Advice for older feral cat

Hi Everyone,

One of the male cats in our feral colony is getting up there in years and he is not faring well at all this winter season. He is very thin and didn't get a nice thick coat this year to help with the cold. I tried to bring him in but he only lasted one night indoors. He just wasn't happy inside. Especially with our other cats. ( We tried to keep them separated, but we don't have alot of room.) I opened the front door in the morning and out he ran. The outdoors is just what he's used to.

Any advice on what I should do? Or should I do nothing and let nature take its course? If he has to be put to sleep I don't want his last moments here to be scared in a place he has never been! But I also do not want him to suffer. He just doesn't look good.
He has always been one of our friendliest ferals so I think he was a stray that found his way to us when his family left him behind. He is also the father of many of our colony. In the past we have had older males just disappear and we assumed the worst after a time, but they weren't as friendly as this cat and didn't stay around 100% of the time, like he is doing. I just want to know if any of you have been through this and what kind of experiences you had. Any advice too!

Thanks!
JIL05

Happy Holidays!

Could you put him in the basement at least? Is he neutered?

Originally Posted by JIL05

Hi Everyone,

One of the male cats in our feral colony is getting up there in years and he is not faring well at all this winter season. He is very thin and didn't get a nice thick coat this year to help with the cold. I tried to bring him in but he only lasted one night indoors. He just wasn't happy inside. Especially with our other cats. ( We tried to keep them separated, but we don't have alot of room.) I opened the front door in the morning and out he ran. The outdoors is just what he's used to.

Any advice on what I should do? Or should I do nothing and let nature take its course? If he has to be put to sleep I don't want his last moments here to be scared in a place he has never been! But I also do not want him to suffer. He just doesn't look good.
He has always been one of our friendliest ferals so I think he was a stray that found his way to us when his family left him behind. He is also the father of many of our colony. In the past we have had older males just disappear and we assumed the worst after a time, but they weren't as friendly as this cat and didn't stay around 100% of the time, like he is doing. I just want to know if any of you have been through this and what kind of experiences you had. Any advice too!

Thanks!
JIL05

Happy Holidays!

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Jill....this is a situation where Hissy is probably the most knowledgeable....did you PM her?

Katie

You really have a tough dilemna!! I lost 2 of my older ferals last year and one of them exactly as you described - got thin, didn't have a good coat but he lasted until the spring. In his case, we knew it was coming, and chose to let nature take its course. This was a cat that didn't let me touch him until he was 11 years old and he lived on our property most of those years (and he was neutered by the time he was 6 months old). Bringing him inside was not an option for a few reasons: he was truely feral, he had never been inside and doing so would have stressed him out terribly, and stressing out a sick feral cat can sometimes simply put them over the edge and bring their illness on that much quicker. Taking him to a vet for a diagnosis would have involved full sedation and I'm not sure that I could have treated a medical condition once he was diagnosed.

You need to deal with every cat individually. If your boy is friendly and you can get him to a vet, suggest that you try to do that, but only if you are capable of treating him once you have a diagnosis, or are willing to euthanize if there is something that is fatal.

Do you have a garage or other shelter outside that he hangs out in that you could make warmer? Sometimes adding straw bales will add insulation and make things a bit more comfortable. Also make sure you have a steady supply of water (I use a heated water bowl), and I will sometimes add meat to their diet in the winter (yes, I cook meals for the ferals in the winter).

I get sick to my stomach whenever my ferals get sick over the winter - the thought of them dieing in the cold (and they do wander off to die) is harsh. I really feel for you.

Any idea how old he is?

Does he use any shelter? A cat who has always lived outdoors will be very fearful of confinement, but you may be able to set up a space heater in the garage that he can snuggle up to.

Also, make sure he is getting plenty to eat. It would be a good idea to feed him twice a day. Make sure to give him plenty of canned food since his teeth may be getting bad and it might be painful for him to eat dry food.

It would be a good idea to take him to the vet for a checkup. They can sedate him and do a dental and bloodwork. This will tell you how his general health is. If his health is good but his teeth are bad, he'll be a new cat once he has a dental. If a major health problem is detected, the vet will be able to help you make the necessary decisions.

Hi!
Thanks so much for your posts. It's nice to talk to others who have been through this.

Our old gentleman has a rubbermaid shelter that he uses. It keeps him out of the rain and is in a place where the wind is blocked. Most of the others in the colony pair up in other shelters to keep each other warm, but he is always alone. I would feel much better if he was laying next to another cat to help keep the cold at bay. He truly hated being indoors so that's not really an option.

All of the cats are fed twice a day with an occasional treat between meals. They get canned and dry food. And we have a heated water dish out there so they always have water. He has been made as comfortable as he can be out there. It's just the wondering of what to do. It's hard moneywise, especially after the holidays so I am trying to find a vet that may help out with the cost because he is a feral. But I don't know how to make the decision if the vet says to put him to sleep....I am leaning on letting nature take it's course....but I just am not sure.

Momofmany...You truly hit the nail on the head...I do feel sick to my stomach over this. They are feral cats, but you get to care so much about them! It's the way of nature that an animal will go off to die, but it's so hard for us to understand....

Thanks for all of your advice. I will let you know how things go.

JIL05
Happy New Year!