Opinions on this semi-feral cat in our garage?

[Carmel]

Originally Posted by AdoptAnAngel

!!
This is another reason I'm glad Ares has no interest in going outdoors again. I don't want him killing for fun. Rodents are such cute animals!

Actually, I really like mice, too. I had... uh, a lot of them at one time. We had a mouse condo. It got sort of crazy. I also had a hamster once. Blaze and that hamster got along really well.

Blacky doesn't go after mice often, maybe a few times a year. She brings them in alive, most we've been able to catch and release.

Considering the rat and mouse and bird population around here, she hardly has killed anything at all in over 10 years outdoors (we know when she catches something, she merroooows like she needs the whole neighborhood to come running).

Originally Posted by AdoptAnAngel

Sorry for going so off-topic! I think it's fantastic that you are caring for this cat. In your situation, I would deworm the cat ASAP. Is there absolutely nothing you can do to get Blacky to eat indoors? It sounds like that would be the best solution. I would definitely take him in for neutering and and vaccinations ASAP, especially if he is still accessing the outdoors and congregating with other strays.

Blacky does eat indoors... I'm not sure why you think she eats outdoors? She has a cat door and can come and go outdoors as she likes 24/7; she used to be semi-feral, and allowing her indoors at her choosing was the smoothest way of taming her.

What I meant when I said Blacky would get at his food if I put it outdoors was that when we placed some kibble outside for this orange cat we found Blacky eating it despite having the exact same food options inside for her.

Right now the orange cat can't get outdoors, he's in the garage and seems content in there. We won't be letting him out without knowing that he's neutered, and unless something drastic changes (like him going... more... insane by being stuck in a single room), we won't be intentionally letting him out for the next ~4 months, even after getting him neutered. It's cold out there.

[lyle]

Carmel: Does your garage have a window(s)? There's confinement and there's confinement. Although each cat is different I can attest that I know of one cat who went a little crazy after being shut up in a windowless garage for just a short time (not by me). He never really got over it. If you're just keeping him confined till he's neutered then never mind.
As I've mentioned, I have 4 fixed feral cats living in my garage. With a cat door, they're free to come and go. One or two of them wander a bit (within a block), but mostly they stay within one house away. Given food, shelter and security it's very likely (but of course not guaranteed) that a neutered cat will stick around even if given the opportunity to leave.

[Carmel]

Yes, it has windows. One small one is built into the garage door at a height where it overlooks from the top of the fridge, another larger one is over the work bench (the cat spent a day or two up there but doesn't seem interested in it now) and another large window in the door leading outside -- not that the cat can look out that one, but it gives lots of light.

The general opinion from the cat sanctuary staff was to leave him in the garage all winter, so I'm not too concerned about that unless he starts acting out, like scratching at doors or meowing a lot. So far he's content.

I'm also uneasy about letting any cat outdoors here, Blacky is an exception, as I have always known she wants nothing to do with cars and does not go farther than our neighbors front yard 99% of the time. We live with only one row of homes (and a small lane between us and those homes) separating us from one of the main streets of the city. My family has lived in this home for over 50 years and have lost more than one cat to that street over the years, back in the 50's, 60's and 70's... the street has only become busier since then.

[Saly]

In my opinion you are doing the right thing!!
Sally

[Carmel]

So today I got the trap, it's a fancy one, with a transfer ability in the back... so they'll neuter, tattoo, give flea and dewormer, test for FeLV and FIV (nervous about that, because aren't there false positives? If he is, I won't be keeping him around, he'll go to the cat sanctuary... ) and clean his ears. They'd also do vaccinations but if so he'd need boosters, and I'm not getting him back there in a few weeks for that so I'll pass on those.

I don't know when I'll do it, some time this week.

Today was a break through. Last night I almost could've sworn he arched and rubbed slightly against my gloved hand before hissing... today, it was obvious he was. Not only did he press against my gloved hand, he didn't hiss and let me do it gain a few minutes later, and all on his own he approached my gloved hand and gave it headbutts. He also rubbed his face against a drawer handle, I haven't seen him rub against anything in the room before. He still bites the glove though, so those aren't coming off.

It sort of makes me feel bad that I'll be trapping him the way I plan... I hope he doesn't hate me after, but he probably will. However, he's still super food aggressive so if that's even remotely related to him not being neutered I want to have it done ASAP.

[Saly]

I did exactly what you are doing, got the trap and so on. I thought Ben might hate me too after trapping, but she did not! She also started off by gently rubbing up against anything she could find when she saw me, then over time she was rubbing her head all over me when I was sitting down. This is what she still does, only now I can pet her. I think he is coming along great!
Sally

[Leazie]

Good luck with the trapping/vet visit. You are doing a really great job with this kitty, and I am sure he knows it. Btw, have you given him a name?

[Carmel]

Originally Posted by Saly

I did exactly what you are doing, got the trap and so on. I thought Ben might hate me too after trapping, but she did not! She also started off by gently rubbing up against anything she could find when she saw me, then over time she was rubbing her head all over me when I was sitting down. This is what she still does, only now I can pet her. I think he is coming along great!
Sally

I hope he doesn't either, I'm glad to hear Ben didn't take it too badly.

He's just made good progress the last day, rolls around on my lap and headbutts and purrs. Mood swings are not to be messed with though, he was sitting on my lap and when I slowly tried moving my legs to shift him off of me he attacked my hand so viciously that his teeth sunk through the oven mitt and broke a bit of skin.

Originally Posted by Leazie

Good luck with the trapping/vet visit. You are doing a really great job with this kitty, and I am sure he knows it. Btw, have you given him a name?

Thanks, I hope it goes well too. I'm calling him Jasper. That, and "Crazy Cat" because of his personality shifts.

But now I need to take him in for another reason... he has puncture marks on his left arm. I never got close enough to really notice before, a few days ago I saw him jump down from the fridge and hold that paw up, but I didn't know why, and hadn't noticed any other problems so didn't try losing an arm to investigating.



Bad picture, but I couldn't get a clearer one, even with him right on my lap. So now the trapping has moved from "this week" to as soon as I can...

[Saly]

Good idea to take him in, keep up posted !
Sally

[Arianwen]

Just a slight aside (going back quite a lot of posts) - just because he is not spraying doesn't mean he is neutered. My old Shadow couldn't be neutered because of his asthma making the vet reluctant to anaesthetise him for the op (he was already an adult when we took him in). He never sprayed inside the house at all although I can't be sure what he did outside!