Failure To Launch, Can't Get Fixed Feral Out Of Garage

[wannahelp]

I had a male feral kitten neutered and kept him in my garage for a few days after because we were expecting a bad storm. I tried releasing him but he didn't leave. I don't know where he is, in the garage. I don't know what to do. I cannot try to socialize him because I never see him and i can't release him because he doesn't want to leave. If I'm in the garage, he won't come out. So, food won't work. How do I deal with this?

 

[surya]

Can't you set out a trap in the garage for him?

 

[tabbytom]

wannahelp , you have to be very patient with this cat. It takes time for him to regain his trust in you. Food and toys will bring him out eventually with soft voice and regular visits.

Can you leave the garage door open so that he can go out on his own?

Leave a litter box in the garage for him and also food and drinks. Visit him a few times a day and lure him out with treats and a feather wand. Do not chase him around or drag him out of hiding. That will make him more afraid to come out.

Can you keep him indoors instead? It would be good for him.

 

[kittychick]

It sounds like you've done TNR before, right? And I'm assuming if you're keeping garage door closed when you're not there trying to get him out, you've at least left him food, water, litterbox, and something clean for him to sleep on/in?

I'm sure that he's just scared and feels vulnerable (I always have to believe they still feel vulnerable even days after a spay/neuter - even though when we TNR we too hold over for a bare minimum of a day or two - usually a little longer - but we do transfer them out of the trap into a dog crate with a "system" we have down involving a huge crate, cat carrier, etc.). So I'm guessing he's hunkering down over a cross between nervousness and vulnerability. If he has those "necessities of cat life" (food, water, litterbox, and maybe a cat carrier or box with a blanket in it) I can't imagine it would hurt him to stay a few extra days.

I'd basically let him be for a few days - as long as he has the above necessities. Pushing him and rooting around for him will almost certainly scare him further and cause him to dig in even further. Can you just leave the garage at least cracked 6-12" so that he can leave when he feels comfortable - which probably means alone? At least during the day ---although he's probably more likely to move on once it's dark.

Is it possible he can be socialized? Obviously - if it's possible - that's safest in the long run. But all of us who've done TNR certainly recognize that's not always possible.

Let us know what happens to him!

 

[wannahelp]

I managed to trap the cat again, thus debunking the myth that cats won't enter a trap twice.
This makes me even more nervous about the other ferals being picked up and euthanized. The original plan was to trap his litter mates but he's been separated from them for a while now, so I don't know if they'd get along. I may still trap them and see how their temperaments are.
He's been in a XXL dog crate with litter box, food, water and toys. He's been in there for about 5 days. I know he needs more room to move around. When I re-trapped him, he injured his nose, rubbing on the trap and I can't tell but I think he's done it again in the crate. I am very ambivalent about this, at this point. I would love to be able to socialize him and get him adopted but he is not responding to me at all nor is he responding to treats or teaser toys.
He won't eat in my presence.
I feel like I'm torturing him. I may buy a tiered cage for him. He is eating, drinking and using the litter box but he looks absolutely miserable. I don't want him to keep inflicting injury on himself. If I let him out now, I have a lot of concerns: will he adjust to being outside in the cold without getting sick?; will he be able to reunite with the colony he left?; will he expect to come back to eat and sleep?; will he get trapped and euthanized?; will he wander out in the open during the day to look for food, since I've been feeding twice a day?
The vet who looked at him last seems to think he'd make a good pet, eventually. He isn't aggressive but he's very afraid of people. I don't know what to do for him. I don't know if I'm hurting or helping.

 

[maggiedemi]

Are you able to pet him with anything- like a long handled duster, a backscratcher, or a sock taped to a stick? That's what bridged the gap between Demi and me when he was feral, when he realized that I could touch him and not hurt him.

 

[orange&white]

About how old is he? Non-aggressive, but fearful describes the 4 month old feral I TNR'd and took home in February. She socialized very quickly - 9 days in my master bathroom then given access to the bath and bedroom.

Is there a reason he has to stay in the garage, or can you bring him inside and work with him? If not, is there a feral rescue group who might have an open foster home take him for socialization? It is quite a bit of work; more time than anything else.

 

[wannahelp]

I have two cats myself. The only room that I can possibly put him in has a bookshelf. He could hide behind it and possibly knock it over. It’s also a eoom where my cats stay often.
He’s been in th garage for almost a month and he’s really not getting used to me. He keeps his head down when i feed him. I could try the sock on a atick idea. I wonder if I go his litter mates, if that might help.

 

[surya]

You could attach the book case to the wall. They make stuff to do that for kid safety. And keep the other cats out for a little while.

 

[wannahelp]

I’m also concerne about him hiding in the room th way he did in th garage. He’d have to stay in th crate for a while.
The other BIG problem is that I can’t fit the crate theough the soor and up the stairs. I can’t touch him, so how do I get him inside?

 

[orange&white]

Is he a kitten or an adult? With the kitten I brought home, I was able to pick her up because she was not at all aggressive. She never offered to scratch, bite or even give a hiss or a growl.

Try petting him with the sock on a stick and see how he reacts.

 

[surya]

When I had to move a feral out of a crate. I put the open trap up against the door. I put towels over the trap so it looked like a dark cave. I uncovered the crate and he went right into the trap, because they feel safer in a dark cave. And then do the reverse to put him back in the crate.

 

[tabbytom]

wannahelp , as long as the cat is not banging himself against the cage in an attempt to escape, he should be ok. Just try to keep him calm and let him get acclimatized a little longer. Let him get more use to you before making adjustments or moving him to another room. Just don’t stress him further.

For him, it may take a little while than usual so don’t rush through it. Maintain love, patience and routine to let him gain trust in you. If he can be let out of the cage and have the whole room (current room) to himself, let him out of the cage and let him own the room. Do it step by step please.

 

[wannahelp]

He’s 5-6 months and about 5lbs. I don’t know id that’s kitten or adult. As long as he’s in the garage, I cannot let him out because he’ll hide and I eon’t be able to find him again.
I don’t see orbhear him banging himself against the crate but he has rubber his nose on it and caused a wound, as I mentioned.
I am teying to work with him to the best of my ability, under the circumstances. I wish I knew someone in construction who would build a room for me for the cost of materials but unfortuantely I don’t.
There are bumpers for the inside of the crate. I might buy one. He won’t be able to rub hos nose and he might feel more secure. They are wuite expensive, though. If I could sew, I’d make my own. Unfortunately, I don’t sew or know anybody who does.

 

[orange&white]

Maybe you could just secure some fleece layers inside the crate with clothespins instead of bumpers. WalMart sells fleece throws for $2.50 each. That's a lot of fabric for not much money.

5-6 months is still a kitten. I think he needs to be petted an held some, to get him over his fear of humans...the younger the better.

 

[kittychick]

This is one of those cases where I SO wish I could be there in person! So much I think I could understand if I saw in person. I quickly re-skimmed there thread again (emphasis on quickly - with a house full of people for the holiday weekend!) since "quiet, alone, and think ---sadly, thinking & reading time" is at a bare minimum here for the next few days.

So - - PLEASE pardon me if I'm asking anything that's been asked, or suggesting something that's been deemed a bad idea by the poster or the group - chalk it off to too much gravy tasting and too much turkey to be as thorough as I'd like.

He is still a kitten - I know 5-6 months seems (and sometimes looks)...far from a teeny mewing kitten. But he's still very young - and would likely still be with some type of "family unit" (either bound by blood, or just picking up other "bachelors') and those units would help him to function in the world. Especially as winter fast approaches, his instincts are probably saying "oh my god I've gotta find a place to settle in for the winter so I don't freeze or starve to death..And I"m kinda scared where I am, but at least it's better than having no food, shelter, etc." His little brain is probably working overtime trying to figure this all out - - (again - I'm HORRIBLY SORRY if anything I ask /say/suggest has been asked before - and been decided unwise, not possible, etc). He hasn't been there horribly long in feral cat world - but I understand winter throws in a new twist.

Since I'm not 100% up on every post - I'll TRY (I'm bad at it) to keep it sorta short - hit the high points if you will. And no answer is the wrong now

So - - - --
If you could have any outcome you wished (clear your mind of what's happening) would you hope to socialize and keep him indoors? Or socialize and have a friend adopt him? Or wanting to socialize, but are aware he many not come inside (at least not now), but giving him a safe zone of his own, a place that he can sleep fairly comfortably and safely, food every day, water every day, some contact - as much as he'll allow - that will hopefully grow over time. Is him having a safe place in the garage a possibility for the rest of the winter? We do for our TNR ferals who didn't move on (5 just never left! Only 4 are arrive at the moment - we sadly lost one last year. They've got multiple heated shelters both inside and outside (only 1 chooses outside to sleep in one of the heated shelters outside of the garage), heated water dish once it hits freezing outside. We keep the large garage door (t's a detached garage, but only 1bout 10 feet from the house) cracked open 24/7 by about 5-6 inches tops - - - small enough only very young kids or beyond super skinny (not me!) can fit under to go in and out of. We've worked this way for several years - only one issue. One night my hubby forgot to put garage door down at all. Soooooooo.......

Off went our daily expensive bikes. But instead of giving up (we both dearly love the outdoor TNR guys) bet we felt violated and defeated. Since then we bought chains & chained down anything in the garage worth stealing, locked our cars in the garage, and kept our lights on now 24/7 at the back door that faces the garage, and the lights flanking the garage. Knock on wood - no burglaries since then !!!!

So if you CAN'T get her out of the garage, and if you decide socializing isn't a good idea all around - - - do you have a way you could leave an opening for him to go in and out? It's likely he'll keep out other cats from settling in your garage. You could even leave the dog crate in there in the beginning, with the door open and the entire crate covered for warmth!!!!! You very likely would only have to that for a bit - - you could even set up an alternative crate (like a double rubbermaid) - making it even MORE enticing that the cage. Then once you see her using it, you could remove the large dog crate. (letting her keep food and water obviously)

It's at least a thought for now - - other options can be discussed to o! Gotta go do last minute prep for ensuing crowd this evening!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 

[orange&white]

So - - - --
If you could have any outcome you wished (clear your mind of what's happening) would you hope to socialize and keep him indoors? Or socialize and have a friend adopt him?

What is your ideal outcome? You mentioned feeling ambivalent, but what's best for you? Sounds like you planned to neuter him, release him and he'd go on his way and your responsibility would be over?

Are you ok with feeding him if you let him run (he will eventually leave the garage if it's open a crack) but he comes to your house regularly for food? Do you want to socialize and adopt him yourself, or find him an adopter elsewhere to be responsible for him? Or would you just really like him gone like perhaps you originally planned?

I think we could help more if you clarify your ideal outcome "in a perfect world"...but you know, realistically.

 

[wannahelp]

My ideal outcome would be to trap his littermates, fix them and try to socialize them all to the point that they are adoptable and ultimately get adopted. I don't know, however, if he and his littermates will stop get along. Obviously, it would be easier if the did. I don't have anybody lined up to them, in either case. For the adults, I would like to provide an outdoor shelter as well as food, water and spaying/neutering. There is one adult cat that may not be feral and I'm not sure whay I'd do with him/her.
This is not my house, it's my parents' so I am somewhat handicapped and limited in what I can do. They will not allow me to leave the garage door open, if I were to let him go. They are afraid that raccoons or opossums or some other wildlife would end up taking residence.
The problem remains that the garage is really the only available room. Right now, I have placed fleece blankets inside and clipped them outside, as someone suggested. I also have cardboard surrounding the outside (not all the way around) as well as an army blanket and two other blankets covering the crate. Inside the crate, I have a self-warming pad, a small bed with a blanket, another blanket, and a small fleece pad. I think he's probably warm enough. The crate is sitting atop a cardboard box that's been cut open, and a doormat, to try to block the cold from the floor. It should be pretty well insulated. He doesn't look like he's balled up, so I assume he's okay.
Regardless, it's not the ideal place for me to interact with him, especially in winter. I also have to have him out of the garage by the summer becaue then, the garage is sweltering.
I think the garage environment may be perpetuating his flea problem also. He has unrelenting fleas and worms, despite treatments and i assume his littermates will too.
I was actually thinking of trying to crowdfund money for a cat sanctuary room but I'd probably have more luck if I became a non-profit first. I don't know how long that would take or what's involved, so at the most, I could try crowdfunding as an individual but my attempts in the past, even to try to get money for my mother's medical treatments when my father was unemployed, failed miserably. I don't have.a network of friends or followers to spread the word. The cats shouldn't have to suffer for my social failures but it is, as they say, "what it is."
In any case, I do want to help these kittens in any way I can.

 

[orange&white]

So you'd like the kittens to find permanent adoptive homes, and you (and your parents) are on board with feeding the adults as long as they live. I would definitely get the shelters set up for the adults ASAP, since winter is here.

Your parents are not wanting the kitten in the room with the bookcase? That would be best for him, and any other kittens you want to socialize. Barring that, how much time are you spending in the garage with the kitten? With my 4 month old feral who lived in my bathroom for her first 9 days, I sat on the hard floor with her 10-15 minutes of every hour I was home and not sleeping. She socialized very quickly with around 2-3 hours a day on my work days and 4-6 hours on my days off.

If you aren't able to sit and visit with the kitten out in the garage, I think you may need outside help from people more experienced with ferals. Is there a county or city feral rescue group who you could reach out to? They may have volunteer foster homes who could take the kittens into their homes, get the flea and worm issues under control, socialize them and find homes. That would relieve a lot of your responsibility and be the best thing to do. If there is no formal feral group, ask for advice from any no-kill shelters. Also, you might try emailing veterinarian offices. My vet gets cats abandoned at their front door all the time, and they maintain their own feral colony on site. Some vet in your area may actively work with ferals. At least, one of them may be able to help you with low-cost flea control and worming.

 

[wannahelp]

I have tried every resource possible to get SOME kind of assistance but I'm on my own.
There's actually a women who calls herself a rescue, who lives within minutes. I spoke to her on the phone once but she was very hesitant even to give out her number and she won't come and help in person.
I've read all the articles about ferals, spoken to everyone I could and had many fights with my parents about the bringing cats into the house. One of their big concerns is that my cats will feel put out. There's no reasoning with these people and I'm getting sick from the stress of it all. If I had my own home, it would be different but I don't.