Trying to Catch Feral Cat Wont go in Animal Trap-Advice?

[ohiokrs]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Yes I see now he has been peeing...peeing and laying in it.....right next to the food dish.  Whole room smells now so I am not so worried about him peeing.  I cleaned up some and did the paper towel buried in the litter box thing.... going to try moving the litter box where he peed.  Is it okay to have two in that same area?  He lays inside the bed frame and looks at me.....does nto seem to be exploring but tolerates my presence pretty well.. He is drinking a ton of water and eating a bit so I guess thats progress.

I can deal with the time thing but it would be really nice if we could work towards him using the litter box....

 

[ondine]

This is great!  I would move the food a bit away from the new location of the litter box.  No one likes to eat in their bathroom!

But it sounds like he's adjusting, even if it is slow going.  Good job!

 

[ohiokrs]

I hope I am doing right thing..did i mention he is fiv positive? Yes learned that when i went to pick him up. I asked numerous times and in various ways about stress and fiv as well as him co existing with other cats and risk to
My cats. The clinic made it sound like no big deal that it would be fine. Took one of my cats to vet today and asked him.. He seemed to think it was pretty big deal.

Although we disagree on how to treat cats with fiv, he did have valud concerns about introducing him to
My other cats. Came home and read up
On it and i wonder if this cat isnt showing symptoms- runny eye, not so great fur.. Im hoping he starts to look a bit more like he did when he was outside bc ge looks miserable in that room. He isnt exploring at all and while he looks up when im in the room and he is eating drinking he just looks yucky. I didnt even think about stress and hiv until i read discharge from eyes is a thing.. Which he has.

Have any of you been in this situation?

 

[ondine]

FIV is just like HIV - if the being with it can live quietly and stress-free, the disease is very controllable.  The only concern about your other cats you need to have is making sure they don't fight.  The deep bite wounds males make when fighting is one way it is transmitted.  Mating is another.  But sharing a house, food dishes, water bowls and toys is not a concern.  My friend has several FIV positive cats - all of them are older then ten - one is 17!

Now, as to the stress, poor boy is really stressed right now.  There is nothing you can do about that except keep doing what you are doing.  Adding l-lysine to his food might help some - I don't know the doses but there are whole threads about it.

Can you take him to the rescue's vet?  Can't remember if you said he'd had any antibiotics.  The vet may want to check out his eyes - if that gets out of hand, there will be more (and more stressful) treatments.

Thank you for your patience.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I am sorry he tested positive for FIV.  As Ondine mentioned, cats can live together, but you have to be careful of any fights.  I would suggest doing a search her on the Catsite for information on those who live with FIV cats. 

You can get a product online or from your vet called Vetoquinol Viralys Powder.  I have a cat with respiratory herpes who takes this daily for his runny eyes.  This product comes in powder which is mixed into food or there is a paste and treats too.  All are flavored so the cats like it.  There is dosage information on the container.  I give it every day to my cat. 

He might be getting a URI from all of the stress since he already has a compromised immune system.  You might need to call the vet and see if he might need some antibiotics. 

 

[ohiokrs]

It is so interesting to me that the clinic vet and techc etc are the ones who pointed out his runny eye but I am not understanding why they did not think to treat it as it might be related to his FIV status.  I will be calling them but I think we are getting into a groove right now and taking him to the vet at this point would be a huge challenge.  Based on the poop in a corner of the room, I know he at least  exploring when he thinks it is safe to do so (now on to the litter box training).  Guess I will cross the FIV positive impact on the other cats when I get to that point.  I am not risking my other cats health.

I think too I am a little perturbed that the clinic minimized the FIV status acting like it was not a big deal.....worst case scenario is I would have put him back outside which they thought I should do anyway......They should be honest with people and educate... Okay off my soap box now.

You all have been so helpful and I really appreciate your expertise...I could not be doing this without your advice and assistance.  I feel a whole lot better that he is moving around a bit...the rest will justtake time.  If he ahs to stay in an extra bedroom well then that is not the greatest life but maybe better than being outside and starving.

 

[shadowsrescue]

The problem with putting him back outside is that he is at risk of infecting other cats that he may fight with or who attack him.  Also if he is outside and gets sick, he will not be able to fight off the infection and will die from the challenges.  If you can keep him, love him and socialize him, he will have a life.  I hope you can find some information or help on living with a cat with FIV when you have other cats too. 

 

[ondine]

 
The problem with putting him back outside is that he is at risk of infecting other cats that he may fight with or who attack him.  Also if he is outside and gets sick, he will not be able to fight off the infection and will die from the challenges.  If you can keep him, love him and socialize him, he will have a life.  I hope you can find some information or help on living with a cat with FIV when you have other cats too. 

Agreed.  I forgot to say that my friend's FIV positive cats live quite comfortably with her FIV negative cats.  They have their tiffs but nothing serious.  None of her negative cats have gotten infected either and she's had them living together for 16 plus years.

 

[ohiokrs]

Oh I will not be putting him back outside.  I just meant that would have been the worst case scenario if I had known how serious the FIV status is..  As far as socializing,I will just have to wait things out to see how it goes.  I will not jeopardize my other cats health and would have to be absolutely certain there will not be any major fights before he gets to roam wild and free in the house.  One slow step at a time. Now that I am aware of the FIV situation he will just have to be an inside cat so hope he gets used to living the good life as an indoor cat.  I am thrilled (baby steps) that he pooped somewhere outside of the bed frame (sad I know that I am so excited) because it means he is exploring. I put the litter box over where he pooped and scooped the poop inside.

The whole conversation with my vet caught me off guard...I did not expect to hear how serious it was etc and then of course lat last night I started reading about it. Then I was not thrilled because I feel very misled by the clinic.  I am not a person who would turn an animal out or have it euthanized.  I know they cannot know that for sure, but I am pretty much a straight shooter.  I am a social worker by training and pretty much the Dr. Phil straight shooter kind.  So my thing is telling me exactly what I am dealing with so I can find the information/resources I need to do whats best for the situation.  Do not tell me it is all good when I should be watching for signs of infection or a flare up. Now I know so I am slightly more prepared.

He looks a little more lively today and he is one of the chillest stray/feral cats I have ever seen.  Very cool customer

 

[shadowsrescue]

I think being informed will help you out alot.  You will find all schools of thought.  He might need to live his life in a small area of your house, but it is a good life and better than being outside and alone.  Just taking baby steps will help. 

I only have a bit of experience with FIV.  A stray/feral found my outside feral cat area earlier this winter.  He came to eat and seemed to be a bit out of it.  I took it as a sign he was starving as he was quite skinny when he showed up.  He came sporadically and I just allowed him to eat.  In late Jan I noticed bulging eyes and lots of running eyes and nose.  He had problems eating too.  He would regurgitate his food and drool it all over.  I knew something must be wrong.  He then started acting confused and turning in circles.  I was able to throw a blanket over him and get him in a carrier to take to the vet.  Long story, short, he was positive for FIV and in the midst of a very very bad infection.  He had a high fever and the bulging eyes were a great concern.  I had my hands completely full with 5 other cats and a sick dog.  My only option was to bring him home to a small bathroom to see if he would recover or euthanize him.  I made the very painful decision to euthanize.  He was so very sick and the disease was taking his life.  He was not neutered and who knows how long he had been alone out on his own.  It was a very difficult time for me, but I felt at the time I made the best decision I could. 

Certainly I could have tried to do more for him.  At the time I didn't know what?  It was going to be very expensive to treat him and the vet wasn't sure he would survive.  Living a difficult life outside had taken its toll on him.  I wish he had come to me sooner and I could have done more. 

Does your cat have a name?? 

Let us know how we can help you.

 

[ohiokrs]

No name yet.  Thank you for sharing your story.....Euthanasia is a very hard decision to make but it sounds like you made the right decision for that animal.  Loving animals and knowing the right thing to do is a challenge.  I am terrible at coming up with names.  Our cats now are: Delilah (sassy girl cat) Kitty Cat meow meow (started off as Leo) and Kittylicious aka ghetto kitty since he came from the hood.

This cat is orange and built like a skinnier version of Garfield.  Wide face...one ear is folded over (we thought he only had one ear for a while when he was outside) and meant to be much ehavier than he is.  I am open to name suggestions...

 

[shadowsrescue]

I have an orange kitty too.  For the first 4-5 months I had him, I called him Orange Kitty!!  I so wanted a name for him and did an internet search for Orange kitty names.  I couldn't find one that suited him.  One night I had a dream that he wanted to be called Marvin.  So Marvin he became!!  He was a stray/feral that I brought into the house last year.  He was a fighter.  He was bullying the other ferals even though all were neutered.  I tried my best to find a home for him or a rescue organization, but he was not adoptable.  So I decided to try him inside.  It was rough for awhile.  I have another indoor cat and it has been an adjustment for all.  Marvin had to learn that fighting was not the answer.  He has a very strong personality. 

Try an internet search on orange colored cat names.  You might find one that suits him. 

 

[ohiokrs]

I like the name Marvin!! Thats a GREAT name. I spoke to another vet that deals with ferals and they think my orange kitty has herpes..... That is why eye is drain etc and it is highly contagious and flare ups happen.. Ugghhhhh!so he may be a bedroom kitty..forever. No cure for it... Poor cat.

 

[shadowsrescue]

My indoor Jake has herpes and his eye runs from time to time.  That is why I use the lysine (viralys) that I recommended above.  It flares up in times of stress and it is contagious, but most cats are vaccinated against it yearly.  My other indoor cat doesn't get it from Jake.  It is a virus so it only can be treated with antibiotics if it goes into a bacterial infection.  This occasionally does happen.  The virus will then lie dormant in the body until it flares up again usually brought on my stress, but I have also found that Jake gets flare up from the changing of the seasons.  As long I use the viralys 1x a day or twice if he starts to get bad, he stays healthy. 

 

[ondine]

I wouldn't knock the one cat to a room idea yet. We have a tortoiseshell who has her own room and she is quite content to be queen of all she surveys. She gets really annoyed when any of our other cats even comer to the door - how dare they approach without permission. It seems funny and a little odd, but it has worked for all of us. She is a former feral who after eight years inside has finally decided she likes being brushed.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I wouldn't knock the one cat to a room idea yet. We have a tortoiseshell who has her own room and she is quite content to be queen of all she surveys. She gets really annoyed when any of our other cats even comer to the door - how dare they approach without permission. It seems funny and a little odd, but it has worked for all of us. She is a former feral who after eight years inside has finally decided she likes being brushed.

Marvin has his own room too.  Yet he does come out during the day.  His room is used for when no one is home, he goes to his room and also for night time.  He runs up the stairs to bed at 8pm each night.  We have tried getting him to stay up later or to play with him and then allow him to come back out, but he wants no part of it.  He loves being in his room for his own time during the night.  He is ready to come out after he eats in the mornings, but his room is very special to him.  It's not at all what I had in mind and I hate losing my guest room, but it works and keeps the peace in the house.  I have put one of my outdoor wireless webcams in his room to watch and see what he does at night.  He usually spends a few hours looking outside, then he goes under a dresser where he has a kitty bed and sleeps until near 5:30am.  At that time, he is up and running around the room.  He is quiet and no one hears him, but to watch him on the camera is hilarious!! 

I also do not allow my other cat, Jake to go into Marvin's room.  For awhile we had gates stacked to keep Jake out so now he knows it is off limits.  Every one and awhile he will find his way in there during the day, but for the most part he is respectful of Marvin's space.

 

[ohiokrs]

That is hilarious!! I am dying laughin about your description of Marvin's activities-I can picture it in my head.  I am going to talk with my vet that I take my dogs to and also do some research on the Herpes and FIV... there are def diff opinions on the subject. The cat being brushed after 8 years is also funny. It cheers me up to hear these stories.

I like my orange kitty (I rescued another one that was actually an indoor cat someone left outside when they moved....he is very sweet...my mom has him. his name is orange kitty so I feel like I cannot use that one but for reference on this web site...mine is orange kitty until I find a name) and think he is very chill.

I need to figure out where I can get the lysine. I did talk to a vet today who said they had treats with that in it... the issue is that the clinic will not ive me anything and other offices wont give me anything unless they see him and I cannot get him there yet.  He sits very close to his food and likes to hang out on the mat underneath his food. So funny! I hope I have stories about him to tell later on.

 

[shadowsrescue]

 
That is hilarious!! I am dying laughin about your description of Marvin's activities-I can picture it in my head.  I am going to talk with my vet that I take my dogs to and also do some research on the Herpes and FIV... there are def diff opinions on the subject. The cat being brushed after 8 years is also funny. It cheers me up to hear these stories.

I like my orange kitty (I rescued another one that was actually an indoor cat someone left outside when they moved....he is very sweet...my mom has him. his name is orange kitty so I feel like I cannot use that one but for reference on this web site...mine is orange kitty until I find a name) and think he is very chill.

I need to figure out where I can get the lysine. I did talk to a vet today who said they had treats with that in it... the issue is that the clinic will not ive me anything and other offices wont give me anything unless they see him and I cannot get him there yet.  He sits very close to his food and likes to hang out on the mat underneath his food. So funny! I hope I have stories about him to tell later on.

You can get the product I mentioned online at multiple places.  I usually order mine from Amazon or Entirely Pets or VetDepot.  I just look for the best price.  The powder is the cheapest.  My vet sells it, but it is so much more expensive.  Just look online.  I usually get it for about $15 and it lasts at least 6 months. 

 

[buffy2011]

Hello,

                Just some thoughts on what I  did when I had my feral cat neutered. I seemed to have some of the same problems you had with taking it in a trap and I wanted to bring it  home in a carrier. But I didn't take mine out of the trap, because it was going the next day.  They told me not to  panic, there  could be some blood from the surgery. Just feed and water it and let it alone, it may or may not eat for a few days because of the surgery. I had an issue about it pooping twice in the carrier. I had read to pick it up and put it in the litter, so it knows to go there. Did that and haven't had any trouble since. My feral cat is doing very well with that issue. At first they really don't want you around, make it short and sweet. They will come out to eat and drink when you go away. Most of the time they are hiding because they are scared to death. Since you took the mattress off does it have a hiding place to go too? They don't want to be seen. I had  a carrier in the bathroom for it to sleep and hide in, but I faced it towards the door so I could see where it was when I entered the room. Well it didn't like that so it hid behind the toilet. Finally I removed the carrier and put a little straw hut in there facing another direction and it uses it all the time. But for the time being just have food, water, toys, and a nice warm place to hid. Eventually it will start to make some progress. It just takes time and patients. I got my feral kitten neutered Nov-2013 and it is still in my bathroom. It was 7 months old when I trapped it and this is how long it is taking me to get it to come around and we still aren't done yet. Some cats might be easier and some harder, or some may never  be able to be tamed.  But the best thing that has happened for your cat is you got it spayed and  have taken it out of that outside environment, where now it is safe, so eventually the cat will have a very happy life when it comes around. I'm still taming mine so if you have any question, feel free to ask, and there are so many others that have gone threw this that will help you out. 

 

[ohiokrs]

Success!!! He used the litter box last night! whoop whoop! And....his eye is clearing up which is a fantastic thing and may mean he does not have the herpes!!  They said the antibiotic shot he was given for his head would have cleared up anything that is not herpes related and the shot lasts for 2 weeks. Time will tell.  I am soooo excited about his litter box use!!  That means if he has to stay a bedroom kitty we can work the rest out