Semi-feral lost it's buddy ~ what should I do?

For over three years now, we have been caring for two cats: CT, a definite feral male and Newby, a semi-feral female.  They are extremely dedicated to each other and our house, showing up multiple times a day to eat or just lay about in the sun. It is extremely rare to see one without the other.  CT is very protective of Newby and she clearly relies on him.   During inclement weather and throughout the winter, our garage becomes the worlds largest hav-a-heart trap as they reside comfortably within and remain calm even when we close the doors during the worst of weather (and would remain indoors for weeks at a time [ie: during and after blizzards]).  Several days ago we closed the doors as CT had been losing weight and becoming lethargic.  On Monday night, we got him into a carrier and to the vet.  It was not good news.  Test results revealed a large gastrointestinal mass, an abdomen full of fluid, and an enlarged lymph node (so big that at first it was thought to be a secondary mass).  As I will never allow an animal to suffer, we had CT put to sleep.  Our issue now is Newby, who we still have enclosed in the garage and obviously confused as she watched CT leave in a carrier and not come back. She has become very wary and skittish.  We do not know what to do to help her in her distress.  We believe she was once domesticated and we would like to bring her into the house permanently, especially now that her protector is gone. The weather is changing, it will be sunny and in the 50's for the next several days, so normally, I would have the garage door open so they could roam, as ferals are wont to do, but I am fearful that she will not return as she will search for him.  Any thoughts or suggestions on how we should proceed would be greatly appreciated. Of note, we have one indoor cat (another rescue) who eagerly plays with both CT and Newby through screened doors and windows (no direct contact - just tapping paws and cat chatter) so we think it would benefit Newby to gain a permanent friend.  Thank you,  Victoria D.

Hello,

I am so sorry for for CT. I suggest you show CT's body to newby, if possible. If she sees, she will understand that he is never coming back.

That is extremely sad, I know how you feel. I used to have two brothers, Kane and Zaren. Kane passed away at a little over 15 years and his brother Zaren at around 15 and 1/2 years. It was very sad living with the Zaren for his final 6 months because I swear he was heart broken. Roamed the house crying when he had never done that in the past. Brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. I don't think there is much you can do about Newby missing CT. I think it is a matter of "time to heal the wound".

I am all for you bringing the cat inside but should point out I am biased. My house cats are indoor only and the two cats I have at work that used to be feral are also indoor only cats. I socialized the two feral cats I trapped and they live in the building I work at. They were 9 month old feral kittens I had been feeding since they were two months old so it wasn't as difficult as it would be for older feral cats. The only time my cats go outside is with me and I don't allow them to roam.

I felt a little bit guilty forcing my two feral cats to be indoor cats. At first it was hard as one of them was extremely stressed out by it. I stuck with it and now they are settled in nicely. It took a lot of patience to socialize them but well worth it in the end because I don't like the thought of them living outside.

If you decide to bring the cat in you should have it tested for communicable diseases if you have not already done so. Would be tragic if it infected your other cat. Then you would need to follow the procedure of bringing the cat in where you give it a safe space (preferably it's own room). Keep her in the room for a month or two slowly introducing her to the house and the other cat. Leaving the door open to her safe space so she can fall back on it should something startle her. You can find lots of threads on this site with people sharing their experience bring a stray / feral into their home.

Hope things work out for you, wishing you and the cat all the best!

I'm so sorry for this whole situation.  It makes me sad (and little bit sick) for Newby.  Is there any way you can get hair clippings from CT or some kind of clothing he slept on that still has his scent?  That might help lure Newby into the garage if nothing else, and give Newby some familiar comforting scent too.  Is there any way to let her see his body or is it too late for that?  That would help her understand why he isn't coming back, but I realize that might not be possible now

 I'm glad at least your other indoor kitty helps tie Newby to CT in a way. In that they both used to play with your indoor kitty.  Slow introduction though after she is vetted.  I hope things can work out in that way.  Keep us informed how things go.

I had a similar situation with my feral kitties when AC was called to trap and kill.  They got Oreo's dear sibling Tiny Boo, who was solid black.  They went everywhere together.  Oreo was the alpha in that case (still is).  But it really affected him when he couldn't find his sibling.  I learned about 2 weeks later he had been trapped and killed at the county pound/shelter.  Oreo had a hard time, but he did have his other friends to help him.  He continued looking for TB for quite a while.  Still breaks my heart to think of it.    Oreo also took a liking to any solid black clothing I had which I suppose reminded him of TB.  He still loves my solid black sweat pants and top.  

shilpa said:

Hello,

I am so sorry for for CT. I suggest you show CT's body to newby, if possible. If she sees, she will understand that he is never coming back.

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The above suggestion is excellent but if you did not bring back the remains, obviously that won't be an option and you can only try explaining to Newby why CT isn't coming back. I know that she won't understand the words but she will understand the emotion. You are smart to not allow her to roam the outdoors because she probably would leave.

You could also look up what Jackson Galaxy recommends. I think that he uses/sells floral essences for various issues.