Fostering A Semi-feral Cat, Need Advice..

[BerkeleyCat]

Hi Everyone, I'm new here I just introduced myself in the intro section as well. Sorry this is such a long post.

I'm currently fostering a tiny 3-year-old semi-feral cat. She lived in someone's yard for 3 years after being captured, fixed, and released as a kitten. The lady who fed her swears up and down that she's friendly. And to be fair, she isn't at all aggressive, just scared. Until now she lived with her siblings, and it's a shame they didn't capture them together. Unfortunately, they can't keep living in this person's yard because she's having trouble with her landlord. I ended up as her foster kind of on a whim through a cat rescue group. I'm very concerned about her, I think this is a huge adjustment for her, and I think she's extremely overwhelmed and probably sad/confused/terrified.

We took her home 4 days ago. The cat is currently confined to a large closet that opens up to our bathroom. She mostly hides in a smaller linen closet behind towels. I'm extremely worried that she's not getting enough food and water. She uses her litter box once per day when no one is in there, but the rest of the day hides. Only urine, no stool.

I'm not concerned about the hiding, I mean it makes sense, but she's barely touched her food, and her water appears to be mostly untouched as well. I finally put a piece of tape inside the bowl to monitor her drinking. She does not come out for us, though I am trying to spend some time just sitting in the closet ignoring her so she can get used to me.

I try really hard not to look her in the eyes, and when I accidentally find her (sometimes, I just need a towel) I do my best to un-find her. I talk to her in a calm kind voice. I try to keep excess noise to a minimum. I clean her litter daily. I sometimes just lay down in the closet. I have a Feliway going in there, use a spray similar to Feliway, and I've been putting Bach Flower Rescue Remedy in her water. I also tried giving her a calming aid with melanin but she's not ready for it. I sprinkled catnip around, so far she seems uninterested.

Because I'm concerned, I contacted the rescue and the lady I spoke with gave me some more food suggestions. I currently have a buffet of various wet cat foods set out for her, including chicken baby food and a bowl of dry food.

Unfortunately, there was a mishap.

My cat accidentally got into the room at dinner time (sneaky little girl), probably because she smelled the wet food I was bringing the new cat. She was very curious but the second she smelled the new cat on a towel she hissed. I removed her IMMEDIATELY and gave her food as a positive reinforcement, but I'm worried that my cat scared the bejeebers out of this poor little-frightened cat.

I really hope this didn't set us back months or years in her socialization. I feel so worried, and now, of course, my cat is acting super clingy and weird.

At what point should I consider bringing her to the vet concerning her eating/drinking? Is there anything else I can do? I'd really appreciate any advice, I'm really worried as I keep hearing that cats can't last long without water. And this whole situation has me really bummed.

 

[BerkeleyCat]

I should also mention, the resident cat's name is Stella, the foster cat goes by Holly.

 

[Wenda]

Aw, I'm glad she has someone like you who is kind enough to take care of her.

I'm sure you tried this already, but could you hide the water and food in the closet with her near where she hides? Or could you leave the sink running very minimally for her? She might come out at night and drink from it. Do you have a vet you could call up and ask for some quick advice (when they would recommend to bring her in if she continues to refuse to eat or drink)?

I've never tried taming a feral cat indoors (initially), but I do know the ones I worked with at my old workplace took a long time to warm up. I did everything you did. Put out food, gave them space while also being present and talking to them in a soothing voice. I found that with Cha Chi Soo (a Siamese kitten) a string worked to lure him from his hiding holes. Of course, I couldn't touch him, but he'd come out to play before remembering he was "supposed to be scared" lol. After a certain point he became a love bug (months), as did Alice an adult female we worked with. Of course, as soon as we brought Chi Soo inside he hid in these rolled up rugs in the closet for like a week or two before he'd come out...and hid there every time he got spooked. It took him a long time to get use to being inside.

Good luck to you! You're doing a really great thing!

 

[BerkeleyCat]

Aw, I'm glad she has someone like you who is kind enough to take care of her.

I'm sure you tried this already, but could you hide the water and food in the closet with her near where she hides? Or could you leave the sink running very minimally for her? She might come out at night and drink from it. Do you have a vet you could call up and ask for some quick advice (when they would recommend to bring her in if she continues to refuse to eat or drink)?

I've never tried taming a feral cat indoors (initially), but I do know the ones I worked with at my old workplace took a long time to warm up. I did everything you did. Put out food, gave them space while also being present and talking to them in a soothing voice. I found that with Cha Chi Soo (a Siamese kitten) a string worked to lure him from his hiding holes. Of course, I couldn't touch him, but he'd come out to play before remembering he was "supposed to be scared" lol. After a certain point he became a love bug (months), as did Alice an adult female we worked with. Of course, as soon as we brought Chi Soo inside he hid in these rolled up rugs in the closet for like a week or two before he'd come out...and hid there every time he got spooked. It took him a long time to get use to being inside.

Good luck to you! You're doing a really great thing!

Thanks Wenda! I'm glad we can help her out too, though it is certainly a process. I do have a vet I can call for advice. I think that if tomorrow morning Holly hasn't drunk anything I'm definitely going to call. I also have some plain chicken bone broth I might set out for her, my cat goes crazy over it, but Stella is VERY food motivated.

I did move her food and water near her the second night, and the next morning was the first time I saw that she'd used her litter box. Last night I left some wet food where she slept, but she expressed no interest in it. Now, with her behind the towels, it might be a daunting task because I'd have to move the towels first and I worry this might spook her more.

Chi Soo and Alice sound so cute! And you're definitely giving me hope. I tried playing with feather toy with her, but she was like, not into it. I will definitely try string. As long as she's eating and drinking, I'm willing to give her as long as she needs.

 

[Wenda]

I agree, moving the towels would spook her. It sounds like you have things set up so she can get to them easy. It's a good sign she has used the litter box. Holly really is a lucky girl to have made it to your home. Especially seeing as how you seem to be the patient type, because that's exactly what she needs. Keep us updated please! I'm very interested in hearing more about your's and her's story. Fingers crossed she likes the broth!

 

[rubysmama]

Hi BerkeleyCat I've arrived here from your intro message.

I have zero personal experience with socializing ferals, but have been reading these threads for a while now, so have learned quite a bit about them. The biggest thing is patience. It takes times for these scared kitties to get past their fear, but it is so amazingly wonderful when someone posts that the cat is coming around them more. Or playing. Or purring.

The biggest thing, right now, I'd say is eating and using the litter box. If she's eating wet food, she may not need to drink much water. If you're concerned you can add a bit of water to the wet food.

Hopefully some of our experienced feral socializers will pop into this thread and offer their advise/support. Meanwhile, TCS has a lot of articles that may help you out. Ferals & Rescue | TheCatSite

This is probably the first one you'll want to read: Handling Feral Cats

Good luck. Please post a pic of Holly, when you can.

 

[BerkeleyCat]

Wenda Thank you! I am a pretty patient person in general, so hopefully, that will help.

rubysmama Thanks for your great advice and articles! She's not eating wet food right now. I give her some every night, but it goes untouched. Now that we're on day 5 I'm wondering if I should just pick a wet food and put a little out every night to see if she warms up to it. But I'm certain now that she's drinking water (thank heavens) because I see the water level go down with the tape.

If she ever comes out I'll definitely post pictures! She's actually a really beautiful and unique cat. She's a tortie with calico coloring, basically the epitome of October, which they think is when she was born. She has one black leg and one cream one, and the tip of her tail is that of an orange tabby. She's also kittenish in size, I'd guess about 7 pounds, though she's definitely an adult cat. Unlike my cat who is almost twice her size!

Major updates:

At around 7 am I went in to find that Holly (or Jita, as we've been calling her at home) had knocked the towels down off the shelf when she climbed down, on top of her food and water!! I quietly put the towels away and at 10 am I came back in discovered that she'd drank some more water (that tape thing is awesome) AND she washed her paws in the water dish after using the litter box They're on opposite ends of the closet, so I find this kinda cute. She's clearly a clean girl.

My deep conditioner and a pumice stone were in the base of the tub this morning as well, which means she definitely ventured out and explored the bathroom.

Litter box is still in use.

I've scheduled some time around 12pm, when I know my cat will be sleeping, to just go in the bathroom and work. I work at home so I just have to bring my computer in there. Not that it's a comfortable place to work, but if I sit on a folded towel it might be ok!

Thanks again for the support, I greatly appreciate it. It really helps to get out of your own head with this stuff. I'll keep you all updated

 

[rubysmama]

Awwww... loved reading that she washed her paws after using the litter box. Too cute.

If you have time to read some threads while you're hanging out with Miss Jita, here's a couple of current threads on ferals who were brought inside and are slowly losing their fear and becoming comfortable in their new homes, albeit with ups and downs along the way.

I Got My Feral In The House Today!
First Time Trying To Tame A Feral/stray

 

[Wenda]

That is cute! And I love that you're going to spend some time working in the bathroom lol. I'm so happy to hear about all these good updates!!

 

[BerkeleyCat]

So, I'm sitting here in the middle of the night and I'm really worried about Holly/Jita.

I spoke to the vet's office yesterday and they agreed that moving her or taking her in might freak her out, but that it was crucial that she starts eating. They said an appetite stimulant probably wouldn't be best at this point because she likely is hungry but too afraid to eat.

I'm starting to think that maybe her food was too close to her litter box for her to be comfortable eating it, so I moved it into the bathroom from the closet, but there has been no sign that she has moved or gotten up to investigate in a long time. I'm also worried that perhaps the area of the apartment is just too high of foot traffic for her to fully feel comfortable. We have to go into the bathroom to use it, that's unavoidable. Noises like the toilet flushing are probably terrifying for her. Aside from this, our apartment is pretty quiet, but still, it's so different than being outside. And yet, it's probably detrimental to change things now. The only other place we could put her is the bedroom, which definitely has my cat's scent all over it. Also, my cat might meow outside the door.

I'm a very patient person normally, but if she doesn't start eating soon I'm at a loss of what would be best for her. Perhaps a different foster situation? Returning to her yard with her siblings? I just don't want to see her suffer.

And I seriously wish the lady who she bonded with before had just let her into the house (apparently, she asked to come inside all the time), socialized her, and then tried to adopt her out.

 

[maggiedemi]

Hi. Did the lady tell you what her favorite foods are? Did you try different textures, like maybe Friskies Shreds? What dry food have you tried? I have two former feral cats and they are very picky. They don't like pate and they don't like fancy expensive kibble. Cats can only go 3 days without eating before their liver starts to fail. She might need a feeding tube or to be syringe fed.

 

[BerkeleyCat]

M maggiedemi

I spoke with the lady who had been feeding her for 3 years, and she said that she fed the cats a variety of foods, but couldn’t give me very good specifics. Everything from MaxCat and Friskies to fancier foods like Wellness. I’ve tried probably 8 different foods of a variety of textures, chicken baby food, and the dry food she came with. I could try another form of dry food.

I’m totally aware of the severity of the situation and I’m in contact about it with my vet. But I plan to contact the organization again as soon as it’s a reasonable time to call (it’s still in the 5am hour here).

 

[maggiedemi]

Did you try Friskies Shreds? That's one of the few mine will eat. You wouldn't think a feral would be picky, but they are. They also like Sheba Cuts. They aren't too picky with the kibble, but they don't like anything fancy.

 

[BerkeleyCat]

I believe I did try Friskies Shreds. But I could try it again. I think I’m at the point though where I need to take some intervention. She hasn’t used her box at all in 24 hours and it doesn’t look like she’s consumed water during that time which deeply concerns me.

 

[Wenda]

I'm so sorry to hear that. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your kitty!

 

[walli]

Is it totally dark in the closet?
I have read starting cats in a crate is good, altho I did not do that.
I think you may have hit on something about putting her in the bedroom, can't know for sure tho.
Is a big crate in the bedroom possible? maybe she is in a crate already? keep posting, we'll put our heads together
I'm pretty much winging it over here in San Diego.

 

[BerkeleyCat]

W walli It was dark in the closet, but sometimes we'd have to turn the bathroom light on. But alas, Holly has gone home. I'm going to leave a longer update below.

My mother-in-law is also winging it with her feral cat in San Diego!

 

[maggiedemi]

Home as in back to the lady or home as in heaven?

 

[BerkeleyCat]

Here is the final update regarding Holly:

I called the organization I was fostering her through this morning. I wanted to get permission to take her to the vet, but the person I spoke to told me that once she received my message she felt like maybe Holly isn't ready for all of this and should go home. I was relieved because I do feel like this change was too much for her. Going from outside to inside is hard enough for even an outgoing cat, but Holly is very timid and I wish this had happened gradually with the lady who feeds her. I hope that it will now. And I really don't like that she was separated from her cat family, they're a bonded triad, and now that I know that I'm really confused why anyone thought it was a good idea to split them up.

I was able to get ahold of her original caregiver and she was happy to take her back. I carefully coaxed her into her carrier, draped a towel over it, and drove her about 11 blocks home. I can't believe she lives that close to me!

The Pros:
Her original caregiver feels like maybe she should just really invest in these outdoor cats and help them herself. I'm happy about that. She should, they know her and her routine/yard/other cats. She's working with her landlord. I really hope she stays patient with these kitties and doesn't try to foster them out again until for a while. I do really feel like she knows these cats well.

The Cons:
I met the lady at her front gate, she was very reluctant to let me in to see where Holly would be taken. I told her that it was really important that she eat as soon as possible and gave her some advice that the organization provided about leaving her in her carrier with familiar food in her familiar environment to recuperate for a couple hours. Unfortunately, she seemed more prone to just take her and release her into the yard.

I really would have preferred that she take more note of the fact that this cat really needs to eat asap, but hopefully, now that she's back on her turf she'll start to feel normal again. I told her that I'd love to be updated on how she's doing, I don't know if I'll ever hear from her.

Conclusion:
I feel for Holly, I spent a good part of the afternoon crying over the situation, but I know I need to move on. There are tons of cats who need support, and I hope I can continue helping in some way.

Thank you so so so much to all of you who commented and offered support, I really appreciate it. This really is a lovely community and I couldn't have survived the last few days without all of your advice!

 

[BerkeleyCat]

M maggiedemi OH! Home as in back to the lady! Definitely not Heaven! And hopefully not for a long time. Sorry, I should have been more clear in that first post!