We are having an extremely cold winter here and almost 2 weeks ago spotted a small, orange cat eating from the seed spilled from our bird feeder. We started feeding her cat food outside and after 4 or 5 days trapped her in a Havaheart trap and took her to the vet. She has been completely vetted and spayed. They estimate she is between 6 and 8 months old and small - 5 pounds. We have her now in a large dog crate in our basement. We've made a cardboard box into a place for her to hide with a soft blanket. She used litter right away. She is eating both canned food and dry food, but not in our presence. We've had her home for just one week now. We have multiple cats and dogs upstairs so we wanted to try to get her used to being inside and used to us before we try to get her used to all of the other animals. At first she cowered in the corner in her box. Now if we get near the box at all she hisses and growls. She hasn't yet come out of the box while we're in the room. I'm spending a couple hours a day in the room with her, just puttering around and working on the computer or knitting - letting her hear my voice. Sometimes she'll move towards the "door" of her box and watch me or fall asleep. I haven't tried a back scratcher yet as she is very scared of the brush I used to try to clean the litter off the bottom of the crate! We love her already and are so glad she is inside as it will be below 0 at night now for at least the next 8 or 10 days. Just wish we could make her happy!
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New Feral Cat Owners! Need Support!
- Thread starter spsalmon
- Start Date
aww, thats great you got her out of the cold!
She's young, she'll be easier to socialize than an older cat. Sounds like you are doing great so far!
She's young, she'll be easier to socialize than an older cat. Sounds like you are doing great so far!
So far it sounds like you are doing good. Just time and patience. The only thing I’d maybe hange is you said you allow her to hide: if it is a full on she can’t see you and you can’t see her then I would change that set up. That’s a cave and a cave allows a cat to become a cave dweller and cave defender. A hide should be a caccoon allowing the cat to transform into a member of your family (I’ve been reading a little too much Jackson Galaxy lately, lol). By caccoon I mean something that encloses her on three sides giving her some safety but not something where she isn’t visible or can fully ignore what is happening around her. If that’s what your hide is already then just ignore me and keep doing what your doing.
I follow a Instagram account @fostercatsandkittens a foster Mom in Vegas. She’s been working a few months now with a littler feral and just got to the point of eating treats from her hand. Don’t give up on your girl, it can be a long road but the reward of seeing a scared cat bloom into a family cat is amazing. I socialized one at four months; she was very thin and scared but socialized in about a month. She still doesn’t let me pick her up after two years but she is the best at coming and follows me everywhere I go. She’s my little prissy princess.
I follow a Instagram account @fostercatsandkittens a foster Mom in Vegas. She’s been working a few months now with a littler feral and just got to the point of eating treats from her hand. Don’t give up on your girl, it can be a long road but the reward of seeing a scared cat bloom into a family cat is amazing. I socialized one at four months; she was very thin and scared but socialized in about a month. She still doesn’t let me pick her up after two years but she is the best at coming and follows me everywhere I go. She’s my little prissy princess.
Try yummy food. Most cats just love Gerber Stage 2 chicken or turkey baby food. It's in a small glass jar with a blue label. Only ingredients are Chicken/turkey, water and modified food starch. Here is a video that worked with the capture and socialization of feral kittens. There are some really great tips for socializing a feral cat. I used many of these techniques on a 7-8 month old feral years ago.
Tough Love Video - UrbanCatLeague
Also here is a great article on working with very shy cats that might help too.
Socializing Cats: How to Socialize a Very Shy or Fearful Cat
Time and patience is your friend. I have brought in 3 feral cats in the past 5 years. All took varying lengths of time to adjust. Ironically I just brought in 3 ferals who have been with me for 3-7 years. I am moving in a few months and there was no way I was leaving them behind. I have worked with them for years. Yesterday I finally recaptured them (all had been through TNR years ago) and brought them inside. It is going to be a slow process. Hang in there.
Thank you for rescuing her!
Tough Love Video - UrbanCatLeague
Also here is a great article on working with very shy cats that might help too.
Socializing Cats: How to Socialize a Very Shy or Fearful Cat
Time and patience is your friend. I have brought in 3 feral cats in the past 5 years. All took varying lengths of time to adjust. Ironically I just brought in 3 ferals who have been with me for 3-7 years. I am moving in a few months and there was no way I was leaving them behind. I have worked with them for years. Yesterday I finally recaptured them (all had been through TNR years ago) and brought them inside. It is going to be a slow process. Hang in there.
Thank you for rescuing her!
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- #5
Thanks for the encouragement! The box has an opening big enough for us to see her and for her to see us. I bought some leather work gloves today to wear when I reach in her cage as she is seeming more aggressive. I've moved the litter further from her box as I think she is scared when I try to clean up the scattered litter from the bottom of her cage.
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- #6
Wonderful resources, thank you!
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- #7
A short update on "Lucy" - things are going very slowly. She isn't crouching in the corner of the box any longer, but won't come out of it when we are in the room. I sit with her for a while each day and she seems relaxed with her paws curled under her or spread out in front of her. Any time we first approach the crate she hisses and growls. When I have to open the crate to clean the litter or feed her she also hisses and growls the whole time and has acted as if she was going to attack by pouncing a little but still doesn't leave the box. I bought some Feliway spray that I've sprayed around her box and I've ordered a Feliway diffuser. Also have a wand cat toy that might arrive today.
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- #8
We've had Lucy in the crate for 2 weeks and 3 days now and haven't made too much progress. She still hisses and growls any time we approach the crate. I've been wearing leather gloves to put in her food and water and to clean her litter box. She swats, but swats in place if that makes sense - doesn't really come close to us. I sit with her for an hour or two each day and stay about 5 feet from the crate. She hasn't come out of her cardboard house while I've been with her, but she does sit with her face in the doorway of the house, and has fallen asleep with her back to me in the doorway. Two days ago her head and front paws were actually out of the house and she slept that way for about 20 minutes with me in the room. She won't eat in front of me. I've tried playing with her with a feather wand toy, but although she watches it, she hasn't tried to play with it and growls the whole time it's in the crate. I'm only trying that for a couple of minutes each day hoping she gets used to it. She plays a lot with little catnip mice during the night - I find them all over the crate and sometimes on the floor. I think the next thing I try will be to move my chair closer to her when I'm with her. Thinking into the future, we don't have a small room to move her into. And the basement where she is now has drop ceilings throughout and a raised floor - and sliding fabric doors - all of which would be trouble. I'm considering buying an outdoor dog pen and setting it up in the basement. I've seen one that is 5' x 8' x 6' high or maybe one a little larger if I could fit it. We'd just have to attach a metal fencing roof to that and I would be able to get into the pen with her. Do any of you know of anyone who has done something like that? I think it would be as big as most bathrooms and would be good for the next step - once we're ready. Think it could be a few more weeks at least, but something to look forward to.
See if you can find some of those fish pudding tube treats. They are long enough that she might eat from it while you are holding the other end.
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- #10
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- #11
Great idea - thanks! I just found them on Amazon and am ordering the chicken and fish to try. I can fit one end through the crate near her box and still keep my hands safe, too!
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- #12
Good news! My husband decided he should share his computer room with Lucy, so we're getting it ready to bring her up from the basement - first in her crate for a day or two in the computer room and then we'll open the door to the crate and have her in her safe room. I'm feeling very optimistic. Although there is room in the crate for her box, litter, food and leftover room for her to move around, I think she feels very much cornered when we're with her, and that is making for very slow progress and lots of growling and hissing. We now have 2 litter boxes in the computer room and also feed our other 4 cats in that room (away from the dogs who all love cat food) so I want to move the litter boxes and feeding spot over the next couple of days and get the existing cats used to the new routine before we bring Lucy up from the basement. Hopefully everything will go smoothly!
Be sure the room is cat proofed. You do not want her hiding under or behind large furniture as this will defeat the purpose of trying to socialize her. Hiding in a hiding box in a cat tree is ok, but you don't want her where you cannot reach her. Cats like to wedge themselves into small spaces. I like to get on the floor and see the view from their angle. Look where she could squeeze herself. Being so small she really could get into a small space.
On Dec. 26, I brought my 3 outside feral boys inside. I am moving in 6 weeks and they are coming along. This time, they will learn to be inside cats. I had to do A LOT of rearranging of the room they are in. I even had to remove some of the furniture as I just couldn't get it blocked well enough. One of them was wedged behind a cat tree. He would not come out at all. I had to move the cat tree and make sure he could not get back there. I also have one of their outside love seats in the room. They of course went right under it. I had to puts many pillows under it to prevent them from getting under.
I am so happy that Lucy can be upstairs and out of the cage shortly. You might want to leave the cage in the room for a bit in case she wants to use it.
On Dec. 26, I brought my 3 outside feral boys inside. I am moving in 6 weeks and they are coming along. This time, they will learn to be inside cats. I had to do A LOT of rearranging of the room they are in. I even had to remove some of the furniture as I just couldn't get it blocked well enough. One of them was wedged behind a cat tree. He would not come out at all. I had to move the cat tree and make sure he could not get back there. I also have one of their outside love seats in the room. They of course went right under it. I had to puts many pillows under it to prevent them from getting under.
I am so happy that Lucy can be upstairs and out of the cage shortly. You might want to leave the cage in the room for a bit in case she wants to use it.
Thank you for bringing Lucy inside. I don't have any experience with socializing ferals, but enjoy reading these threads, and following as a scared kitty evolves into a happy house cat. Good luck. Hope she gets past her fearful stage soon. 
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- #16
Thank you for your help - yes, I will get down on the floor and check to see if there is any place she could get into and cause problems. There isn't much furniture in there - just a desk and 2 pinball machines and a bookcase. That's also a good idea to leave the cage in there for a while. It has been her home for almost 3 weeks now. I had been sitting 5 or 6 feet away from the crate when I visited her, but yesterday I sat about 2 feet away and this afternoon I was able to sit right next to the crate and work on the computer and knit for a couple of hours and I think we both felt very comfortable. I was probably not more than 18 inches from her and although she stayed in her box, she was laying at the opening so I could see her well, and she fell asleep with the back of her head towards me. I'm thinking that shows some trust to turn her back on me like that. Also today she only hissed when I was up and moving around. She was quiet as long as I was sitting and just making small movements. Good luck with your 3 outside/newly inside boys!
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- #17
Very nervous as we are bringing Lucy upstairs tomorrow. We have the room she is going in cat-proofed and ready. We've taken our time because we did have 2 litter boxes in there and it was where we fed our other 4 cats, so as I've moved everything out I've given those cats time to adjust. I've had the door to that room closed for 2 days now and they are sitting outside it a lot and very curious as to why they can't go in. This morning one of the cats got in as my husband was coming out of the room. So I'm very nervous that one of our housecats will get in to the room once Lucy is in there. I'm going to keep a spray water bottle by the door and hope to spray any offender that tries to get in. She has been in the crate 3 weeks now, but still hisses and growls any time I'm moving around near her. Also swats at me when I reach in to change her litter or clean up - but she really doesn't come close enough to actually make contact. I think she's just trying to scare me away. When I settle down and sit with my computer by the crate she also settles down and seems comfortable with me being there. I've tried to play with her with the wand toy, but it's really hard to move around in the crate and she just hisses and growls at it. I think that will work much better when she's in the room. I got the pudding tube treats in the mail yesterday, and am keeping them to try then too.
Hello, we are in a similar situation at our house. A suggestion for helping to keep the residents out of the newbie room, is to install a tall, swing door metal baby gate. They are about $40 from amazon. You should be able to shut the main door, but also close the baby gate so you have an extra layer of resistance. Best of luck and three cheers for doing such a good thing.
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Thanks for the encouragement! If they had a really, really tall one it might work, but we have our kitchen and dining area gated with the swing doors to keep our dogs contained when we're not home. Our cats jump over the gates like they aren't even there!
