Brought feral in

Hello. I have a feral I caught. He has the nick on his left ear so I know he was caught spayed and released. Fed him outside for months wanted to get him before winter and I did. He stayed in the closet for a week and now has been under the bed for a month, he has a cat bed under there. He comes out at night to eat and use liter box. I brush him and play feather game while he's under there. Put treats a foot away from bed and he comes out to get them. He kneads and purrs even if I just talk to him but sometimes he scratchs me and yesterday he hissed which he hasn't done in a while. He hardly meows at all. He's not even a year old. I am so grateful he's here. Any thoughts or advice welcome. Thanks a lot.

tracy515 said:

 
Hello. I have a feral I caught. He has the nick on his left ear so I know he was caught spayed and released. Fed him outside for months wanted to get him before winter and I did. He stayed in the closet for a week and now has been under the bed for a month, he has a cat bed under there. He comes out at night to eat and use liter box. I brush him and play feather game while he's under there. Put treats a foot away from bed and he comes out to get them. He kneads and purrs even if I just talk to him but sometimes he scratchs me and yesterday he hissed which he hasn't done in a while. He hardly meows at all. He's not even a year old. I am so grateful he's here. Any thoughts or advice welcome. Thanks a lot.

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Welcome to TCS.  Thank you for rescuing this sweet kitty.  

First off, you need to get the cat out from under the bed.  You will then need to put the bed flat on the floor or remove the bed.  When the cat is under the bed very little socialization will occur.  Also block off other hiding spots such as under dressers, book cases, etc..  You can make a cozy hiding box that is a safe place to hide.

Secondly, this little one needs to get to a vet.  You will want to get the kitty vaccinated as well as do some standard viral testing.  Also the kitty probably needs to be wormed.  

When he is hissing and scratches at you, that is a warning that you are too close or petting brushing too much.  Some cats don't like to be pet or brushed for long at all.  It can overstimulate them and create static electricity in their bodies which then becomes uncomfortable for them.  

Once he is out from under the bed, socializing will be easier.  Be sure to never use your hands/fingers as toys.  Always stick to wand toys or string.  Use food rewards to help him know that you are safe.  Plain cooked chicken or canned tuna or salmon are great treats to use during training.  

Feliway plugs ins are also quite helpful in making a shy cat feel safe.  You can find them at most pet stores or online through Amazon.

Here is a great article on socializing shy/fearful cats

http://bestfriends.org/resources/socializing-cats-how-socialize-very-shy-or-fearful-cat

Hello tracy515, welcome to TCS and thank you for housing this kitty.

ShadowsRescue has given you all the tips you need to care for this kitty. Hope that it won't be long to get her socialized.

Do keep us posted of the progress

I second absolutely everything ShadowsRescue suggested. Also I want to emphasize getting that initial vet visit over with, so you don't have to interrupt your socialization process with it and then have to go back several steps. It's likely he has a few parasites from outdoor living and once he gets treated he'll be more comfortable, which also helps in gaining trust. Plus, if there are any more serious health issues, it's better to find out sooner than later. Do make sure your vet is comfortable examining a feral before making the appointment.

you guys are great. I will take your advice but I don't know how I'm going to get him into a carrier to get him to the vet? He is still under the bed a lot but comes out when we are asleep to eat and use the liter box, also comes about a foot out to be brushed or play with feather stick. I can't put bed on the floor and think he'll go under the other one. He is kneading and purring when I just talk to him. I renamed him Spike because he is feral and tells me about his escapades living on the streets lol. No he doesn't really talk to me. It's funny I give him treats (which I put in the middle of the floor so he has to come out for them) and he eats them like a feral, wolfs them down without chewing most of the time. Again thanks so much for the advice.

T tracy515 ...............Are you getting him to the vet for vaccinations?

One or two things you can try to do.

One - Try to get him out and have him to be more socialized till he can be petted on the head all the way to the base of his tail and can be carried for a short while without hissing or scratching you. If this works, get carrier ready and once he shows no sign of aggression, carry him immediately and put him into the carrier and cover the carrier with a towel.

Two - If vet visit is urgent, get carrier ready, place a towel on the floor near him, entice him with food and place food in towel. Once he starts to eat, in a quick motion wrap him up but do it gently with care and carry him and place him in the carrier and also place a towel over the carrier.

It is good that he eats and uses the litter box and also take treats from you. Cats usually don't chew their food. Cat that have been starved before will usually wolf down their food as they have been deprived of food before and also they are afraid that their food will go missing if they don't eat fast enough.

But after sometime when he is socialized and he knows that no other cats are going to steal his food and when he has confidence in you and the surroundings, he'll slow down in his eating.

But after you have put him in the carrier and visit to the vet, get ready for some stand off from him when you reach home.
When this happens, just repeat the routine of feeding, talking softly and nicely to him, using the cat wand to play with him. He might ignore you for a few days. Try to gain back his confidence in you. It takes awhile but do it with lots of patience and love.

Please let us know the outcome

One thing I have found that makes it easier with cats like yours is to find a vet that will visit your house to vaccinate, or send a couple of associates. It is much calmer for the cat and they are very experienced at holding, calming them, It helps. You will just have to have the cat where he can be got to.  Bless you for helping this little one!