So, I am hoping that some of you here might be able to offer some advice, and give me your insights.
I have a full grown cat that I had seen around the apartment complex for at least three years. I always thought he was feral because he was unapproachable. But by happy accident, about 6 months ago, my husband was cleaning fish on our patio, and the smell enticed him. I offered him some cooked fish, and he began to come around regularly in the morning and the evening to be fed.
Not long after this, my conclusion that he was feral changed to the conclusion that he was an abandoned or lost former pet because it didn't take long for him to warm up to me and hubby and he really loves being petted. He will headbutt and get up on his hind legs to reach my hand for some ear scratching.
We have slowly been working on getting him inside, but anytime we have brought him in, he has freaked out, (by that, I mean scratching wildly at the door and yowling). I was hoping that with time and patience we could get past this. But then something happened that forced my hand. Our city got hit with some arctic weather that dropped temps way below normal. Last night, with the wind chill, it was close to zero. So, when he came for his afternoon meal, I catnapped him. I used a towel to pick him up (which surprisingly, he didn't resist too much). I brought him into our bedroom (I don't have a spare room.) I had the food, water, and litter set up. Of course, immediately the meowing commenced. He's not really yowling. Instead he's doing a loud meow at about 2 second intervals. You would think at this point, his little voice would be croaky and hoarse!
I have another cat, Sasha, who was a feral kitten that I was able to tame, and that went completely differently --I'm guessing, of course, due to the fact that she was feral. (I am keeping them separate, although they actually have met briefly at the patio door, and they instantly got along, giving each other head butts.) But I digress. Taming Sasha was a completely different experience, so I am at a bit of a loss on how to deal with my new boy (we haven't given him a name yet). Here is what he is doing: he will do his meowing thing, but I can go in the room, pick him up and set him on the bed. If I start petting, eventually, the meowing subsides, and he starts getting really affectionate (major bread kneading and head butting). He will go to sleep, but then after awhile, he starts up with the loud meowing again. I was actually able to lay next to him on the bed for a couple of hours and nap last night.
My husband and I took turns lying in the bedroom with him, petting him despite the meows, while the other one took the couch for some sleep. (We were joking that it was like taking care of a newborn baby.) But here are my questions (sorry about taking so long to get to them):
I have a full grown cat that I had seen around the apartment complex for at least three years. I always thought he was feral because he was unapproachable. But by happy accident, about 6 months ago, my husband was cleaning fish on our patio, and the smell enticed him. I offered him some cooked fish, and he began to come around regularly in the morning and the evening to be fed.
Not long after this, my conclusion that he was feral changed to the conclusion that he was an abandoned or lost former pet because it didn't take long for him to warm up to me and hubby and he really loves being petted. He will headbutt and get up on his hind legs to reach my hand for some ear scratching.
We have slowly been working on getting him inside, but anytime we have brought him in, he has freaked out, (by that, I mean scratching wildly at the door and yowling). I was hoping that with time and patience we could get past this. But then something happened that forced my hand. Our city got hit with some arctic weather that dropped temps way below normal. Last night, with the wind chill, it was close to zero. So, when he came for his afternoon meal, I catnapped him. I used a towel to pick him up (which surprisingly, he didn't resist too much). I brought him into our bedroom (I don't have a spare room.) I had the food, water, and litter set up. Of course, immediately the meowing commenced. He's not really yowling. Instead he's doing a loud meow at about 2 second intervals. You would think at this point, his little voice would be croaky and hoarse!
I have another cat, Sasha, who was a feral kitten that I was able to tame, and that went completely differently --I'm guessing, of course, due to the fact that she was feral. (I am keeping them separate, although they actually have met briefly at the patio door, and they instantly got along, giving each other head butts.) But I digress. Taming Sasha was a completely different experience, so I am at a bit of a loss on how to deal with my new boy (we haven't given him a name yet). Here is what he is doing: he will do his meowing thing, but I can go in the room, pick him up and set him on the bed. If I start petting, eventually, the meowing subsides, and he starts getting really affectionate (major bread kneading and head butting). He will go to sleep, but then after awhile, he starts up with the loud meowing again. I was actually able to lay next to him on the bed for a couple of hours and nap last night.
My husband and I took turns lying in the bedroom with him, petting him despite the meows, while the other one took the couch for some sleep. (We were joking that it was like taking care of a newborn baby.) But here are my questions (sorry about taking so long to get to them):
- Should I let this cat back outside when the weather gets warmer? If I do, will it be likely that he will never come back again?
- How long will this meowing go on? Is there anything I can do to help him get past this stage?
- Should my husband and I continue to take turns keeping him company, or should we let him alone for awhile?