Topic: Should I feed feral cat? (Read 5802 times)

Millys Mum · « **Reply #30 on:** December 15, 2009, 11:19:59 AM »

Quote from: Mark on December 15, 2009, 09:24:21 AM

I would be wary of getting the RSPCA involved without checking what they would do if they caught the cat. CP or an independent rescue would be a safer bet.

I would check regardless of who you call before you get someone involved as i know theres CPs that pts 'problem' cats ie fiv or feral and rspca branches that dont, it varies from one to the next.

Fingers crossed they can lend you a trap

golden eagle · « **Reply #29 on:** December 15, 2009, 10:41:58 AM »

I have spoken to a neighbour who has lived in the area all her life and she recommended a local cat rescue. They are only open between 12-4pm so diarised to call them lunchtime today. I will check first though, before I give them any details, what they propose to do with the cat. I want to make sure that he is returned back to the wild back to us.

thanks for all your advice, guys.

Janeyk · « **Reply #28 on:** December 15, 2009, 09:46:45 AM »

I would def ring your local CP (I gave you the link in my previous post) they should be able to help

Mark · « **Reply #27 on:** December 15, 2009, 09:24:21 AM »

I would be wary of getting the RSPCA involved without checking what they would do if they caught the cat. CP or an independent rescue would be a safer bet.

golden eagle · « **Reply #26 on:** December 15, 2009, 09:10:34 AM »

Not sure if he has been neutered. I will need to call the RSPCA or another local cat rescue centre if they could help me catch him. He is very scared of humans so I wouldnt' know how to catch him and check if he has been done or not. He now comes every day. Watched him last weekend together with the kittens through the window wolf down his food. He was watching us but seemed more relaxed then before.He really is a very very big (not fat though) cat. Somebody else must be feeding him because he really doesnt look undernourished. He looks like a scottish wild cat. Absolutely stunning.

CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls · « **Reply #25 on:** December 14, 2009, 18:40:18 PM »

Blackie (the feral who now lives with my mum) he was around when I got my first cats and he was fine with them, all he came for was food, not a fight

Do you know if this cat is neutered at all?

golden eagle · « **Reply #24 on:** December 09, 2009, 11:05:02 AM »

Well, I left some dry food out for him and saw him eating it within 5 mins. He wolfed it down in 2 mins flat unlike my kittens who often turn their noses up at food

. Yesterday left him a chicken wing but then saw about 5 slugs having a go at it so brought it back in. Will try again during daylight when slugs are less active. Really hope me feeding him won't backfire and he will be nice to the kittens when they are first let out.

CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls · « **Reply #23 on:** December 06, 2009, 19:57:01 PM »

You are doing a good job to feed him. Ferals can also be won round, my mum has an ex feral living with her for 3 years now (blackie) and he is now starting to lay on the sofa when nobody is in the room

Although I have not stroked him to this day as he still hisses at me

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #22 on:** December 04, 2009, 23:44:32 PM »

feeding him a distance from your house may keep him at arm's length

I was talking to a neighbour the other day who has a smallholding, with ducks and chickens wandering freely, and he told me he puts out food every day for a local fox in an adjoining field, and because it is not hungry it does not come into his yard area at all

golden eagle · « **Reply #21 on:** December 03, 2009, 09:35:46 AM »

I love your post, Liz.

I guess if 46 can live in relative peace than why should I worry too much about just one feral cat. Am now decided to feed him. Every time I see this cat he makes my heart skip a beat. He is just so gorgeous and has that look on his face. Simply stunning.

Liz · « **Reply #20 on:** December 02, 2009, 20:16:25 PM »

Golden eagle we have 46 living in the house with us ( I have a very large house and land and live in the middle of nowhere!) and they have their own pets our 3 doggies and we have anywhere from 8 - 12 living outside in the wendyhouse and single garage - they have heatpads and food available all the time - I still need to trap 3 of the boys but only lady Indie is now living inside - she walked in one Sunday announced herself and never left - we now just have to catch her to get her speyed!

The majority are indoor/outdoor who arwe all in at night and the rest housecats at my choice!

Janeyk · « **Reply #19 on:** December 02, 2009, 16:53:31 PM »

If he's been neutered he may have already been trapped or be a stray but better to check it out. Good luck and keep us updated

golden eagle · « **Reply #18 on:** December 02, 2009, 16:48:39 PM »

Great. Thanks for all the info. Will make some calls tomorrow but must explain to them that I am not actually certain whether he's been done or not (or if he is a he at all). Will also leave some food out for him maybe by the pond coz I know he comes and drinks from it. Although I can't guarantee it won't get eaten by foxes or badgers. Plenty of those around.

Janeyk · « **Reply #17 on:** December 02, 2009, 16:29:33 PM »

Quote from: golden eagle on December 02, 2009, 15:38:59 PM

Ok, that puts my mind at ease as was really worried how a feral cat would react to being locked up. I am happy to feed him though as I said previously I believe he is being fed elsewhere. And I think he tends to sleep in our neighbour's stables. So long that it won't cause problems with our kittens (they are only so small and he is soooo big) than I think getting him neutered and released back to our area sounds like a good plan. I would miss not seeing him .

ps. We live in the Peaks, Derbyshire. Is there a CP in our area?

this link lists CP's in your region: http://www.catchat.org/adoption/derbys.html

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #16 on:** December 02, 2009, 16:27:48 PM »

Also see the Catchat listings for your area. Usually they are checkable by postcode. Many very good local groups do wonderful work with ferals. Cat Action Trust also are very good with ferals. Also please remember that in order for CP to handle feral work they need volunteers prepared to do it. Not all branches are that lucky... as far as I know it's only muggins in the whole of East Kent who likes dealing with ferals and farm cats.

Within 6 weeks of puss being neutered it should greatly reduce his urge to fight, he'll need less food and within a few months you should be great improvements in his coat condition and general health.

golden eagle · « **Reply #15 on:** December 02, 2009, 16:20:33 PM »

:omg:30 cats?

looking at the cats protection website trying to see if they have an office local to us

Liz · « **Reply #14 on:** December 02, 2009, 16:08:30 PM »

having 30 ferals living in the house with us ranging from those who sit on your knee - took 3 long years to those who live here and love the other cats, the dogs, food and central heating but still have hissy snitty issues with the humans I would say that some will react but if you can keep them in one room after going to the vet for the works then slowly and I mean slowly in some cases - we have 8 classed as work in progress but we left the window open for 3 days with Sammy and Blue in the room letting them go if they wanted and they stayed and were quite glad the widow was closed - Sammy is playing with our 4 feral kittens - 3 now nice and Miss maya on her terms - Blue loves Ace our badest feral and his breakfast saucer

It is a long road but very rewarding our feals range from 16 to 6 months - I have domestics with each set of ferals and also they have trained 2 puppies in 2 years and several of my ferals can be found curled up with the dogs in their crates!

golden eagle · « **Reply #13 on:** December 02, 2009, 15:38:59 PM »

Ok, that puts my mind at ease as was really worried how a feral cat would react to being locked up. I am happy to feed him though as I said previously I believe he is being fed elsewhere. And I think he tends to sleep in our neighbour's stables. So long that it won't cause problems with our kittens (they are only so small and he is soooo big) than I think getting him neutered and released back to our area sounds like a good plan. I would miss not seeing him

.

ps. We live in the Peaks, Derbyshire. Is there a CP in our area?

Janeyk · « **Reply #12 on:** December 02, 2009, 15:08:44 PM »

Quote from: golden eagle on December 02, 2009, 14:46:29 PM

ok, another stupid question - is there a website I could look up the number for CP? And what do CP do? I presume they don't release the cat back into the wild which brings me to the next question, if it's a feral cat with bad exp of humans it might take a while to find him a home and since he is used to roaming unfettered would it not be cruel to keep him shut in a cage? (more than one stupid quetion I guess )

Yep you can get your local CP no from the phone book or on the web, which area are you? It depends on many things I suppose. The ones we look out for (myself and 2 other neighbours) we trapped, there's about 12 in total. They are all really well cared for we all have kennels for them and they flit from house to house. Many sleep in the allotments behind our house a chap has a sort of barn and sheds in there with straw which they sleep in, my next door neighbour did take on one of the ferals from a kitten when she moved in and although domesticated he's always with the ferals still and he actually troops some of them into her conservatory. So basically, yep ours were trapped, neutered and released but I presume only because CP know they'd be well cared for, other than sleeping in here they are treated like our own and tbh I couldn't leave them I'm so attached. sorry for the long post

Dawn F · « **Reply #11 on:** December 02, 2009, 15:05:59 PM »

if its proper feral they just neuter and release

golden eagle · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2009, 14:46:29 PM »

ok, another stupid question - is there a website I could look up the number for CP? And what do CP do? I presume they don't release the cat back into the wild which brings me to the next question, if it's a feral cat with bad exp of humans it might take a while to find him a home and since he is used to roaming unfettered would it not be cruel to keep him shut in a cage? (more than one stupid quetion I guess

)

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2009, 14:38:39 PM »

CP is Cat Protection

golden eagle · « **Reply #8 on:** December 02, 2009, 14:27:28 PM »

sorry a very stupid question but what's a CP?

Janeyk · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2009, 14:04:55 PM »

Ours have all been ear-tipped so you can tell. I would contact CP firstly and ask for a trap to catch him to take him to vets and get him checked over, I could be lucky here but my local CP have arranged any treatment with the vets when I've trapped them and taken them in.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #6 on:** December 02, 2009, 13:58:44 PM »

Food is a way to a cats heart, especially if itd feral.

By feeding him regualrily he may find he loves you and that would give an opertunity eventaually to get him to a vet.....you can usually smell them if they are unneutered Toms.

golden eagle · « **Reply #5 on:** December 02, 2009, 13:53:37 PM »

I don't know whether he has been neutered. He is very timid and scared of humans (poor thing). I am just assuming it's a he because of his large size and the way he fought with my previous cat. My concern is that if I start feeding him he will come by even more often and then he might fight my kittens (they will be only 6m old when I let them out if I do let them out in Jan after they have been neutered) and I don't want them either bullied or even worse fight with him as I worry that he might infect them with something because it's unlikely he has been vaccinated. Am I rambling?

Janeyk · « **Reply #4 on:** December 02, 2009, 13:42:27 PM »

I would feed him although chances are if you ask around someone else is feeding him too. I feed ferals and they've never bothered any of ours at all, infact they want to be friends with them but ours aren't interested, although ours may be just a good bunch, has he been neutered?

golden eagle · « **Reply #3 on:** December 02, 2009, 13:36:51 PM »

did you mean to say you could not NOT feed it (double negative I know)

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #2 on:** December 02, 2009, 13:24:41 PM »

Its very difficult but I could not feed it

golden eagle · « **Reply #1 on:** December 02, 2009, 13:20:37 PM »

There is this gorgeous feral cat coming into our garden. My previous cat got into major fights with him and eventually won but I have always felt very sorry for the feral cat. Now we have 2 kittens that haven't been out yet. The feral cat has now come back reasserting our garden as part of his territory. The other day I saw it in the rain all wet drinking from our pond. My heart just went out to him.

Even my OH feels sorry for him and he is not a cat person. I have been toying with the idea of leaving some food out for him at the bottom of our garden but I worry that this might make it difficult for my 2 kittens when I start letting them out in a couple of months or so. The feral cat seems well and definitely not undernourished so he is either a very good hunter or is already being fed elsewhere. Any ideas what, if anything, I should do?

Author Topic: Should I feed feral cat? (Read 5802 times)