Need advice: Took "semi-feral"(?) cat into home

[maddiecdoc]

I am a new member and am so happy to have found thecatsite. I have rescued, TNR'd and placed many ferals over the years. Some had medical issues that would have made them much more vulnerable to predators and so I took several into my home. I currently have 7 cats of my own, 4 were feral ( 2 of which are now completely tame and 2 which remain feral but seem to love living indoors and do tolerate me giving them treats!). They are all between 12 and 16 years old.
I am 75 years old and so had decided several years ago that, at my age and due to the challenges of living on a fixed income, I would not take in any more kitties. My daughter will be caring for my remaining cats when I am gone, which is an enormous comfort.
A year ago I became aware of a feral kitty living on property in my area that the owners only occasionally visited. The cat had some shelter under a carport but no regular source of food/water. I contacted the owners and asked if I could feed/water the kitty and they agreed. I trapped the cat, had him neutered, tested, and immunized and then released him back to the property. It took awhile, but eventually he became more social towards me, usually running to greet me and at times rubbing against my legs. I even was able to pet him a few times. A month ago, the owners informed me that they had sold the property and that the new owners did not want the car, nor me around! I decided I had to break my promise to myself about not taking in any more cats. I trapped " Gizmo" a week ago and he is now in one of my bathrooms. Because he had begun to behave as if he was becoming tamer, I made the mistake ot attempting to pet him the 2nd day he was in my home. He bit, scratched, and laid his ears flat. I immediately realized my mistake and have not approached him since then. In the bathroom he has a small cat "house" where he can hide, food, water and I have put in a plug-in Feliway pheromone spray in hopes that will help him become calmer. I keep soft music playing during the day. So far, he still growls, hisses, and hides whenever I go into the bathroom. I only stay a few minutes and talk softly to him as I'm taking care of food/water/litter box. This is a very long post to come to this question: is there anything else I can do to hopefully help this cat eventually return to the level of tameness I saw before I re-located him to my home? I am heartbroken that he is still so frightened after being here a week.
I will be so grateful for any advice you can give.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Welcome to TCS!! Thank you so much for rescuing this sweet kitty.

Here are a few things I would suggest:

1. Can you take a chair or sit on the floor of the bathroom and just talk to him or even take a book and read. Let him know that you are there to help and care for him.

2. Whenever I have worked with frightened kitties, I always try to find the food/treat that is their favorite. I often use plain cooked chicken, tuna from a can and also Gerber stage 2 turkey or chicken baby food. I usually enter the room and gently shake the bag or tap the can/jar. I then sit down and toss a few bits as close as I can get towards the kitty. I have also made a really large spoon that I duct taped onto a stick or dowel rod. I then offer a bit of the baby food, tuna or chicken and reach forward.

3. Watch eye contact. Cats that are afraid do not like direct eye contact. Keep your gaze down or above the his head.

4. I like to visit for short amounts of time. 10 minutes to start. But I try to come back hourly during the day. Gradually increase the length of your visits and then you can not come as frequent.

5. Catnip is another winner. Scatter a few catnip toys around. See if he will use them.

6. I have also found that sometimes after a week of the kitty still hiding that I need to take away the hiding house. It's much harder to work with a frightened cat when they are hiding in a kitty house. You can give him a bit more time before resorting to taking it away.

7. Here is an article that offers some good tips How to Socialize Very Shy or Fearful Cats

8. I have used Composure calming treats and also Composure liquid max to help cats destress a bit. I prefer the liquid as it's easy to mix into wet food or baby food. It works quicker and lasts longer. The treats are often very hard and some cats do not like them. At first, you may want to double the dose. It is safe (stated on bottle) that it is ok to double the dose. I often double the dose during the day (give with morning meal) and then give a normal dose at bedtime. I did this for 6 months with the first feral I brought inside the house. Each step along the way was such a challenge for him that he really needed the additional support. The treats/liquid are not sedating as well.

Keep us posted on Gizmo. We are here to help!

I have 6 former ferals living inside with me plus one from the humane society. 4 cats are pretty social with my husband and I while 3 of the feral cats are more semi feral. I can pet them all, but cannot pick up a few of them. Vet visits do not happen unless absolutely necessary. Yet I love them all!

 

[maddiecdoc]

These suggestions are so helpful! Many thanks!

 

[poolcat]

Hi maddiecdoc,

Poor Gizmo... ready to be friendly on his own turf, but not in a frightening place where he's surrounded by strange sounds, sights, and smells. He must realize that he can't run away now if something bad were to happen to him. *You* know that you wouldn't ever harm him, but he apparently doesn't--yet. (Sorry.... you've probably already figured this out.)

Lots of good ideas from Shadowrescue. Here are a few more things to try:
Tap on the door before going in, so he won't be startled when it opens. Let him get used to you again at his own pace. And, wait for him to make the first move.

If you have a way to play music or videos in his room, I recommend David Teie's misic for cats (free on Amazon Prime Music). And there are lots of cat purring videos on Youtube. My nervous foster cats usually find those soothing.

 

[maddiecdoc]

Thank you! I can definitely begin playing a purring cats video for Gizmo and will download David T.'s music for cats. Knocking on the door to give Giz a forewarning that I'm coming into his space is a great idea. Again, thank you

 

[maddiecdoc]

Update on Gizmo:
I have been using all of the excellent suggestions provided. The Composure really seemed to help, especially the first few days that I gave it to him ( I doubled it). Twice, while I was sitting with Gizmo in the bathroom, he shut his eyes and took a short nap. Another time, he ate while I was with him ( he had not done that previously). I was so hopeful that we were making progress. However, the past few days he has stayed with ears flattened, hissing and hiding for the entire time I am in the bathroom. I do exactly the same thing every time I spend time with him so nothing is different/changed. I am puzzled about having several good days and then we seem to be going backward in our progress. I am a little discouraged. Has anyone experienced this?

 

[poolcat]

Oh gosh, that must be disappointing--and frustrating--though I think it's normal to have some steps backward along with forward steps when you're trying to change a cat's behavior.

Cats are so sensitive to smell; could Gizmo be detecting a new odor? I'm thinking something like soap, shampoo, deodorant, laundry detergent, etc. Or has someone been in your home recently that may have left a new aroma behind?

 

[Margot Lane]

I agree w Shadowsrescue…just get a good stack of books and patiently keep talking. Also don’t know what you or you daughter have thought about in terms of pet insurance but that’s a lot of pet care! Cats can be inexpensive til they aren’t.

 

[maddiecdoc]

Oh gosh, that must be disappointing--and frustrating--though I think it's normal to have some steps backward along with forward steps when you're trying to change a cat's behavior.

Cats are so sensitive to smell; could Gizmo be detecting a new odor? I'm thinking something like soap, shampoo, deodorant, laundry detergent, etc. Or has someone been in your home recently that may have left a new aroma behind?

That's an excellent question! I noticed the next door neighbor's dog ( usually quiet) was barking frantically in the middle of the night. I'm sure Gizmo could hear the barking. I don't know why I didn't think of that! Thank you!

 

[maddiecdoc]

I agree w Shadowsrescue…just get a good stack of books and patiently keep talking. Also don’t know what you or you daughter have thought about in terms of pet insurance but that’s a lot of pet care! Cats can be inexpensive til they aren’t.
[/QUOTE Yes, I get a cup of coffee or tea and a book and read to Giz several times a day for about 20 minutes.
You are right about the expense, especially with senior cats, there are so many health problems requiring ongoing meds/ treatment. I recently had to have one of my old kitties euthanized after six months of treating cutaneous lymphoma. He was comfortable and happy for those months but the cost did mount up. I'll check into insurance.
Thank you!


Yes I get a cup of coff or tea and

 

[shadowsrescue]

There's a saying when working with stray/feral cats, One step forward, 2 steps back. It is really normal for them. Progress can be frightening for them. Also you might have pushed the challenge line a little too fast. Take a step back and don't push the challenge line so quickly. It's good to challenge, but when you hit a defiant road block, you have to back up. Keep yummy food coming. Take some time and sit in the room and spend time just sitting quietly.

If you think the barking dog is frightening him, you might play music during the night. Keep it low, but try to keep music on. I have also used a sound machine during the night for cats. It helps to block out some of the noise.

Keep working with him. I find that when we put human time on a cat it will often backfire. Move at a slow pace and all of your hard work will be worth it. When we work on human time and rush rush rush, progress can be slowed down.

The progress you made was wonderful. You will get there again.

 

[maddiecdoc]

There's a saying when working with stray/feral cats, One step forward, 2 steps back. It is really normal for them. Progress can be frightening for them. Also you might have pushed the challenge line a little too fast. Take a step back and don't push the challenge line so quickly. It's good to challenge, but when you hit a defiant road block, you have to back up. Keep yummy food coming. Take some time and sit in the room and spend time just sitting quietly.

If you think the barking dog is frightening him, you might play music during the night. Keep it low, but try to keep music on. I have also used a sound machine during the night for cats. It helps to block out some of the noise.

Keep working with him. I find that when we put human time on a cat it will often backfire. Move at a slow pace and all of your hard work will be worth it. When we work on human time and rush rush rush, progress can be slowed down.

The progress you made was wonderful. You will get there again.

Such wise advice! Thank you for the encouragement and the reminder that it is Gizmo's time frame, not mine that will get results.