Confusing Feral Behavior

[Monicuddle84]

Hi there! New here! Just brought in a feral cat and wanted to pick some brains about an issue we are having.

So about a year ago, I went outside to feed our barn cat and this gorgeous male cat just ran up and started eating with her. Then he just never left. He was SUPER friendly, wanted all the attention and affection he could get, and was immediately loving and patient with my two young children. He always seemed pretty content outside, and was never missing but then our barn cat passed away at 18 years old, and he started wandering a lot more. We had started talking about bringing him inside because he was always just the biggest cuddle bug, and then one day I went out to get him because it was FREEZING cold, and he was gone. We searched high and low for him, couldn’t find him anywhere. Five days later, a neighbor called and said, “hey your cat is over here!” We were so relieved and immediately brought him inside. Took him to the vet the next day, got all his shots done, and we are scheduled to have him neutered and micro chipped in a couple of weeks. HOWEVER, ever since we brought him inside, I feel like his disposition has changed. Where he couldn’t get enough of us before, now he’ll let us cuddle him just for a minute and then he wiggles free and goes to lie down alone somewhere. He sits at the back door and just cries this sad cry, scratching at the threshold and the window until I move him away. When he’s not meowing at the back door (or eating, drinking, pottying), he’s just sleeping all day. I know he wants to go out because that’s what he’s used to (and probably because he’s not fixed yet), but I’m afraid he’ll dart off and not come back again, or worse yet be found by one of the coyotes people have been sighting around here lately. But I also don’t like seeing him depressed, if that’s what he is.

Any experience or advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Mr. Meow]

Welcome to the site, we're glad you're here! Those pictures are just adorable!
A few ideas you can try. Depending on your budget and space, you can build him an enclosed catio, where he can roam outside, while still enclosed in a cage and he'll be safe from predators. They come in all shapes and sizes and you can customize them however you want.
Another thought is to bring the outdoors, inside. Try bringing in a log or big tree branch he can climb and scratch on. Give him a box of leaves he can jump and hide in. If there's snow outside, put it in a plastic tub and let him play in it.
I'm sure other members will have additional ideas as well!

 

[shadowsrescue]

He needs to be neutered. He wants out because his hormones are ragging. He will search for miles and miles in search of a mate. It is very important you do not let him back outside. Unneutered male cats can wander far and wide and be gone for months. He is yowling as he wants out.

He may become more affectionate all of the time once his hormones have settled. This can take 3-6 weeks after the neuter. Yet once again do not let him back outside. This will cause him to continue to roam. Once his hormones are settled, if he does go outside, he may still have a yearning to wander. As he was intact for some time, the wandering is sometimes very hard to break. He would do best as an inside only kitty.

Also, I would not consider this cat to be feral. He is a stray cat. Feral cats would not want inside, they would not allow petting and they would be quite afraid of human interaction. This boy was once an owned cat. Most likely he wandered away since he was not neutered or was thrown out by his owner ( since he was not neutered).

Thank you for taking care of this sweet gorgeous boy. I hope his neuter is coming very soon.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Also to enrich his world, you can add cat trees and perches for him to climb. Add a few bird feeders outside the windows. Play with him. Wand toys are a favorite. Play with him to really tire him out. Then offer a yummy snack to make up for the prey he did not get to eat!

Catifying the home is a great way to help a former outside cat adapt. I moved 3 years ago and brought 3 feral cats with me. They had been living outside on my deck in shelters for many many years. When we moved I knew I could not endure the challenges of caring for outside feral cats. We had a sunroom that was perfect to house them. We have 3 cat trees in the room and then built a "super highway" for them to climb up and around the room. I have bird feeders hanging outside all of the windows. They love the room and have adjusted to inside living quite well.

Here is a picture of the super highway we built.

 

[fionasmom]

This boy is absolutely not a feral. I only ever work with or adopt strays or ferals and he is absolutely a former pet. shadowsrescue is completely correct about the fact that he needs to be neutered. Until then, just say no. It might not be the most pleasant thing, but he will calm down, possibly even before the neutering, but definitely once the hormones leave his body. This guy is very happy to have a home, toys, and a pretty little friend. The fact that he accepts children is also significant. I would also question if he is really depressed as opposed to just relaxing in a warm home, knowing he is safe. The last feral I brought in, which was during a big rainstorm, instantly ran to the door to get out, then assessed the surroundings and took a nap for about a week once she realized that she did not have to sleep with one eye open to avoid the coyote who killed her parents and one sibling.

He is a gorgeous little orange boy who is very happy to have found a home despite his requests to go back out.

 

[Monicuddle84]

Thank you guys for the tips and insight! I think y’all are right about him being stray/abandoned. I guess I was incorrectly assuming he was feral. I will definitely work on implementing all of the suggestions. He is such a sweet boy, and we love him to bits and pieces. The neutering is scheduled in two weeks from, but maybe I’ll call and see if they can squeeze him in sooner. They did it that way so that he could get his booster shot(s) at the same time and not have to make an extra trip. Fionasmom, I’m going to run with your idea that he’s just relaxed and not depressed - I hate to think that I’m forcing him into a situation he doesn’t want.

I do believe he may have been separated from his mom at a young age - he often gives my hand a tongue bath when he’s really stressed about going outside, and he also likes to suckle on my clothing and blankets when he lays in my lap.

 

[Jcatbird]

He should settle as he adjusts to the new environment. I did have one other thought and that is that he may miss your barn cat. If he still acts antsy after neutering and time to settle, you might consider getting him some feline company. You could try being a foster parent to find him the right match, whether it be a kitten or even an older cat. He is absolutely precious and so is his little human snuggler! Thank you so much for being his hero!

 

[Monicuddle84]

He should settle as he adjusts to the new environment. I did have one other thought and that is that he may miss your barn cat. If he still acts antsy after neutering and time to settle, you might consider getting him some feline company. You could try being a foster parent to find him the right match, whether it be a kitten or even an older cat. He is absolutely precious and so is his little human snuggler! Thank you so much for being his hero!

thats what my gut has been telling me too, that having a kitty friend might be just what he needs. He was always trying to be friends with our old barn cat, but she was NOT about making friends. She would hiss and bat and claw and run, and he just kept following her around trying to play or cuddle. He gets non stop cuddles and attention between me and the kiddos, but I feel like a kitty companion would just make his day. <3

 

[fionasmom]

My Jamie was rescued as a tiny baby and brought into my house which had only older cats. He was very focused on DH and I for all his games and attention but when I rescued the two young feral females he completely changed and was so happy to have cat friends.