Hi..i am hoping that my question can be answered here or at least get some guidance on bringing a 3 to 4 mo old feral inside my apt...I am able to feed her and lightly pet her a bit while eating...However, i do live in a complex that has had a feral problem for some time but the property manager is not wiling to do TNR yet he will tell people to stop feeding them and they will go away which we all know is not the case...these ferals have been here quite awhile so i am told by some neighbors...any found litters on the property are always taken to the county shelters if caught...it just does not take care of the situation in the long run....i had a couple of neighbors that helped feed a few of them but all of us had to sneak food out late at night for them so no one would know..pathetic really! I live in a complex where there is a language barrier so it has been difficult trying to communicate with people here...So now these friends have since moved out and i'm the only person that cares enough about these cats...I do have one of my own cats inside but am a bit concerned with bringing a feral inside...space is tight and it's hard to keep her isolated away from my own cat....I plan on trapping her and getting her checked out with a vet first...my own cat sees the feral all the time through my screen door and they have been nose to nose and have had some interaction and thought maybe i could socialize her with the feral after having shots and all necessary tests and spay/neuter performed...this would be my first attempt at this so any help would be appreciated!
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bringing a feral inside
- Thread starter linsu67
- Start Date
Thank you for wanting to help this sweet little feral. Step one is to trap her and get her to the vet not only for a check up, vaccines, flea meds and most importantly she needs to be spayed. Since she is 3-4 months old, she is plenty old enough.
As for socializing, she will need a room or some space of her own that is cat proofed. She don't want her in a bedroom where she will run right under the bed or other large furniture where it will be difficult to retrieve her. If you must use a bedroom it is best to put the bed flat on the floor. You need to get on the floor and find all small spots where she could hide. One of the biggest mistakes people make is letting a feral/semi feral cat loose in a room or apt where the cat will hide in the smallest spot possible and sometimes the cat turns up missing. Many will get under couches and hide in the springs. It might be a good idea to use a large dog cage yet be sure the slats are close enough together that a small kitten could not squeeze through. You will need enough room for a litter box and food/water.
Socializing her with your other cat can be very easy or very hard. It all depends on the personalities of the cats. Cats are very very territorial by nature. When you bring a new one inside, your resident cat may not be happy at all. It is best to allow the new cat time to acclimate to indoor living and acclimate to humans for a bit before rushing into introductions. A crate can be a great way to facilitate introductions in a small space. Just be prepared that introductions can take some time. Sometimes lots of time. If your resident cat is easy going then it should be a bit easier. Yet if he/she has been the only pet for a while it may be harder.
Here are some articles on introducing cats to one another. The key is to take it slow and watch for cues from the cats. Any hissing, growling, yowling, tails swishing, ears flat, chasing, biting or all out fighting are all warning signs.
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/the-ultimate-yet-simplified-guide-to-introducing-cats
http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/a-simple-little-trick-to-use-during-new-cat-introductions/
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/introducing-your-cat-new-cat
http://jacksongalaxy.com/2010/10/01/cat-to-cat-introductions/
The situation at your apartment complex is heart breaking. It is so sad that these poor kitties have litter after litter of kittens. Is it possible to contact a rescue group, humane society, ASPCA or other non kill group that might assist in the spaying/neutering of these cats? Trapping can be done at night or early morning. The cats are quickly spayed/neutered and then returned to their area the next day. The can be ear tipped to designate they have been spayed/neutered. Once all of the cats are sterile, the cats can be fed and after a period of time, the population will be greatly reduced. It is so sad that litter after litter has to happen.
Thank you for caring and doing your best to help.
As for socializing, she will need a room or some space of her own that is cat proofed. She don't want her in a bedroom where she will run right under the bed or other large furniture where it will be difficult to retrieve her. If you must use a bedroom it is best to put the bed flat on the floor. You need to get on the floor and find all small spots where she could hide. One of the biggest mistakes people make is letting a feral/semi feral cat loose in a room or apt where the cat will hide in the smallest spot possible and sometimes the cat turns up missing. Many will get under couches and hide in the springs. It might be a good idea to use a large dog cage yet be sure the slats are close enough together that a small kitten could not squeeze through. You will need enough room for a litter box and food/water.
Socializing her with your other cat can be very easy or very hard. It all depends on the personalities of the cats. Cats are very very territorial by nature. When you bring a new one inside, your resident cat may not be happy at all. It is best to allow the new cat time to acclimate to indoor living and acclimate to humans for a bit before rushing into introductions. A crate can be a great way to facilitate introductions in a small space. Just be prepared that introductions can take some time. Sometimes lots of time. If your resident cat is easy going then it should be a bit easier. Yet if he/she has been the only pet for a while it may be harder.
Here are some articles on introducing cats to one another. The key is to take it slow and watch for cues from the cats. Any hissing, growling, yowling, tails swishing, ears flat, chasing, biting or all out fighting are all warning signs.
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/the-ultimate-yet-simplified-guide-to-introducing-cats
http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/a-simple-little-trick-to-use-during-new-cat-introductions/
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/introducing-your-cat-new-cat
http://jacksongalaxy.com/2010/10/01/cat-to-cat-introductions/
The situation at your apartment complex is heart breaking. It is so sad that these poor kitties have litter after litter of kittens. Is it possible to contact a rescue group, humane society, ASPCA or other non kill group that might assist in the spaying/neutering of these cats? Trapping can be done at night or early morning. The cats are quickly spayed/neutered and then returned to their area the next day. The can be ear tipped to designate they have been spayed/neutered. Once all of the cats are sterile, the cats can be fed and after a period of time, the population will be greatly reduced. It is so sad that litter after litter has to happen.
Thank you for caring and doing your best to help.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Thanks for taking the time to provide me with some further information...I was just out to feed my friend and she is quite vocal with me and does let me touch her...not sure if it is male or female but sure is a pretty cat worth the effort and to get her socialized while she is still young enough,,,,my own cat is over a year old so there is not too much difference in age...she still is very much a kitten herself...I will try posting a pic of my feral later....As for doing TNR with any others would be great except the property managers will not support it and a caretaker would be needed to feed them....I'm going by what people who have lived here have said about the problem and an attempt was made to TNR any ferals in the complex but they were turned down....I live in a 55 and up community in central Fla so there is a huge feral population in neighborhoods around here...It is heartbreaking as you say but some just don't care and ignore the situation until it's so out of control....but this kitty i'm feeding now will not be left to fend for herself...i will post updates as to the progress i'm making....thanks once again!
