Strange story/how do I trap a stray cat? (slightly long)

About a month ago, one of my closest friends died suddenly of a
massive heart attack at the age of 53. He was like a brother to me. It
was a great shock and since then, I have been struggling to cope with
the loss.

I can't remember when it was, but I was driving home from work when I
called out to my friend and asked him to give me a sign of some sort
that he was out there.

Well, a day or so later (I think two weeks ago Friday), I first
noticed the yowlings of a cat in the next door neighbor's yard, and
then he gravitated towards my yard. This doesn't happen often and when
it does, my strictly indoor cats (Cleo and Enkidu) go nuts. This time
they seemed calmer than usual. Also, this cat stuck around (the ones
that come into the yard usually don't). I also saw it on Saturday.

On Sunday, I came home from work to find the cat on top of the storage
hut directly outside my house, meowing very loudly. It was as though
he was saying "HEY, I'M TALKING TO YOU! LISTEN TO ME - NOWWWW (this is
not unlike the way my friend would talk to me sometimes! I finally
gave in and fed him some dry cat food. He was very wary at first, but
eventually he came round and ate all the food.

The cat settled in and perched in the little sheltered alcove right
underneath my side window. He only meowed when I passed by the window
and he could see me. I placed a mat down on the floor so that he
wouldn't come in direct contact with the cold ground.

The next morning, he was perched again on the storage hut, waiting for
his breakfast. I have tons of canned cat food and some dry food in the
house that my other cats don't like, so there is plenty to feed him.
This time when I gave him the food, he came up and rubbed against me.

It occured to me that morning that maybe my friend, who loved animals
and always kept a cat or two at home has indeed left me a sign?

It's been two weeks now and the cat (a tabby tom) who I've named
Scamito, has a bed (a cat carrier with soft bedding) that I've placed
on a shelf in the little alcove. I leave him dry cat food and place
some canned food out each morning. He's been coming and going now for
the past two weeks.

I'd like to trap him - but he is a bit on the wild side (certainly not
vicious). I'm concerned as there is a rabies alert in my neighborhood
and I really need to get him vaccinated. He's scratched me once on the
leg (I got a tetanus shot and kept an eye on him for 10 days after
that) and again slightly a few days ago when I've put out his food (I
was even wearing garden gloves). I think he just gets carried away or
is frightened of my hand. I also have a feeling he was abused and
dumped, because he is not at all scrawny. (He is actually quite pretty
with quizzical look on his face).

I'm nervous when I don't see him for more than 24 hours, the last time
I saw him was yesterday afternoon - in his bed. I know he was here
during the night because I saw "dents" in the food bowl.

The question is, do I have any hope of gaining this animal's trust? Is
there a chance he would calm down enough? The cat carrier now has the
door attached to it and the only time I can take him to the vet is in
the late afternoons when I come home from work. So it is a question of
luck if he is in his bed at the time and I can get the door closed. Is
it realistic to hope that someday I can get him to the vet,
innoculated and possibly fixed?

I think he has a bad case of worms (he had the runs) and I got a worm
pill from the vet and put it into his food (which he has thankfully
eaten).

I know it is a long, complicated haul but for obvious reasons I feel
an affinity for this cat and want to make the effort.

Has anyone had any experiences similar to this one (ie trapping a
stray?)

Your comments/stories would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Marcie

Has anyone had any experiences similar to this one (ie trapping a
stray?)

I'm sure Megan or Arjun or some of the poeple experienced in rescue will give
you some good advice soon but I think it's very promising that he already
sleeps in a carrier with the door on it. Some stray cats are wary of those.
You could get him in the morning while he's in the bed and shut the door then
and then put the carrier with him in it somewhere safe and warm until you get
home from work, your bathroom or an extra bedroom. He won't be happy, of
course, but it would be ultimately for his own good. Has he been neutered?
You should do that, too, while you have him at the vet and let him stay there
for a couple days to recover if you are going to keep him as an outside cat.
Maybe you can acclimate him to an indoor life with your own cats?

Maybe if you can catch him in the morning, instead of keeping the carrier in a
safe place until you get home from work, you could just drop him off at the
vet's on your way into work and they could just get him vaccinated and neutered
then. But if you are going to release him again to the outdoors, it would be
best to let him recuperate at the vet's for a day or 2 especially if it's cold
where you live.

It's nice that you are helping him. I hope it all works out. Keep us posted.






Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human." (Loren Eisely)

Has anyone had any experiences similar to this one (ie trapping a
stray?)

I'm sure Megan or Arjun or some of the poeple experienced in rescue will give
you some good advice soon but I think it's very promising that he already
sleeps in a carrier with the door on it. Some stray cats are wary of those.
You could get him in the morning while he's in the bed and shut the door then
and then put the carrier with him in it somewhere safe and warm until you get
home from work, your bathroom or an extra bedroom. He won't be happy, of
course, but it would be ultimately for his own good. Has he been neutered?
You should do that, too, while you have him at the vet and let him stay there
for a couple days to recover if you are going to keep him as an outside cat.
Maybe you can acclimate him to an indoor life with your own cats?

Maybe if you can catch him in the morning, instead of keeping the carrier in a
safe place until you get home from work, you could just drop him off at the
vet's on your way into work and they could just get him vaccinated and neutered
then. But if you are going to release him again to the outdoors, it would be
best to let him recuperate at the vet's for a day or 2 especially if it's cold
where you live.

It's nice that you are helping him. I hope it all works out. Keep us posted.






Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human." (Loren Eisely)

Marcie wrote in om on 27
Dec 2003:

Has anyone had any experiences similar to this one (ie trapping a
stray?)


Yes indeed. I think the sooner you trap him and find out if he is
neutered, and get it done if not, the better. I've trapped some strays and
it was best to do so before they actually got to know me. At first I
thought, oh great. I'll never see them again. But they surprised me and
stuck around. They became very friendly to me after neutering and two of
them were adopted by a guy I work with, and one other I kept. The two that
went off to a new home have become WONDERFUL pets. Their new slave loves
them to pieces. I recently got pictures of them and put them into an
online album along with pictures from before they were adopted.
http://community.webshots.com/album/106187295IgNCBk?362



--
Cheryl

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I
can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do."
- Helen Keller

Marcie wrote in om on 27
Dec 2003:

Has anyone had any experiences similar to this one (ie trapping a
stray?)


Yes indeed. I think the sooner you trap him and find out if he is
neutered, and get it done if not, the better. I've trapped some strays and
it was best to do so before they actually got to know me. At first I
thought, oh great. I'll never see them again. But they surprised me and
stuck around. They became very friendly to me after neutering and two of
them were adopted by a guy I work with, and one other I kept. The two that
went off to a new home have become WONDERFUL pets. Their new slave loves
them to pieces. I recently got pictures of them and put them into an
online album along with pictures from before they were adopted.
http://community.webshots.com/album/106187295IgNCBk?362



--
Cheryl

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I
can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do."
- Helen Keller

Has anyone had any experiences similar to this one (ie trapping a
stray?)

I use hav-a-hart traps. Just put some of his favorite smelly mackeral wet food
in there and he should go in. Put a towel over the trap and take him to the
vet. Check the trap twice a day. Try to put the trap out with the food in it
right next to where you feed him at his dinner time. This way you won't trap
other cats instead. Good luck and thanks for caring for the cat. I think your
friend was talking to you.

Has anyone had any experiences similar to this one (ie trapping a
stray?)

I use hav-a-hart traps. Just put some of his favorite smelly mackeral wet food
in there and he should go in. Put a towel over the trap and take him to the
vet. Check the trap twice a day. Try to put the trap out with the food in it
right next to where you feed him at his dinner time. This way you won't trap
other cats instead. Good luck and thanks for caring for the cat. I think your
friend was talking to you.

"Marcie" wrote in message
om...

I'd like to trap him - but he is a bit on the wild side (certainly not
vicious). I'm concerned as there is a rabies alert in my neighborhood
and I really need to get him vaccinated.

I wouldn't "trap" him. Instead, take your time and do it my way.
Almost every cat I've ever owned has been feral or close to it.
They begin to hang around (I must have secret kitty marks on
the curb or something) and seem to want to be taken in but their
nature won't allow it. So what I do is put food out, like you've done.
You're much further along than you think. I usually have to put the
dish half way between me and the cat and walk away before it
feels safe enough to approach the dish. As the days go by, I put
the dish a little closer to the house until, eventually, they will eat
from it with me right there.

Then I use a garden glove (my vet has these full-arm-length jobs
he uses with feral cats but I've never needed them) to touch the
cat while he is watching me. That takes days before they allow
that, and even then it is tentative. Eventually, though, they become
used to it.

The next step is to work the food dish into the house. Once they
come in (always leave the door open so they know they can make
a getaway), they will look around the house. Some catnip might
help here too. Eventually, they will find a spot in the house where
they will sleep. All of this takes days, remember. Eventually, they
will be on your lap.

At this stage, you are close to having a "normal" cat. It is usually
kind of stinky if it's an unaltered male. After a week or so, if
everything has progressed smoothly, he can take his little trip to
the vet to get his shots, neutering, etc. And then you'll have a happy,
healthy and non-stinky pet who will be devoted to you for saving it
from the feral life. (And the vet will be thankful he doesn't have to
work on a totally feral cat!)

Anyway, that's been my experience and method. Like I said, it
sounds like you're pretty far along. I'd spend more time trying
to get the little fellow accustomed to human contact so you could
make the trip to the vet less traumatic for you, the cat, and the vet.

Good luck!

"Marcie" wrote in message
om...

I'd like to trap him - but he is a bit on the wild side (certainly not
vicious). I'm concerned as there is a rabies alert in my neighborhood
and I really need to get him vaccinated.

I wouldn't "trap" him. Instead, take your time and do it my way.
Almost every cat I've ever owned has been feral or close to it.
They begin to hang around (I must have secret kitty marks on
the curb or something) and seem to want to be taken in but their
nature won't allow it. So what I do is put food out, like you've done.
You're much further along than you think. I usually have to put the
dish half way between me and the cat and walk away before it
feels safe enough to approach the dish. As the days go by, I put
the dish a little closer to the house until, eventually, they will eat
from it with me right there.

Then I use a garden glove (my vet has these full-arm-length jobs
he uses with feral cats but I've never needed them) to touch the
cat while he is watching me. That takes days before they allow
that, and even then it is tentative. Eventually, though, they become
used to it.

The next step is to work the food dish into the house. Once they
come in (always leave the door open so they know they can make
a getaway), they will look around the house. Some catnip might
help here too. Eventually, they will find a spot in the house where
they will sleep. All of this takes days, remember. Eventually, they
will be on your lap.

At this stage, you are close to having a "normal" cat. It is usually
kind of stinky if it's an unaltered male. After a week or so, if
everything has progressed smoothly, he can take his little trip to
the vet to get his shots, neutering, etc. And then you'll have a happy,
healthy and non-stinky pet who will be devoted to you for saving it
from the feral life. (And the vet will be thankful he doesn't have to
work on a totally feral cat!)

Anyway, that's been my experience and method. Like I said, it
sounds like you're pretty far along. I'd spend more time trying
to get the little fellow accustomed to human contact so you could
make the trip to the vet less traumatic for you, the cat, and the vet.

Good luck!

Someone wrote in on 27 Dec 2003:

"Marcie" wrote in message
om...

I'd like to trap him - but he is a bit on the wild side (certainly not
vicious). I'm concerned as there is a rabies alert in my neighborhood
and I really need to get him vaccinated.

I wouldn't "trap" him. Instead, take your time and do it my way.
Almost every cat I've ever owned has been feral or close to it.
They begin to hang around (I must have secret kitty marks on
the curb or something) and seem to want to be taken in but their
nature won't allow it. So what I do is put food out, like you've done.
You're much further along than you think. I usually have to put the
dish half way between me and the cat and walk away before it
feels safe enough to approach the dish. As the days go by, I put
the dish a little closer to the house until, eventually, they will eat
from it with me right there.

Then I use a garden glove (my vet has these full-arm-length jobs
he uses with feral cats but I've never needed them) to touch the
cat while he is watching me. That takes days before they allow
that, and even then it is tentative. Eventually, though, they become
used to it.

The next step is to work the food dish into the house. Once they
come in (always leave the door open so they know they can make
a getaway), they will look around the house. Some catnip might
help here too. Eventually, they will find a spot in the house where
they will sleep. All of this takes days, remember. Eventually, they
will be on your lap.

At this stage, you are close to having a "normal" cat. It is usually
kind of stinky if it's an unaltered male. After a week or so, if
everything has progressed smoothly, he can take his little trip to
the vet to get his shots, neutering, etc. And then you'll have a happy,
healthy and non-stinky pet who will be devoted to you for saving it
from the feral life. (And the vet will be thankful he doesn't have to
work on a totally feral cat!)

Anyway, that's been my experience and method. Like I said, it
sounds like you're pretty far along. I'd spend more time trying
to get the little fellow accustomed to human contact so you could
make the trip to the vet less traumatic for you, the cat, and the vet.

Good luck!




Of course you don't want to do this if you already have cats in your house.
There needs to be a quarentine period for any new ones.

--
Cheryl

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I
can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do."
- Helen Keller