Hi all - Kelley here and I'm brand new to this forum but looking forward to reading all that I can. However, I have a quick question as I'm about to bring one of my ferals into my home, but need some advice before I do.
Quick background - I'd been feeding two ferals, likely siblings, for a couple of years. Some angel had done a TNR with several ferals in the area and these two were some of the lucky recipients. One of them (I call her kitty kitty - didn't want to get heartbroken and name her), warmed up to me over the course of about a year. She's gotten to the point where she lets me pick her up for short amounts of time, hold her on my lap, etc.
Last Sept., two new ferals bullied out the two residents from the shelter I'd provided (sits right next to my house in my yard) and took up home ownership. The two resident cats bolted. One I haven't seen since (she was always very skittish of me, but I loved her), the other, she has come back often - always on the alert for the bullies (whom I do feed and talk sweet to even though they are bullies). She comes in my mud room and lately now, has been staying for longer and longer stretches, very reluctant to leave. The weather has been cool still, but it's about to get ugly (I live in Nebraska).
Yesterday, I made the decision that I want her to have a home with me and my dogs (she doesn't mind the dogs, neither do the bullies - go figure!). I opened the door and encouraged her inside. She was very, very nervous and decided she wasn't ready to come in and went back to her bed in the mud room. That's alright, I don't want to push her. I intend to get a cage/kennel today and do things a step at a time. She's not afraid of me, but living in a house with strange new sounds will likely freak her out. I thought she was ready to just walk right in like she owned the place, but got a reality check very quickly. Slow and steady will win the race.
My dilemma - I am going on an extended vacation in May. I'll be gone three weeks. My sister is coming here to take care of my house and my dogs. She will be bringing her "never have seen a cat" dogs with her. I'm sure we'll be able to keep her safe and secure in a room that I will denote as being off limits for her dogs while I am gone. BUT, weather that holds up when I'm not there or they get in the room, or kitty decides she's scared and tries to bolt out of the room, or any of a number of scenarios - has me worried.
When I think about putting off bringing her indoors until I return, I cringe because soon we will be having lots of thunderstorms and I hate the thought of her being out there. As I said, she's reluctant as it is, to leave the mud room now. The last couple of times, I have picked her up and carried her out to a safe part of the yard so the bullies don't see her as she's leaving, she doesn't want to go. She has now been in the mud room for 48 hours straight. I'm sure she's bored silly, but I've left the door open a few times to see if she wants to leave to stretch her legs and she makes no move to do so (the bullies haven't been around during those times).
So, I do think she's ready to come inside. But with less than 1-1/2 months before I go on vacation, do I do all this work making her comfortable only to have to leave for a short time after she's made progress?
Sorry this is so long, I didn't know what to leave out to get the best possible advice. I'm sure somewhere on this site, there are situations close to mine, but I only just found you guys (thank goodness you're here! and Thank you so much!). I will be reading intently while at home, I promise!
Kelley
Quick background - I'd been feeding two ferals, likely siblings, for a couple of years. Some angel had done a TNR with several ferals in the area and these two were some of the lucky recipients. One of them (I call her kitty kitty - didn't want to get heartbroken and name her), warmed up to me over the course of about a year. She's gotten to the point where she lets me pick her up for short amounts of time, hold her on my lap, etc.
Last Sept., two new ferals bullied out the two residents from the shelter I'd provided (sits right next to my house in my yard) and took up home ownership. The two resident cats bolted. One I haven't seen since (she was always very skittish of me, but I loved her), the other, she has come back often - always on the alert for the bullies (whom I do feed and talk sweet to even though they are bullies). She comes in my mud room and lately now, has been staying for longer and longer stretches, very reluctant to leave. The weather has been cool still, but it's about to get ugly (I live in Nebraska).
Yesterday, I made the decision that I want her to have a home with me and my dogs (she doesn't mind the dogs, neither do the bullies - go figure!). I opened the door and encouraged her inside. She was very, very nervous and decided she wasn't ready to come in and went back to her bed in the mud room. That's alright, I don't want to push her. I intend to get a cage/kennel today and do things a step at a time. She's not afraid of me, but living in a house with strange new sounds will likely freak her out. I thought she was ready to just walk right in like she owned the place, but got a reality check very quickly. Slow and steady will win the race.
My dilemma - I am going on an extended vacation in May. I'll be gone three weeks. My sister is coming here to take care of my house and my dogs. She will be bringing her "never have seen a cat" dogs with her. I'm sure we'll be able to keep her safe and secure in a room that I will denote as being off limits for her dogs while I am gone. BUT, weather that holds up when I'm not there or they get in the room, or kitty decides she's scared and tries to bolt out of the room, or any of a number of scenarios - has me worried.
When I think about putting off bringing her indoors until I return, I cringe because soon we will be having lots of thunderstorms and I hate the thought of her being out there. As I said, she's reluctant as it is, to leave the mud room now. The last couple of times, I have picked her up and carried her out to a safe part of the yard so the bullies don't see her as she's leaving, she doesn't want to go. She has now been in the mud room for 48 hours straight. I'm sure she's bored silly, but I've left the door open a few times to see if she wants to leave to stretch her legs and she makes no move to do so (the bullies haven't been around during those times).
So, I do think she's ready to come inside. But with less than 1-1/2 months before I go on vacation, do I do all this work making her comfortable only to have to leave for a short time after she's made progress?
Sorry this is so long, I didn't know what to leave out to get the best possible advice. I'm sure somewhere on this site, there are situations close to mine, but I only just found you guys (thank goodness you're here! and Thank you so much!). I will be reading intently while at home, I promise!
Kelley