Taming feral cats

[jessmarimba]

Anyone have any luck with this? I have one that will let me touch him as long as he doesn't think I'm going to scruff him. He actually tried to come in my house the other day as I was going back in.

The other one I call Ninja-kitty - she will eat in front of me as long as I don't budge (or look her in the eye) and won't move if she sees me looking at her (I have to close my eyes, then when I open them she's a few feet closer, but sitting the exact same). She climbs up on the roof and comes looking for me in the morning if I sleep in, though (it is so cute to wake up to the little pair of ears out my bedroom window).

They're both fairly young, and I'd like to get them fixed and socialized but I don't know how much of a project I have ahead of me.

[bmccasland]

It took me a couple of months to get a feral kitty to warm up to me. I'd continue what you're doing.

[jessmarimba]

Just thought I'd share some photos of them, b/c they're cute :) The orange tabby was born in February or March, if I remember right. He's super-curious and fascinated by my cat, who is easily 3 times his size and oblivious of his presence.

13658

The tortie is Ninja-kitty, she is maybe a year older than he is. I'm pretty sure they have the same dad (there is a gray tomcat around with the same white chest and socks) but their moms were sisters. She babysat him when he was a kitten and pretty much still keeps him in her sight, no matter how scared she is.

13657

Edit - he's making a pretty silly face in that second picture. He spits out all of the orange food pieces until that's all that's left, then eats them b/c he's still hungry. Sorry cat, ferals can't be choosers!

[indysteel]

I'm currently feeding several ferals myself. Even if you approach to socializing them is slow, I would get them spayed/neutered ASAP. Otherwise, you're going to have kittens to care for, too. Good luck!

[Biciclista]

yes, you can tame feral cats. My wonderful cat Enza was feral. I trapped her when she was 4 months old and she came around slowly but surely. The best way to tame a feral of course is to trap them and isolate them (like in a bathroom or a large cage). But the way you are doing it will work too, especially with some cats. You do need to trap them to neuter them, or you will have 8 feral cats by spring.
THere are some videos on youtube that can help you with this as well.

[ttaylor508]

Please be careful around feral kitties. My husband had several feral cats around his work and one of them bit one of his co-workers. The poor kid ended up with a red line going up his arm that night and spent most of the weekend in the hospital getting IV antibiotics. I had no idea a cat bite could be that serious.

[indysteel]

Two of our three ferals are skittish, so we keep our distance. I would rather they felt comfortable getting their food; that generally means staying away from them. The third is very friendly. We can freely approach him, but in an abundance of caution, we usually just give him a few pets. We're trapping him tomorrow and getting him snipped. Jess, you might see if there are any local groups that assist with feral cats, e.g., by offering low cost spay and neuter services. Indyferal is one of our local groups. They have a ton of good information on their website.

[Possegal]

I had no idea a cat bite could be that serious.

Cat bites are usually far worse than dog bites. It is the nature of the puncture wound, rather than a ripped open sort of wound. Then the puncture can easily get infected because of the difficulty in cleaning out a puncture.

In the course of a couple weeks, I had a sister, a brother in law, and a brother, all with infected cat bites. My brother was the only one that went to a local ER and they told him that their protocol was to automatically admit anyone in the ER with cat bite, due to the risk of infection. He warned the other two to just go to the doctor unless they wanted to spend the night in the hospital. :)

It was a tough couple of weeks in the fam last summer.

And Indy - I thought Indyferal was the name of one of your feral cats. :) Indysteel has her feral cat, Indyferal.

[indysteel]

LOL, Possegal!!!

[jessmarimba]

Hahaha, me too!

I am definitely looking into organizations that will help with them.

And I have no intention of putting them in a situation where they might think to bite! Trust me, I've tormented my own cat enough to know better.

Their mom is the one that I really need to catch and get fixed. She seems to be the only cat around here to have kittens routinely, but very few of them seem to make it :(

[Biciclista]

I tamed a couple dozen feral kittens and never got an infected bite. (I'm sure i got a little bite or two) You can be cautious and take your time with these kitties. good luck!

[bmccasland]

Their mom is the one that I really need to catch and get fixed. She seems to be the only cat around here to have kittens routinely, but very few of them seem to make it :(

Can you borrow a live-trap (such as Hav-a-Heart) from your local shelter or feed store to trap Mom? If you get the kittens, some nice smelly tuna might lure Mom in. Seems like on some of the animal rescue shows, they covered the traps with a towel or blanket so kitty doesn't see the trap parts, and is driven by the scent of the food. Just a thought.

Can you also make pre-arrangements with your vet that once you trap Mom, you can just drop her off and they work her in? That's what I did when I was trying to get my porch kitty taken care of.

[Biciclista]

that's how i caught my first litter of ferals. I caught mom in a trap, then i shifted her into a cat carrier.
I put the cat carrier out with mom in it butted up against the hav a heart trap. i caught 4 kittens that way.

[indysteel]

We got a live trap at our local tractor/farm supply store. We put a small bit of canned food at the end of it and then sprinkle of a few cat treats near the opening of the trap. So far, it's worked for three cats. We trapped our last one today--a male. I was really holding my breath, as it was raining and I needed to leave at 6:45 to make it to the dropoff location on time. Well, he showed up at 6:40. My husband coaxed him into the trap and away we went. We cover the traps with a blanket or sheet once they're trapped, and that calms them down at least to the point of not thrashing around.

I considered not fixing my male ferals, but for a couple different reasons, I think it's a good idea. For one, that means there's one less male cat that can impregnate any stray unspayed female they encounter. For another, it generally makes them less aggressive, which helps lessen the chance they'll get in a fight with another cat--a cat that may be infected with a variety of things.

I'd add that one of the other women there has multiple litters of kittens that were born to stray moms this summer before she'd had a chance to get them. Bless her heart for getting all of them spayed and neutered. It's costing her a pretty penny.

Good luck, Jess. You're doing a good thing.

[Irulan]

I considered not fixing my male ferals,

Other than cost, why wouldn't you fix a feral cat, male or female?

[indysteel]

Other than cost, why wouldn't you fix a feral cat, male or female?

Well, I didn't consider it for very long--like for about five seconds. Cost, hassle, stress on the animal, their unpredictable behavior (my adult male comes and goes for weeks at a time). I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm sure there are feral tenders out there that just make it a priority to spay their females. From a cat population standpoint, that's not a horrible approach. It's not the best approach IMO (and sometimes not legally compliant), but it's better than not doing anything I suppose.

[Biciclista]

I grew up with un-neutered cats, leaving them entire seriously shortens their lives. They are so driven by sex and territory that they don't take enough time to hunt and eat. But Indy, I hear what you're saying, if you're having to pay for it!
The cat ladies around here take anything that will crawl into a trap.

[indysteel]

I grew up with un-neutered cats, leaving them entire seriously shortens their lives. They are so driven by sex and territory that they don't take enough time to hunt and eat. But Indy, I hear what you're saying, if you're having to pay for it!
The cat ladies around here take anything that will crawl into a trap.

I want to make it clear that I didn't seriously consider not fixing him. It was really just a passing thought. My adult male disappeared for three weeks the very day that I took the other two to the vet. He showed up again last week. Part of me was relieved that he was alive; another part of me was sort of frustrated. I had gotten into a routine with the adult female and her kitten, and I could predict when they would come around for food. Now the male tends to eat all the food, so it's making our breakfast and dinner routines more time consuming and costly. They at least all get along. In fact, I think the female acts more comfortable around us when the male is present. I'm sure I'll get used to taking care of three of them, but I'm not going to lie. In my limited experience, I have to say that it takes a fair bit of work to care for ferals. Some days I'd really rather not deal with it, as much as I have grown to care for them.

That said, I know I've done the right thing by him and other cats in getting him neutered.

[Biciclista]

wow, they sound like a little family, that's actually kind of neat.
I understood what you were saying, a few seconds isn't such a long time. :)

[jessmarimba]

I had a new cat show up this morning. I don't think she's feral, she just sees my yard as a safe haven.

She's a Siamese, too chubby to have been outside for long, obviously not hungry as she wouldn't eat the food I had out, and petrified of the real ferals. But I couldn't coax her into the house before I had to leave for work. (She probably would've come through the window if my screens slid up and down, but they pop out and that scared her too much).

I hope she's there when I get home. If she wasn't just dumped it would be nice to see her back with her owners.

[badger]

you might want to contact the local shelters to see if there are any spay/neuter programs for feral cats? We have the staff of spca volunteering one day a year to spay and neuter trapped feral cats. Last year it was canceled due to low number of cats (though I don't quite believe that).

I would try what others suggested, in trapping and getting them fixed yourself. You can always borrow traps from veterinarians or shelters.

In Japan, hardly anyone ever spays/neuters their cats, so they are totally overrun with cats. My mother's trapped a lot of the cats in her neighbourhood and had them fixed and then released again (all out of her own pocket).

[indysteel]

I had a new cat show up this morning. I don't think she's feral, she just sees my yard as a safe haven.

She's a Siamese, too chubby to have been outside for long, obviously not hungry as she wouldn't eat the food I had out, and petrified of the real ferals. But I couldn't coax her into the house before I had to leave for work. (She probably would've come through the window if my screens slid up and down, but they pop out and that scared her too much).

I hope she's there when I get home. If she wasn't just dumped it would be nice to see her back with her owners.

I hope she wasn't dumped and that you can find her owners. You might take her to your vet to see if she's chipped.

Sorry for the threadjack by the way as to my own ferals. I guess we got a lot of feral kitties her on TE!

[indysteel]

wow, they sound like a little family, that's actually kind of neat.
I understood what you were saying, a few seconds isn't such a long time. :)

Yep; a slightly crazy family, but family all the same. The Mom and her kitten (Taco and Callie) have taken to climbing onto our neighbors' roofs for their afternoon naps. So far, they seem to be getting up and down just fine, but it makes me nervous. We really lucked out in that our neighbors are all animal people who don't seem the least bit bothered by the cats. One of them is going to feed them while we're out of town.

We're now trying to decide what kind of shelter to use this winter. There's a local carpenter who builds them for a reasonable fee. We might do that or rig our own.

[jessmarimba]

"Mine" live under a truck top in the neighbors yard. I think they have a pretty nice little nest under there. I've let them in my garage when the temps dropped to -30 though.

[indysteel]

"Mine" live under a truck top in the neighbors yard. I think they have a pretty nice little nest under there. I've let them in my garage when the temps dropped to -30 though.

That's funny; ours hang out under one of those, too, but it's a two doors down from us. I'd like to give them something closer to our house that's insulated and protected from other critters. My guess is that if we buy/build something and they don't end up using it, we'll be able to give it away to somebody else tending ferals. I'm sure there's some sort of demand for such things.

[jessmarimba]

Ok, the siamese is back. Definitely not afraid of people. I think it would walk right in the house. However, it's either not fixed, it wasn't fixed very well, or siamese end up with a weird little skin lump when they're fixed. Or maybe I've always had hairier cats. I don't have time to run to a vet now - should I take this one in and isolate? (and pray for my house while I'm gone?)

[jessmarimba]

Thought about it & decided he might be someone's collarless indoor-outdoor cat, so I didn't do anything yet. I'll keep an eye out and see if he's around in the evenings as well.

[Brandi]

We stole 2 traps from a man down the street years ago who was trapping neighborhood cat's that came on his property and took them to the pound! He trapped this one ladies cat that we rescued from the pound and he shot another neighbors cat with a pellet gun and shattered his shoulder. So one windy night my husband and I dressed in black and went and got the traps. He had crab in them! Gave one trap to a rescue shelter and kept one for ourselves in case we ever needed to trap a cat to fix them.
He got his traps from the spca. I asked if he was legally aloud to do this and was told yes. Terrible! But when we found out where he got the traps we figured if they went missing and he had to pay for them he would stop trapping. And he did. This man needs to live out in the country and not in a suburban neighborhood. Thank god he is waaaaay down the street from me. I would have to move!

[CyborgQueen]

Yep; a slightly crazy family, but family all the same. The Mom and her kitten (Taco and Callie) have taken to climbing onto our neighbors' roofs for their afternoon naps. So far, they seem to be getting up and down just fine, but it makes me nervous. We really lucked out in that our neighbors are all animal people who don't seem the least bit bothered by the cats. One of them is going to feed them while we're out of town.

We're now trying to decide what kind of shelter to use this winter. There's a local carpenter who builds them for a reasonable fee. We might do that or rig our own.

Shelter - If you're getting it built, I would make it something similar to a chicken coop. where the floor of the shelter is raised by about 2 feet off ground (in case of snow), Instead of a open door, put a dog flap in there to prevent wind getting in there...Put old blankets in there, and your feral will be happy. You can put food/water bowl in there.

Here's a link that I just found.....good pictures for ideas!! GOOGLE IMAGES (http://www.google.com/search?q=feral+cat+shelter&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1440&bih=785) (ugh...I just noticed a pic of a dead kitty...I apologize for that!!)

Here's a good link for Winter shelters: http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/HOW_TO_FERAL_CAT_WINTER_SHELTER
(http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/HOW_TO_FERAL_CAT_WINTER_SHELTER)

As for water - obviously, replace it daily. If it freezes, don't worry about it, they can live without water for a day. Ferals are probably going to eat snow anyways. It would be better if you use a dome shape water bowl. Easier to get the ice out.


My mom's feral cat mostly lives in a small shed protected by the winter winds/snow. However, she has a old dog igloo with hay (replaced every quarter) on a pallet (gives a few inches of clearance from snow). She's still around after 5 years (she got spayed after delivering a litter...which one of them is owned by mom). She lives in NJ, so she gets a lot of winter storms.

Good luck!!

[Biciclista]

Brandi, unfortunately, if that man can't trap, he's probably going to shoot more cats. I'd rather he trapped them and took them to the pound, it is much more humane!! But the SOB is trapping and shooting at other people's pets???! argh!!!

[indysteel]

Thanks, Cyborgqueen. I've looked at that link before for some ideas. It's just a matter of picking one or two and running with it.

[CyborgQueen]

Thanks, Cyborgqueen. I've looked at that link before for some ideas. It's just a matter of picking one or two and running with it.

Personally - if your town gets a lot of snow, I would get something that's like chicken coop style. The housing is raised about 2 feet off the ground with a ramp leading into the house. Add a doggie door instead of leaving it open (help prevent winter winds getting in there).

Have fun!

[indysteel]

Jess, what became of your Siamese? Do you still think it's just an indoor/outdoor kitty?

Our adult male is doing really well after being neutered last week. He spent 24 hours inside our basement healing a bit more. He's back outside now and he's been hanging around quite a bit. In fact, sometimes it's hard to get him away from our door so that we can come and go. He likes to sit and watch us as we work outside. The other two cats are also doing well. They've started to stay closer to "home," too. They're there to greet me when I come out with food. The kitten still keeps his distance, but he at least doesn't run off the second I come into sight. They're all on the thin side, but otherwise look healthy. Our neighbors have all taken to them as well, which is a real help. DH and I will be on vacation soon, but we've enlisted their help to care for them in our absence. They, along with our regular pet sitter, should be able to stay up on the various feedings.

[Biciclista]

great, thanks for the update

[jessmarimba]

Jess, what became of your Siamese? Do you still think it's just an indoor/outdoor kitty?


I don't know. He's definitely been a pet at one point...he lets me pick him up and carry him around and will happily sit on my lap. He's more docile than either of the cats I have! But he's been around at all hours so I can't tell if he has a real home. And he doesn't look like he's losing any weight despite not eating the food I provide them. I don't know what to do about him. One of these days I'll probably catch him and take him to see if he's chipped (maybe his family moved and he escaped their new house, or something?). I've considered taking him in but I don't want him to spray if he and my cats don't get along.

The orange kitten will eat out of my hand now.

[indysteel]

great, thanks for the update

I just ordered a shelter for them. It's called a FeralVilla and should comfortably house at least two of our ferals. We'll likely build/buy a second one, but we wanted to see if they'd take to one first. For the cost, it was actually a decent way to go. We'd be hard pressed to buy the materials ourselves for much less and we can pick it up, thereby saving shipping. It's gotten cold rather quickly here in Indiana. While I'm sure we have some summer left, I want to have this on hand soon.

Our kitties are getting more and more domesticated by the day. The kitten lets me sit and stare at him now. That's a big step believe it or not. He's a nut.

Now if I could figure out a way to keep the adult male from eating all the canned food.

I sure hope we got the female fixed in time. She was already in heat when we took her in. That was on August 3rd. She's gotten a lot more affectionate recently and doesn't look as thin as she did. Of course, she's also gotten used to us and is eating regular meals, so who knows. We have a vet appointment for our indoor cats on Saturday. I'll talk to the vet then. I don't know if it makes sense to have her checked out to verify whether she's pregnant or just wait and see. I do not want to deal with more cats. If there's a litter, I'll have to get them placed in a home or shelter.

[jessmarimba]

My little orange buddy came running up to me purring this morning, then walked all around and under my legs when I crouched to pet him. He doesn't want pets like my indoor kitties yet but he only cringes when I touch him, then rubs on my legs.

Still debating on the Siamese. He doesn't eat the food. He chases the ferals for kicks. He isn't "one of them" but doesn't seem to have an indoor home either.

If he comes by Sunday morning when I'll be home all day, I'll take him inside and see how it goes...then to vet on Monday.

[indysteel]

My little orange buddy came running up to me purring this morning, then walked all around and under my legs when I crouched to pet him. He doesn't want pets like my indoor kitties yet but he only cringes when I touch him, then rubs on my legs.

Still debating on the Siamese. He doesn't eat the food. He chases the ferals for kicks. He isn't "one of them" but doesn't seem to have an indoor home either.

If he comes by Sunday morning when I'll be home all day, I'll take him inside and see how it goes...then to vet on Monday.

We have an indoor cat that hates to cuddle or get attention when she's downstairs with our other cat. If we take her upstairs by herself (the cats aren't generally allowed in your bedrooms) she turns into a different cat. She cuddles and rubs and wants lots of pets. I don't get it at all. Let's face it; cats are weird animals. I love them, but I don't pretend to understand them.

Have you talked to any of your neighbors about the Siamese? It seems odd that she just suddenly appeared but doesn't otherwise appear to be a hungry stray.

[jessmarimba]

I'm really not sure on him. My immediate neighbors just moved out (got evicted?) and he showed up about then, but I didn't think they had pets? Maybe she left him knowing I'd care for him, or something.

I don't really know any of the other neighbors very well but those immediately adjacent have seen me picking him up and playing with him on the front porch. I guess if I take him in and he's chipped with a neighborhood address I'll just carry him home and chat with his owners. No harm, no foul, right?

I like the idea of those shelters. It's getting chilly at night here too.

[indysteel]

Hmmm. That cat showed up after someone was evicted. Interesting. Of course, that doesn't explain why she's not eating or seemingly hungry.

You might take a look at the link CyborgQueen posted upthread re: shelters. There are some good suggestions there. We were originally going to build one, but time is getting away from us, so we ordered the FeralVilla instead, although with some cat-nip spiked bedding. It'll be somewhat more expensive than handbuilt, but without the added shipping, it was worth the time savings.

[jessmarimba]

Picked up two traps this morning. They are scheduled for surgery for next Thursday. Here goes nothin!

(They'll also scan Siamese for microchip, so I might try to snag him over the weekend too)

[indysteel]

Picked up two traps this morning. They are scheduled for surgery for next Thursday. Here goes nothin!

(They'll also scan Siamese for microchip, so I might try to snag him over the weekend too)

Good luck! You might leave the traps out for the the next few days. Secure the trap doors, but leave some food in them so that the cats start to get used to going into them. I used canned food with a handful of kitting treats leading into the trap. When you trap them the day of surgery, cover the traps immediately with a sheet or light towel. It will hopefully calm them down to some extent.

I'll say the same thing to you that Mimi was kind enough to say to me: Thanks for making a difference.

[jessmarimba]

Thanks for all of the advice!

The orange guy has gotten so friendly (when he wants something, anyway) - he is still so kittenish and hopefully Thursday is still early enough that he doesn't start spraying. He ran up purring this morning and let me really pet him, loved having the back of his head rubbed. Then he tried to suck on my finger. If all goes well I may let him out in a room in the house and see if he can't be tamed. He's "old" to tame, for a feral, but seems to be quite comfortable around me.

Last thing I need is another cat, but I don't see my living situation changing any time soon.

[jessmarimba]

Today starts the "don't feed 'em til you wanna catch 'em" phase...

Will try and trap one tomorrow night and the orange guy tomorrow or Thursday morning. I feel kind of bad now about the whole thing even though it needs done, but it's awful to think of them in the cages and having NO idea what's happening...

I hope they don't remember that the only person they trust did it to them. Or they don't hold a grudge, anyway.

If I trap one the night before the surgery (or both) is it better to leave them in the cages outside with towels over them? Will they be safe from the other cats, foxes, dogs, etc? Or should I put them in the garage or something?

[smilingcat]

If you catch them, place the cat and the cage in a safe dimly lit place. You don't want them exposed to the elements nor to wild critters: skunks, racoons, opposums, coyote... None of them are going to be nice to a young cat.

[Biciclista]

I

I sure hope we got the female fixed in time. She was already in heat when we took her in. That was on August 3rd. She's gotten a lot more affectionate recently and doesn't look as thin as she did. Of course, she's also gotten used to us and is eating regular meals, so who knows. We have a vet appointment for our indoor cats on Saturday. I'll talk to the vet then. I don't know if it makes sense to have her checked out to verify whether she's pregnant or just wait and see. I do not want to deal with more cats. If there's a litter, I'll have to get them placed in a home or shelter.
:confused::confused:
If he spayed your female cat, she can't get pregnant. If she was already pregnant when he spayed her, he removed her uterus(s) and so there is no pregnancy after a cat is spayed. No matter what he removed all uterus and ovarian tissue.

[indysteel]

:confused::confused:
If he spayed your female cat, she can't get pregnant. If she was already pregnant when he spayed her, he removed her uterus(s) and so there is no pregnancy after a cat is spayed. No matter what he removed all uterus and ovarian tissue.

For some reason, I was under the assumption that they just tied their tubes, although to be honest, I know nothing about that part of the cat anatomy.

Thanks for the reassurance though. I can breathe easy now.

[Biciclista]

i was going to make those letters smaller but you already quoted it, owell.
the other thing is, if you catch a cat, cover the cage with a towel or a blanket, it will make them much more relaxed. Good luck! a lot of us have done this. I had to practice A LOT because i wanted it to work right the first time. (and it DID)

[indysteel]

Today starts the "don't feed 'em til you wanna catch 'em" phase...

Will try and trap one tomorrow night and the orange guy tomorrow or Thursday morning. I feel kind of bad now about the whole thing even though it needs done, but it's awful to think of them in the cages and having NO idea what's happening...

I hope they don't remember that the only person they trust did it to them. Or they don't hold a grudge, anyway.

If I trap one the night before the surgery (or both) is it better to leave them in the cages outside with towels over them? Will they be safe from the other cats, foxes, dogs, etc? Or should I put them in the garage or something?

They should be okay overnight, but I would line the trap with newspaper and place it on additional newspaper on the assumption that he will pee at some point. I'd bring them into your garage if it's not too hot. None of our strays are holding a grudge. If anything, they've gotten friendlier. They'll be fine.

[jessmarimba]

Definitely not too hot...lows in the 40s tonight :eek:

Alright, garage or utility room it is. My backyard is fenced but the cats have created a lot of holes under it, so critters definitely go in and out all night. Skunks, other cats, possibly dogs and other critters (I don't venture out much to check).

but ughhhhh I think I saw more (older, maybe 12 weeks?) kittens yesterday morning. I need to chat with the neighbors that are feeding the mama cat. No wonder she hasn't been around much.

[indysteel]

Definitely not too hot...lows in the 40s tonight :eek:

Alright, garage or utility room it is. My backyard is fenced but the cats have created a lot of holes under it, so critters definitely go in and out all night. Skunks, other cats, possibly dogs and other critters (I don't venture out much to check).

but ughhhhh I think I saw more (older, maybe 12 weeks?) kittens yesterday morning. I need to chat with the neighbors that are feeding the mama cat. No wonder she hasn't been around much.

Uh oh. Obviously, you may have a bigger problem on your hands. I'd still get that mom in as soon as you can; she's likely to go into heat again soon, if she hasn't already. The kittens--if there are any--will soon be ready to be fixed, too.

[jessmarimba]

I have one angry cat in a carrier in the utility room and two terrified cats in traps in the garage!

Mama showed up. Starving. She almost went in the trap before I had the food set in there. I caught her and then the orange guy, but I knew I'd have to get the tortie now or never...The orange one will always take food before her, since he's not really afraid of me. So I scooted the orange guy into a carrier and reset the trap for the tortie.

They have surgery in the morning.

I talked to the neighbors - mom did have kittens, but they're not young enough to still need her. They said the kittens weren't in the yard anymore (but they aren't in mine either) so I'm going to have to keep an eye out for them. Hope they're alright for a couple of days without their bodyguards.

[indysteel]

Good work. I hope surgery goes well. How long will your vet keep them? Mine are currently trying to figure out their new shelters. We have a nicer one on order, but we made a couple additional ones out of a plastic bin and a styrofoam cooler. We didn't anticipate it getting so cold this early.

[jessmarimba]

I drop them off between 7:30-9:00 am and pick them up between 4:00-5:00 pm. Then I guesss they have to sit in the traps here for another 12-36 hours? They said 12 was for a lactating female. So maybe longer for these guys.

The orange guy is wailing his head off, and the only thing that comforts him is if I come down and stick my finger through the wires and rub his head. I guess I'm gonna have to keep him when this is all over, at least until I can maybe find him another home.

(I'm not a crazy cat lady I swear...)

[indysteel]

We kept our male in his trap in our basement for another 24 hours. Some feral organizations say they should be kept inside for a week. That just wasn't realistic. Put female was on heat so the vet kept her and her kitten several days--bless them.

And trust me; I am the crazy cat lady.

[Biciclista]

wonderful!! good luck!!

[smilingcat]

Just a friendly reminder. No food or water after midnight till surgery. Males can be released generally 24 hours after surgery. But I usually like to keep them for few extra days just to be sure. Girl cats, usually a week. Older cats are kept longer.

You did really well in catching three cats at once. Congratulation.

[jessmarimba]

I don't think they're going to believe me that the orange kitten is feral. For one thing, he learned to meow for my attention (probably from mooning over my cat, who cries to get out day), so he's been sitting in his crate HOWLING ALL NIGHT LONG. Second, even though he's clearly distressed, if I stick my finger in the cage he rubs his cheek and head and face on it.

But I guess if I decide to keep him I don't have much time to kitten-proof a house. I don't have enough doors here to even confine him to one place.

[Biciclista]

maybe orange kitten wasn't born feral but was abandoned ? good luck with them all. sorry he's so noisy.

[Susan]

Oh I have a nice story to share about a feral cat.

When we bought our flat, there was a big stray cat in the common yard. He must have been some sort of Maine Coon, definitely the biggest cat I had ever seen. I asked the housekeeper about him and she told me that he had been living in the yard for years, but wouldn't let himself being touched or else would bite and scratch really badly, she told me that she was really afraid of him. Our neighbor was always leaving some cat food outside for him, but told be he was too wild to be kept as a pet and that I shouldn't touch him.

Sometimes he strayed over our patio, but wouldn't let us touch him or even get close. Sometimes I gave him some leftovers, and over time, he sometimes would sit beside me when I was in the garden. When I moved slowly and carefully, I could pet him for a little while, but not his head.
One day, month later, he slipped inside the open back door, looking at me warily. As long as we kept the door open, he would stay besides us. Over weeks, he would sit and watch a little TV with us and then leave again. At some point it was even possible to close the door without him panicking.

One evening, I noticed how he was watching my husband, who was lying on the couch, for quite a long time. Then, abruptly, he walked up DHs feet, let himself fall on his belly, then stopped moving entirely, carefully watching what would happen next.
It was funny on the one hand, and heartbreaking on the other. Somehow this broke the ice forever and he stayed with us the remaining years of his life (a long life, the Vet told me that he was well above 15 when we first brought him there, and he lived another 10 in our home).

Believe it or not, he became the most cuddly cat I ever had. I always had the feeling that he was grateful for his nice new home. He needed quite some time to get over his wariness, I guess his life hadn't been good at all, but when he did, became very trusting and calm. His looks were daunting, he weighted 25 pounds at his best times, his ears scratched from fighting, one of his fangs broken, but he jumped on my lap whenever I was sitting down and let me pet him, purring unbelievably loud an deep. He waited on the corner of the house when I got home from work and came running like a dog when I called him in the evening.

He died at night some years ago, in the living room. I think he didn't feel well at all in the evening, but still enjoyed being cuddled and purred for me even then.

[jessmarimba]

That's such a sweet story! I got Clementine, my older cat, in a similar way. Except after she got locked in the laundry room closet at our old apartment complext for two weeks, we took her in the apartment and never let her out again. She was pretty unhappy with us at first but now has no desire to go out.



The orange guy got out in the car on the way there :eek: :eek: :eek:

I'd had the windows down b/c he reeked of pee but I got them up in time. He just sat on the dashboard til we got there, and then I picked him up in his towel and put him back in the carrier. Surprisingly easy. Even my owned cats wouldn't have been so cooperative.

[jessmarimba]

I am going to be stressing all day.

I asked for the orange dude to be FLV/FIV tested, b/c if he's positive I can't keep him with the cats I already have. But if he's positive, they euthanise. Ugh....I'm so worried now.

[indysteel]

I am going to be stressing all day.

I asked for the orange dude to be FLV/FIV tested, b/c if he's positive I can't keep him with the cats I already have. But if he's positive, they euthanise. Ugh....I'm so worried now.

Is that a typical vet policy?

Here's what one of our local feral organizations has to say about it:

http://indyferal.org/index.php?page=fiv-felv

[jessmarimba]

I agree with IndyFeral - there is no reason to kill them, especially if they aren't symptomatic. There's nothing on the RMACA (http://www.rmaca.org/) website about it but I think it was in the small print on the paperwork I signed for those guys this morning.

Now I'm wishing I hadn't asked him to be tested but I also didn't want to put my girls at risk...I hope he's ok. Maybe they'd call first? It says that "There are no exceptions to their rules" on the website but they already broke 'em by not charging me the "tame cat" fee for the one that ended up in a carrier instead of the trap.

[indysteel]

Have you ever seen him with any signs of a fight? The incidence of infection is still relatively low and it appears that he was in a home at some point in time and not living on the street, so just hope for the best.

[jessmarimba]

Sorry to bug all of you with the stress! They just called, the kitties are doing fine and I can pick them up whenever I'm ready. Yay!

[indysteel]

Yay, kitties! I'm glad they're doing fine!

[jessmarimba]

I've already given orange buddy the run of the laundry room. He somehow doesn't seem to connect me with ANY of this...instead, I think he's decided that I'm his mother. Seriously. He might be the most affectionate cat I've ever seen. He will not stop purring and just wants pets (too funny, I just got back from a concert, and he would run to his towel/bed - then run back for more pets, then bed, then pets, til he finally passed out mid-trip)

And I may have confused some of you earlier, but he was definitely born in my backyard...his mother got fixed today, too. So I'm quite happy that he seems to be content inside!

[smilingcat]

Always love a happy ending. Yayyy!! for the orange kitty. I'm really happy for both of you!! Sounds like a real loverboy!! :cool::cool:

[bmccasland]

Always love a happy ending. Yayyy!! for the orange kitty. I'm really happy for both of you!! Sounds like a real loverboy!! :cool::cool:

HooRay for a happy ending! May the kitties live long and happy lives. And not drive you too crazy.:cool:

[jessmarimba]

We learned three important things today!

1) After peeing all over a paper bag I gave him to hide in, he has used the litter box all day. (He must've been really waiting on that bag though, b/c I can't believe he could hold that much liquid. So he was obviously trying not to go someplace "bad")

2) He learned how to sit in a lap and make biscuits :D

3) He learned how fun it is to sit someplace high and knock everything off (therefore, this must be an instinctive trait)

[indysteel]

Jess, how are you stray cats doing? Did they heal from the surgery? How is the newest addition to your indoor cats doing? Any further leads on where the Siamese came from?

I hope you're all doing well!

[jessmarimba]

Orange critter is doing well! He seems incapable of learning how to move on wood floors...it's so funny to watch him try to stop and completely spin out.

I've seen Mama cat twice, and she is a little more scared of me but seems otherwise fine.

Orange guy's sister learned to meow at the vet and now asks for food. I think she's forgotten the whole ordeal.

And the Siamese has returned for the last two days, but he's still on the heavier side and still won't eat the food I set out, so I'm pretty sure he either has someone else feeding him or has an indoor home somewhere.

I need to start working on a shelter for them soon. It's getting chilly here at night.

[indysteel]

We now have two shelters: One we fabricated out of a Rubbermaid container and a styrofoam cooler, with a hole cut out for access. It sits on our front porch. Our adult male took to it right away. Most nights, you can see that he's burrowed inside. I've placed my hand inside after he's stepped out of it, and it gets quite warm. Granted, it's not overly cold out yet.

This past Friday, we picked up this shelter (http://www.feralvilla.com) from a local man who makes them. It has two entrances and an upper "deck" inside where the cats are supposed to sleep. We also picked up some straw and catnip (to attract them). We think the mother cat and her "teenage" son are already using it. We have it on our back deck in a spot that gets a lot of sun. I'm still thinking of what we can do to make it a bit warmer on the coldest of days, e.g., an electric pad or one of those warmers you can throw in the microwave. I sure hope they make it through the winter.

[Biciclista]

We now have two shelters: One we fabricated out of a Rubbermaid container and a styrofoam cooler, with a hole cut out for access. It sits on our front porch. Our adult male took to it right away. Most nights, you can see that he's burrowed inside. I've placed my hand inside after he's stepped out of it, and it gets quite warm. Granted, it's not overly cold out yet.

This past Friday, we picked up this shelter (http://www.feralvilla.com) from a local man who makes them. It has two entrances and an upper "deck" inside where the cats are supposed to sleep. We also picked up some straw and catnip (to attract them). We think the mother cat and her "teenage" son are already using it. We have it on our back deck in a spot that gets a lot of sun. I'm still thinking of what we can do to make it a bit warmer on the coldest of days, e.g., an electric pad or one of those warmers you can throw in the microwave. I sure hope they make it through the winter.

you're awesome!! they'll be fine now.

[jessmarimba]

And just a few hours later...orange guy is out again :(

I have a friend staying with me and she says that when she got up the back door was open. One of my cats got tired of outside and was on my bed when I got home, one was still sitting calmly in the back yard, but the orange guy is on the rampage. He hasn't been allowed to play in the wild for weeks so he's taking advantage of it.

I guess I could just leave him there but after all these vet bills... :(

I hope he gets hungry enough to come back in and snuggle...

[Biciclista]

I bet he's tired of the cold and wants to come back in.

[jessmarimba]

I bet he's tired of the cold and wants to come back in.

Good call! He woke me up meowing plaintively on the roof outside my bedroom window in the middle of the night. After I let him in he jumped right on the bed to snuggle and I swear he's been purring for 7 hours straight! I'm so relieved that he's ok though.

[indysteel]

Good call! He woke me up meowing plaintively on the roof outside my bedroom window in the middle of the night. After I let him in he jumped right on the bed to snuggle and I swear he's been purring for 7 hours straight! I'm so relieved that he's ok though.

I like this! I'm glad he's back in safety and warmth of your home.

[Biciclista]

he had to go back out and see what he was missing, thanks for good news.

[jessmarimba]

Thought I'd drag this thread back up for a second! So, my outside tortie learned to meow when she went to get fixed a few months ago. She sits outside the back door in the morning and waits for food, and will yell for the other two cats to come eat. She and the calico will eat from a plate if I'm sitting right in front of it (though I get swatted - without claws - for trying to touch the calico). The dad will walk past me but won't eat until I'm at least 4-5 feet away.

But here's a pic I took of them yesterday at dinner time. They have a nest in the tupperware tub or sometimes sleep in the straw under the shelf. Usually they eat on my patio but since there's about 18 inches of snow on the ground I brought food to their house. The calico is my orange cat's momma, the gray one on the ground underneath is his dad, and the tortie is his half-sister (same dad, her mom disappeared a long time ago).

14170

[Biciclista]

oh they are fat and sassy looking you are taking wonderful care of them!

[jessmarimba]

Another update on this one, now they both purr when I come outside and the mama will come over for pets. She started smushing her head into my hand if I hold it out for them to sniff.

I'm soooo glad I'm not worrying over another littler of kittens that keep disappearing though.