Need Some Advice for a Feral Cat ASAP

[alexisanb]

This past week, a cat was trapped in the building where my fiance works. It had been setting off the alarm, so they needed to get the cat out of there. After almost a week, we finally trapped it with a live trap last night.

I know that the animal shelter in my city will euthanize the cat if I turn it over to them, so I am not sure what to do. I volunteer for an animal rescue, but they can't take it in unless it is tame, which I am positive it is not. I am willing to work with it, but I have a few problems.

I live with my parents, and my parents aren't thrilled about having another cat in the house, even in the garage. My only option is to keep the cat in my room, where I spend most of my time. On top of that, my dogs also spend the majority of their time in my room. And on top of that, I'm fostering 4 kittens in my room for the animal rescue I volunteer for.

There are a few places that the cat could hide. There is a hole in the boxspring for my bed that the cat could safely hide. I can also open up a hole in the couch in my room for it to hide.

I know that ferals are a lot of work, and I'm fine with spending as much time as I need to with this cat, but I need to know what everyone's opinions are as far as socializing the cat in this environment. I don't want the kittens or my dogs to get hurt. If it stays under the bed, I could block it off whenever I'm not home in order to keep it away from the kittens and dogs. Also, if I successfully socialize the cat, will I be able to adopt it out?

I am going to call my vet first thing in the morning to have it tested for Feline Leukemia, FIV and whatever else. I'm also hoping I can get it in to be fixed next Sunday.

This poor cat is terrified right now, and if I need to, I can look for a feral cat colony to take it in.

Please let me know if you think that I can socialize the cat in this environment, and if it will be able to be adopted out after I socialize it. I really need to figure this out as soon as possible.

Thanks!

 

[GoldyCat]

There are a number of people here who work with ferals, and I'm sure one of them will be along soon with some ideas for you. I haven't worked with ferals, but I'm not sure how well it would work trying to socialize the kitty in the environment you describe. He/she really needs a place that is completely separate from the other animals. Do you have your own bathroom where you could set it up? Leaving the cat shut up under your bed doesn't sound like a great idea. Is there room under there for food, water, litter box, bed, etc.?

Bless you for taking this kitty in. I really hope you're able to help him/her.

 

[alexisanb]

That's the only option I really have, other than taking it to a feral cat colony. There's enough room under there for food, water, and litter. I would open it up whenever I was home, which is pretty much all of the time that I'm not at school. I've had it work for cats that were semi-feral (wouldn't let you touch them, but would come out in your presence). I guess another option would be taking everything out of one of my closets and letting it stay in there. My closet is pretty big (not a walk-in, but two sliding doors, probably 30 square feet max). Would that be better?

 

[GoldyCat]

Part of the problem is that you don't know if this is truly a feral cat or just a scared kitty. It's not a good idea at the beginning to let the cat out in the same room as the kittens and dog even when you're there. If it's a true feral it could injure the other animals.

How is the kitty doing now? I assume it's still in the trap. Is the trap big enough for you to put food and a litter box in it?

I've done introductions by putting the new kitty (not feral) in a large dog crate with food, water, litter, and a shelf for her to sit on. I drape a blanket over the end where the shelf is so she can hide away if she wants. Also, the crate is large enough that my other cats can't reach her when she stays in the middle. (They mostly ignored her anyway).

How old are the kittens? Are they running around your room or are they still contained?

 

[feralvr]

Hi and thank you for taking in this cat. You probably don't know it's age? But it sounds like it is not a kitten. Can you get a hold of another large cage? Maybe the shelter you volunteer for has a spare? It has to be big enough for litter box, small cat carrier for the cat to hide in (you can remove the door on this carrier or tie the door open to the side of the cage) food and water bowls. Or you could use your closet, but I would suggest a cage in the very beginning stages of taming. In the closet, he will never see what is going on in your room and won't get desensitized to you and your pets if he is shut off in the closet. Plus, you will have to spend a lot of time in the closet talking and reading to the cat. I have a large cat playpen that i used for my ferals. They stayed in the cage until I could pet them and pick them up. This took two to three weeks. After that time I moved them into a safe room with no hiding places. You really don't want them getting under the box spring of your bed or a hole in your couch. You will never see the cat and it will take a very very long time to tame it, if ever. Also, with the cage, the cat is forced to watch you and your other pets but in his own space and hiding box. And believe me he will watch

. And over a matter of days will begin to trust you as his caretaker. Trust is the bottom line you need to reach with taming ferals. They are all different and some come along quicker than others. It is a long process, but is very rewarding when you start to make progress.

There is more I want to say, but it is late and I need some ZZZ's. So I will check in with you tomorrow too. You can do this and we will help you

. There are others that will have great suggestions to help you too. It is wonderful you are doing this for this cat

First thing is to get the cat to the vet for testing, neuter and shots. Then he can home to the cage you have set up or the closet. But

 

[hissy]

Hi there, and bless you for caring! I have answered your concerns within your posting

Originally Posted by alexisanb

This past week, a cat was trapped in the building where my fiance works. It had been setting off the alarm, so they needed to get the cat out of there. After almost a week, we finally trapped it with a live trap last night.

I know that the animal shelter in my city will euthanize the cat if I turn it over to them, so I am not sure what to do. I volunteer for an animal rescue, but they can't take it in unless it is tame, which I am positive it is not. I am willing to work with it, but I have a few problems.

Curious why you think it isn't socialized? How is it acting when you are in the room with it?
I live with my parents, and my parents aren't thrilled about having another cat in the house, even in the garage. My only option is to keep the cat in my room, where I spend most of my time. On top of that, my dogs also spend the majority of their time in my room. And on top of that, I'm fostering 4 kittens in my room for the animal rescue I volunteer for.

Sounds like you are pretty full up right now. How large is this rescue group? Is there perhaps another member who can take this cat?
There are a few places that the cat could hide. There is a hole in the boxspring for my bed that the cat could safely hide. I can also open up a hole in the couch in my room for it to hide.

You really don't want it to hide in the bedsprings or in the couch. They can get lost in the mattress(they will claw and eat their way through the filling and the springs, and so you need to set up a place where the cat can indeed hide and feel safe and BE safe.
I know that ferals are a lot of work, and I'm fine with spending as much time as I need to with this cat, but I need to know what everyone's opinions are as far as socializing the cat in this environment. I don't want the kittens or my dogs to get hurt. If it stays under the bed, I could block it off whenever I'm not home in order to keep it away from the kittens and dogs. Also, if I successfully socialize the cat, will I be able to adopt it out?

I always block them (or try to) from getting under the bed- and offer them an alternative place. One thing I have is a large dog cage-big enough for German Shepherd to turn around and lie down in. I took a wooden bookshelf and cut it to fit across the top of the cage (mid-level) I took four screws and put two in each end to use as a prop to stablize the shelf. This gives kitty a perch and I also feed on this level and keep the litter pan below. Underneath the shelf- I put a small cardboard box with soft bedding and drape that with a dark cloth to create a sheltered entrance. on the other side of the box, the litter pan goes. I use the Blue Jay litter pan from SturdiPets Product. I then drape the outside of the cage with a dark blanket. This creates a sense of security for a cat who is accustomed to dark places, plus it gives it another level to go to once it relaxes enough to come out of the box. It also keeps the litter from falling into the food and water bowls and you don't have a cat crammed into a small cage or carrier with only a litter pan to rest its head on. I hate seeing stray cats with feral tendencies forced to live in such small spaces.
I am going to call my vet first thing in the morning to have it tested for Feline Leukemia, FIV and whatever else. I'm also hoping I can get it in to be fixed next Sunday.

Also have the cat de-wormed and de-flead and I am sure he or she has ear mites.
This poor cat is terrified right now, and if I need to, I can look for a feral cat colony to take it in.

Being scared is pretty typical. If it is still in the trap, be sure and keep it covered and get it to the vet quickly

Please let me know if you think that I can socialize the cat in this environment, and if it will be able to be adopted out after I socialize it. I really need to figure this out as soon as possible.

Thanks!

Yes, they can indeed be socialized, but it won't happen overnight. It takes time and you need to work with the cat, not expect the cat to respond to what you want him to do. If you want to PM me and tell me where you are located (city, state) I have an extensive list of other feral cat people, perhaps there is one in your area that can arrange to help you out.

You want to be careful that if you do go with the larger cage (and I hope you do) that you make it so the kittens can't crawl through the cage wire and get in with the new cat. Either find a large enough blanket to drape the cage with that will allow you to tuck it down under the cage, or use chicken wire and attach it to the lower wire of the cage where kittens can easily get in and out of.

Best of luck-

 

[alexisanb]

I'm not sure if it's truly feral or just scared, but it was definitely not happy about being in the live trap, nor in the cage. Right now, it's in the garage (with a heater) in a dog crate with a litter box, food, and water. I have another crate that is larger that I will try to get ready for it tomorrow.

It's poor paws were bloody from trying to open the live trap, but I don't think any serious damage was done. Also, it growls, hisses, and tries to swat me when I get anywhere near the cage. It's definitely the most wild cat I've ever met. My grandparents are caretakers of a cat colony, and some of the cats there haven't been socialized. When it was time to get those cats fixed, we trapped them in the garage and then cornered and grabbed them. They were definitely freaked out, but didn't try to swat me. I'm not trying to label the cat as feral, just more unsocialized than others I've met

My fiance's dad works at the same place and recalls that is has been there for quite some time, just not in the shop. So if it was ever socialized, I'm sure it's forgotten that by now. That being said, I have no idea how old it is. Hopefully the vet will be able to tell me this morning. I'm praying that he's perfectly healthy and the only thing I have to worry about is socializing him.

The kittens are around 3 months old, so they can get around pretty easily. They wouldn't be able to slip through the cage, but if they got near it, he could easily reach out and swat them.

The rescue group is pretty small, and I doubt that any of them are able to take this cat in. They are limited on fosters as is. I have no problem with taking care of him, I just want to make sure that the kittens and my dogs are safe.

I'm not going to be able to get him neutered tomorrow, but I will get him tested and what not. Is this going to pose a problem with him trusting me since I'm going to have to take him into the vet again to get fixed?

The cage I have is big enough for a 60lb dog to fit in (we have a German Shepherd/Lab Mix), but I'm still not sure if it's quite big enough. I'll try putting a shelf in it and see if that works.

Thank you all for your quick responses, I really appreciate it.

He's a really cute cat. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

 

[alexisanb]

Also, do you have any suggestions about how I can transfer him from the cage he is currently into the bigger one? And how do I go about scooping the litter? When we got him to my house, I opened the cage to try to put a towel in with him so he had something warm to lay on. He first tried to swat me, and then he darted out, and it was terrible trying to catch him. I finally got enough courage to just grab him by the scruff and get him in the cage, but he scratched me pretty good. I don't mind that he scratched me, I completely understand that he is terrified, I just don't want him darting out of the cage when I try to transfer him or when I scoop the litter and feed him. I just checked on him, and he's fine. He used the litter box. He made a mess of his water though. It looks like he just dumped litter in it. I'm going to need to get him clean water soon, but I don't want to open the cage in the garage again.

So do you have any suggestions as to how I can open his cage without him attacking me or getting out?

Also, is there anything that I should avoid doing with him once he's in my room? I read that I shouldn't try to make eye contact, which is going to be hard because I just want to look at him and let him know it's going to be okay, but I can do that. Should I just free feed or should I put him on a feeding schedule? Should I even try to get near the cage or should I wait a week or so before I get near the cage, and then wait longer to try interacting with him?

Thanks again!

 

[feralvr]

Here is what I did and this was suggested by the Feral Organization that helped me.

In one of the back corners of the Large Dog crate, the one you will be transferring the cat into, put a small cat carrier in there and tie the cat carrier door open to the side of the dog crate. Put a blanket in the cat carrier and on top of the cat carrier and tuck it in the back and side of the cat carrier. Eventually when he is comfortable coming out, he will use the top of that carrier to rest on.

When you need to get the cat to the vet and cannot yet touch the cat. Get a yard stick long enough to go all the way through the sides of the dog crate. Try to get the cat inside of the cat carrier and most likely he will be in it hiding anyway. Untie the cat carrier door from the outside of the dog crate. Use the yard stick and slide it through the side of the dog crate to secure and close the cat carrier door. Keep sliding the yard stick all the way through to the other side of the dog crate, that way when you open up the dog crate to physically lock the cat carrier door, the yard stick will keep the carrier door in place until you latch it. Now you have the cat in the carrier and off you go to the vet. Does this make sense??

This is how I worked with the feral mother of the kittens I tamed. As soon as that cat has a place to hide, like the carrier inside the dog crate, you will be able to reach in and do the litter box, food and water and he will just stay in that carrier because he will feel safe in there. Right now you have him in the garage with no place to hide in that dog crate, right? That is why he raced out when you opened up the door. He needs a place to hide from you. You can put a cat carrier right now in that crate too, Odds are he will run in that to hide and you can get a yard stick and secure that carrier door shut the same as I described above.

And taking the cat again to the vet later in the week won't take away the progress you have made during this week. Especially when you will be the one picking up the cat from the vet after the neuter. Another sign to him that you are going to care for him and keep him safe. The first week is the hardest, after that time he will start to feel safe and start to slowly trust you aren't going to hurt him.

It is good that the kittens in your room can't fit into the dog crate for their safety. The feral cat might actually enjoy seeing the kittens running around your room and might help him when he sees you loving on the kittens too. Good luck at the vet today and we are here to help

. Keep posting

 

[StefanZ]

Originally Posted by alexisanb

I read that I shouldn't try to make eye contact, which is going to be hard because I just want to look at him and let him know it's going to be okay, but I can do that. Should I just free feed or should I put him on a feeding schedule? Should I even try to get near the cage or should I wait a week or so before I get near the cage, and then wait longer to try interacting with him?

Thanks again!

Feeding on a schedule is the usual recommendation by the knowleable. Later on some treats in between as positive reinforements.
Does he have cat igloo /sideturned cardboard box in this cage? Or some corner which is covered?
Yes, dont look directly. Look a little at the side. You can try look on with semiclosed eyes - like friendly cats do.
You can yawn at him, and stretch yourslf, like friendly cats do.
Dont interact too much at the beginning. But sit near - on the floor if it is OK for you - and say, read for yourself. Or knittle or what whatever. You can read aloud...
With time, whe he begins to trust you a little, talk with him in a baby-talk voice. like friendly toms courting can do.

When you are not there, play soft music. Harp music is best, tells our advisor LDG, but any calming, soft music is OK.

You can try with a Feliway electrical diffuser! Recommended in difficult cases. If you have only a Feliway spray, spray profusely when you must handle him.
IF you must handle him - use thick gloves and thick clothes... There is dangers in being scratched... (I hope you did desinficated these scratches!)

Neutering him should also help some. Although it may take 2+ weeks to be noticeable. Neutering also useful for safe interaction with your residents.
Shy, non dominant toms arent especially dangerous to residents - usually they are submissive. But dominant toms do beat up the residents...

Ah, the cage. Does it have the doors opening out, or upside down/sidewise.
If sidewise/upside down, it is easy.
But opening out? Perhaps try to make some sort of corridor between the cages. Make sure the new cage is cosy - somewhere to hide, food in there.
While there is no food in the old cage...

Tx for caring for this cat, and the small ones!

Good luck!


ps. You have dogs. While a friendly dog is often a good help with fostering, them becoming pals, him being semiferal may have experiences with hostile dogs chasing and even predating him...
So as long as he isnt sure these dogs are friendly - he prob feels them as a threat. It may even be part of his "viciousness?? - being really freaked by panic.

Is the dog cage thoroughly cleansed so there isnt not even a tiny smell of dog? If not - you must clean. Also, dont go near him after you just cuddled the dogs. Although you may go near him after cuddling and pet with the kittens. So he will understand you are a cat friendly person.
And of course, Feliway is never wrong....

 

[feralvr]

For feeding, I just left dry food available at all times and fed wet food twice a day. In the beginning, my feral girl would only eat at night or when I wasn't around. Same for using the litter box. After a week to ten days, she would still hide in the carrier when I put the food in the large crate but would come out to eat if I stepped away from the crate.

In the first week, don't make eye contact. My eight month old feral kitten still gets worried when I look her in the eyes and she is tame now and very loving to me. But the eye contact still scares her. Spend alot of time talking, reading and sitting near the crate. You can even offer tidbits of tuna, boiled chicken, small pieces of sardines as a treat from your fingers. This is how I got one of the feral kittens to really trust my reaching into the cage at her.

Well, there are lots of great feral cat lovers on this site and I am sure they will offer up more advice and suggestions as well.

 

[alexisanb]

He tested positive for FIV. Is there a feral cat colony for FIV+ cats? I live in Fort Wayne, IN.

 

[ldg]

Because there are many misconceptions about FIV, it is difficult to place FIV+ kitties, and most sanctuaries have a several year waiting list.

Having rescued a kitty from our TNR program this summer, I can confidently tell you that FIV+ cats can safely live with FIV- cats IF they are neutered/spayed. Normal grooming, sharing food, litter boxes, and even normal rough-housing will not infect other cats. It is typically males fighting over females, or females bitten during mating, that spreads FIV. It requires a deep tissue bite wound, and exists outside of the body only for a few seconds.

Please click on the link in my signature for more information. Chumley is now one of our pets, and lives with 7 other cats with us in our RV. Yes, 8 cats, 2 people, a 38 foot RV.

 

[ldg]

If you can afford it, you may want to retest with the confirmatory Western Blot test. The SNAP (Elisa) tests frequently have a false positive. The false positives, I believe, are around 30%, if I remember correctly. The Western Blot is typically $130 - $150, depending upon your location.

 

[hissy]

There is a website where you can post ads for cats with FIV and find homes for them- let me see if I can find the URL


http://www.bemikitties.com/felv/cgi-...lassifieds.cgi

 

[ldg]

There is an FIV+ cats Yahoo Group: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/FIVCats/

 

[eilcon]

The website Hissy mentioned is a great place to list FIV+ cats for adoption. Having rescued/fostered a number of FIV+ cats in conjunction with a local rescue group, I've compiled a list of other websites where you can list FIV cats for placement, along with some other resources.

As Laurie said, FIV+ cats can safely live with those who are negative. During their time with me my FIV+ fosters had regular contact with my four resident cats, who are negative with no issue. They've all been the picture of health and among the most sweet, gentle cats I've come across. My most recent FIV+ foster, Bridge, won the hearts of everyone who met him and was just a large, lovable lap cat. He was adopted in December and his adopter just adores him.

Good luck with your kitty and bless you for caring for him.

 

[feralvr]

I am sorry that this cat tested positive with FIV but it isn't a death sentence for the little. I have no true experience with FIV. So the posts before mine will help you tremendously as these girls know alot about FIV. Just want to thank you for your work with these cats/kittens. We will help you if at all possible

 

[alexisanb]

After looking at a ton of different websites, I'm still a little lost at what to do. My vet told me that the responsible thing to do was to have him euthanized, but I refuse to do that. My vet also said that it was transmittable through saliva, urine/feces, mutual grooming, and whatever else. Since there is so much literature claiming that most of these are not effective ways to transmit the virus, I'm wondering if my vet is just not up to date on his FIV information. The cat is currently in the basement of a house that my fiance's mom is renovating. He's in the cage with food, water, litter, and a shelf with a box on it (along with some blankets and what not).

Because I cannot be 100% sure that he won't infect the kittens, I'm going to have to wait to take him in until they are adopted/in the habitat. They're wonderful kittens, only about 3 months old, so I'm sure they'll go quickly.

I'm getting him neutered either Thursday or Friday. When I changed his litter today, he didn't hiss at me or swat me even though I was completely in the cage. I was pretty surprised.

Thank you all for giving me so much information, I really appreciate it. I e-mailed a couple of places, but haven't had any luck yet. I just doubt that a rescue will take in a super unsocialized cat that is FIV+.

I'm in college, so money is pretty tight, but I do what I can. I'm also extremely busy, which makes it even worse. I'm so far behind in my classes right now because before this cat, we were fostering a dog and it was a huge mess. Thankfully, I found a rescue for him and took him there on Sunday.

If anyone wants to take this cat for a little while, until the kittens have been adopted, just let me know

 

[ldg]

Originally Posted by alexisanb

My vet also said that it was transmittable through saliva, urine/feces, mutual grooming, and whatever else.

That is incorrect, and either the cat tested positive for FeLV and not FIV, or your vet is seriously misinformed about FIV - or potentially confusing the two herself. That's just wrong re: FIV, but is correct re: FeLV.

Originally Posted by alexisanb

Since there is so much literature claiming that most of these are not effective ways to transmit the virus, I'm wondering if my vet is just not up to date on his FIV information.

He is not.

Originally Posted by alexisanb

The cat is currently in the basement of a house that my fiance's mom is renovating. He's in the cage with food, water, litter, and a shelf with a box on it (along with some blankets and what not).

Because I cannot be 100% sure that he won't infect the kittens, I'm going to have to wait to take him in until they are adopted/in the habitat. They're wonderful kittens, only about 3 months old, so I'm sure they'll go quickly.

I'll find some more links to information for you, but really, once he's neutered and you've given it a couple of weeks for the hormones to exit his system there really isn't any reason he can't be fostered with the kittens. But take whatever time you need to get comfortable with correct information.

Originally Posted by alexisanb

I'm getting him neutered either Thursday or Friday. When I changed his litter today, he didn't hiss at me or swat me even though I was completely in the cage. I was pretty surprised.

Our Chumley is either 3 or 4 years old. He has a lot of battle wounds/scars. His front leg was broken and never set. He was not neutered. I think he must have encountered friendly people, but I don't think he was ever owned by anyone. We could not believe how quickly he took to being inside. Once he was neutered, when we began making introductions to our cats, he just wanted to be friends with them - and outside, he was THE most food aggressive cat we've ever seen in 10 years of working with ferals. So aggressive, the colony members stopped coming to eat. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think he "got" that he was being given an opportunity.

I can't explain it. But it does happen, I guess. Sounds like "your" kitty is coming around pretty quickly too. Now just wait until he's been neutered!

Originally Posted by alexisanb

Thank you all for giving me so much information, I really appreciate it. I e-mailed a couple of places, but haven't had any luck yet. I just doubt that a rescue will take in a super unsocialized cat that is FIV+.

I'm in college, so money is pretty tight, but I do what I can. I'm also extremely busy, which makes it even worse. I'm so far behind in my classes right now because before this cat, we were fostering a dog and it was a huge mess. Thankfully, I found a rescue for him and took him there on Sunday.

If anyone wants to take this cat for a little while, until the kittens have been adopted, just let me know

I'm sure most of us wish we could. But I think we're all facing similar challenges.

THANK YOU for being there and caring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now let me go find some more information links for you.