Advice/Reassurance needed with my semi feral

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Hope Bert is Ok today and I am sure with your love and care Bery will slowly stop being confused 

[mollycat]

Your run is great Ambi, it sounds like a good arrangement for your cat, I will definitely keep it in mind when we do move.
Yes Gill you're right, Bert isn't really semi feral, I think that was the best way the CP could describe him, he's a confused little thing.

Well thank you once again to everyone for really helpful advice 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I think we have to realize that Bert is not a feral, infact he is not really a semi feral but lived all his life at a rescue.

Yes I can see that there is a problem Molly and yes you may have to do as you say, you are right there are not many others doing what we do.........sigh.

Maybe his wild side is in his genes 

I think that you have to try and get him back to his routine and hope that he comes bacck...........I think he will cos he did yesterday and you are right you dont want  him being scared.

Just a point to remember, when you move he will need to stay in for at least two weeks or longer.

Its a major problem isnt it.

Wishing you loads of luck and hope it works 

[Ambi]

What you could think about when you move is a cat run. That is what we have - not everyone approves of that however our eldest has a problem with vaccs. Its a way of keeping him safe in case he cant have his vaccs but still giving him outdoor freedom. Means you dont have worries when they go out. Ours go out early morning & only come in for food (theyre free fed) & to use their litter tray. The run is attached to tge end of the kitchen & they get outside via a cat flap. A local joiner put it up for us. Few pics below just after its construction.  Maybe its something to think about..

View from conservatory



Taken up garden

[Liz]

We used ACP beacuse it knocked the ferals out for travelling and the vets advised us to use it so they slept, Valium wasn't recommended and we have been known to use ACP weith a feral the morning it is to have a dental then they are sleeping by the time we arrive at the vet

[LilyandGary]

when we moved house 5 years ago with the then 37 Clan Cats we used ACP tablets to drug the ferals and Ace still remembers

Slightly off topic, but my rescued dog is petrified of fireworks, which I only found out on Bonfire night last year after I had had her 7 months. I took her to the vet who prescribed Valium instead of ACP. She (and others have since) said that ACP does not make them forget the incident, where Valium sedates and acts as an amnesiac as well so they forget the event. With ACP they are fully aware which can terrify animals as they cannot show normal fear due to the drug. The valium worked well as she was not so out of it she went off her legs, but sedated her enough for the evening to make her much less terrified. It lasted 6 hours, and needed to be given half an hour before the fireworks were expected to start. It was good for New Year too.

[mollycat]

Thanks Liz, ah bless him, he obviously knows what's good for him!
Gill, it's nice to read about some of the ways you deal with problems, it can feel like you're the only person having to do all of this when everyone else has friendly cats they can handle.

Would really appreciate some advice on next steps today.
Bert slept on our bed last night, and then when we got into bed he got into his bed next to ours all night as he has been doing for a couple of weeks now, except the night he stayed out.
After feeding this morning when I would normally let him out he was meowing to go out and then went back to the bedroom and peed on the bed. He was scratching trying to cover it over. It's like he has got so used to going to the toilet outside that he forgot about the litter tray.
After stripping the bed and spraying with the stuff that gets rid of the smell I shut him out of the bedroom and moved his litter tray from the kitchen to the lounge, then went out for a couple of hours to leave him in peace.
I've just got back, he's asleep on a chair and has used the litter tray. When he wakes up I know he will only be interested in going out. If I keep him in do you think it would need to be a permanent thing or would he perhaps get back into his routine after being in for a few days? Since he's been going out I do feel that we've lost some of the small relationship we were starting to build with him, but feel he would find it hard not to go out ever now he's had a taste of it.
I have da bird and a laser pen and he used to love playing with them before, but now it's like he's obsessed with being outside, watching what neighbouring cats are up to and watching real birds, and so isn't interested in toys.
As I said before I wouldn't mind him being out most of the day, but since the spot on treatment it seems once he's out he's wary to come back in at all, and I don't want him to think 'when I go in there I get shut in so I'm not doing that again'.
As soon as this place sells we're moving to a house with a cat flap which I think will suit him better, but until then I need to find the best way I can for him. Worrying about him is wearing me out!

[Liz]

Ferals do adapt to living inside they do need entertained and can recommend the Da Bird and the laser Toy from the Purrs shop

We have darling Ace who is unhandlable but adores other cats and when we moved house 5 years ago with the then 37 Clan Cats we used ACP tablets to drug the ferals and Ace still remembers but in May this year after havinghad the darling boy for 7 years Oh decided he really should have a vets visit, so we got him finally in to a crush cage and got him off to the vets, he got all his boosters at once, along with a Programme injection and an ID chip as he was the only cat here without one

He was very unimpressed and did not come near us for about 10 days after that but still got his treats he is still wary but if he is running on the stairs now we can get a quick stroke then he washes for hours having been touched by a human

This is Ace my darling boy as you can see has adapted well to this inside living lark, and he does love the catroom bed with full elelctric blanket and pillows

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

So pleased he is home and well done your sneakie OH 

From what you said in your first post, its doesnt sound like Bert ever lived outside, so although he  may like it out there, right now he can live indoors lol and then once used to living with you, you can try again. I dont think you are being cruel, just retraining him and showing him that you love him and will not hurt him. Its such a trust thing between animals and there human.

He needs to learn that he has nice places to lie safely and warm inn the house and he gets food and water and a tray and he will get to like his home comforts just like Sasa does. Its what brings them back in the end 

While he is back inside think its time to train him to come to the clink of food dishes, rattle of treats or something that he will be able to recognize as food and when you let him out again , only do it when he is hungry.
Sasa like Bert is a real problem with jabs and spot ons and I only take Sasa once a year for a health check cos its so stressful for both of us and right now she is due to go but cant even try to catch her.

I cant touch Sasa so have to trap her in the house and use the hall, shutting off all the doors and blocking access to the stairs. I have a good size cage where the whole of one size opens and cover it with a towel and trap her in a corner. Its the only time I can stroke her cos she freezes and eventually she goes into the cage and I make a flexible appt with vet. Last year took me three attenpts to catch her and luckily my vets are very good.

She doesnt try and hurt anyone, Bert maybe different, she cries all the way but freezes on vet table for just long enough for him to adminster stronghold , a worming injection cos spot on  cant be done as same time as flea spot on and a quick exam.

If she needs anything else or a full exam then I take her in the night before and they sedate her and she blames them for starving her LOL.

Its all very much trial and error but I am not quick enough or strong enough to catch her without  trapping her, she is heavy and very strong.


If you think you need to put on stronghold more regularily than me  try to only do it when you really need to and again when he is hungry, if he then chooses to go out in a huff he will be back quickly, just give him a bit of time before you start your signalling 

I hope this helps but do not hesitate to ask anything else you need to know.

Semi ferals are a challenge especially when they stay that way .

[mollycat]

Thanks Gill, it's so nice to find other like-minded people who don't think I'm mad for taking on this cat and being so worried about him!

You were right! Just after I typed that first line he came in to eat some chicken I had put down. I don't think he's very happy at being shut in (my husband had a sneaky string system set up on the door handle so we could close it without moving!) but I'll be glad to be getting some sleep tonight!

I tend to think you're right about keeping him in for a while to remind him that we're not that bad, I need to not give in to the sad little meows that I know he will do near the door  - someone said today that it was cruel to do that and I should just let him live outside if he wants, but I'm trying to see it as training him for a home life which he's never had before. Would you say that was a fair way to look at it?

How do you deal with fleas, jabs etc with your Sasa?
How sweet that Misa would go and visit her! Bert loves other cats so am hoping he will be happy to have a companion at some point in the future 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I am the owner of a semi feral and she also is terrified of people and currently spending most time outside due to a new kitten, one year old on Sunday, in the house.

They seem to get very cross at changes and it took a long time to get her to the point of eating in front of me but like yours she got upset at something about 3 months after her arrival and ran away for a week.

The difference between Sasa and Bert is she lived for a long time with ferals so knows how to look after herself,,,,,,,,just soft now cos she has been here for 6 years LOL

Your Bert however doesnt know this so I think he will desperately want to come into his house, did you have a time of day he used to come in from outside? If so that when you need to leave the door open and stay well away and also at his normal food times. Dont let him see you watching him just let him do what he wants and if then settles shut the door.

You then need to keep him in for a while I think and try to get him to get back to normal.

It took a week for Sasa to come back but my other cat Misa knew where she was hiding outside and used to go each evening just as it waqs going dusk to play with her and she eventually came home with  him. The first time she just came in and ate, stayed an hour an left again but the second time she ate and left but when I got up the next day she was asleep on her sofa................I do have a flap so makes it easier.

So another time to leave the door open with a light on is as its going dusk.

Hope he comes back tonight and I wouldnt be surprised 

[mollycat]

Thanks Liz, I will get another Feliway diffuser and he loves catnip, so that might be a way to tempt him back.

I knew he would take a long time to start trusting us, it's such a shame that all of that work seems to have been undone and we're starting back at square one, except this time he's outside instead of in!

Thanks again.

[Liz]

Over 2 thirds of mine  are ferals ranging from nice to unhandlable

You have scared him and the trust will take some time to build up again in our case we take ours to the vet every 6 months for  Programme Injection and booster  and some of them hates us till the next time

I would get some Plug in feliway and have that plugged in asap and also if he eats wet food some Zylkene capsules split and popped on to the wet food takes the edge of them and does calm slightly

I also use dried catnip and Valarian and sprinkle it on the floor near where mine prefer to come in and they so love the catnip to roll in

Feel free to pm me if you want further advice as some folks aren't keen on my ideas but I have 35 ferals sharing my home from 12 weeks to 15 years young so have a lot of tried and tested hints

[mollycat]

Hi there,

I have just joined the site in the hope of some specific advice, although I've been reading other people's questions and getting some good tips from those for a while now!

I'll try to keep this as short as possible...
We took on Bert from our local Cat Protection at the beginning of June, he was classed as semi-feral as he was born to a wild Mum, taken in as a young cat and had lived at the rescue ever since (for over a year, he's about 2 now). This said he has never acted 'wild' even indoors, and seems happy in human company as long as he isn't approached.
I wanted to give him a chance as I didn't mind if he didn't want to be fussed, and they said the likelihood of him being homed was slim as he is very fearful of humans, poor thing.
Anyway he hid at first as we expected, but after a few weeks he started to eat in front of us, play with toys on a string and has never failed to use his litter tray. He was finding being kept inside all of the time difficult so we started to let him out recently, under supervision at first, and then independently, which was working out fine and calmed him down.
However, he had been scratching a lot lately and was well overdue with his spot on, so yesterday, despite him not allowing us to touch him, we had to bite the bullet, hold him and put on the treatment. (I wanted to use a spot-on as I suspected he may have ear mites and knew Stronghold covered these).
He seemed fine once he got over the initial shock, however last night he stayed out all night for the first time, and wouldn't come in for food like he usually does. He has popped in today and eaten food that I had put by the door, then ran straight back out. He doesn't go far, always in our garden (I can see him for most of the time) and sits outside our patio door.
I'm inexperienced with semi ferals; has he perhaps lost trust in us because we grabbed him, and may slowly start to come back inside to sleep as before? Or has he decided that he is happier outside (we're not allowed a cat flap here so he can't come and go as freely as he may like) and should I accept that he will live mainly out there (and set up some kind of sheltered sleep area, or is that encouraging him to stay out!) I don't mind if that is what he would prefer, but I can't help worrying about him out there (foxes, bigger cats etc) and feeling like I've failed him a little.
Would really appreciate advice from those of you in the know, could I have dealt with things better? Sorry for the essay!