So I've never actually had a cat of my own before, although my girlfriend has a cat and I've had many friends and family growing up who had cats. Long story short, I ended up taking stewardship of a cat. The cat was found in a chicken coop and got beat up a bit by the farmers cat, running away but returning quickly to get trapped. The cat's origins are a complete mystery. The farmer seemed to think it was a stray. The Vet seemed to think he was a feral. I felt bad for the guy, so I named him Scrimshaw, because he is either a flame point balinese or siamese and has the same color palette as a whale tooth.
My first big question that I could use some help with: is he likely feral or a traumatized stray. He was found on a farm, but I live in a rural area and the farm is literally right next door to the county humane society. This, combined with the fact he's a beautiful 'designer' cat leads me to suspect the possibility he was dumped as the humane society is over capacity and not taking any new cats. He uses the litter box I set out for him (I set two, but he uses one), and has never peed or pooped outside the box. He also does not display any aggression and only ever hisses when he starts getting picked up (only did this twice out of necessity). He is extremely scared, and won't come out of his hiding spot (his carrier) when I'm in the room.
I've had him for 9 days now. The first day seemed to go okay... at first. Once I got him back, I set him up in my bathroom (pretty good size) with some towels and shirts to get his scent on and took the lid off the kitty carrier. He sometimes would be hiding, but I also came in and he was just sitting on the middle of the floor and didn't move when we came in. Because he was so dirty, my girlfriend and I thought he needed a bath, especially for fleas, but when we tried to get him in the bath, he got spooked and freaked and ran. We were trying to coax him into the bath and he ran up and around and jumped up onto the shower road to escape but slipped off and landed in the tub just sitting there. I knew he must be terrified but he really needed some cleaning so we mixed some dawn dish soap and water and poured it on him from a small cup. At the end of this ordeal I wrapped him up in a robe to dry him and put him back in his bed.
I thought it was all over and the cat would never forgive me, especially because the next morning I had to take him to the vet to get neutered, vaccinated and tested. Finally once I got him back home, I made him a little shelf space to rest on with a towel which he gladly occupied. The next day I got him a cat tree, and came in finding him laying on the top of the tree, as well as the middle and didn't move or try to run away when I entered and came close. It seemed like everything was alright, and I gave him some short pets under his chin which he semed to enjoy, even partially closing his eyes. I wanted to give him some more places to hang out, so I put the top back on his carrier which was on the floor. He still preferred the cat tree for the rest of that day. But the next morning, I found him curled up in the carrier, which has been his home for the past 5 days.
He comes out at night and when I am quiet. I have a pet camera so I watch him explore and rub his scent into my bathmat and lay around. But he always goes back to this carrier after sometime, even when he is alone. I have been doing timed meals 7am/7pm recently, so that he associates me directly with food. I lie on the floor within arms reach of the carrier and put the food dish at the very front of his carrier. After 5 minutes, he goes to eat it. He still seems quite wide eyed most of the time I enter the room though.
Wow, this was way longer than I meant, so if anyone actually gets through this whole thing and offers advice, I will be over the moon.
Did I seriously mess things up, or am I doing okay? I at least take hope in the fact he is able to eat with me laying very close (albeit tentatively).
I am thinking about taking the top of the carrier off and leaving it off at some point. On one hand, I am happy it's his safe space and don't want to intrude. On the other, I have a wool cat cave and and a tree with a raised cave so he would still have a safe space to go, but would be forced out of his carrier space. Do you think this is a good idea, or should I just be patient.
Also, is this cat even worth raising, or is it a feral cat that is being made miserable by by attempts to domesticate it? If he is truly a traumatized stray I want to give him the best new home and all the time he needs to acclimate. But if he is really feral and doesn't want be stuck here, should I turn him lose since he is at least neutered and vaccinated now? Feeling a bit out of my depth.
My first big question that I could use some help with: is he likely feral or a traumatized stray. He was found on a farm, but I live in a rural area and the farm is literally right next door to the county humane society. This, combined with the fact he's a beautiful 'designer' cat leads me to suspect the possibility he was dumped as the humane society is over capacity and not taking any new cats. He uses the litter box I set out for him (I set two, but he uses one), and has never peed or pooped outside the box. He also does not display any aggression and only ever hisses when he starts getting picked up (only did this twice out of necessity). He is extremely scared, and won't come out of his hiding spot (his carrier) when I'm in the room.
I've had him for 9 days now. The first day seemed to go okay... at first. Once I got him back, I set him up in my bathroom (pretty good size) with some towels and shirts to get his scent on and took the lid off the kitty carrier. He sometimes would be hiding, but I also came in and he was just sitting on the middle of the floor and didn't move when we came in. Because he was so dirty, my girlfriend and I thought he needed a bath, especially for fleas, but when we tried to get him in the bath, he got spooked and freaked and ran. We were trying to coax him into the bath and he ran up and around and jumped up onto the shower road to escape but slipped off and landed in the tub just sitting there. I knew he must be terrified but he really needed some cleaning so we mixed some dawn dish soap and water and poured it on him from a small cup. At the end of this ordeal I wrapped him up in a robe to dry him and put him back in his bed.
I thought it was all over and the cat would never forgive me, especially because the next morning I had to take him to the vet to get neutered, vaccinated and tested. Finally once I got him back home, I made him a little shelf space to rest on with a towel which he gladly occupied. The next day I got him a cat tree, and came in finding him laying on the top of the tree, as well as the middle and didn't move or try to run away when I entered and came close. It seemed like everything was alright, and I gave him some short pets under his chin which he semed to enjoy, even partially closing his eyes. I wanted to give him some more places to hang out, so I put the top back on his carrier which was on the floor. He still preferred the cat tree for the rest of that day. But the next morning, I found him curled up in the carrier, which has been his home for the past 5 days.
He comes out at night and when I am quiet. I have a pet camera so I watch him explore and rub his scent into my bathmat and lay around. But he always goes back to this carrier after sometime, even when he is alone. I have been doing timed meals 7am/7pm recently, so that he associates me directly with food. I lie on the floor within arms reach of the carrier and put the food dish at the very front of his carrier. After 5 minutes, he goes to eat it. He still seems quite wide eyed most of the time I enter the room though.
Wow, this was way longer than I meant, so if anyone actually gets through this whole thing and offers advice, I will be over the moon.
Did I seriously mess things up, or am I doing okay? I at least take hope in the fact he is able to eat with me laying very close (albeit tentatively).
I am thinking about taking the top of the carrier off and leaving it off at some point. On one hand, I am happy it's his safe space and don't want to intrude. On the other, I have a wool cat cave and and a tree with a raised cave so he would still have a safe space to go, but would be forced out of his carrier space. Do you think this is a good idea, or should I just be patient.
Also, is this cat even worth raising, or is it a feral cat that is being made miserable by by attempts to domesticate it? If he is truly a traumatized stray I want to give him the best new home and all the time he needs to acclimate. But if he is really feral and doesn't want be stuck here, should I turn him lose since he is at least neutered and vaccinated now? Feeling a bit out of my depth.
and welcome to TCS!
