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- Jan 1, 2023
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Hi everyone,
I wanted to ask for some support to make sure that I am doing the right things for my two little ferals that I have brought into my home. I have always had cats raised from kittens and/or that came loving human interaction. There is a large amount of text below to give you info on my new babies.
I’ve read through many many threads and appreciate all of the great advice and support you have given to each other! I have two feral cats that I brought in to my basement at the end of October (2022) when the family that was feeding them outside their home was planning to move and they would no longer be cared for. I live in a different part of town from where they were being fed and will not be letting them back outside. They and about 6 others had been fed outside for about a year by this family. All of the others were adopted or taken by the family.
Ash and Fox are both extremely afraid of people and the only way I am able to see them is through the cameras I have set up in the basement. They hide when they hear us walking or even scooting a chair on the main floor above them and usually only come out in the basement once my son and I leave for the day for work and school.
I have set up various warm hiding spots for them around the large open basement area that we use as storage, as well as 2 litter boxes that are cleaned once in the morning and once at night, 2 bowls of dry food and wet food (wet bowls cleaned and changed in morning and night), 2 water bowls away from food areas, an area rug with a scratcher and cat tree from Santa, window area with a smaller cat tree that they sit near and look outside, 2 little cat cubes they can lay on top of and in, and a spot under a covered table with a kitty tunnel with another bowl of dry and (fresh) wet food.
The first vet visit back at the beginning of November was a few days after I brought them inside. Upper respiratory infection for the big boy Ash who the vet guesses is 4 years old, whole body allergic reaction to fleas for the little guy Fox who the vet guesses is 2, and the start of all of their flea meds, deworming, vaccines, etc. The next vet visit in December was to neuter Ash, more tests and vaccines (neither have feline leukemia or anything else yay!), and other tests on Fox (already fixed but no chip) because he is only 6 pounds and didn’t gain any weight in the month I had him. We go back in January for Ash to have his teeth removed due to Stomatitis, more vaccines for both, and to see if Fox has been able to gain any weight.
These vet visits have been the only time I’ve been able to touch or really even see them up close and I loved that, but hated that it most likely traumatized them. They run, hide, fight when I need to get them (bought the long gloves after deep gouges from Ash), and are still not comfortable with their carriers after putting food and treats in them and leaving them out, and consistently using feliway plug ins and spray. They took a couple of days after each vet visit to come back out of hiding to eat and drink and use litter boxes, but I can tell they both feel much better after antibiotics and treating for fleas etc. by the way they eat and drink and use their litter boxes, explore around the basement area, lay on and use the scratching areas on their rug, and look out the window. Neither climbs the cat trees, yet.
Bigger boy Ash likes to follow Fox around when he is out and tends to swat at him, trill to him (my cameras have sound), and sometimes will take over eating out of whatever bowl Fox is eating. Little Fox usually goes to another bowl or to his litter box when this happens. I do see Fox eating alone at times, too, so I know he is getting to eat. They have started hiding in the same bottom shelf area together, so I know Fox is not too scared of Ash. They will also eat in bowls side by side. I have a dry and wet bowl of food together on a mat and another set of the same a little bit away with something breaking up the line of sight, plus another of the same under a covered table where I see little Fox go alone.
I’m worried little Fox may need to be separated some from Ash in order for him to get uninterrupted feeding time and gain weight, but I think that would traumatize him even more as they seem to get comfort from each other a lot of times, especially when hiding from our sounds or when I go down to take care of them. I do the sitting with them while reading, slow blinking if they ever look at me from their hiding spot, talking to them, playing music etc.during the morning or evening care times because if I go down more during the daytime or evenings they will stay hidden longer and not come out to eat or drink or use the litter boxes. Each time I go down there, I always leave treats for them that they love and I see them eat at a later time. I have two different lamps that I turn on to create a routine of morning and night feedings with one that stays on during the day and one at night so they always have some light even on overcast days.
They got many toys from Santa, but don’t know how to interact or play with them. I am taking it slow and didn’t even try any of this until they had been here almost 2 months. If I try to get close enough to use the toys on a stick, they run away to another hiding spot or turn away and go deeper where they are hiding.
I know this will be a very long process, but I hate that they still are unable to come out of hiding when hearing us on the floor above and will be traumatized by another vet visit in a week or so. I’m also worried about Ash’s recovery from full teeth removal and if I need to separate them or when to try to acclimate them to coming upstairs with us. There are so many unknowns and without being able to see or touch them I feel lost not being able to see and understand how they are really doing on a day to day basis.
Thanks so much if you read my wall of text and have any other slow-going feral to house-cat stories to share. Everyone else seems to be able to at least have their ferals come out near them after a couple of months, but I am not sure if or when that may ever happen for us. Take care!
pictured are Ash (big boy, gray) and Fox (little void)
I wanted to ask for some support to make sure that I am doing the right things for my two little ferals that I have brought into my home. I have always had cats raised from kittens and/or that came loving human interaction. There is a large amount of text below to give you info on my new babies.
I’ve read through many many threads and appreciate all of the great advice and support you have given to each other! I have two feral cats that I brought in to my basement at the end of October (2022) when the family that was feeding them outside their home was planning to move and they would no longer be cared for. I live in a different part of town from where they were being fed and will not be letting them back outside. They and about 6 others had been fed outside for about a year by this family. All of the others were adopted or taken by the family.
Ash and Fox are both extremely afraid of people and the only way I am able to see them is through the cameras I have set up in the basement. They hide when they hear us walking or even scooting a chair on the main floor above them and usually only come out in the basement once my son and I leave for the day for work and school.
I have set up various warm hiding spots for them around the large open basement area that we use as storage, as well as 2 litter boxes that are cleaned once in the morning and once at night, 2 bowls of dry food and wet food (wet bowls cleaned and changed in morning and night), 2 water bowls away from food areas, an area rug with a scratcher and cat tree from Santa, window area with a smaller cat tree that they sit near and look outside, 2 little cat cubes they can lay on top of and in, and a spot under a covered table with a kitty tunnel with another bowl of dry and (fresh) wet food.
The first vet visit back at the beginning of November was a few days after I brought them inside. Upper respiratory infection for the big boy Ash who the vet guesses is 4 years old, whole body allergic reaction to fleas for the little guy Fox who the vet guesses is 2, and the start of all of their flea meds, deworming, vaccines, etc. The next vet visit in December was to neuter Ash, more tests and vaccines (neither have feline leukemia or anything else yay!), and other tests on Fox (already fixed but no chip) because he is only 6 pounds and didn’t gain any weight in the month I had him. We go back in January for Ash to have his teeth removed due to Stomatitis, more vaccines for both, and to see if Fox has been able to gain any weight.
These vet visits have been the only time I’ve been able to touch or really even see them up close and I loved that, but hated that it most likely traumatized them. They run, hide, fight when I need to get them (bought the long gloves after deep gouges from Ash), and are still not comfortable with their carriers after putting food and treats in them and leaving them out, and consistently using feliway plug ins and spray. They took a couple of days after each vet visit to come back out of hiding to eat and drink and use litter boxes, but I can tell they both feel much better after antibiotics and treating for fleas etc. by the way they eat and drink and use their litter boxes, explore around the basement area, lay on and use the scratching areas on their rug, and look out the window. Neither climbs the cat trees, yet.
Bigger boy Ash likes to follow Fox around when he is out and tends to swat at him, trill to him (my cameras have sound), and sometimes will take over eating out of whatever bowl Fox is eating. Little Fox usually goes to another bowl or to his litter box when this happens. I do see Fox eating alone at times, too, so I know he is getting to eat. They have started hiding in the same bottom shelf area together, so I know Fox is not too scared of Ash. They will also eat in bowls side by side. I have a dry and wet bowl of food together on a mat and another set of the same a little bit away with something breaking up the line of sight, plus another of the same under a covered table where I see little Fox go alone.
I’m worried little Fox may need to be separated some from Ash in order for him to get uninterrupted feeding time and gain weight, but I think that would traumatize him even more as they seem to get comfort from each other a lot of times, especially when hiding from our sounds or when I go down to take care of them. I do the sitting with them while reading, slow blinking if they ever look at me from their hiding spot, talking to them, playing music etc.during the morning or evening care times because if I go down more during the daytime or evenings they will stay hidden longer and not come out to eat or drink or use the litter boxes. Each time I go down there, I always leave treats for them that they love and I see them eat at a later time. I have two different lamps that I turn on to create a routine of morning and night feedings with one that stays on during the day and one at night so they always have some light even on overcast days.
They got many toys from Santa, but don’t know how to interact or play with them. I am taking it slow and didn’t even try any of this until they had been here almost 2 months. If I try to get close enough to use the toys on a stick, they run away to another hiding spot or turn away and go deeper where they are hiding.
I know this will be a very long process, but I hate that they still are unable to come out of hiding when hearing us on the floor above and will be traumatized by another vet visit in a week or so. I’m also worried about Ash’s recovery from full teeth removal and if I need to separate them or when to try to acclimate them to coming upstairs with us. There are so many unknowns and without being able to see or touch them I feel lost not being able to see and understand how they are really doing on a day to day basis.
Thanks so much if you read my wall of text and have any other slow-going feral to house-cat stories to share. Everyone else seems to be able to at least have their ferals come out near them after a couple of months, but I am not sure if or when that may ever happen for us. Take care!
pictured are Ash (big boy, gray) and Fox (little void)
. There are members here where things have taken a year. Other than not liking the carriers which is nearly a universal cat thing 
I think they're doing marvelously.
.
it can take a long time with cats who are truly feral who were born outside or even for hose who are dumped and living out there for a while. I have two now who are not touchable.
