Inexperienced and lack of support from local rescues - Please help.

When you say leave things alone does that mean you don't think we should set a trap for him? Should we feed him normally?

He doesn't rush the door when we go in. So far he appears to be hunkering down on the far corner of the room under a table - at least when we're in there. We have been going in quietly throughout the day slowly trying to unload the things we are able to easily carry. We're hoping we'll be able to make some sort of space for a trap. We haven't fed him yet and were trying to determine whether we should wait until morning to set a trap or do so tonight.

I would love to take off the blinds - but the window is right next to the table he's camping out under. I have such limited experience with ferals, I don't know this feral at all, and any scared and trapped animal is a serious and unpredictable situation in my eyes. So I am super nervous! Do you think having the blinds up would be better? I figured it wouldn't as he might think he can get outside and ram the window, and just in the spirit of continuing the covering of animals to calm them down I figured it would be better. Do you think a view of outside might actually help calm him?

We ended up keeping the blinds up and just taped a black trash bag to the window from outside. That way the blinds are out of the way but he can't see outside. At the time it was the only thing I could think of...

And we have furniture all around! It was my foster's room before we moved her into our bedroom. But when she was in there we moved the furniture against the walls so that she basically had a catwalk that spans three of them. It also accounts for the lack of space to set a trap...

I'm very aware this is a prison for him I think that's part of why I am nervous... he's semi-escaped and I am his captor to him, haha!

He used his litter box when he was in the crate. He has that one still in his crate and I added another one in the other crate next to it. I wanted to put them out in the room (vs inside a crate) since I really, really would rather he not do his business elsewhere, but like I said, there is just not a long of space I'm betting he'll probably just go under the table he's hiding under :/  I also put some water in the other crate as well.

So should I approach this like normal trapping? As in, feed him as normal in the trap, but don't set the trap? (I don't know why that didn't occur to me...)

I know our situation is a bit confusing, so to recap, Hobo and Puff are the only ones my friend was going to take - we took them to the kennel at her new place yesterday. I was going to take Sneaky and DC for various reasons, and I will be enclosing my porch for that.

As far as the shed, I don't see how we'd be able to add ventilation. It's the landlord's shed and while she can use it, she can't make alterations to it. The shed is quite large so even if we did something simple like installing a sturdy screen door, it still wouldn't be enough. I would LOVE for them to go in that shed and it will make a fantastic winter shelter for them, but for the rest of the year it just isn't feasible

We went by this evening and put down the pallets and plywood and it worked great! If it rains a ton more we may have to add two more pallets for height. We have had horrid humidity lately. Her backyard was bad this morning, but it was so much hotter and more humid this evening - it really is like a disgusting marsh. And the cats, since we put them under a tree and by the big shed, are in the worst of it.

The mosquitoes everywhere right now are terrible. In her backyard, they are horrendous. Under the kennel... like a tropical rainforest (I even have a few bites on my face...). Is there absolutely anything we can do that is nontoxic to cats and dogs to deter the mosquitoes and prevent them from breeding (since it will remain very wet for at least the next few days)? So far I've found these two things, one for breeding, one as a repellent:

(for breeding)


Would either of these be considered toxic so long as they aren't eating it?

And any ideas about ants in the food? There's no mound, and it was too dark to know for sure, but the ants that infested their food looked like possible fire ants...

Since they have to do with Sneaky and it is a time-sensitive issue, I am going to respond to the earlier posts.

@Ondine - I'm trying to figure out what you mean exactly. Our county does have regulations against free roaming animals. Sneaky I suppose is currently unowned - but if we had or if we do trap him, I will then take ownership of him, "officially" (the city now requires all pets to be registered). So I would assume that would still mean he was unowned at the time she lived there and the landlord could still have legal recourse? And if the landlord does bluff or doesn't follow through, I can't ask my friend to put herself in that position... if it was me, it'd be a different story.

We are trying to educate ourselves on our rights, but I suppose it's difficult to know where to turn. We've been able to find various violations and have called them in, but no one seems to be able to do anything, partially because he's outside city limits. We got a hold of his deed but he's owned the property so long that there are essentially no deed restrictions. We've tried talking to the police about who we can contact or find out more information, but they really didn't tell us anything useful.

It's also why I spoke to animal control, and she seemed to be able to counter every way I spun this so that he would have the upper hand legally (at least in regards to Sneaky).

Thank you for the data universe info! The only reason I was considering a service was because they promised next day delivery... I have no problem doing it myself but it would take a while and with everything else going on, finding the time for it is also an issue. Given the situation, I figured speed was best.

@kittychick - That is a crazy story! I would have reacted the same as you - "RIP UP THE WALL!!!". When DC escaped... I couldn't help but hang my head and laugh thinking about your last few comments. Although I always thought if they escaped it would be due to my own error - and I am painstakingly careful. Everyone I have spoke to is just like... how the heck did he get out? There is absolutely no other way but slipping through the bars somehow, but I don't know how a 12 lb cat can possibly do that! We've looked the crate over and I made sure that nothing could be remotely bent by zip tying everything... the only other thing he possibly could have done was go through the bars. When we trap him again, we are going to add hardware cloth or chicken wire to the outside. DC probably needs the former, though...

That is a great point about going in person to the shelter. Our sanctuary is not open to the public and the dog shelter I volunteer with is in a gated storage facility, which doesn't allow for people to drop by. All I have dealt with are calls and emails.

@Norachan - So you really don't think I need to mention that he is feral? I thought perhaps I should for "liability issues" - not that I think anyone would be able to get within 5 feet of him. Also because if someone calls and he's on their land, we would have to explain why we have to trap him instead of just being able to call him or go pick him up. I am sure to someone unaware that he was feral, Sneaky would look as though he has never seen me a day in his life, or as though I abused him or something!. I still don't know how we'd go about convincing someone to allow us to trap on their property...

I do like the wording you used though, "for any information leading to the recovery of". We were bouncing around the idea of starting a campaign for reporting "Sneaky Sightings" and changing our answering machines to add that in, reminding the person to leave the time and location of said sighting, and their contact information.

The problem with the trash drop offs is that I don't think this area has anything of the sort. It is very, very rural, and most everyone has their property privately gated, or has "no trespassing/soliciting" signs, things like that. Accessing them is difficult. The school idea is good, but school is just about over for everyone here :/ It's worth a shot though - the kids in this area would most likely go to the schools about two minutes down the road from me. The elementary school and middle school are right across from each other, so maybe I can put up a poster at that intersection between them.

@Willowy - My dad just retired from USPS last summer! He has no clue what the internet is though, so I don't think he knows any details about EDDM, he just delivered them I am thinking I will likely go this route or what Ondine suggested. I actually have no clue how to make a flyer or where... can I just do that in Word???

One thing about EDDM that I am nervous about is that it would mean that this would definitely be sent to the landlord and the tenants where Sneaky is (or was ). And while I assume they will see the posters we'll put out, I do fear their reaction in seeing the lengths we're going to for him. My friend is positive that as terrible as these people are, they would not directly take anything out on Sneaky. They do have somewhat of a heart... even the landowner cracks his huge workshop garage door at night to let cats (and probably other critters) in for the night... especially during winter. But then he gets mad that cats are on his property I'll never figure these people out.





Thanks for all the advice, support, and vibes everyone! If the kitties could understand I'm sure they'd thank y'all as well!

Ugh. I can hear DC tearing up the room right now. I was wondering if he would get rambunctious at night like he normally does. He was pretty mellow today and just hid under the table in the opposite corner of the room. I am so, so nervous about my inventory and orders in there. I think most scratching he could do to the furniture in just a few days is probably something I can buff out most likely, but I am worried about the smaller projects, most of which are on top of the table he's hiding under.

We tried really  hard to get to the table today to remove everything, but it's difficult with the crates in the way.. we could do it but it would make a lot of noise and be a lot of commotion in general and I was afraid to keep trying with DC that close to my feet. I don't know what I'll do if something happens to my orders in there... or anything else he could do to all of our newly renovated everything!

We were finally able to move everything just enough that we could fit a trap in between the two crates and decided to feed him right in front of the trap (not sure if he ate yet, though). Hopefully we'll have him in the next few days.

 

@MoxieWild  Are there places in the room that if DC got into you wouldn't be able to get him out? I was just thinking that you might be able to add a sedative to his food and either net him or put on some leather gloves and jacket and grab him once he is sedated.

I got some sedative/travel sickness medication for one of my semi-feral cats when I had to move her across country. It didn't knock her out completely, but it made her calm enough for us to pick her up, put her in a carrier and drive for 8 hours with her.

I can't remember the name of the medication. I know @catwoman707  has used it before.

It's not suitable for use on outdoor cats as it takes a while to work and they just hide somewhere and sleep it off. If you could carefully block off all of the hiding places in the room and add some medication to his food you might be able to get him back into his crate that way.

Not that I'm aware of. It is a fairly new home, so I think the only hole in the wall would be the vent on the ceiling which I don't think he could get to or open.

I am more so worried because that is my semi-works pace and storage area. All toxic chemicals are safely stored in the garage, but there are other things that could be in there, such as scissors, craft blades (I've gone to my other work space to try and take inventory of everything and I am essentially certain all of my craft blades are accounted for - but can't help wondering "what if".), and two chairs with nails exposed that I was in the middle of reupholstering right before we took the ferals in.

There are also other things that could be potentially knocked over that could be dangerous, like a box of wrought iron hooks, hardware, ect.. and another filled with wooden furniture legs and feet. All of these things are on the side of the room I have no access to due to the crates.

This is exactly why I was asking about a sedative, though. Can it not knock them out completely? Does it require a prescription? We've been slowly trying to remove anything potentially dangerous or potential hiding spots, but  he hides on the side we don't have access to.

I have fed him twice now right outside the trap. I am going to start splitting meals into 4 a day to speed up the process. So the next two meals will be just inside the trap, the next to halfway, and so on.  We'll dial it back a bit if he stops going in at some point and take it slower, but after a few successful meals at the back of the trap, we'll set it. Does that sound like a good plan?

My worry is that the Havahart trap is very, very sensitive. If he's running around all over the place, it could go off even if he's not in the trap and scare him. I suppose we could schedule it for the middle of the day though, as that seems to be his most inactive time.

At the moment we are somewhat trying to treat the situation like a combination of trapping and bringing a feral inside to tame. I feel confident we will eventually get him, I am just nervous about him injuring himself before we do. And of course the secondary concerns of damage to the house, and my materials for work and my orders. Every time I hear him banging around in there I hold my breath hoping I don't hear him cry in pain or hear anything specific falling, breaking, or being scratched.

Just trying not to freak out about it anymore and just be patient...

He will not be a crazed cat trying to escape if he is retrapped, but the only way this will be is with a different trap, as he is now trap smart with the standard trap.

Drop traps are ideal for this.

Once recaged he will settle down, need to cover most of the cage he is in though.

@Norachan  I think you mean acepromazine?

Excellent for use with a feral before handling or a vet visit

@catwoman707 - Thanks for dropping by. We cannot use a drop trap. He is in a very small and crowded room at the moment and we were barely able to make enough room to place a normal box trap without having to block his access to the litterbox and water. Hoping if I can have him eating in the unset trap for a few meals (or days, if necessary) that he will be able to be retrapped. Otherwise I'm not sure what we will do...

And he seems to be crazed in any sort of confinement, which is how he somehow slipped through the bars of a 48" wire crate. I am hoping this is just lingering roaming instinct that will resolve within a few weeks once his hormone levels balance out.

Does the acepromazine knock them out entirely, or just cause them to be a bit out of it? I assume this needs a prescription?

I much prefer using lorazepam (Ativan) to acepromazine. It is safer and has fewer side effects.  I never had the problem of post-tranquilizer aggression with it like I have seen with acepromazine, so It is my go-to tranquilizer for cats now. It also is an appetite stimulant!  It has hardly any taste, so its easy to put it in food or wrap in a piece of turkey bacon. Your vet can write you a prescription for it and you can get it at any pharmacy.  It does take about an hour or so to work, so you need to plan ahead.  In your case, putting it in some food he would be eating would be a good idea.  By the next day his appetite will be stimulated and he will probably go in the trap, and if he eats food in there with a second dose in it (it lasts a long time so 12 hours apart is a good interval between doses).   What I have heard and read is that it is different for each cat, but you are not likely to overdose them. If the dose is high for them, they may act a little drunk and lose their balance.  It didnt happen to my cats, but it did happen to my friend's cat.  Not dangerous though.  A good dose to  start with is 0.25 mg. although 0.50 mg. is what it took for my feral to relax enough for us to do vet trips.  (See Grey Boys Story photos near my signature).  Several of us in rescue have lots of experience with it, and none of it bad.  It seems to make them happy, actually.

Lorazepam is an anxiety medication commonly used on people. The feline metabolism differs from that of humans and as a result many drugs and medications that work on people are just plain poison to cats. However, lorazepam has shown to have similar anxiety reducing and sedating effects on cats and in minute doses is not toxic to them. It is a fast acting drug when injected and as such is used to sedate aggressive patients and can in theory work to sedate aggressive or panicked cats.  Taken orally, it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to take effect but it lasts a long time, 6-8 hours or longer.

Here is an article about using this type of drug for your cat.  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/anti-anxiety-medication-for-cats.  There's also an amusing blog in Catster by someone who has used it to help his cats get along, and it worked when other things didn't.  http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/fighting-cats-ativan

That is great info @Red Top Rescue  , I have not used Ativan, only acepromazine, but really liked it.

Neither will knock the cat out completely, just makes them very relaxed and unable to fight/struggle.

A couple of examples, I gave it to a very feral aggressive cat who needed vet treatment, then brought him back and gave him a good scrubbing bath, I could see he hated it but had no choice but to allow it

Also my now resident tortie, who I pulled from one of my feral colonies, skin and bones but feisty and feral as all get out, slipped her some and took her to the vet, I helped examine her and opened her mouth, etc. I got a kick out of being able to maul her all I wanted That look in her eyes, "I'll get you for this!" Of course not really but...

She had stomatitis and had all of her teeth removed and is now fat and happy living at my home outdoors

Never had any negative effects at all.

Ativan sounds pretty great too!

MoxieWild:  Sorry I've been remiss answering you.  It does sound like you will be on the poopy end of the stick with your area's regulations.  I can only say we had similar regulations (very anti-cat) at the place I just moved from.  We did what we could to sneak around them and save as many animals as possible.

The only other thing I can think of is getting to know your animal control person.  Ours hated cats but he was very willing to help us trap because he knew we'd take proper care of the cat and it would be less worry for him.

Perhaps you can set up a similar arrangements with yours?  By showing him/her your set-up and plans, you may be able to forge a relationship that helps the cats.

Again, sorry I've been so slow responding.  Moving is tough!

Sneaky Update - I passed out some very simple flyers to about 6 shelters and rescues in the area, along with 3 vet offices. I hope over the weekend I will figure out how to make a better flyer and have it sent out to the neighbors, along with hitting up more rescues and vet clinics. I'll also be making the posters - I've been unable to do so thus far because we have had frequent rain I am still so completely heartbroken about Sneaky and I just wish I knew how he was doing right now or if he's moved on from the property yet...

Hobo and Puff Update - After several days of not eating they've just started to eat a tiny bit, as well as drink. My friend said they seemed very depressed but have recently been occasionally coming out of their shelters to watch the birds.

I purchased some catnip for them and am seeking other simple ways to add enrichment. Currently they have two carriers and one weather proof, raised cot on the pallets and plywood, and then another cot and a really tall scratching post on ground level.

We are limited in that we can't use a regular cat tree since the kennel is not weatherproofed, and being that this is a temporary enclosure building something doesn't really make sense. So far all we have to add is a lawn chair I also ordered some cooling pads for them and hope to have the mosquito problem dealt with the moment the weather clears up.

For anyone familiar with relocation - what can we expect this process to be like? Will they still be depressed in a week or two? What if they are still depressed after the 3-4 weeks? Do we still let them out of the enclosure or do we wait until they seem more settled with/accepting of the new place?

DC Update - He is vocalizing more and more and starting to respond to me when I go in the room. Is this normal for a feral? He mostly does a very low moan and will sometimes come to the door to do it.. Every time he's at the door I speak to him softly from outside, or I sneak food under the door. Now that he's doing it more I'm wondering if he is actually attempting to communicate with me (even if just for treats).

To be honest, this has made me dread retrapping him. I feel like doing so is going to ruin the tiny iota in trust I've earned from him the past two weeks He has so far made it right to the trip plate to eat, so we are almost there!

He's also found a new hiding spot where I cannot see him, which freaks me out when I go in there! All I see are black circles blinking at me and I am unable to see anything else of him. If he didn't blink I'd never know I was staring right at him!


@Red Top Rescue - first of all, Gray Boy's story broke my heart! You are so wonderful for rescuing him! I'm struggling a bit with the vet thing. I am in between primary vets for my cat and fosters, but I did just take two other ferals to a new vet. However, she hasn't seen this particular feral. Do vets normally need you to bring in the specific cat to write prescriptions (particularly since it happens to be a drug that is often abused by humans)? I just don't have a vet that I have a relationship with where trust has been established so that I can just call and ask for this. :/

@catwoman707 - That's pretty funny! I can't imagine being able to handle a feral like that unless they're totally passed out! If he won't go for the trap in a few days, I'll definitely look into this if possible.

@Ondine - No problem! Moving is the bane of my existence - I am impressed you are even taking the time to come on here!

Overall the city and county seem fairly feral friendly and embrace TNR and were extremely supportive of our efforts when we borrowed the traps. They were also really supportive when I dropped off the flyer at each facility. "Free roaming animals" aren't allowed, but they aren't enforced unless someone calls to complain, and they always encourage mediation first and assist with that. 

It seems like all this comes down to is property rights. I was told it would be a completely different story if Sneaky were an actual pet (i.e. my "property") or if I, at the least, had any sort of papers on him, but he was already fixed when we found him. Now I've made sure to have a file for the other three, who all have documentation now.

Basically what we're hoping is that Sneaky is somehow still alive and managing right now... but without a stable food source, we are told he will roam elsewhere eventually. So we will send flyers to the surrounding area and put up posters as much as humanely possible. Our hope is that he will end up on someone's property who will recognize him and care enough to call us and allow us to actually come and trap on their property, unlike the landlord.

I think it's our best shot because when I spoke to the precinct judge she basically said that even if I had a case and won, by that time he would likely have left the property (or worse). So I think approaching it this way is our best option, even if it relies heavily on luck and the good will of others


 

Relocating ferals takes an acclimation period of at least 4 weeks.

During this period, they go through a process of acceptance mentally.

Here is a basic outline.

The first week is like a waiting period, they are waiting for the first chance of escaping, the mission would be getting back "home" where they came from.

This usually includes a lack of eating, at least the first few days, then hunger overpowers resistance and they cave, but may eat just enough for survival, not the normal amts.

Week 2 means some depression, they are beginning to think they will not be able to go back home. 

Week 3, they will begin to soak in the new sights/smells/sounds, and surroundings.

They are losing hope of leaving here, the past home is starting to fade a bit, which is why they have started to take in the new place, they are mentally transitioning at this point. Basically out with the old and taking in the new, not their preference but it's about survival.

Week 4, Same as week 3 but more-so. Acceptance has begun, they are pretty familiar now with the sounds/smells, etc of where they are now.

So you see, it is extremely critical for a solid period to acclimate.

It helps too that they were used to your presence and feedings, so believe it or not, this is actually a comfort for them.

Cats are driven by their food source.

Anytime the acclimation isn't uncomfortable and can be delayed even an additional week, all the better that they will become permanent residents.

The depression will subside.

Actually my vet didnt have to write the prescription for the Ativan.  I already had some, because I have a prescription from my doctor to deal with anxiety as in when I have to fly in an airplane, or take a cat to be put to sleep, etc.  I don't abuse it and there is always some here.  I knew the drugs were in the same family, benzodiazepines, and asked my vet if I could use that instead of the vet stuff he wouldn't eat, and the vet said fine and went and looked up the right dosage.  Therefore, you might do better to get your family DOCTOR to write the prescription and make it for YOU.  I do have a 12-year client relationship with my vet but an even longer one with the doctor who writes that prescription.  I get the 1 mg. tablets myself, generic ones, they are small and white and tiny.  The vet's tranquilizer was big and blue and evidently unpleasant tasting.

@catwoman707 - Thank you for that explanation. I had seen what you said almost exactly to a T (it very well could have been you from an old thread on TCS) but couldn't remember where I had found it and what exactly it said. Part of the trouble here is that I am only a partial caretaker and their primary caretaker is less educated about cats/ferals and is only willing to do so much (in all honesty, I will likely end up with them eventually). From the beginning I had told her they needed to be contained at least 3-4 weeks and the longer the better (within reason, obviously). But she would keep saying things like "So in 3 weeks we can let them out?" and on more than one occasion she said 2 weeks.

When we released them in the kennel earlier this week she was absolutely shocked that Hobo sprung out  and was going nuts desperately trying to escape. She has a more personal relationship with Hobo because she brought him back from the brink of death when she found him, but she apparently wasn't expecting him to react the way he did and I think (or hope) it had an impact on the importance of this process.

 I think a lot of people are under the impression that feeding a cat is enough to make it stay in the area.

I'm trying not to get ahead of myself but I do worry about when it comes time to let them out. It just keeps raining and raining and this new place has such horrible drainage - the experience has so far not been fun for them and we're in for another week of rain (I'm about to head over to improve this). I'm just concerned that if the next few weeks are terrible for them (beyond moving and being contained) due to the weather and yard conditions, that they may not want to stay even after a full four weeks. Is that a valid concern at all?


@Red Top Rescue - I will look into that. I'm not too sure he'll need it now, but I'd love your insight. He is eating consistently and we are just about to the back of the trap. Today I'm going to reinforce the 48" crate he escaped from with hardwire cloth so we can just quickly transfer him to that immediately after trapping.

Here are my current concerns and various questions:

- Will retrapping him cause him to distrust me again?

- He's been much more calm since yesterday morning.  I am considering, if he stays as calm as he's been, perhaps allowing him to remain "escaped" until we get the outdoor enclosure up. So long as he stays calm and isn't a danger to himself, do you think it would be okay to leave him in there for now?

- It's been almost a week since his escape, and two weeks since trapping him. I'm starting to be concerned about a lack of stimulation/enrichment for him. Would it be a good idea to allow him to see outside now (we covered the window as to not stress him and prevent him from ramming it thinking it was an escape)? We also always keep the lights off. While normally I know keeping it dark is better, our situation is taking much longer than planned. Would allowing him natural light during the day be okay at this point?

Of course, if we expose the window, he may still ram it, so we need to consider that.

- He is officially meowing now and responding to me more than any other cat I've had. Full on conversations. I'll say hi, he'll meow. Every time I say something, he responds. When I stop talking, he stops meowing. If I start again, he starts again.  So he's definitely responding to me.

I'm not sure what it means. His meows don't sound like the happy to see me meows as my tame guys, but it's still not something I expected from a feral. I thought perhaps he's just becoming socialized, but it's barely been two weeks that he's been here or known me (he was new to the colony). Is he becoming socialized or was he socialized at some point a long time ago?

My concern is that when I'm in the room to clean and feed and he's talking to me, I don't know where he is in the room. The fact that he's becoming more chatty is making me wonder if he'll come out of hiding when I'm in there. And if so, what do I do? How do I react? I know I shouldn't be, but I am worried he might attack or something. I think my mind keeps imagining him like a cougar coming around the corner or something

I just don't know how to treat him vs how I treat strays. Should I blink, speak nicely, and calmly leave? Do I try to extend my hand palm down to allow him to smell (without directly approaching him)? I'm just not sure if I should calmly retreat, ignore him, just greet him, or try to get him to come to me like I would a stray.

If he's chatting with you, he's trying to engage.  I would just treat him the same for a few days, talking quietly to him.  You will eventually see any opportunity to interact with him - watch him closely and he should show you signs.

The fact that he's chatting at all makes me wonder if he's a stray who ended up with feral tendencies after being on his own.  True ferals seldom meow and almost never respond like this to humans.

Vibes on the trapping!

I agree, he's getting used to you and beginning to realize you mean him no harm.  You might start bringing treats of some sort every time you go in and toss them close to him -- the treats in your hand will smell of you and bring good associations.  I would not try to retrap him - leave him "escaped" and he will stay more relaxed.  He is in control about how close he gets to you now, he isn't stuck in a small cage.  That will boost his confidence.  I think having tranqilizers on hand for when you do need to move them or work with them is a good idea, but no need to do anything with the cat now except continue to make friends.  Letting in natural light is good too.  Just make sure there is heavy duty wire over the window with small enough mesh a cat cannot chew its way out.  Perhaps you can set up a nice bed for him on to of a box where he can look out the window.  You can "catify" the whole room using the things you have there.

Instead of getting tangled up in your head about how you should interact with him, listen to HIM and let him lead.  Humans are the only species that doesn't communicate without words, so go ahead and chat with him in words, and listen back to him trying to "feel" what he wants.  When you get used to doing it, it will become second nature to you.  We can communicate as they do if we just shut off our thinking and go with our feelings. 

A true feral (completely unsocialized/no human exposure/interactions) will NOT make a sound. 

The way he is complaining to you and communicating tells me he wasn't always feral, at some point, most likely as a young kitten, he has had some amt of human exposure.

This is a good thing, but only time with you will tell how much he's had/hasn't had.

While I know that allowing natural light in is very good, I'm not so sure I would trust that he won't go diving in to it in hopes of escaping.

If he escaped outside now, it would be VERY risky of course.

Don't worry about releasing, take it one day/week at a time.

Yes it probably was my old post! I've helped explain this mental acclimation process before

@Ondine - That's what I was thinking. My cat and fosters talk to me, but it's a much shorter back and forth than what DC will do! Sneaky and Puff have never made a sound and after about 6 months, Hobo started to occasionally meow for food, which is the sole reason I've ever been suspicious that he might have been socialized at some point, despite being very feral otherwise.

Last night we were conversing when I was outside his room. I could tell from the sound that he moved from the back of the room to right in front of the door. I did my usual routine to let him know I'm coming in - "Can I come in, DC?" and tapping on the door. Knowing he was right there I did it twice to give him extra time to run and hide, but he didn't. I'm not sure if he missed my cues, because he did bolt the moment I opened the door/turned on the light, but it was certainly a risk on his part. I did get a chance to see him up close and in good lighting for the first time ever, though

I've been suspicious about his feral status for a while. I just wish his meows sounded a little more happy!

@Red Top Rescue -

When he does his very sad moaning sound, I sometimes slip treats or dry food under the door for him while talking to him. I can't access him well at all where he hides, and I don't always know where he even is, so it's hard to directly give him treats.

For the mesh on the window - are you saying he can break the window? I wasn't going to open it, just allow him to see outside. But if adding wire is a safety precaution I need to take, I certainly will!

I have been trying to take the blankets and bedding that were in the crates and toss them to the back of the room closer to where he hides as much as I can. Since I can't access those areas I try to throw them as close as I can. He's cave dwelling at the moment, so I'm not sure if he'd get up on the furniture/catwalk, but perhaps once he can see outside he might use a bed there.

And yeah, I probably am getting into my own head. I just have extremely limited experience with ferals, let alone a "trapped" feral, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

@catwoman707 - Now I'm really rethinking the window thing! I want to be clear that I'm not trying to open the window (to let air in, for instance), just uncovering it to allow him to see outside and let light in. If he were to try and escape, could he really break the window??? If that's at all a possibility I will make sure to reinforce it somehow.

Escaping cannot be an option here. He comes fro, a very rural area, I live in a very active suburban neighborhood with an elementary school being built across the street and a large green belt right behind me with a busy road and highway a quarter mile away. No kitty leaves this house without being secure in a carrier or on a leash!
 

I wanted to mention something really quick, since I know I come off a bit neurotic at times with all of this!

Not even two years ago I was a die-hard, avid "dog person" with a phobia of cats. That only changed when I couldn't leave my then15 year old cat at a high kill shelter, thinking it would be temporary until I found him another home. Obviously I fell in love with him, he taught me the ways of cats, and not knowing what to do with a cat at the time I did a lot of research (because I am also type A!) to make sure I didn't kill him or end up being killed by him, and through the research I learned about the adversities cats, strays, and ferals face.

So I am still fairly new to cats in general, and likely still have lingering effects from my lifelong phobia. If I ask too many or "dumb" questions, that's probably why.

No question is "dumb" if you are asking because you want to know the answer (or AN answer).  It's the people who ask questions, are given answers or articles to read, then do not read them and ask the same questions again, those are what we consider dumb questions.  But we will answer them again.  Some people don't absorb what they read, or don't know how to read that well but would never admit it, so we keep going of course.  The idea is to help the cats, and if we help the people along the way, that's a good thing.  Congratulations to your first cat for getting his job done and converting you.  I don't understand dog people.  They are usually outgoing and friendly and like crowds and are active and energetic and don't mind loud noises like dogs barking and kids screaming and .................that's not me.