Concerned about feral male

I'm looking for advice, ideas (anything) on what do about a young feral male that we've had in foster care for a year now. Jimmy, who's about 1.5 years old now, was trapped last winter. As an older feral kitten, we knew it would take some work to socialize him and we have been committed to that. Unfortunately, despite all our efforts, he's made very little progress.
He still runs and hides when spoken to or approached and we aren't able to touch him without being scratched or bitten. He basically hangs out in the foster room and befriend all the new cats.

Our coordinator has decided we've done all we can with Jimmy and said as soon as warm weather gets here, he has to go back to his site. I'm really struggling with this. The site in question is in pretty bad neighborhood and while the stray/feral cats there get fed, there's no one really looking out for them. In the past, several have ended up being hit by cars or met some other bad end. Our coordinator seems to think Jimmy will be fine if he stays behind the houses in a wooded area as some of the other cats do.
She's also hoping he'll hang out with his mother, also feral, who was trapped in the fall. We've also been holding onto the mother as she recovered from an apparerent stroke. Our coordinator was going to keep her, but the cat has been absolutely miserable inside and the vet has cleared her to return to the site. The plan is to release them together.

I kind of feel like we've let Jimmy down somehow. He had two male littermates that were trapped a couple of months before he was and we were able to socialize them and get them into a home together. He seems
happy hanging out in the foster room and is no bother. But, our coordinator
keeps reminding me that we're not a shelter and she's firm about not warehousing cats. She believes Jimmy would have a better, happier (although probably shorter) if he's released back to the site. Maybe he would.

I haven't expressed my concerns to her, because I really feel like it's not my place. Our foster area is in the basement of her home and she's the one
that's caring for Jimmy and the other foster cats, along with her own cats (25 total!). I'd take him if I could, but it's just not possible. We are planning to have him microchipped before releasing him and will check on him regularly at the site. Maybe it's for the best. I just feel like we should have done more for Jimmy and wish there was another option. Any ideas?

Sorry this is so long. Thanks!

i am sorry for the cats situation,it is sad when older feral cats are trapped and unable to cope with people,

my friend looks after ferals,and she goes to them every night trying to socialise them,playing with them and interacting with them and playing games with their food for hours on end,she does this every night on their own turf,in the hope that one day they might be rehomeable.

she thinks if you get the cat to accept you on their terms outside,then eventually they will accept you on your terms.

if you are thinking of re-releasing him, take him back on several occasions so he can get used to his surroundings again.

is the cat kept seperate from the living area ?,if so he might come round a bit sooner and start interacting with you if he is let upstairs.in a home environment.

ferals need a lot of commitment and persevereance, love and understanding.

i hope everything goes well for these poor cats

oh and my friend has been successful with two of the 5 month old kittens and really you would not think that 4 weeks ago they were totally feral.

maybe its luck but who knows,its worth a try!

Elicon...I agree with your concerns, especially after he has been indoors for such a long time. I do hope that your coordinator plans to follow the relocation advice for moving this guy back outdoors.

Katie

Originally Posted by TNR1

Elicon...I agree with your concerns, especially after he has been indoors for such a long time. I do hope that your coordinator plans to follow the relocation advice for moving this guy back outdoors.

Katie

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She will. She's planning to release him on a day she's off work, so she can spend a few hours at the site to keep an an eye on things. I wish she would consider just letting Jimmy continue to hang out in the foster area and eventually integrate him with her own cats upstairs. Of course that's easy for me to say. He's no trouble and enjoys the other cats. Last year, he was kind of like a big buddy to all the kittens. I just wish there was some other option.

Hi, I'm new here, and couldn't resist posting, for what it's worth. I know the chances are slim to none but what about seeing if there's anyone who's willing to adopt Jimmy as he is. I know a couple of people who have taken in "unsocialized" feral cats just like Jimmy - they get along fine with their other cats, they just don't desire human contact. As one one of them said to me, "Who says you have to pet a cat? If I want to pet a cat, I have my others to pet". Her feral bothers no one, mostly hangs out under the bed, but comes around for food. Everyone is fine with the set up. It's just a thought. Also, would he be released to the same area from where he was trapped initially?

Originally Posted by hoosier

Hi, I'm new here, and couldn't resist posting, for what it's worth. I know the chances are slim to none but what about seeing if there's anyone who's willing to adopt Jimmy as he is. I know a couple of people who have taken in "unsocialized" feral cats just like Jimmy - they get along fine with their other cats, they just don't desire human contact. As one one of them said to me, "Who says you have to pet a cat? If I want to pet a cat, I have my others to pet". Her feral bothers no one, mostly hangs out under the bed, but comes around for food. Everyone is fine with the set up. It's just a thought. Also, would he be released to the same area from where he was trapped initially?

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Hi and welcome to TCS!

Yes, he'll be released to the same area where he was trapped. But, I like the idea of trying to find someone who's willing to adopt him. He does tend to bite (hard), so I know our coordinator's concerned about that, but it's only when someone gets too close or he feels threatened. An experienced cat person willing to just let him be would be able to deal with that. I'll definitely
suggest this. Thanks so much!

I'd love to hear how everything turns out. I recently trapped an older (b/t 6 & 7 yrs.) female (my first time at this). I am currently trying to socialize her (I think), although I'll be quite satisfied if just she and my 2 others get along. Good luck with him.

I just saw this and I too would be interested in hearing what happens with Jimmy. Dont you just wish you could save them all? sigh

I think after being inside for 1-1/2 years, it will be like putting him into a new environment. The cats there won't accept him readily, and he may not remember his Mom.

Can he and his Mom be put in a separate room together for a few weeks to ensure they are friendly together? Then, when they are released, if they can be caged in the area for a week or two so they learn that it is where they are to stay.

The agency I was fostering for does euthanize ferals. There just aren't enough homes for them, and some of the people think it is kinder than letting them out on their own. I adopted a few, but didn't have real good luck. I haven't seen 2 of them for months, and haven't seen the third for weeks. But I do have 4 acres, and lots of outbuildings, so they are probably still out there...just staying hidden because of the cold weather.

Poor Jimmy, it is very sad when they don't tame, isn't it?

aww it must be heartbreaking for you eilcon,you can only do your best
and nobody will deny you havent tried,

i hope everything goes well for jimmy

I think putting him back where he came from is a very bad idea. He has been indoors for a year and has few memories of the area, and more importantly he has few survival skills.

Finding a suitable barn home is the best option for him. Please follow standard relocation guidelines such as those published by Alley Cat Allies, for his safety.

In general, when attempting to socialize older kittens, I recommend giving them a couple of weeks of intensive socialization and seeing what happens. If there has been little progress in that time, the odds of the cat's becoming suitable for adoption are slim and it's best to neuter and return him. But after a year, returning a cat to a former colony without following relocation guidelines is just not a safe option.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback and idea. Just to clarify a couple of things - Jimmy and his mother are very closely bonded. The mom is completely feral and it took a number of years and many attempts to trap her because she's she so streetsmart and elusive. She's been in foster care with Jimmy for several months as she recovered from our vet thinks was a stroke. She and Jimmy can usually found curled up together and the hope is that he'll follow her lead when they are returned to the site.

That said, I still don't think it's a good idea, but have been unable to convince our coordinator otherwise. She's been doing TNR for nearly 10 years and does follow Alley Cat Allies guidelines. I normally trust her judgement, but not in this case. I remember her mentioning a barn situation for Jimmy several months ago, but don't think she every pursued it. I'm really going to push other options for Jimmy because I'm not comfortable with returning him to the site. To me, it almost seems cruel.

I think if he and his mom are closely bonded, that will help them. While a barn home might be preferable for him, it wouldn't be better for her.

I have a "good" barn home...and adopted 3 ferals last year. Two disappeared, and I don't really see them anymore. One is still around, but totally wild and feral...he generally runs if he sees me looking out the window at him! I don't feel like I do much for these kitties.

If the Momma cat can be reunited with her colony, and Jimmy is bonded with her, he may do ok. Of course you will be concerned, but if it is a cat friendly area, it could be good for him.

I wish there was a way to have a big zoo like area for the ferals...but there isn't.

Originally Posted by Beckiboo

I think if he and his mom are closely bonded, that will help them. While a barn home might be preferable for him, it wouldn't be better for her.

I have a "good" barn home...and adopted 3 ferals last year. Two disappeared, and I don't really see them anymore. One is still around, but totally wild and feral...he generally runs if he sees me looking out the window at him! I don't feel like I do much for these kitties.

If the Momma cat can be reunited with her colony, and Jimmy is bonded with her, he may do ok. Of course you will be concerned, but if it is a cat friendly area, it could be good for him.

I wish there was a way to have a big zoo like area for the ferals...but there isn't.

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I think mom cat would probably be miserable in a barn. She's been miserable in foster care. The site they're going back to isn't the best,
but the mom fared pretty well there. Neighbors say she's at least six years old. There's also two other older ferals at the site (both fixed already) that
have managed okay.

If there's no other options, guess we'll just havet to monitor the situation closely. I haven't been to the site, but will start going by now. I wish we could have done more for Jimmy. Like you, I wish there were more places
that could be sanctuaries of sorts for ferals.

I talked to dh about building a fenced in area in our yard for ferals, but he is totally opposed to 1. keeping a "wild" animal in a cage, and 2. the long term commitment to the animals.

With us both working full time, and with 3 kids still at home, we are pretty maxed out on time already. I may have him build a smaller cage area where ferals can acclimate to our place a little better...instead of just caging them in the pole barn for two weeks, then letting them go!

I think the feral problem is bigger than any cage can hold...and TNR is the best answer. Poor Jimmy, if he only understood that people want to be his friend!

Our coordinator is planning to release Jimmy and his mom on Friday morning. I still don't agree with this, but have pretty much come to terms with it. I was looking at another thread I started when we were in the process of trying to socialize Jimmy and his behavior has actually regressed since then, despite everything we've tried. Guess this is a lesson for me in not getting too attached (which I have the tendency to do), learning to let go, and accepting that there's only so much we can do.

As of last night, the cats are in a kennel together. They're already pretty closely bonded, but we thought this would be a good idea before releasing them. Our coordinator is going to stay at the site for a few hours on Friday, or until she's pretty confident that Jimmy will be okay. She's also going to check back every other day initially, along with letting the feeder know
to keep an eye on him. She said if there's any sign of trouble, she'll pull him out. It is a bad neighborhood, but the cats that are there tend to stay behind the houses in a wooded area and they do have shelter.

I still wish we could have done more for Jimmy. Please pray that he and his mom stay safe.

Elicon..there is only so much you can do with a cat that truly doesn't want to be socialized. At least he is with your organization and not in a shelter where he would simply be euthanized. I do hope Jimmy and his mom stay safe in their new environment.

Katie

I think it's terrible that after being in a home for that long to then be dumped. That's essentially what it is.

He might not let humans pet him, but where he is now is his home. In the cats eyes anyway. It makes me just want to scream at the cruelty of that.

But that is only my opinion. A year and a half is NOTHING to a feral.

I have a feral [Star] who accept me and my house but she's not tame. I will always have her too. She is safe here. I have been working with her since August or so of 2004. She lets me pick her up on occasion.

Poor little Jimmy......... Where are you located by the way...??

This is going to worry me. If you are close by, I would consider taking him.

We have land. I am in Missouri.

My prayers will be with Little Jimmy and his mom.......

My husband and I are taking Jimmy!!!!!!!!! He has a home now and of course when we get him, he will have to have his own thread for updates.

Thank you Eilcon........ thank you very much...

We will take good care of that kitty!!! I promise you!

The only thing we haven't decided is whether we are getting him before or after we move in our new house. We are going to meet each other halfway between Ohio and Missouri. as soon as the details are worked out.......hehe

He will be another forever kitty of mine and my husbands........

And I'm also sorry I came on a little strong in my earlier post but I was just upset over little Jimmy and couldn't stand it...