefully 'tame ' away  lose some of his skittishness.  Our wish was either to have him  become our third cat or arrive at  the point where he could be put up for adoption. However that would only appear appropriate if he could be tamed to the point of actually becoming a pet. I make the assumption from what I have read on line that Theo should be socialized within the room he now resides in.  How should we proceed ? Should we simply develop a fixed routine with him ,  spending time with him in the room talking and trying to play with him , slowly attempting  to establish physical contact with him as a precursor for moving forward to the stage of letting him out of the room?  I got the impression from the vet that it might be best , because of his skittish, to simply return him to the outdoors  but I would at least like to try to insure him a life of less hardship if I thought that was possible.  One of my two cats ( a big main coon male) seemed to get on quite well with him. However my female cat which looks like his sister in coloring seemed to have more problems but she too has quieted down in his presence but still shows some hostility. I don't know if neutering him will now result in her having a little more tolerance.

Any advice based upon other peoples experience in a similar situation would be welcomed.

Thanks

Michael

It takes patience to socialize skittish cats, but it can definitely be done! I strongly disagree with the vet who said you should just return it to the outdoors, and it sounds like this cat would rather be inside with you! This cat is definitely not feral, and although he may have a tendency to revert to his skittish ways around strangers, there's a good chance he can become a very loving pet.

This is a great guide for socializing cats. It walks you through how to acclimate the most fearful cats to people at a very gradual pace. You can adapt it and skip over steps if Theo is already at ease with some of them: http://bestfriends.org/resources/socializing-cats-how-socialize-very-shy-or-fearful-cat

Keeping him in that one room is good, so he's not overwhelmed by too much new stuff at once. If it's difficult to reach him to interact with him when he's under furniture, you can block off these areas and provide him some empty boxes to hide in instead. You can judge when to let him start meeting your other cats based on how comfortable he is and if he seems interested in meeting who's on the other side of the door. He will have some residual male hormones in his system for a few weeks after the neutering, so that may be making your female more uncomfortable right now. When the time comes, these are some guides for introducing cats to each other with the least tension:
[article="32680"]How To Successfully Introduce Cats The Ultimate Guide  [/article][article="29726"]Introducing Cats To Cats  [/article]
Super skittish cats like these often become the most bonded and trusting companions. It just takes them some time to learn to trust their surroundings. Play and treats are the best ways to speed along the bonding process. Don't feel to discouraged if it seems like you go a few days without making progress. Sometimes it goes like that, and then all the sudden the cat surprises you one day by climbing into your lap or winding around your legs. In moments like these, you understand the gratitude this cat has for you taking care of it and it's very rewarding.

Whatever happened to Theo in the past, it is so wonderful that he has you now!

it sometimes gets tricky to decide whats best for them.. I would say you should listen to the calls of the cat. Each cat has a very distinct meow and they will be able to express their feelings through them.. whats important is that we understand what they are trying to say... it does take a while for cats to get comfortable with the idea of coming indoors... at the same time once the cat is indoors, they shouldnt feel that they are cornered when they realise that doors are closed... when I first took in a female feral... she moved in and out of my house at her will till she was comfortable spending most of her time indoors... if the safe house is in a safe area... I would say let the cat decide... by the look the of it the cat wont leave.. but if does approach the door and steps out.. it wont go too far... once neutered/spayed cats generally dont go too far from the safe place..in the end.. the cat has found a safe haven with food and good people.. why would it leave.. 

Thanks for the encouraging feedback!

Michael

I have another question about my trying to socialize Theo. I decided that the safe-box I had created was simply too large , really too deep, so that Theo was always able to hide in the very back of the box and often slipped under the towel floor so as to be totally out of site.  I gently got him out of the box yesterday and in the process he discovered one corner in the room where he could hide under a table.Hide is not quite the correct word as the table is on a pedestal and really affords little protection from my seeing him and him me.    I constructed a smaller box safe house which would keep him 'safe' but would at least allow us to see each other. This morning  however I found him still in that corner under the table spot . He had eaten all the food I put out last night and used his kitty litter.  I am able to get down on my knees and talk to him under the table. I blink my eyes so as to try to remove any thought of aggression on my part. I am also able to stroke his back with a small dowel . He hissed once but then seemed to accept further approach with the dowel though of course one has no idea as to whether he finds it pleasurable.  

 My question is should i remove the table he is hiding under or simply wait it out for him to perhaps try the new safe house I constructed for him.   He is eating all the food and using the kitty litter in the late evening. I have not had him eat the food I bring in first thing in the morning as he seems to wait until late evening.  I have no problem approaching him in his corner under the table and can simply try to wait him out to move elsewhere in the room he is in.  I can also continue to stroke him with the dowel. Any advice?

Thanks

Michael

Michael,

First, thank you so much for all you have done and are doing with this new cat. He found a great person.

The hiding is very normal. It is a process and it takes time. he needs to gain confidence. I would suggest not using a small dowel to reach him and pet him with it. It is very normal he would hiss but I wouldn't take that as any negative.

I would probably leave the table for now. I would think about getting him a cat tree so he can go up and gain some confidence. Cats like being up and watching whats going on and it gives them confidence. You can always try to use cat treats to try to coax him out from under the table as well. Given time he will realize that you are not a threat and that you are a positive and he will gain confidence and move towards you etc. It is just about trust and it takes some time.

I think everything you mention is normal and part of the process. Personally, I would think about keeping him inside and either keeping him and integrating him with the other cats or socializing him and then trying to adopt him out. But he may be a one family cat so he may not warm up to others without a socialization process. 

I hope this is somewhat helpful. Feel free to ask any questions and I will try to help. Thanks again for really caring about Theo.

Thank you for the advice . It is helpful to get some support because the project of socializing Theo seems to be an uphill grind and we want him to be a happy cat. Luckily he does accept us rubbing his back softly with a dowel . He gives the odd hiss  but does not strike out. We also try to reinforce these sessions with a cat treat. Again we much appreciate the support.

Michael

Michael,

You are very welcome. Socializing cats is a process but the efforts will be rewarded.

Remember cats do have nerves in their backs and some are more sensitive than others.

You can always use cat treats to coax him to get closer to you. Then interact with him on his terms. He will probably start to rub on you (to get his scent on you) fairly soon. Food and treats are a great way to build trust and get them confident.

Keep up the great work, what you are doing with this cat is wonderful.

I agree about the table. One of my favorite tricks is to use human baby food (chicken or turkey with no onions or garlic) and dab some on the end of a dowel or finger and let the cat lick it off. Baby food smells and tastes very yummy to cats, and they can't grab it and retreat to eat it like with a treat or a piece of meat, so they have to interact with you a little more and associate that closeness with good things.

It sounds like you're doing a great job. Just remember progress is being made every day, even when you can't see it!