Neutering My Feral Friend

[emelyssa]

Nite is a feral cat, but really he is my baby. I can't take him into my house, so he has his own little house on my porch where he can stay warm. We are very bonded and he trusts me, but he still has that wild spirit in him. Here's my question. I have his neuter appointment scheduled for next week. Is it better to trap him the night before, or to hope that I can stuff him into my cat carrier and that he'll be on my front porch as usual the morning of? I don't want to put him through any undo stress. But, when he had a leg injury some time ago and I tried putting him in the carrier, it was impossible. He ended up healing on his own without veterinary assistance. My second question is, will he lose his trust for me, or still be my kitty boy when this is done? I would hate to lose him, but I know neutering is the right thing to do.

 

[Kieka]

If he is around the night before it might be a good idea to bring him then. If he is fairly reliable about showing up in the morning then morning of works. Most cats won't hold a grudge more than a week or two. I recently took my Mom's cat to the vet and it was about a week before he stopped glaring at me. My cats though tend to forgive me within a few minutes of the visit. Usually my girl will be demanding a lap a second we get home. It really varies by critter.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I have trapped both the night before and the morning of. I definitely prefer the morning of as it means much less time in the trap. The cats I have trapped have all done best being trapped the morning of. I am fortunate as my low cost spay/neuter clinic does not require an appointment if the cat is feral and in a humane trap. It makes it much easier.