Adopted one feral another at the door

debtelli11 · Aug 19, 2016

A month ago a gray male feral with a tipped left ear adopted us, and all is going well. He currently lives mostly in our screened in porch and our small side yard (under the house). My lab and my my new guy are working on their relationship and things are moving along well. However, a new fellow has been sitting on the outside ledge of the porch, staring in with the saddest eyes, and wqtching our first feral eating and relaxing inside the porch. This is my first ever feral cat and I love the pace of getting used to each other and building trust. I honestly don't want to take care of another one at this point but my heart is breaking over this new guy (or girl). How can I feed one and not another? If I adopt this one will I eventually have a colony? Should I attempt to TNR the new one or since I'm (and my husband or my neighbors) are not sure I want to encourage ferals should I just harden my heart and wait for him to move on. He's fluffy and healthy looking and I've advertised to see if anyone lost him. Nothing. I just need advice from people that are more used to dealing with ferals than me. Thanks.

shadowsrescue · Aug 19, 2016

Debtelli11 said:
A month ago a gray male feral with a tipped left ear adopted us, and all is going well. He currently lives mostly in our screened in porch and our small side yard (under the house). My lab and my my new guy are working on their relationship and things are moving along well. However, a new fellow has been sitting on the outside ledge of the porch, staring in with the saddest eyes, and wqtching our first feral eating and relaxing inside the porch. This is my first ever feral cat and I love the pace of getting used to each other and building trust. I honestly don't want to take care of another one at this point but my heart is breaking over this new guy (or girl). How can I feed one and not another? If I adopt this one will I eventually have a colony? Should I attempt to TNR the new one or since I'm (and my husband or my neighbors) are not sure I want to encourage ferals should I just harden my heart and wait for him to move on. He's fluffy and healthy looking and I've advertised to see if anyone lost him. Nothing. I just need advice from people that are more used to dealing with ferals than me. Thanks.

Thank you for caring. I could never turn one away. I have had many throughout the years and have just decided that the cats were brought to me for a reason. I am here to help them as best I can. I had one that too came and cried and cried for food. I didn't want any more cats, but could not turn him away. He was so hungry. I trapped him, had him neutered and vaccinated and now he is just the sweetest and most loving kitty.

I would definitely trap this one to get spayed/neutered and then feed and offer him shelter. Maybe he was friends with the other kitty. He can see the food and knows you are one to help.

If nothing else it might be nice for the kitties to have each other!

debtelli11 · Aug 19, 2016

Thank you for responding in such a kind way. The thing is, I love animals but I'm more of a dog person. I'm actually a dog trainer. As you know the process of "adopting" a feral requires patience, perseverance and is a responsibility, not to mention the changing of your routine. This first cat has taken over my side yard which I fenced in and made comfortable for my lab to make it easy for her to go out and toilet. Now my lab won't go out there because Kitty went after her a couple of times in the beginning. Every evening the three of us work on this but my dog won't go out there unless I accompany her. I wonder how stressful it would be to my dog to bring another into the territory. Meanwhile my heart just hurts for this new one. I just don't know if I should make the commitment. I have some "snobby" neighbors who have already given me a hard time for feeding the first one.

cattilac · Aug 19, 2016

I am owned by 11 cats! No, I did not plan this but the town We moved in to does not have spay or neuter laws in place. I have two ferals in the bunch and though one is timid, she has come along ways. One was about three years old and then a kitten followed him home one day and was she wild! We do not allow them to run free anymore due to dangers on the outside. We do have a large protected kitty yard that they go out to play in. I am in the process of trapping another feral cat next week. I will it fixed and then I have someone who may adopt it and tame it.

shadowsrescue · Aug 19, 2016

Debtelli11 said:
Thank you for responding in such a kind way. The thing is, I love animals but I'm more of a dog person. I'm actually a dog trainer. As you know the process of "adopting" a feral requires patience, perseverance and is a responsibility, not to mention the changing of your routine. This first cat has taken over my side yard which I fenced in and made comfortable for my lab to make it easy for her to go out and toilet. Now my lab won't go out there because Kitty went after her a couple of times in the beginning. Every evening the three of us work on this but my dog won't go out there unless I accompany her. I wonder how stressful it would be to my dog to bring another into the territory. Meanwhile my heart just hurts for this new one. I just don't know if I should make the commitment. I have some "snobby" neighbors who have already given me a hard time for feeding the first one.

Having a second kitty might make it easier. The kitties would occupy each other and therefore not be interested in the dog.

I have given up caring what my neighbors think of me. I have a large outdoor shelter on my deck in the winter that has 2 heated houses for my 3 feral kitties. I also have 2 indoor only kitties and a large dog. I too was always a dog person, but learned to love kitties so much. Taking care of feral cats creates such a bond. Yet I understand the time commitment.

Maybe you could trap the kitty and see if the kitty is adoptable. He/she may be a stray that has had human contact. This would make it much easier to either socialize the kitty or find him/her a home.

Thank you for caring.

tinkerbeltink · Aug 19, 2016

Whatever you do, please do something. Do not leave the animal to starve.

debtelli11 · Aug 19, 2016

I would never sit by and watch an animal starve. I am as humane as they come. If he comes by again I will take some kind of action. Each time I saw him through the window, when he saw me he was gone.

StefanZ · Aug 19, 2016

Debtelli11 said:
A month ago a gray male feral with a tipped left ear adopted us, and all is going well. He currently lives mostly in our screened in porch and our small side yard (under the house). My lab and my my new guy are working on their relationship and things are moving along well. However, a new fellow has been sitting on the outside ledge of the porch, staring in with the saddest eyes, and wqtching our first feral eating and relaxing inside the porch. This is my first ever feral cat and I love the pace of getting used to each other and building trust. I honestly don't want to take care of another one at this point but my heart is breaking over this new guy (or girl). How can I feed one and not another? If I adopt this one will I eventually have a colony? Should I attempt to TNR the new one or since I'm (and my husband or my neighbors) are not sure I want to encourage ferals should I just harden my heart and wait for him to move on. He's fluffy and healthy looking and I've advertised to see if anyone lost him. Nothing. I just need advice from people that are more used to dealing with ferals than me. Thanks.

Spaying / neutering is the key. Both for the basic help to them, and to avoid a colony. If you adopt many, yes, you will become a hoarder - so that may be a trap for friendly rescuers. But the best way to avoid to get a colony of the cats you help and feed, is make sure they are all spayed / neutered. Esp if they are outside.

This way, they will tend to discourage new arrivals - the place will already be taken sort off...

So it will be nice if you can adopt this one too. But if you want "just" to help him with some food, and perhaps allow him to be your outside kitty, spaying is the must.

Your boy whom you already adopted is neutered, you know this from that ear cut.

debtelli11 · Aug 19, 2016

Thank you StefanZ. That is my plan to get the new cat neutered. Im going to borrow a friends trap tomorrow. I've never done this before. Any tips anyone has would be appreciated.

shadowsrescue · Aug 19, 2016

Debtelli11 said:
Thank you StefanZ. That is my plan to get the new cat neutered. Im going to borrow a friends trap tomorrow. I've never done this before. Any tips anyone has would be appreciated.

Here is a great video on trapping put out by Alley Cat Allies. It shows the trapping of a colony, but the same works for trapping just one cat. Be sure you have a placed lined up to take the cat so that he/she doesn't have to remain in the trap for too long. THe key is to never ever removed the cat from the trap. Once a cat has been trapped it's very difficult to retrap. So once the cat is in the trap, it is best to hold the cat in the trap until the vet appointment. Ideally you want to trap the night before or the morning of the appointment. If you catch the cat the night before it is best to move the cat to a garage or basement to keep the cat comfortable. Just be sure you cover the trap.

http://www.alleycat.org/resources/trapping-cats-how-to-trap-an-entire-colony/

Adopted one feral another at the door

debtelli11

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shadowsrescue

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debtelli11

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cattilac

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shadowsrescue

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tinkerbeltink

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debtelli11

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StefanZ

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debtelli11

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shadowsrescue

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