Feral Now Living Indoors

I have been caring for a feral cat (Lottie) for the last 3.5 years.  I had to have his eye removed when I first found him and we live in a coyote infested area.  I always fear for Lottie's safety especially with only having one eye.  It is upsetting when we get cold weather or a lot of snow and also when he goes missing for a few days at a time.  I finally decided that it was time to move him indoors.  I do have 6 other cats and he knows a few of them because they have been rescued from my yard as well.  Lottie is a true feral and I've never been able to touch him but he is for sure bonded to me.  I trapped him 2 days ago and brought him to the Vet for FIV/FELV testing, vaccines, exam, etc.  I now have him in a cage with a carrier in there for him to hide out in.  My question is how long should I keep him in a cage for? He is pretty traumatized right now and growls non-stop if I am in his presence. Once I release him from the cage, how long should I keep him in the one spare room for?  I know this process will take time and any advise that anyone can give me would be appreciated.  My Vet also gave me some Gabapentin to help calm him.

Headbonks and Purrs,

-Shelley

While he is in the cage, it should be in a room of his own.  It is also helpful to keep the cage covered with a light sheet.  Start with it covered all the way and then move to uncovering one side at a time. 

Many people leave the ferals in a cage for weeks.  Since you are unable to touch her, it does make it more difficult.  Just be sure she is in a room of her own right now.  It will make her feel more secure being by herself.  Once she has calmed down a bit you can think about letting her out.  Just be sure the room is completely cat proofed.  You want a bed flat on the floor or picked up.  I guarantee she will go under a bed and there it is almost impossible to get her out.  You want to force her to be out in the open.  Also watch for behind and under large furniture.

Here is a great article on socializing cats and also some tips.

http://bestfriends.org/resources/socializing-cats-how-socialize-very-shy-or-fearful-cat

1.  The first tip is to have a room that is dedicated to the cat.  If possible this should be a room where the cat will be confined for a period of time.  You can use a spare bedroom or even a small bathroom.  If using a bedroom or other room of your home, be sure that the room is cat proofed.  Remove mattress and box springs or place them directly on the floor.  Hiding under a bed is the first place the cat will run and it is almost impossible to get them out.  Also block behind dressers or book cases.  Cats can fit into very small spaces.  You do want to have an appropriate hiding spot for the cat.  This can be an old box turned on its side or a hiding box found on a cat tree.  Also make sure all windows are tightly closed and blinds are up with the cords hidden.  Do not be surprised if the cat throws himself against the window in an attempt to escape.

2.  If you do not have an empty room available or the cat is very wild,  you can use a large dog crate or fasten two smaller crates together.  Just be sure there is enough room for a small litter pan and food.  If you need to use a crate, I would suggest keeping the crate covered with a sheet or towel  when the cat is alone.  This will help to calm the cat.  Eventually you will need a cat proofed space where you can move the cat.

3.  You will want to start with 2 litter boxes.  Many feral cats are not used to urinating and defecating in the same location. When choosing a  litter, you can use fresh clean potting soil mixed with non clumping litter or you can try Dr. Elsey’s Litter Attract.  I have found the Litter Attract to work very well.  If the cat has an accident on the floor, sop up the urine with a paper towel and bury it into the litter box.  Do the same with any stool.  Make sure you clean the area very well with a good enzymatic cleaner to remove all traces of odor.  Place the litter boxes away from the food and water.

4.  Feliway plugins are a great way to help a nervous cat adjust.  Most cats find the product soothing.  You can find Feliway at most pet stores as well as on Amazon.

5.  Another product I found helpful was Composure treats or Composure Liquid Max.  The first few nights inside are very stressful.  The cat will often yowl and cry all night.  The Composure is very useful in calming the cat at night.  I first tried the treats, but after a week or so, the cat no longer liked the treat.  I then switched to the liquid as it was very easy to mix into wet food.  Composure is available at the best price on Amazon.

6.  No direct eye contact.  Feral cats find this very threatening.  Keep your gaze over the top of their head or look down.

7.  Talk softly.  You want them to get used to your voice.  Carry on a conversation or even read aloud from a book or magazine.

8.  Sit on the ground so you are not looming over the cat.  You also want to keep your movements slow.

9.  Food rewards are the way to a ferals heart.  Find a special yummy treat such as plain cooked chicken or turkey, salmon, tuna or sardines.  I would start by giving them a very small plate with some of the special treat.  I would then have small pieces beside me and begin to toss the treat towards the cat.  Each toss I would get the treat a little closer to me.  I would do this activity each day.  After a few weeks, the cats are often getting quite close as long as you keep your movements slow and gaze down.

A very special food reward I stumbled across is Gerber Stage 2 baby food.  Cats love the chicken or turkey.  The jar is very small with a blue label.  The ingredients are chicken or turkey and water, no added spices.  I started with a bit on a plate and as time went by, I  offered it on a spoon.  When working with young ferals or kittens, they can often be coaxed to lick this off your fingers.  Just remember this is a treat reward and not a meal replacement.

10.  Remember that when working with ferals it is often 1 step forward and 2 steps back.  Just take it slow and steady.  Also celebrate the small advancements.

11.  Jackson Galaxy of Animal Planets, “My Cat From Hell” series is the cat guru.  He has a line of flower essences that are specially designed for cat behaviors.  He even has one for feral cats.  I have used this essence with great success on all of my feral cats.  

Shelley,

Thank you so much for rescuing Lottie.

Shadows Rescue gives excellent advice.

All my cats are ferals. I found that ferals really respond to point 9 from Shadows Rescue's post. Food. I have had ferals come around really quickly after warm chicken (chicken thighs out of the oven). 

Building trust is key and Shadows Rescue offers great advice. Just let the cat warm to you, at first Lottie will rub on you, then do the head butt. Eventually you most likely will be able to pet her. I bring in older ferals and it amazes me how they just want to be loved. But they have to trust.

When you do get to the point where you will let her out in a cat proofed room make sure you have paces she can go up high (cat trees, dressers, etc). Height builds confidence and confidence makes a great cat.

I have also found that ferals tend to integrate really well with existing cats. They know how to do it as they had to outside in order to survive. If your existing cats are former ferals then it should help in the introduction process.

I would also bring up that I have had success with my way of carrying myself. I believe cats take on our energy. If the human can be confident and calm it will help the feral. The more they see you and they know you are not going to hurt them and you also bring them good food they sure come around in my experience. Points 6, 7 and 8 of Shadows Rescue's post is exactly correct.

Thanks again for caring about Lottie. Just follow the excellent advice of Shadows Rescue and you chances of success will be very high in my opinion. I love ferals and I know exactly how you felt, they steal your heart. 

How you confine a new feral cat in the household, and for how long, depends on the cat and the caregiver. I've taken in 3 ferals and a semi-feral over the past 3 years, and have not caged any of them. They were given the spare room for anywhere from a few days to several weeks before they got the run of the house. Some cats, especially ferals, get very stressed and depressed if confined in a cage--which is why I've never been able to use this method. The spare room I use is empty except for a dresser, cat tree, litter box, food and water bowls, and lots of toys. There are no curtains or blinds in the windows. They can hide in the closet or cat tree, but are not out of sight. I realize not everyone has the ability to have this kind of set-up, but you can still cat-proof a room for a feral or new cat. You've known this cat for a few years, so the process will be easy in the sense that there's already a relationship and trust built. It will be difficult in the sense that he's an older cat, so he may or may not adjust to life indoors. There was one feral that I took indoors but released back outside because he was already a few years old and was scaling the walls and windows and going nuts, and he made it very clear that it was his choice to be outdoors, and I respected that choice. Each cat is different, and each solution will be a little different--trust your instinct.

Don't worry about keeping him in the cage for a couple of weeks. My adopted feral boy had to spend two weeks in it as he required a followup vet visit and I was worried I wouldn't be able to get him back in the trap. Vet said it was OK as long as he didn't act too upset for long.

Now while he is still recovering he lives in a shack next to my house but he grew so attached to the trap that he still goes inside it to sleep.

I used to put an old blanket over it to make him feel safe, I still do and he seems to like it. Since covering the trap is a common advice offered for making ferals feel safe while contained I'd strongly recommend you try it.

I also put cardboard on the bottom to make it easier on his paws. This had the positive side effect of making cleaning up a lot easier as every time he "went" I could slightly open the trap and replace the old cardboard along with the resulting mess so his cage would remain clean.

He will easily understand how to use the litterbox when you finally take him out of the cage. I didn't even have to show mine, he started using it right away on his own.

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