Advice On Rescuing A Semi-feral Cat

[Paul_Thomas]

Hello!

The week before Thanksgiving I found a black and white cat sitting at the corner of my driveway. I'd never seen the cat before and when I approached it, the cat shied away from me and ran off. Over the next few days I would find the cat sitting in the same place and it began to stay put when I approached and talked with it but it still didn't like me getting too close to it.

I asked around my neighborhood if anyone was missing a cat and no one was. So I decided to start feeding it and to name it Tuxedo. I began moving the bowl of food from the ground by the front steps up each step until I was placing the food bowl just over the thresh hold and into the house. Eventually I was able to move the food bowl about five into the house from the front door and Tuxedo was fine with that. Tuxedo ate five bowls of food initially and is now down to two bowls of food in the morning and in the evening.

Tuxedo began to warm up to me, waiting at the front door when I come home from work and coming when I call in the morning or in the evenings. Tuxedo got comfortable enough to sit on the front porch and groom himself a bit and has two favorite places to sit and hang out. I live on wooded property and I believe he's sleeping in the bushes that surround the property. I've also been getting slow eye blinks when I talk to him.

Two big milestones were reached this weekend when the silent Tuxedo spoke to me for the first time when I greeted him and when, after eating he moved away from the food bowl and began to curl up on the carpet. Eventually he got up and went back outside, but I was happy that he felt comfortable enough to sit inside, even for a few minutes.

Then I got over confident with the situation and when he came back in again, I tried to sneak behind him and close the front door. He darted out the door and I didn't see him for the rest of the night. But the next morning he came back when I called and ate two bowls of food and was waiting for me when I came home. Now he's skittish again and while he's willing to come into the house to eat, he leaves immediately.

I feel like I've completely blown it and that he'll never really trust me again.

Any advice for this situation?

 

[tabbytom]

Hello P Paul_Thomas , welcome to TCS

I would like to help answer your questions but I’m in a bit of hurry as of now and will get back to you but in the meantime, I hope someone else will help answer your questions.

So on for awhile please

 

[tabbytom]

Ok, I’m back.

Tuxedo looks more like a stray than feral to me. I guess at this moment, there’s a lot of trust to be built up between you two but the bulk of it lies on the cat.

Seems to me he’s an indoor/outdoor cat but I’m leaning more on outdoor than indoor but that does not rule out that he can’t be a 100% indoors cat.
As for the amount he’s eating now, we can’t be sure if someone else is feeding him also if he managed to catch some prey in the day for a meal but looks like his main meal is coming from you else why would he keep appearing at your house.

I’ll continue feeding him the way he’s being fed now, lazing on on the carpet after his meal. Prepare more carpet or towels for him to lay in so as to get more of his scent. Later you can just move a piece or two further into the house and feed him further in. The more familiar scent in your house will be good as that gives him more confidence and also it shows that he owns the area.

Get some teaser and play with him before and after meals and really make him feel at home. Just don’t force on him to stay indoors immediately as hell try to escape or escape again. Slowly inch your way in and make sure he don’t feel threatened every step he takes else once he feels trapped, he will loose trust in you and that will be more difficult to get him indoors.

It takes time and please don’t rush through it and waste the opportunity. Love, patience and routine is the key of winning him over so don’t give up please.

Keep us posted of the progress

 

[Paul_Thomas]

Hi Tabbytom,

Thanks for your reply. I think Tuxedo has had some socialization in the past as he is willing to come into the house and will let me approach to within two or three feet. He's nervous about staying inside for any length of time but he'll hang around outside for quite a while. It looks like the tip of his left ear has been clipped and I think he might be a TNR cat.

Tuxedo has made several attempts to come into the house on his own. Unfortunately is 40 degrees right now and I can't keep the door open forever.

This morning he was outside waiting for me and there was very little hesitation about coming inside for food. He stayed for a few minutes on the door mat before leaving. He's comfortable coming about five or six feet into the house.

Would catnip be of any help?

 

[tabbytom]

Not all cats react to catnips but you can try. After the effect of the catnip wears off, he’ll still probably get back outside. Catnip only last for a short while and they have to sniff it again to get the effect only after later.

Yes, if ear is tipped, it’s a TNR’ed cat. At least you don’t have to worry about trapping him to get him neutered except that you still have to bring him in for vaccinations.

Can you make a shelter just outside your house on the front steps so that he can hide and sleep inside away from the elements? Keep him warm and comfortable during the cold season and if he stays put, it’s one step closer to bringing him in.

 

[bigbadbass]

Paul Thomas-

your experiences remarkably similar to mine with the roving, nasty feral Bug. It took me *weeks* to get him in, moving food slowly in further...door open! After much drama...end result ..he's been "fixed", indoor only and very content for about a year now.

Sounds like Tuxedo is seeking a home...his already being fixed is a huge advantage...be slow, deliberate, use an "accomplice" to close the door behind him if needed. Once he's in and acclimated, it'll all be in HIS best interests.....food, security, safety, health...on and on.

 

[bigbadbass]

here's the epic , long thread on my exploits with the Bug. As this was my first feral foster...my many doubts, mistakes, and questions......accompanied (and corrected by) awesome, knowledgeable help from members here.

Note tabbytom supported me the whole way. He's "been there, done that".

meet Buggy

 

[di and bob]

If at all possible build him a little shelter near or on your porch. An electric heated cat pad would be wonderful. They are only about 20 watts and make the cat much more comfortable. It may be better to let him stay for now where he is more comfortable, outside. Don't worry about any setbacks, he WILL trust you again, I have stepped on many of my ferals and they come back after a while. Get him to completely trust you, on your lap, etc., before you start to try to bring him in. It is a long road to have a cat trust you, but well worth it. Food and treats are always good, so are strokes when you get to touch him. He is a stray rather than a true feral, no feral would stand there and let you get close enough to see them. You are lucky he is neutered, that will help in keeping toms in the neighborhood from running him off. He COULD be a feral taht was socialized from a young age, that would make it more difficult to bring him in the house. Ear tipped cats have usually spent their lives outdoors. All the luck and bless you for helping him!

 

[Paul_Thomas]

After Tuxedo has his first bowl of food he left for a bit. I went out again and he was sitting in his favorite place and after I spoke with him for a bit, he came inside without hesitation and had another bowl of food. I kept out of his way and he took his time eating and then he moved away from the food bowl and sat inside for about ten minutes. He then moved outside and sat on the bottom step for a while and then moved up to the top step and sat by the door for a while. So he spent about thirty minutes sitting inside or very close to the house which is longer than he been doing.

I had a small fruit box which I lined with towels and a blanket and put beside the door. I'm not sure if Tuxedo has used it or not. It did look a little rumpled and I've seen him by it. I'm pretty sure he's sleeping in bushes close to the house.

 

[Paul_Thomas]

Buggy is quite charming!

 

[bigbadbass]

Believe me when I tell you he was difficult....fought me every step of the way. He was very successful (though still vulnerable) as a bum. I was quite concerned with harm from human sources...thus my incentive (safety) to bring him in.

Nowadays he runs the kitty committee here at Club Med for Cats.

Worth every bit of stress/aggravation/expense/effort to witness his amazing, though slow, transformation...

I'm sure you are thinkin' along similar lines....?

 

[bigbadbass]

Housing him outdoors is a most valid suggestion.

Before trapping Bug..to offer some "persuasion"....I bought a "hot house" ....and a low cost security cam to monitor his comings and goings.

Bug slowly "moved in", using the house more frequent as it was cold and snowy sometimes.

.

 

[orange&white]

Sounds like you're progressing really quickly with Tuxedo!

I would be tempted at this point to engage him in play (though most ferals often don't know what toys are for...at first). If his comfort level is 2-3 feet from you, then I would sit down quietly about 4-6 feet away. After he eats, try rolling a ping pong ball to that 2-3 feet mark and see if you can get him batting at it. Or lay a feather tied to a string on the floor from the food bowl to where you are sitting and start wiggling it after he's eaten. The pace with which my now indoor-outdoor feral started to trust me really quickened after I was able to get her to chase a long piece of cotton clothesline around the backyard...so you might try a little play outside too if the weather is not too cold.

Keep up the good work!

 

[tabbytom]

Yea, keep doing what you’ve been doing and continue to win his trust.

 

[Paul_Thomas]

I'm sure you are thinkin' along similar lines....?

I am indeed! Tuxedo is a lovely cat.

 

[Paul_Thomas]

Tuxedo spent about thirty minutes this morning sitting either in the house or just outside the door. I was really happy about that!

I bought a small space heater and put that by the front door so it was a little warmer while I have door open. Tuxedo was a little perplexed by it but he ate his dinner with the heater going, glancing up at it from time to time. It's something new for him and I'm sure he'll get used it ... especially as it is taking the chill off that area.

I did buy one of those bird feather on string with a pole and I'll give that a try tomorrow morning.

 

[tabbytom]

That's great!

Do you have mats or towels or blankets that she sits on when she comes over for her meal and when she is resting after her meals? If you do have, place those with his scents on it inside the shelter. Easier for her to get in with familiar scents.

 

[bigbadbass]

pics of Tux, please?

 

[Paul_Thomas]

I haven't seen Tuxedo since Tuesday night after he came in for dinner. Is suddenly disappearing usual behavior in this situation? As you can imagine, I'm quite worried about him.

 

[bigbadbass]

Earlier in this thread I posted...."use an "accomplice" to close the door behind him if needed. Once he's in and acclimated, it'll all be in HIS best interests.....food, security, safety, health...on and on."

Now disappearing...hence my earlier suggestion to use an accomplice and whatever trickery needed to trap him inside.
Until then all bets are off ...humans, wild animals, traffic...they are at the mercy of so many hazards...the urgency getting them in is obvious.

I truly hope he returns (to your best efforts in getting him in)