Indoor, but still feral - time to see the Vet

narelle

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Almost a year ago I took home a feral cat from my work. We have made worlds of progress just in the past couple of months, but not much at all before that. (Currently she is comfortable with me in the room with her while she's out, and we're building up getting gradually closer.) So my cat, Astrid, is still pretty feral.

She had her vet appointment last year on January 4th and got a one year rabies vaccine, so I need to get her back in before then. I will be moving out of state in 6 - 9 months (and bringing her), so I definitely can't just let it lapse until she's a little more tame. Someone else caught her and took her to the vet before (see my thread from last year), so I didn't get to be any part of the appointment. The clinic they took her to is used to dealing with feral cats, but its out of the way and I wasn't excited about the staff I did interact with. I'd much rather see my regular vet, but they usually see typical domestic housepets, not feral cats. I tried to get her an appointment at my vet last year, and at that time they said that without a rabies vaccine, if she bit anyone she'd have to go through a long quarantine. I imagine the case is the same if I don't get her in before the 4th, and with the holidays that doesn't leave a lot of time. So I really need to get her seen within the next couple of weeks.

So I was wondering if anyone has any tips for catching her up and getting her in to the vet as smoothly as possible? I know the whole situation will be incredibly stressful for her, but I really don't want to add any extra stress making silly mistakes and dragging out the catching process longer than necessary. Also any opinions on the clinic I should use? I trust my vet, but I wonder if it would make it less stressful if the vet is used to dealing with wild animals? Though I was really not a fan of that other clinic...

(As of right now, the plan is to go in with 1 - 2 extra people, I'll try to pull her out of her hiding spot by the scruff or in a towel, and they'll be blocking escape routes with towels ready to snatch her up. I imagine it would be best to catch her early, before the appointment, just in case it takes a long time, and then leave her in the kennel with a towel over it until its time to take her in?)
 

Norachan

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Hi @Narelle

Most of the cats I care for are semi-feral, so I have similar problems to you. I wouldn't advise trying to scruff her and get her into a carrier. If anything goes wrong you could get badly scratched and it's just going to freak her out.

Do you have a humane trap? If you do I would suggest putting the trap in her room now, so she has plenty of time to get used to it. Wire the trap door open and start by putting her regular food just outside of the door and then slowly, slowly, over the next few weeks move the food further back. If you can leave something in there such as her favourite toys, bedding she has used or some of your clothes she will get used to the idea that the trap is just another piece of furniture and not anything to be scared of.

I have a large carrier, dog sized rather than cat sized, that my cats use as a bed. I've been able to shut the door on them while they are sleeping and get them to the vet that way a few times.

If she is still too skittish to let you get close enough to close the trap by hand while she is in there you will have to set the trap. 

Weigh the empty trap and write the weight on a sticky label that you can put on it. It's much easier if your vet can weigh her without taking her out of the trap. That way they can calculate how much sedative (if ever needed) and vaccine she needs.

Have you asked your vet if they have a crush or squeeze cage, used to restrain feral animals when they need injections? I think I'd prefer to use the vet you are the most comfortable with, but if your vet is reluctant to treat Astrid it might be better to go with the other vet.
 
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narelle

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Astrid has been trapped twice that I'm aware of, once when she was spayed and once when she was removed from the property, when I ended up with her. I'm concerned that she might be too wary of a trap, having experienced them more than once, but if you think that would be best I can borrow one and give it a try. My main worry is if she doesn't trust it and doesn't go in when its set and I need her trapped, that I might not be able to get her caught the day of her appointment.
She's super skittish and not terribly food motivated, so she also might go off food from just putting the trap in the room, if she doesn't like it. I've had issues with her not eating in the past when she was really stressed. But I guess it is worth a try.

Thanks for the help and the tips on weighing the cage/asking if my vet has the tools available to treat her. I wouldn't have thought of those things, or known to ask about the means of restraint.

I know the local TNR people also use another vet, but I don't know anything about that one. If mine doesn't feel comfortable seeing her, I might look into them as well, though they are an even farther drive for me. (20 mins for the one thats seen her before, 30 mins for this one.)
 

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When I brought one of my ferals inside my home, I too had to get him to the vet.  I tried to retrap him, but he would not go near the trap.  I bought a large mesh dog carrier.  I started feeding him inside it.  At first I started with the food just outside and then every few days I gradually moved the food to the back of the carrier.  The front entrance had to zipper flap to close it.  While I was getting him used to the carrier, I tied the front flap open.  On the morning of the vet visit, I had a sturdy chair pad ready.  I placed the food inside the carrier, sat and waited for him to go inside, then blocked the entrance with the chair pad while I zipped it shut.  I then covered the carrier with a sheet.  It was a very large carrier, but it worked really well.  I have had this boy inside now for over 3 years.  He still has to used this large carrier to go to the vet.  
 

keeneland

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I too had to use a trap for my feral's but they were smart enough to be able to get their food in the larger trap without tripping the trigger for the door. The only way I got them was to use the smaller size kitten trap and it still worked for a cat that weighed 12 lbs. Best of luck!
 

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Let me ask a somewhat naive question: Are you able to put her in a cage in the normal way? What is the "normal" way, you may ask. There are probably different ways, so let me explain.

When I need to transport my cat, I put the transport cage on one end so that the opposite door faces upward, and I open that door. Then I grab my cat from behind by his shoulders and hold him with my hands right behind his forepaws. When I lift him, his body will hang straight down, and I can lower him into the transport cage.

So, if you tempt her with something delicious, will she let you stand over her while she eats? If so, you should be able to grab her in this way.

Just an idea. I wonder whether there are other good ways to grab and hold cats against their will.
 
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narelle

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I borrowed a trap, just need to disinfect/clean it and get it in there so she can get used to it. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if she gets stressed and starts hiding and not eating just from having a trap in the room with her, but we'll see. I'll make it as cozy as possible, and put her favorite treats and foods in it.

We are still getting used to each other, about a year in to socializing. The closest I can get is about 2ft away, but she is on the bed and I am crouched on the floor. She let me reach toward her slowly the one time I tried (trying to do a cat introduction by smell), but hissed once I got so close. She will only stay out with me in the room if she is in an open, elevated spot where she can get away if she feels uncomfortable. She hides if I catch her off guard in the middle of the room eating, and is never inside any of the cave style beds or scratchers I have for there while I'm in there. (I've baited them with treats in the past to see if she used them and she does, just not with me around to potentially corner her. She's too smart for her own good.) The place she hides is behind the bed - the "bed" is the matresses flat on the floor, but there is a cat sized gap between the mattresses and the wall. A long body pillow fell halfway down there and has made a nice little cave that she hides in.

Unless there are other methods I can't think of/haven't come across, it seems like the only things that will work out for us will be trapping her (if she falls for it a 3rd time) or snatching her up and dropping her in a kennel, like I mentioned in my original post. (@ReallySleepy- I can't get close enough to scruff her politely, it'll have to be snatch and grab sort of thing, but dropping her in a kennel, basically what you described, is what I meant in my first post. I have a top opening kennel, which makes it a little easier. She doesn't eat in front of me yet.) I don't have high hopes, but I eally hope the trap will work as I think it would be considerably less traumatic than trying to catch her by hand in a crowded room with lots of hiding places. (I didn't have enough warning to cat proof it before she went in, and there are some things that I just can't cat proof.)

The timing of everything really sucks, as we've been making worlds of progress every day. The past two nights she's let me go about my business in the room (just in slow motion), prepping her food, treats and water, and even scooping her liter box! (She doesn't seem to like the noise of the plastic bags I put her waste into, so I was really surprised that she not only let me pick it up, but sat through me cleaning the box and everything.) I briefly entertained letting her rabies shot run out, since I know she doesn't have rabies, and just taking her back to the vet that deals with ferals to get a vaccination once we got on better terms. But that's probably a bad idea, and I also still really don't like that clinic.
 

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You should know that cats read your mind, so she knows you are up to something different.  You can get a 3-year rabies this time once you catch her.  If she will not be trapped, you can use the desperation method, a large fish net on a pole.  (I borrowed one from a friend who is in feral TNR).  She will be upset, but once you have her in the net, you can scruff her and remove the net from her and then put her in a top-opening carrier (my friend has one with a wire frame door on the top as well as one on the end).  That worked for my wild one and allowed the vet to administer a tranquuilizer to knock him out before doing anything else.  Vets who are used to working with ferals are quite good at this.  Contact your local rescue groups and see if they can recommend any.
 

trudy1

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Just a thought: in your plan you say scruff (grab her) or use a towel? Here is a suggestion if you have ever watched a Momma cat carrier her kittens...she grabs them by the back of the neck where all that loose skin is just below the back of the head. I call this the momma grip and if you do it right most cats, even ferals will go limp. Use your other hand to support their feet. The beauty of doing this is you can repeat it as many times as you need to and it does not panic the cat.

If you know anyone who has a tame cat who will let you practice try it a few times. When you get it right you will know. They just go limp. It does not hurt them it just mimics good old mom. I say practice because if you get it wrong they do and will bite you. Practice practice or ask around you will find someone who is proficient in this technique

I just caged 4 ferals at my TNR colony to relocate them and it worked like a charm. Just momma griped them and dropped them into the open carrier while someone else assisted by closing the door.

Anything would be better than several people cornering her, etc.

Just a thought/suggestion
 
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narelle

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So finally got to talk to my vet today and they want me to bring her in TOMORROW! I was planning on next week. I got the trap when I last posted, I guess two weeks ago? But life got in the way so I never got to put it in there unset so she could get used to it.

So when I got back from the vet I removed all food from the room, and just now went back in and set the trap. (I was worried about her tail getting caught when it shuts, so I have some pvc in the door so it will close enough that she can't get out, but her tail can't get caught.) Its got her food and treats inside and will be set all night. We have an 8:00 appt in the morning.

My parents have offered to catch her up using the method in my original plan if the trap doesn't work, without me involved in the catching so she doesn't have that negative association with me. I'm not sure how I feel about that though...I sort of feel like if anyone does it, I should be the one.

This is all not going at all how I wanted it to. I'm stressing out about it a lot. :(
 
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narelle

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Well that was incredibly traumatic, but at least its over now...

Astrid sprung the trap without getting caught, so we had to catch her up by hand this morning. It was a mess. She was frantic and terrified bouncing off the walls, but we got her kenneled.

The vet appointment itself went very smoothly, considering. The vet was actually able to pet her in the kennel, but when he tried to scruff her and slowly pull her out she freaked and got away. They caught her with a fishing net and just gave her the shots through the net, then let her out back into the kennel. It was very quick and not terribly traumatic, I think.

I plan to move in 5 - 8 months, potentially across the country, so I got to ask questions about that. Thankfully she won't need to be seen again to be prescribed a sedative, so it will just be a matter of knocking her out and whisking her away on a plane.

Thank you all for all the help. I'm really glad I won't have to do that again any time soon. I could see in her eyes that look of betrayed trust when I was trying to snatch her in the morning and it killed me. :(
 
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