let me touch it

princeegrl

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Well awhile ago I had been talking about a feral that might of been pregnant. I don't think she was after all but am not really sure. Okay well I hadn't seen her for a while and I saw her a couple of minutes ago outside under my neighbors car. So I went and got a can of wet food and brought it outside. This cat has really bonded with a person down the streets male cat. He was with her and he is very friendly and will come up to anyone. Well I put the food down and he came over and she did also but very slowly she got within three feet of me and them she came right over and let me touch her, and when I did she leaned into my hand. I don't think that she is feral afterall I think that someone dumped her in our neighborhood because she romes the neighborhood. I think that she is shy. This is a big breakthrough. I am still shocked that she let me touch her. I would of stayed out with her longer but my mom yell at me to come in.
 

StefanZ

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Was your mom yelling to come in because she dont want you to help this abandoned cat?

good you tries to help her. Especially if she isnt no feral but abandoned. It is a holy task.
Make sure your own cats are fully vaccinated. Otherwise your concern may be dangerous to them. (if someone abandons a cat the chance is big he didnt vaccinated her eiter...)
 
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princeegrl

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Originally Posted by StefanZ

Was your mom yelling to come in because she dont want you to help this abandoned cat?
No, my mom wasn't yelling me to come in, because she didn't want me to help it she loves helping animals infact she was the one who was bottle feeding Chance. At the pet expo we went to on saturday she signed up to bottle feed kittens when needed. She just wanted me to come in because it was late. Well I will go out there later today and see if she/ he is out there. I have a feeling that someone dumped her because they couldn't afford a vet bill because it looks like something is wrong with her. She has something wrong with her back legs but she gets along fine and doesn't seem to be in pain.
 

StefanZ

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Yes, if she makes the life as stray she should do OK if someone adopts her.
Bad leg or not.

(I did hear a true story about a cat who lost his leg when homeless, survived on his own(!), managed on his own, but went in a trap of a help-group prepared for another cat! They found a kind lady who wanted to have him, this shy THREELEGGED semiferal cat.) So this terrible story ends luckily, like Im now sure this story will end luckily, as both you AND your mom wants to help cats.

Greetings!
 

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Be careful. Stray, feral, loose kitty, your new friend could be carrying something you wouldn't want to pass to your cats.

Disclaimer out of the way, it's so nice of you to be reaching out to this cat.

My biggest suggestion is to take it slow. See where things go.
 

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Yes, Catnipwhiskers has right. Your cats are hopefully fully vaccinated, but almost all homeless have parasites. So wash hands after you pet her.

And when the day comes you take her in, have her the first time - at least one week, preferably two, in a own room, a "quarantene" room, till you are quite sure she is healthy and parasite-free. During this time (or before) you do the veterinary check up, vacciations and the parasite-treatment.
 

catnipwhiskers

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I would take her to a vet before bringing her into your house. Even if you keep the cat in a separate room, things can travel quickly. It would be awful if one of your cats got sick from the one outside. Become friends with the cat, then try to take her to the vet. See what the vet say, and then go from there.
 
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princeegrl

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Although I would love to keep this cat, I can't because I have 5. I am going to take it slow. Also I am not sure if she has an owner or not. She seems very shy. Keep in mind that I live in a big neighborhood and sometimes don't see her for weeks or sometimes a month. There are lots of strays in my neighborhood and would love to control the population but I am only 14 and alot of people have outdoor cats so it is hard to tell who has a home and who doesn't. I went to the store today and bought 6 four packs of cat food cans to put around the neighborhood.
 

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Originally Posted by princeegrl

I went to the store today and bought 6 four packs of cat food cans to put around the neighborhood.
This is a little dangerous. Giving them food - they will all come to your neighorhood... It is OK if you do have a programme, working with a TNR group or adoptions-group, but you dont.

Some owned cats return home mostly because it is there they get food. If they get food also elsewhere they perhaps NOT return home.

And there is the risk of attaching rats.


No Sir. If you must necessary give away food for the peace of your immortal soul - do it in one or two places where you can give some supervision.
So you see it is cats not rats eating. Where you see a little which cats - apparently homeless or probably owned with homes (then you can try to find the owners at least, possibly by writing the cats up on notice-boards in the neighborhood and your telephone number as contactperson)...
And if homeless you can perhaps contact a TNR or shelter group and tell them.

So you can DO something if necessary.

Love. It is Great to have a good heart. But it is not enough.


None can help everybody. But all can help somebody. And your task is this one shy with bad leg. Concentrate on this one. A holy task as I did already said. More than enough for you.
The others should be only for extras.
 

StefanZ

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Originally Posted by princeegrl

Although I would love to keep this cat, I can't because I have 5. I am going to take it slow. Also I am not sure if she has an owner or not. She seems very shy. Keep in mind that I live in a big neighborhood and sometimes don't see her for weeks or sometimes a month. There are lots of strays in my neighborhood and would love to control the population but I am only 14 and alot of people have outdoor cats so it is hard to tell who has a home and who doesn't.
OK, simultaneusly as you try to get her confidence, write her up on noticing boards in the neighborhood. Preferably with a photo. But a description is OK.

Write: Found this cat in [your neighborhood]. Is it yours or do you know the owner? Owner please contact me for more info. Your name and telephon-number. (or still better your moms - or even some strong uncle to you, if you are afraid of crazy people).

I would not write the cat as homeless on named streets - as she will be a extra easy prey to illdoers. There ARE some crazy people out there...


Next. You dont need to keep her as adopted if you dont want. But it would be swell if you COULD get in her and get her tame. Then it will be fairly easy to find her a new home.
To get a shy homeless to be a tame homecat is possible but not easy if you are alone. But YOU will have help of your 5 home cats. It will get a LOT easier, almost by itself.

This means - it would be great if you could have her in your home some time.
Perhaps three month, hardly longer. And the time you find her new owner (OR place in a good shelter). But you dont need adopt her if you cant or dont want.

IF you cant have her in at all - you may try to get her handtame outside. When she is handtame and has confidence in you - try to get help from a shelter-group.
Shelter-groups in the USA do not take in semiferal cats, they must be tame, or at least - hand-tame, ie accepting to be near humans, eating from hand if necessary, letting be petted some as a minimum.
(shelter-groups in Sweden often do help also feral-cats as we dont have TNR-programmes, and it is not pleasant to put a otherwise healthy cat to death).
 

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God bless you!
Originally Posted by princeegrl

Well awhile ago I had been talking about a feral that might of been pregnant. I don't think she was after all but am not really sure. Okay well I hadn't seen her for a while and I saw her a couple of minutes ago outside under my neighbors car. So I went and got a can of wet food and brought it outside. This cat has really bonded with a person down the streets male cat. He was with her and he is very friendly and will come up to anyone. Well I put the food down and he came over and she did also but very slowly she got within three feet of me and them she came right over and let me touch her, and when I did she leaned into my hand. I don't think that she is feral afterall I think that someone dumped her in our neighborhood because she romes the neighborhood. I think that she is shy. This is a big breakthrough. I am still shocked that she let me touch her. I would of stayed out with her longer but my mom yell at me to come in.
 

StefanZ

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Ah yes. She is bonded with this male cat who is entirely tame and friendly to people yes? Try to use this. If you see them together, go to the male, pet him. Good she sees that. After that, try to pet her too.

Or if you see him but not her, pet him, rub him around ears and cheeks, and hope you do see her in next hour or so... Try than to pet her. As you will have his friendly scent on you...

You may even try to pet the most friendly and kind of your own cats around the cheeks and ears, and get out and hope you see her the next hour. It could work too...

And. Dont look too much directly at her. To stare at a cat is hostile in the cat-world. Look beside her. Blink slowly when you look at her = its friendly.
Do yawn when you are near her = friendly. Stretch on yourself near her = friendly greeting.

Good luck!
 
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princeegrl

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what is a tnr group?
 

StefanZ

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TNR means trapp, neuter, return. A way to work with homeless cats.
TNR-groups cooperate with a veterinarian who accept to help them for a lower price.

Tame cats and kittens are taken in and adopted, but semiferal or feral cats who would be difficult to get tame - are thus usually neutered, vaccinated and returned to where they were found.

And they usually get some supervision and help afterwards too, as the homeless usually sticks to favorite places where they get food. Often colonies. In this way, these semiferal/feral homeless cats can live OK many years.

I could write a lot more, but I dont need. Many here on this forum DO work a lot with TNR, you can find it in many threads... And look also at the sticky threads.

An good idea for you may be to try to find a TNR group in your town and try to work with them. Or try to find others in your neighborhood who wants to help cats - and together try to do something.

(it isnt THAT hard to work home with shy semiferals and make nice, perhaps somewhat shy but adorable pet-homecats of them, not if you have help of own kind tame cats. But you must have a home and time and patience...
. And you can only work with one or perhaps two at a time, say 4 cats a year.
A TNR-worker can manage perhaps 30 in total.)
 
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princeegrl

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Well ever since I went out to see them the orange tabby that is a housecat has been following me to my house everyday after I ride my bike. He stays out there and my female cat Ramona just stares out the window. He loves attention and I think that is why he is hanging out.
 
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