Trying to tame my first feral

beckyroo · Nov 2, 2016

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beckyroo
Nov 2, 2016

Hello! I live in Quebec and the winter in just around the corner. For the past year, we have been feeding a little black feral. We could not get near him, but over the months, he has come closer to the house to eat everyday. Last winter, he lost one of his ears to frostbite. We tried making him a heated shelter, but we have so much other wildlife that would end up using it. Also, we have 3 cats whom roam around outside. So in short, we decided that we would try and get him in this winter. We trapped him 3 weeks ago and he is now confined in a spare bedroom. He seems comfortable and is eating well. He has hiding holes, scratching posts, toys, 2 litter trays (which he uses) and of course, lots of good food. I understand that there are some people who say that we should just have him neutered and then release him, but we would really like to give this little chap a home, and pretty soon the snow will hit here for the next few months and be bitterly cold. He hisses if I approach him too much. I sit with him everyday, sometimes working in the same room, or reading him stories. I wonder if anyone here has any tips that may help on making him more at ease. We have not been able to get him to the vet yet but we have at least had his feces tested, and we are treating him for worms. As soon as we can, he will be going to the vet. Any advice from those with experience, would be so welcome. Oh we have named him, Pickwick xxx

Primula · Nov 2, 2016

Nobody here would advise you to neuter him & put him back outside unless he is desperate to get back outside. You say nothing like this. To me, this is a success story. From the photo he looks happy & relaxed. If you had indoor cats you would probably have a problem integrating him. Give him time. He has placed his life in your hands because he trusts you. This is major. Keep us posted.

Have him fixed as soon as you can. You might want to buy some Revolution flea treatment. (We actually buy it in Canada online because no script is needed up there.) No doubt he has fleas, but you can't bathe him but he would probably allow you to put the Revolution between his shoulder blades once a month.

beckyroo · Nov 2, 2016

Thank you Primula! No, it's just a spoke to a couple of people who have cat colonies and they said that I should have neutered and released. I was really hoping that this group might tell me that I was doing the right thing and give some encouragement...so thank you! :-) He does seem fairly relaxed, but just hides in his little house I made him. He comes out at night to eat, but throughout the day, he just watches me and hisses if I get to close. Although he is falling asleep when I am reading now with him. Which I think is a good sign.Also I am worried about his boredom level...he doesn't seem to want to play at all.

Primula · Nov 2, 2016

Beckyroo said:
Thank you Primula! No, it's just a spoke to a couple of people who have cat colonies and they said that I should have neutered and released. I was really hoping that this group might tell me that I was doing the right thing and give some encouragement...so thank you! :-) He does seem fairly relaxed, but just hides in his little house I made him. He comes out at night to eat, but throughout the day, he just watches me and hisses if I get to close. Although he is falling asleep when I am reading now with him. Which I think is a good sign.Also I am worried about his boredom level...he doesn't seem to want to play at all.

You know that he has lived outside for at least one year. Maybe his entire life. He has no knowledge of games or playing. If he has been outside his entire life, imagine what that has been like for him. The constant struggle for food, shelter & warmth since he was born. I am guessing that he is showing no signs of wanting to go out because he is afraid you won't let him in again. I have seen this with the most withdrawn cats. Trust me, he is not bored! He is probably a little stunned by how comfortable he feels & that there are so many good things to eat. He may also be one of those cats who will always be low key in an effort not to draw a lot of attention to himself which, in his mind, might cause you to throw him out.

msaimee · Nov 2, 2016

The only time one should neuter and release a feral cat back outside is if the cat is stressed being confined inside. This is often the case with ferals who are over a year old. I had one I had to release back outside because he was literally scaling the walls and the windows and caterwauling. He was in obvious distress and made it very clear to me that he did not wish to live indoors with me and my other cats. He lived the rest of his life quite happily in the heated Pet house I had on my porch and the food I provided daily. The other three ferals I took into my home, all under a year old, never expressed the desire to go back outside. But it takes time to socialize them to the point of feeling comfortable being petted. It took me 6 months to be able to pet the 5-6 month feral kitten I took into my home last Spring. The 10 month old feral I took in over 3 years ago still only allows me to pet her briefly before I play with her with her wand toy. But the one thing they have in common is they have never expressed the desire to return to their lives outdoors. Even if I open my front door, they will not venture to go outside. You are doing a wonderful thing taking this feral cat into your home. Give it time. A couple of weeks is not long. Be patient with him and he will warm up to you. Even if he never becomes a cuddly lap cat, he will love you in his own way, and you won't be worrying about him when the cold weather comes.

beckyroo · Nov 3, 2016

I appreciate that Primula........thank you. He does seem fairly relaxed and it is nice to have him in a warm house. You have made me feel like I have done the right thing.. we are not putting him back out. We have time.......however long he needs xxxxx

beckyroo · Nov 3, 2016

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beckyroo
Nov 3, 2016

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply on this. It is really good to have some encouragement. The little guy seems quite relaxed but of course I am worried. I just want to know that there is hope! I really couldn't bare the thought of him being out in that harsh winter again! It is just frustrating at the moment, but hearing from others like you has made me feel better. He seems to like the new house I made for him though which is good! We can hear him moving about at night and he eats well. During the day he just sleeps in one of his houses and hisses if I go too close. We are taking our time. Thankyou again for your stories......wish their were more caring people out there like this group! Here is Pickwick as I see him in the day...just a pair of eyes! xxx

msaimee · Nov 3, 2016

I can guarantee you that if Pickwick wasn't happy with his new home and set of circumstances that he would ler you know. There would be a lot of crying and caterwauling, clawing at the door and windows, trying to escape, pacing, and diarrhea. You wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Since he has been in your house for three weeks and not "objected," it's unlikely he will at this point. He is starting to learn that he has a good thing going. If you haven't done so already, leave some catnip toys in the room for him. Eventually he will have the run of the house. Don't be surprised when he ends up sleeping on your bed with you. Then one day you'll be able to pet him a bit, and you'll take a pic of that with your cell phone and send it to the people who are telling you you're cruel and ferals can't be socialized. Then you can post it here, too and folks will be happy for you and Pickwick. Here is a pic of the day that moment occurred for me and one of my ferals, " Cupcake," after she'd been in my house 6 months. It was worth the wait.

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msaimee
Nov 3, 2016

pixies ma · Nov 4, 2016

Salut de Montreal!

Is this a Hobbit house? I love it!

Keep up the good work, and may i suggest you contact your local SPCA so you could have him vetted, neutered, and vaccinated for a fraction of the price. Tell them you keep him inside, as they wont do it if you dont cause it is too cold outside now. They might hook you up with some Revolution, or at least point you in the right direction.
No vet would prescribe my feral Revolution without seeing him, but someone at the SPCA gave me the email of a woman who owns a shelter and she sold me a 10 doses vial of it for 30$. I donated 20$, but 50$ total is very cheap still.
My feral doesn't understand toys yet either. He sometimes will play hockey with a ball, but wand toys are foreign to him and kinda makes him uneasy. Does he have a treat he especially likes? Took me a while to find out i can get his attention more with food, and the only one he likes is freeze dried chicken cubes. Mondou sells some in their brand for cheaper.
As for some people discouraging you sometimes, i have had a famous cat behaviorist (or someone from his team at least) tell me i should not let my feral near my house cat ever, but i keep reading stories here of people being patient and smart and things working out fine. It just takes lots of time and energy, but it's so worth a shot.
You seem to be doing great so far, with the story reading and all, and asking for help.

msaimee · Nov 4, 2016

I can only speak from my personal experience, but my feral cats more easily bonded right off the bat with my inside cats than with me, the scary human lol. Feral cats are used to coexisting with other cats in their territory. Tomcats will fight other Tomcats over mates and territory, but they generally will get along with neutered cats and female cats and their offspring. If the expert you are talking about is the guy from "My Cat From Hell," it appears to me that his experience is primarily working with domesticated cats and not feral cats. I have three formerly feral cats living peaceably with my two non-feral cats inside my home. When conflicts have arisen, it's had to do with personality conflicts and not whether or not they were feral at any point. So there is a lot of hope for integrating feral cats into a household with non feral cats. I enjoy all of my cats and I'm very happy I took the time and patience to rescue and integrate them. I really hope that the two of you will experience success and satisfaction from all of your hard work and kind intentions towards the cats you are rescuing.

Shane Kent · Nov 4, 2016

" I understand that there are some people who say that we should just have him neutered and then release him, but we would really like to give this little chap a home, and pretty soon the snow will hit here for the next few months and be bitterly cold."

I got two feral cats I trapped in May. They are no longer feral I socialized them. I started feeding them last November and fed them daily throughout the winter. I made them an insulated cat house but they chose to live in one of the storage structures at my work, it was enclosed so they were out of the wind. My vet as well as the Humane Society recommended I take the cats in if I can. The people that own the company I work at don't mind the cats in the building. Outdoor cats typically have a shorter life span so it is better they are inside. Not to mention the wildlife they will kill and the wildlife that could kill them. If you are in a large city it is unlikely wildlife could get them but there are vehicles and other hazards in the city.

If you can afford to take the cat to a vet do not take it to the Humane Society. Leave that for cats that don't have anyone to care for them or people that cannot afford it. Humane Society has limited funds and you will be helping other cats if you don't take it there. If you are tight on money than do what @Pixies Ma said as it is considerably less money to go through the Humane Society. The Humane Society in Ottawa was going to assist me in caring for them last winter and it did not matter about the cold. Ottawa Humane society said they would do shots, spay/neuter, etc and give them back provided there would be someone to care for them. I thanked the Humane Society for the offer to help but told them I could afford to take them to my vet and they were happy about that.

As for mixing cats, have cats tested for communicable diseases before slowly introducing them to each other. Would be bad to rescue a cat and give it a disease or end up with it giving a pre-existing cat a disease.

Primula · Nov 4, 2016

Beckyroo said:
14691092_10155388422483266_3820336890621688654_n.j

beckyroo

Nov 3, 2016

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply on this. It is really good to have some encouragement. The little guy seems quite relaxed but of course I am worried. I just want to know that there is hope! I really couldn't bare the thought of him being out in that harsh winter again! It is just frustrating at the moment, but hearing from others like you has made me feel better. He seems to like the new house I made for him though which is good! We can hear him moving about at night and he eats well. During the day he just sleeps in one of his houses and hisses if I go too close. We are taking our time. Thankyou again for your stories......wish their were more caring people out there like this group! Here is Pickwick as I see him in the day...just a pair of eyes! xxx

House is brilliant.

Primula · Nov 4, 2016

MsAimee said:
The only time one should neuter and release a feral cat back outside is if the cat is stressed being confined inside. This is often the case with ferals who are over a year old. I had one I had to release back outside because he was literally scaling the walls and the windows and caterwauling. He was in obvious distress and made it very clear to me that he did not wish to live indoors with me and my other cats. He lived the rest of his life quite happily in the heated Pet house I had on my porch and the food I provided daily. The other three ferals I took into my home, all under a year old, never expressed the desire to go back outside. But it takes time to socialize them to the point of feeling comfortable being petted. It took me 6 months to be able to pet the 5-6 month feral kitten I took into my home last Spring. The 10 month old feral I took in over 3 years ago still only allows me to pet her briefly before I play with her with her wand toy. But the one thing they have in common is they have never expressed the desire to return to their lives outdoors. Even if I open my front door, they will not venture to go outside. You are doing a wonderful thing taking this feral cat into your home. Give it time. A couple of weeks is not long. Be patient with him and he will warm up to you. Even if he never becomes a cuddly lap cat, he will love you in his own way, and you won't be worrying about him when the cold weather comes.

Great posts from MsAimee

pixies ma · Nov 4, 2016

MsAimee said:
If the expert you are talking about is the guy from "My Cat From Hell

Oh no, not him. I don't think he would have the time to read\reply to most of his requests for his expertise in the matter. I'm talking about a French Canadian cat expert who has been on TV and magazines. He was recommended by my vet.
Thank you for encouraging me! His appetite is awesome today, so i'm guessing the antibiotics are working. He must have had bad cramps before, poor little guy.

pixies ma · Nov 4, 2016

@Shane Kent The SPCA did such a great job with my feral and i, i was basically ignorant on all counts when i first contacted them. I'm still learning daily. I had little budget for him, and thank the gods it was free cause it ended up costing me lots of money AFTER i decided to adopt him officially. I did so cause he came out FIV pos and the vet told me he was fit enough to be returned, but would do best inside.
I then contacted my usual vet to have my house cat (she is actually me feral's niece)protected against FIV but she said it was not necessary as long as they are introduced properly and on their terms therefor making the chances of deep bite wounds very slim. However, she has received her boosters for last year's kitten shots.
What a challenge this is.

He got spooked by the washing machine earlier and started growling and wanting out. I think the door, and keeping him inside longer, will help with getting used to the noises of daily life.

beckyroo · Nov 4, 2016

Ahhh MsAimee! Thank you! SO lovely to hear. I am sat here typing this and Pickwick is watching from his house.....but laying on his side....he looks comfy! I really appreciate the encouragement. I just want what is best for him. I knew in my heart that just getting him off the street was the right thing, especially after watching his ear shrivel off, but I initially spoke to some negative people who made me feel bad from removing him from his 'home'. It can get to minus 25 here during the winter (I am from England and am not used to that level of cold either!)and sometimes when we have snow storms it would be impossible for him to visit to eat. It is so nice that you shared that precious photo of your feral. That really lifted my spirits. Everyday I feel I am learning with Pickwick and I feel like I just have to take my time. The encouragement of people on here has made me feel so much better about him.....we will do everything to make his life better! :-) xxxxx

beckyroo · Nov 4, 2016

Hello Pixies Ma!

It is a hobbit house, yes! I made it for my cats, but as you can expect.....all that work and they prefer sleeping anywhere but there! So I moved it into Pickwick's room. He has three houses, but seems to like the hobbit one the most, which of course makes me happy! Thank you for sharing your story. I must have been looking in all the wrong places when I first trapped him, because it was all so negative! This site has been such a faith restoring place!

I spend as much time with Pickwick as possible, which is several hours a day. I work up here sometimes, playing low classical music, which seems to relax him. I have now come to understand his boundaries and I respect them. Now I feel certain that we are doing the best by him, I am ready to take our time and just let him decide when he wants to give some trust. I is definitely not trying to escape. He doesn't come out yet while I am around (that initial picture where you see him clearly, was before he discovered his hiding places), but he eats all his meals, uses the litter trays and we hear him moving about at night. We have had his feces tested and he has roundworm, which we are treating him for. We cannot get near to get him into a container for the vets yet, but she is ready for when we can but in the meantime, she has given us indicators to look for certain illnesses.......so far he looks to be pretty good. I have revolution flea treatment for my cats...but again, it is when we can get near.

Thank you so much for all the encouragement and taking the time to relay your experiences. It really has made a difference xxxx

beckyroo · Nov 4, 2016

Thanks Primula. I made it for my 3, put they decided they didn't want to use it. So it is good to see Pickwick making use of it! xx

beckyroo · Nov 4, 2016

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beckyroo
Nov 4, 2016

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beckyroo
Nov 4, 2016

Thank you Shane Kent! I do agree that the Humane Society should keep their funds for those that really need it. My partner and I have been feeding Pickwick for a year now, and made our mind up that we will pay for what he needs. Pickwick is my first feral....although 2 years ago we managed to catch a tiny little grey cat, whom we had seen lots, hunting in ditches along a certain road. We could see the deterioration over the months and at the beginning of November, we decided to set a trap and get her to the vet. She was in much worse shape than we thought and the vet told us that she had Panleukopenia and pneumonia. She was malnourished and severely dehydrated. We were able to handle her straight away and it was as if she was so ill and tired, she just trusted us straight away. We coud not afford to have her hospitalised, so we had to do everything ourselves, but after 2 months and $3000 later, we were left with the most wonderful and sweet natured little cat in the World. We named her Elsa and although she suffers from asthma, I am pleased to say that she is still with us. Because of her illness, we did not have to go through the process of trying to tame her....or she was just a stray. These two pictures are before and after. Pickwick is very different!

Primula · Nov 4, 2016

Beckyroo said:
I am from England and am not used to that level of cold

You couldn't pay me to live in Canada. We went to Montreal once in February- never been so cold in my life. I won't even live anywhere near the Canadian border.

BTW Becky, you are as pretty as your kind nature.

Trying to tame my first feral

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