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Avatar universal

Feral Cat

Hi,
I always had dogs and I never had a cat before. There is a Feral Cat that I have been feeding. He is now very friendly, lets me pet him, brush him and he follows me all over the yard. Lays on the grass right next to me when I am on the lounge chair in the yard. To tell you the truth, I am shocked - this cat reminds me of a dog. I never thought cats were this friendly.
I want to bring him in my house, but I know I have to take him to the Vet and get him neutered and shots and blood tests etc.

Can someone tell me what exactly should I get done? I know I have heard people talk of feline aids and leukemia. So I guess I should get him checked for that?
His shots, how many does he need and do I get them all together or should they be split up? As far as worming, is there a certain worm medicine that works better than others?

Also I would rather keep him indoors all times after he gets fixed because there are 4 other feral cats that seem to be after him. He is probably only 3 or 4 months old and these cats really try to hurt him. I have caught them attacking him several times and have chased them. As I said, I know nothing about cats and I have no idea why they do this to him. If its territorial, he hardly leaves my yard, ever. He loves being with us and is happy to just hang out with us.

Also, do you think its unfair to him if I make him totally a house cat? I am really attached to him and I don't want to worry about him leaving the yard in the middle of the night and getting hit by a car or killed by those other cats.

Any info would be appreciated.
thanks, MO
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874521 tn?1424116797
thanks for the beautiful post, its so nice to hear stories such as that one. You are a remarkable person to have taken in and cared for this poor little waif who needed someone to love her so badly and you found away to get her the medical treatment she so badly needed.....thank God for people such as you.
And for clinic's such as the one you have for Yes caring for the animal above the profit.....kudos
please stay with our cat community, we here are all cat lovers(dogs too) we love to share stories and advice....welcome♥
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Avatar universal
Sounds like a wonderful pairing. We ourselves have also always been dog people until about 6 months ago when returning home after walking our dog we found this tiny kitten that looked so sad and pathetic just sitting by the corner of our storage shed. Our dog went up to it and the kitten didn't move or react other than to meow. When we got closer we noticed that her right eye was literally hanging out of it's socket.. It was a weekend evening and no vets in our area. We took it in the house, nursed it as best we could. What it wanted was food and water. Funny thing it seemed to not be in any kind of pain atleast it didn't act of make anykind of pain noises. I have heard cats in pain and this one was doing none of that. First thing the next day we took her to our vet where they told us the eye could not be saved and that she needed more than her eye taken care of. Total bill was in the hundreds, we were honest with the vet and told her no way could we afford that kind of money, but if allowed we would pay it in monthly installments. She was very understanding and really generous, charged us only 1/2 of the total and allowed us to pay it off in monthly payments. The kitten is now a fun loving member of our home and she and the dog get along famously with the exception that the dog will take away any toy the kitten might be playing with even if it is just a piece of paper. It has been about 6 months and we had her spayed, the evening after getting her home the stitches came off and some of her belly lining was out of her body. Thank goodness her pain killer was still working, so there we go calling the emergency vet and at 5 am she was in her care restitched, sterilised and now back home. No charge for any of the care .. We have been both fortunate in having the kitten find our home and having found this wonderful vet and her staff that put the animals first, profit yes, but not once has she ever made us feel that the money was the most important thing. Take it from people who said we would never have cats... take him in, get him to the vets and get ready for one of the most rewarding experiences and relationships you will ever have in this lifetime.  We wish you and the cat many many years of a wonderful life together.
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Avatar universal
Thanks Jade. Yes I have been adopted:) you're right.
Thanks for the tip on doing that with the towel. That makes total sense but I wouldn't have thought of that.
Always having dogs and knowing alot about them, its going to take time to learn about cats.


Thanks guys!  If I think of anything else, I will ask and I am sure I will have plenty of questions:)
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Avatar universal
I didn't misunderstand your post, but I accept your apology.
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Avatar universal
My apologies if you misunderstood my post.  It was not my intent to be snippy and my comments were not personally addressed to you and I am sorry it made you feel defensive. I was simply expressing a different perspective.  Hospitals save people and shelters save animals.  That makes them happy places to me.  I've worked at several shelters and hospitals and at each of them I have been amazed at how much they do with so little. Do they ever make mistakes?  Of course they do.  Most public shelters have to use community service (i. e. criminals) "volunteers" because it is court ordered and their day to day operations depend on it.  And when that results in bad press, the local politicians fire the director to appease their constituents rather than raise taxes or allocate more of the budget to staff shelters sufficiently.  
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242912 tn?1660619837
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi and congrats on your new kitty!  Looks like you've been adopted, haha.   Having PC problems and didn't read the entire thread, but would like to elaborate on one thing that I hope will help.  

You'll get your cat carrier and when you take "Sweet Red" to the vet, cover the carrier with a towel so kitty can't see the movement out the car window.  I will hope you'll get lucky and Sweet Red won't mind the car, but many cats get very upset, so if you make it so they can't see, it seems to help calm them.

Good luck!!  Your first cat - how exciting!  So cool, kitty picked YOU, MO :)
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Avatar universal
"'Please support your local shelter rather than condemn it."

I condemned it? Where did I do that?

If you are referring to me saying that its a sad place. It is - period. That doesn't reflect on whether or not the animal shelter is a good shelter or not. I say Hospitals are sad places, but that doesn't mean they are bad places.  Every time I pray for patience I meet someone like you. Gee thanks for being my answered prayer. I didn't bite your head off for your snippy post. I guess God will reward me for my patience. Thanks nancy for helping me pass the test.

And ya know what,,,,years ago one of my volunteer jobs had to do with holding Aids babies. Thats all, just hold them because they just lie there in cribs all day and night. It was sad to me, but I did it. People would say OMG that must be sad when they found out what I was doing. I didn't tell them "please support the hospital rather than condemn it." My answer to them was "yes, it is very sad." - because it was.  I really didn't view their comment as 'condemning the hospital.'

But while on the subject of Animal Shelters. There ARE animal Shelters that stink. This one that I had gone to I actually did have every right to knock if I so chose because it was in the newspaper for some real bad stuff - A Volunteer who was abusing dogs. They replaced the person who was in charge and the volunteer was brought up on charges.

So when someone tells someone to support an Animal Shelter, they also need to know what that particular Shelter is all about. If you Volunteer at a shelter whose best interest is in the animals than thats good, but not all are.
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Avatar universal
It isn't shelters that are sad, rather what is sad is that so many people abandon their pets.  What you see at a shelter may be a reflection of that, but it is not the shelter that creates the problem, it is irresponsible pet owners that just turn their domesticated pets out when they are no longer convenient.  Public shelters do the best they can with very little budget and very little staff.  They are required to take any animal that is brought to them within their jurisdiction, unlike the Humane Society, or private rescue groups which can pick and choose what and how many animals they take.  So yes, shelters do have to euthanise animals when they have no more space, but they save a lot more from injury, starvation, and death.  Please support your local shelter rather than condemn it.  
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996946 tn?1503249112
I just found the catnip thread I started.... it was catnip??? back in Oct  and I just typed the word catnip in above where it says search for treatments, conditions... There are other threads as well listed.  That was funny, Annie...rolling off the table stoned on catnip.  My kitties know when to quit I guess ;)
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134578 tn?1693250592
Catnip is an herb, a relative of the mint family.  You can grow it, if you don't mind every cat in the neighborhood rolling in your garden.  Cats love the smell.  You can buy it dry at the pet store or grocery store's pet section.  If you sprinkle it on the ground for them, they smell it, smell it, smell it, lick it, munch some, roll in it, and get (apparently) a little stoned.  If another cat is around, they might bat at it.  It's pretty funny, don't give it to Sweet Red on a tabletop or he might roll off.  :)
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Avatar universal
Hi guys:)
"Sweet Red" - Hey, I like that!! So Sweet Red it is! :)
Thank you all so much for ALL the tips and info. I really appreciate it!

Linda, I definitely will take a look at the cat scratch exerciser, thanks. I'm going to look for that thread too. Cat Nip, I have always heard people talk about Cat Nip but I don't know why it makes cats happy or playful or whatever it does. I never asked anyone I guess. Not ever planning to be the owner of a Cat, I guess it was info I didn't need, but now I ask you, what actually is Cat nip or why do cats like it? :)

Pip, thanks for that info - that is interesting that cats don't like the feel of the nubs on their feet. Did you experiment and come up with using the clear runner pieces or is this that most cat people know? Yeah, I definitely would not want a cat on a countertop so I'll try that if he jumps up on the counter.

Annie, I like that suggestion about getting the cat used to me touching his feet. I'm glad you mentioned they have that blood vessel in there. My dogs were always fine when I would trim their nails but one time I hit that vessel.
My dog didn't cry but she did bleed and I felt so bad. After what you said about going to the Vet, I think I will go with my husband. SR probably will feel safer if I am there, you're right.
And also what you said about asking the Vet questions - you're right I should be there.

nancy - I will check to see if they have that program. As long as they do release them, it would be great. But if they put them in the local shelter, that would not be good because the shelter that's in my County puts the animals down if they aren't adopted within a certain amount of weeks. Its sad.
I had gone there not too long ago with a friend who wanted to adopt a dog ( I wish I didn't go, sad place) and there were so many cats and the dogs too. Lots of Pits and Pit mixes, so I doubt there are many adopted out which is sad.
But I will check it out to see if they have the Program that you mentioned.

Thanks again guys:)
MO
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996946 tn?1503249112
I think it's unanimous.....Red, Sweet Red...later he can be BIg Red, ha-ha-ha!  Did you get a chance to look at my cat scratch exerciser ( it's more that than a post.)  And you know I was wrong about where I got it.  My husband said he got it at Sam's and thought it was more like $18 but believe me, it's been more than worth it ;)
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Avatar universal
Feral cats are those who have been born "in the wild", often for several generations.  There behavior is more like birds, raccoons, squirrels, bobcats, etc. than a domesticated cat.  They are taught from birth to fear and stay away from humans, by their mothers just as those other animals are.  They are also taught to hunt, including free meals. Just like birds where their are birdfeeders or squirrels where people leave them nuts, their will continue to be feral cat colonies wherever their is food put out for them.  

Often stray or abandoned cats (those born to domestic cats and then abandoned by the mother cat's owners) will fall in with a colony of feral cats.  If if they don't, it is typically for them to be skittish at first due to their limited experience as a stray, but typically will revert to domesticated behavior over time.  A feral cat does not any more than a wild bird or squirrel does.  I work at an animal shelter with about 500 cats, both domestic and feral.

You and your neighbors might want to check with your local animal control office or shelter to see if they have a trap-neuter-release program for feral cats.  A growing feral cat colony is a threat to domesticated pets, and TNR keeps the population in check without having to kill the existing generation.
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506791 tn?1439842983
I hope you agree, looks like Kitty has a name =)
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134578 tn?1693250592
Be sure your scratching post does not look like your other furniture in any way.  That way, Sweet Red will be able to tell that one is OK to scratch and the other is not.  The rope-wound ones are great, and don't look like the sofa, and also last a long, long time compared to some others.  

Don't be afraid to take the cat to the vet yourself.  He will get more good out of it than bad, in other words, he will definitely take more comfort in your presence than he will associate the bad ole' vet with you.  Besides, you'll want to be the one who talks to the vet about any choices to be made.

Batting a brush after a tummy brushing is not displaced aggression, don't worry.  Displaced aggression is when you're calmly patting kitty and he's purring, and suddenly he lashes out.  Sweet Red does sound like a kitty who started life socialized to humans, but was turned out very early.  I don't know why people do that.

Finally, clipping the nails -- it's different with cats than dogs.  The nail on a dog is more round, and the claw on a cat is flat, so the professionals I know in the cat world recommend using a human-being nail clipper on a cat, turned sideways to be parallel to the flatness of the cat's claw, rather than one of those huge dog nail clippers.  

To get both of you accustomed to the idea of handling his feet, when Sweet Red is in your lap sometime and purring and relaxed, just pick up his foot and press on the underside of the toes, and the claws will extend.  Do that a number of times, and when the time comes to clip the tips, he won't be worried about you messing with his foot.  Like a dog's nails, there is a blood vessel inside, but it doesn't extend into the tip, and cats' claws are clear enough for you to actually see it.  The vet can clip the nails the first time if it makes you too nervous.  :)
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996946 tn?1503249112
Actually I do have a really good scratching post and there is a picture of it on my profile page.  It was recently a topic of discussion on another thread.  I got mine at either Walmart or PetSmart and it was $13 but that was a couple of yrs ago so I'm not sure if they still have them. It's pretty cool...it even came with a little vial of catnip.  My kitties love it ♥
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506791 tn?1439842983
Over the years I've found that my kitties like rope-wound scratching posts (natural sisal fiber) and flat pads (about 2" thick, made of cardboard strips glued into a block) the best.  Get a post long enough so Sweet Red can get in a good muscle stretch.

They go gonzo when I shine the laser "bug" on the floor for them to chase.

A squirt gun or spray bottle set on "stream" is a good training tool to help him understand where not to scratch.

That clear carpet runner, with the nubs on the bottom...put pieces of it, nubs up, on surfaces you do not want him jumping up to, like countertops.  Kitties don't like the nubby feeling on their paw pads. =)
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Avatar universal
lol, yes it is a match made in Heaven:)
My dog passed and my mother lost her dog not too long ago too. So this cat is truly a God send. We miss our dogs so much and me and my husband will never get over losing this last dog we had. We loved all our dogs but this dog was extra special. She understood as much as probably a 4 year old child, really understood everything we said, so its like losing a child when your dog passes, then my mothers dog ( my mother lives with us) so we had a rough time as far as our pets. Losing then really took its toll on us and this Cat really does seem like God sent it to us to help heal our broken hearts.

Yes, I was wondering about those scratching post things. If they use them will they help file their nails down? I am afraid actually if I have to someday trim the cats nails.

If you ever saw the huge scary looking dogs I have had ( yet all so sweet) and I am not afraid of dogs at all, yet I am afraid of how I have seen cats all of a sudden do that hiss thing unexpectedly and scratch. He hasn't but I had seen my brother in laws cat do that and it scared me because I can tell when a  strange dog is uncomfortable or is ready to growl, but it seems with cats they can freak out suddenly and hiss and I guess a Cat person can tell when it is going to happen, but I don't have a clue.

So its weird that I think nothing of trimming huge dogs - their nails, but if I am going to have to do this cats nails, I know I will be nervous. So hopefully you will tell me that scratching post will keep his nails filed.

We haven't really named him yet. We call him Sweety. But he is Red (orange) and white, so maybe we will call him Red.
Thanks for being excited for me.:) We are excited too.
I really am just so amazed at how sweet and sooooo smart this cat is. We weren't planning on anymore pets for a while as it just hurts so much when they pass, but this all happened so naturally, so we know it is meant to be:)
Thanks Linda,
MO
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Avatar universal
I don't know how to tell if he was abandoned or feral. There is another one that looks just like him, and seems to be same age and you can't get near that cat.  I do think he is a feral cat - he didn't let us come near him in the beginning at all and now he does and I think the reason he seems to love us so much is he knows he is protected. One of the huge cats that is after him, 5 o'clock in the morning I heard cat screams and I ran out onto my deck, this huge black cat then came running down my tree. He came down from being high up there. I quick grabbed a flash light and looked up and sure enough my little guy was so far up, I near died. I couldn't imagine him being able to get down without me calling the fire department.  I coaxed him and he started his way down.

This has happened 4 times so far. At first he didn't know how to get down that well and would climb down head first and in slipping he learned if he goes down backwards he can do it.

I truly thinks he is just so appreciative and knows we are trying to protect him, that it has made him very loving.  And we have lots of patience with animals - always have had dogs, so letting him warm up to us was not hard. I believe he stuck around because he does fear for his own safety, but now he is very attached to us.
My neighbors tell me there have always been feral cats in the neighborhood, but we never had them come around because we always had dogs and I guess they could smell them or see us in the yard with them - so no cats ever passed thru, but I'm told they ferals have always been around.

As far as the shots, I do worry about them, though he needs them. yes pros and cons with the dog vaccines, so I guess the same with cats. Maybe I will split them up, but I don't know which ones to get first. I guess the vet will advise, but some vets think there is nothing wrong with doing a slew of shots all at once, I disagree, so I will see - thanks.
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996946 tn?1503249112
Sounds like a match made in Heaven...♥  He may not be a feral in the true sense of the word.  If he is picked on by the ferals, maybe he is unrelated to them and just got dropped off by your house at some point.  Ferals can be pretty skittish and sometimes can never be socialized. Nevertheless, sounds like you have a great relationship developing with you new found furry friend. Do your dogs accept him?  I think it's going to be important to keep him away from those ferals? Be sure he has a scratching post and some little cat toys to help him adjust to his new surroundings.  Of course you can wait and take care of all those details after you get him properly checked out by the Vet.  I'm excited for you!  Have you named him yet?
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Avatar universal
hey Pip!:) Hi Annie!
thanks guys. Pip, supervised yard time sounds like a good idea. And you know what Pip, I do see this cat as a future good 'watch dog."And I say this because he is so loving and he so appreciates the attention and love he has received and most good watch dogs protect out of love. I really could imagine this cat attacking someone if someone ever tried to hurt me. Pip, I am glad you guys all seem to know alot about cats. I am so used to dogs and know alot about them, that now it feels weird that I have a pet and I know nothing.

He is so smart, it amazes me. As I said, I am not used to cats, never had one and I am just in total shock how much this cat is like a dog. I do think he will be like a "watch dog." Annie, you're right, I don't think this guy will have that misplaced aggression as you mentioned. He did take a few swipes at me, but I think it was just that he wanted to play with the brush as I was brushing him. I start out brushing his back and then he throws himself down on his back for me to brush his stomach! lol I couldn't believe when he did that, it is so cute. Just like a dog! So anyhow, as I was brushing his stomach he tried to hit the brush. I don't think (?) that is what you are referring to as misplaced aggression?

My brother in law has a couple of cats and he loves them of course but they seem to just walk into a room, check everyone out and then walk away. This cat I have to be careful not to step on because he wants to be so close that as I walk he rubs up against my legs and walks in between them as I walk.

I don't want to discourage him from doing that right now because I want him to continue to trust us. I just tell my mother to be careful so she doesn't trip.

Supervised yard time is a good idea:) I think I will do that - thanks. This way he gets the best of both worlds and if I am in the yard, I know he will not leave. The majority of the time even when I am not in the yard, if I look out, he is lying right there on the lawn furniture or under the table on a shelf. I put a baby blanket under there to make it more comfortable.

Yes annie, as far as making it safe, he does have a wooden box he can go into. My husband wanted to make a dog house type of thing before we decided we are going to make him a house cat. He had said he would insulate it and make just a small opening enough for him to get into, but i was afraid if one of the bad cats got in there he would be trapped, so he said he would make a opening in the back of the little house too, but now we just can't see leaving him out.
It will be hard enough to think of the other cats being outside somewhere - even though they are fresh to him, its just part of nature the way they are acting I guess.

There is a GORGEOUS little gray kitten too. I mean gorgeous too! Now I am feeding him too. My husband wants to shoot me but I cant let this little guy starve. This guy is afraid to come close to me though.
I am trying to talk my neighbor into taking him in, but until then I will keep an eye on him and feed him.
My little guy doesn't seem to mind him coming around as long as he has had his food and is full he seems okay and the times he has chased him he wasn't nasty, it seemed he was playing more than anything else.

I will get a carrier and thanks for the tip on putting a pad in there. I would not have thought of that. I just hope he doesn't get all stressed out going to the vet but I don't know how he won't be. I don't think I am going to go to the Vets, I'll have my husband take him with his brother or someone. I don't want to be the bad guy to him or have him lose trust in me thinking I am hurting him. Let my husband be the bad guy and put him in the carrier.:)

Thanks Pip, thanks Annie! I will let you guys know how things go!
Take care,
MO
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Avatar universal
Your kitten is not feral.  A feral cat is a wild animal and would not behave this way.  What you have is a stray or abandoned domesticated cat.  I have a cat (now 14 years old) who was abandoned as a kitten.  He is also territorial about his yard.  He has been an indoor/outdoor cat all of his life, unlike my other cats which are strictly indoor.  

Your vet will tell you what needs to be done.  Different vets can have different protocols for testing and vaccinations.  There are pros and cons to each,  
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134578 tn?1693250592
ps -- Buy a decent cat carrier.  They cost about $29 at the pet store or even places like Target, and can be used for kitty's entire life.  Put an incontinence pad into it or paper towels, the first time you take him in the car.  The carrier can make a cat feel safer.  (If he's like my feral, he will be a very quiet car rider.  It's only my indulged housecats that make a fuss.)
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134578 tn?1693250592
We have a formerly feral cat who is also very ingratiating and dog-like.  I think he's just grateful that someone took care of him and wants us to know it.  Have him tested for all the standard things (the vet can advise you) and have him wormed and put him on some Frontline to knock down any fleas, before you bring him in.  Is there a way to make a safe place for him in the meantime, such as a cardboard box with a blanket that is in the garage, which you can toss once he's de-flea'd?  That way you wouldn't have to worry about the other ferals in the neighborhood harming him.

He sounds like a neat cat.  Our feral is, he even follows us on long walks.  The only problem with him is that he has that "displaced aggression," where if you pat him he gets too excited and slashes at you after a while.  But it doesn't sound like your little guy is doing that.  Lucky you -- formerly-ferals are pretty neat.
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