Questions About Bringing a Feral Cat Inside

I’ve been feeding a few feral cats in our yard for the past 4 years.  White Kitty (lousy name, I know) came around 3 years ago and she is the friendliest of our ferals.  At first she was terrified of me, but through a gradual and very slow process she has warmed up to me.  I’ve been petting her over the last 2 years and she absolutely LOVES to be pet.  I was thinking of trying to see if she would adjust to being an indoor cat.  As part of that, I tried to pick her up just a little bit tonight to see how she would handle it.  In the past, she’s let me lift her up slightly and put her right back down.  Tonight I got too enthusiastic and picked her up a good foot.  She started to meow and I put her right back down.  I’m pretty sure she had a seizure because she was meowing, somewhat limp, and out of sorts for a few minutes.

Do you think I should still try to bring her inside or is the fact that this contact gave her a seizure a sign that I shouldn’t try?  I had been thinking of trying to take her to the vet next weekend and setting up a safe area for her in a room to try it out for a week.

Thanks for any advice.

Here is a photo of White Kitty:

What makes you think she had a seizure?

I’m not 100% sure it was a seizure but it was similar behavior to a cat I had who did have a diagnosed seizure disorder.  White Kitty started to panic.  She was meowing.  She crawled into a cat carrier I had set up on the porch and laid down on her side for a few minutes (it was the first time she ever went in the carrier).  Then she got up to leave but had trouble walking and limped a little.  At first I thought she hurt her back paw.  She then laid down on the sidewalk for about 5 minutes before trying to walk again.  She seemed disoriented for a bit.  I can't figure out what else it was if it wasn't a mild seizure.

Anyways, whatever it was a seizure or just some sort of panic attack.   The trick of taking them in, is to use a trap.  OR if they go into a carrier voluntarily.   OR of course, if they voluntarily go inside themselves.

Dont ever do the catch as catch can, even if you should manage.   It just  causes a trauma, and set you back a couple of weeks, her losing much of the confidence.

Throwing a big towel or blanket over them is less bad, if it be so. Wrapped up with head covered they go passive.

Next, the best is, when you have her in the trap / carrier, take her to the vet still inside it.  Let the vet check up etc.  If she is healthy you may even spay her at the same occasion.  Ferales have usually a good healing meat, so she should manage vaccinating, deworming and spayiing in the same occasion.

BUT if she isnt healthy, or emaciated or anything - do it in several portions, several different occasions.

And back home its YOU whom release her into the prepared room, so she sees you as her savior.

IF  the vet dont have time at once you catched her, you can keep her in the trap / carrier 24 hours without problems.  Shy cats do often hide in a hidey even 48 hours, no?

For example, a shy cat you took home, do often hides under the sofa 48 hours, without eating, drinking, using the litter...

So its not optimal, but not as bad as it sounds.  Have a blanket over the trap so its alike a nice hidey hole, keep it somewhere warm and quite...  and they can cool down and wait...   There IS one advantage with this - immediately after the catching, they often get excited, may even be greatly defensive aggresiveness - you dont want to expose a vet for this, even if the vet is forewarned and used to work with ferales.  Also, the examination as such may be faulthy if she is highly excited.

So its good from several reasons she has had time to cool down.

To summarize.  As soon you decided to take her inside and socialize and foster, there is no need to wait till she is friendly enough to be taken into your arms voluntarily.

You use the trap / carrier,  and continue with the socializing inside.

ps. re the seizures.  Its perhaps so, the stress of being taken up, stimulates the seizure...   So, avoid to get her stressed up.

Prepare with Feliway adapter and spray, with dr Bachs rescue remedy - and other such tricks -

Calming relaxing music....  A hidey hole in her room, scratching posts... etc.

Thanks so much for the replies!

White Kitty actually is spayed. Our local shelter has an excellent TNR program. I was able to trap her the first week she showed up. She was given a round of shots as well but that was three years ago. She seems healthy and is a good weight but I have to be absolutely sure since we have 2 indoor cats so a vet check would be the first stop. I think a vet would have to sedate her to examine her. Good to know I can trap her the night before if need be.

I wasn’t sure if she would go in a trap again since we used it once before for the spay. I was hoping to get her comfortable with the carrier so I could grab her and put her in it. I’ll try to get her to go in the carrier voluntarily or try the towel method instead. We frequently open our front door and offer her to come in. The most she will do is put two paws on the step and look in. If she sees our indoor cats, she tries to go in further to sniff them, but I have to keep them separated in case White Kitty is not healthy.

She didn’t show up for breakfast this morning but that’s not completely uncommon. We have 2 warm houses for the ferals but she sometimes sleeps elsewhere when it starts to get colder and doesn’t come by until the afternoon.

In the meantime, I’ll pick up some Feliway and plan on using the towel method.

Thanks again!

Train her with leaving food in the carrier, its an useful trick sometimes.    And with home cats, having a nice blanket in the carrier, so they are used to have a sleeping or resting place there...  Easier to get them into the carrier if in hurry.

White Kitty came back!  All is forgiven but I'm taking it slow.

I'm putting her food in the carrier to get her used to it.  If I have to resort to the towel method, after I get it on her, do I then try to shove her in the carrier?  Also, any tips on litter training?  Do I use a regular litter box and kitty litter or do I need to give her an option with dirt? I also don't really have a spare room.  I was planning on putting a huge box in my bedroom for her to sleep and hide in.  I can keep the bedroom quiet with the door shut.  Is it okay if I sleep in there with her?  She will only hear me snoring and my alarm in the morning.  I guess I could sleep in the basement for a month if I need to.

Thanks.

Cat Smith said:

 
White Kitty came back!  All is forgiven but I'm taking it slow.

I'm putting her food in the carrier to get her used to it.  If I have to resort to the towel method, after I get it on her, do I then try to shove her in the carrier?  Also, any tips on litter training?  Do I use a regular litter box and kitty litter or do I need to give her an option with dirt? I also don't really have a spare room.  I was planning on putting a huge box in my bedroom for her to sleep and hide in.  I can keep the bedroom quiet with the door shut.  Is it okay if I sleep in there with her?  She will only hear me snoring and my alarm in the morning.  I guess I could sleep in the basement for a month if I need to.

Thanks.

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its really a great advantage if you are sleeping there.  Laying down and sleeping you are harmless, and give her the courage to come near and examine... She may perhaps even dare to lay down at your feet and sleep with you.

Re litter - its safest if you give option, one with dirt / leaves, one with some regular clay cat litter. If you can you can sprinkle a little of Kittten attract litter.

Re showing in the carrier.  If you have such a carrier where you can open it from the roof, open the roof and shove in.

If not, set the carrier so you have the opening up, be sure the carrier is standing really steady - and let her down into the hole...  Its easiest so, where she comes down by her own weight.  And they are just happy to come into a hidey hole...

good if you are two whom cooperate.  Not good if she manages to wriggle out and run...  Train some beforehand, perhaps with a resident....  If you dont have no resident, use a doll or something.

Thank you so much for all your advice.  You have been VERY helpful.  Good to know I don't have to sleep in the basement.

I was going to try to catch her this weekend since I have 3 days off but unfortunately I have to go out of town.  I'm going to try the following weekend instead.  It gives me more time to get her used to the carrier.  I started putting her food in the front and I will slowly move it to the back.

I got delayed on my quest to take my feral White Kitty inside while I was dealing with a sick family member. I just took her in two days ago. I got her in the carrier easily following the recommendations from StefanZ. I took her to the vet. She was healthy other than having fleas. She was treated for fleas and parasites and I got her up to date on all her vaccines (she was already spayed through a TNR program).

My concern now is that it has been 48 hours and she is not eating or drinking. I did find some pee in the litter box but it may have been from what she drank on Monday. She is understandably scared and hiding. She is in my bedroom but I set up a big cardboard box next to a table under a blanket, which leads off to her litter box and food. She managed to make her way under a connected dresser where she is now. She meows a lot but seems to calm down slightly when I lay on the floor a few feet away and talk to her.

Any suggestions? I’m afraid I might have to let her go tomorrow if I can’t get her to eat and drink.

Thanks.

Two days is no time at all for her to calm down. Imagine what's she has been through. Be patient and leave her be. What she will most likely do is come out of hiding when you are asleep to eat & drink. Do not disturb her if she does this. I do agree though that not eating & drinking will become an issue.

Cat Smith said:

 
I got delayed on my quest to take my feral White Kitty inside while I was dealing with a sick family member. I just took her in two days ago. I got her in the carrier easily following the recommendations from StefanZ. I took her to the vet. She was healthy other than having fleas. She was treated for fleas and parasites and I got her up to date on all her vaccines (she was already spayed through a TNR program).

My concern now is that it has been 48 hours and she is not eating or drinking. I did find some pee in the litter box but it may have been from what she drank on Monday. She is understandably scared and hiding. She is in my bedroom but I set up a big cardboard box next to a table under a blanket, which leads off to her litter box and food. She managed to make her way under a connected dresser where she is now. She meows a lot but seems to calm down slightly when I lay on the floor a few feet away and talk to her.

Any suggestions? I’m afraid I might have to let her go tomorrow if I can’t get her to eat and drink.

Thanks.

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This sounds good.  Its quite common when a shy cat comes, they do hide the first two days, not eating nor even relieving themselves.  It happens sometimes even with bought cats.

also, a semiferale is used to sometimes be without food.  So while long non eating is dangerous for a fatty cat, its less dangerous for a semiferale.  Or a non fat cat.

Also, being vaccinated and dewormed, she is of course a little under the weather.  It takes on them.

Still, I expect she will get out and begin to eat and drink today, as its the third day.  The limit, so to speak.

I was able to get White Kitty to eat a few bites of tuna today.  She also picked at some dry food but I'm not sure how much she ate.  She also peed on my sweat pants.  Not ideal -- I added a second litter box -- but I assume it means she drank some water.  This was her second pee so I doubt it was pee from what she drank on Monday.  She seems to try to eat a little when I am in the room talking to her.  She is still VERY scared but as long as she has started to eat and drink, it gives me some time to let her adjust to being inside.

I’m wondering when and how to know if it is time to give up and let White Kitty back outside.  I’m wondering if that time is now.

She has taken up residence in the back of my bedroom closet and not left even once to explore the room.  She does knead her paws and purr when I talk to her.  I can usually coax her to come to the front of the closet where her food and water bowls are.  She lets me pet her when she comes to the front of the closet and she really enjoys being pet.  She also looks out at the room in interest.  However, after a few minutes, she will retreat to the back of the closet again.

It is no life for her to live in the back of a closet.  I’m also worried her muscles will atrophy and that she will have problems adjusting to life back outside if I wait too long.

So one the one hand, she enjoys being pet but on the other she stays in the back of a closet.

Any advice?  Thanks.

Oh please do not place her back outside.  I had a feral cat that took one solid year to adjust to indoor living.  He is now the happiest kitty ever.  It took him a long time to trust and get used to indoor living, but it was so worth it.  

The fact that you can pet this sweet one is remarkable.  She is warming up to you and that is fantastic!

I can understand why you would want her to not spend all of her time in the back of your closet.  The suggestion I have is to block it so she cannot get in there.  Yet do have a safe hiding spot for her such as a cat tree beside a window with a hiding box.  Cats do spend lot and lots of time sleeping; as much as 20 hours per day.  She is still adjusting.  Her muscles will not atrophy.  

Please allow her time to adjust.  The time she has been inside is just not long enough.  

On Dec 26, I brought another one of my feral/stray cats into my home.  He was injured.  He has now been in a room of his own for almost 7 weeks.  He is still quite scared.  I have had to block or remove a few of his hiding spots to force him out into the open more.  He now can hide under a side table, but I can easily see him and reach him if needed.  He also has a small cozy bed under my dresser, but I can easily pull the bed out with him on it if needed.  He has a small cat tree beside the window which he is starting to enjoy.  He does well with me, but even after 7 weeks is still very scared of my DH.  It is all baby steps.  

I hope you will consider allowing her to stay inside and adjust.

Thanks for the advice.  I will give it more time, but may have to come back here from time to time for reassurance.  I want her to be safe, but also happy.

I can tell she really wants to come out of the closet but is just too scared.  I do have a multi-level piece of cat furniture I can move in the bedroom.  It has a house at the bottom she can hide in.  Unfortunately, the bedroom windows are high up so she won’t be able to look directly out them from the cat tree.  She can get to the windows though from the dresser or by jumping up to them if she wants.

Thanks again.

every Cat i ever owned was from the wild and i nurse back to health, was too broke to buy them lol

Thank you so much for sharing your story with me.

I took White Kitty out of the closet, however, instead of using the house in the cat tree as I hoped, she spent the next 24 hours huddled in fear between the bed and the bed table.  I took pity on her and let her back in the closet.  I fixed it up first with a cat bed (before she was on the bare floor).  When I talk to her, she comes out to eat and to be pet, but after 10 minutes she goes back into the closet.  She does purr and knead her paws if I talk to her while she is in the closet.  I am giving her more time to adjust but I really wish she would come out and explore a little as it has been 4 weeks now.