I am currently trying to catch a very wily feral cat, so I can get her spayed. I started feeding her when she was TINY and hiding in my woodpile (Iams kitten food of course!) Now she is 5-6 months old, uses the cat door, has her own bed, has a name - Daphne -. But though I can get fairly close, I can’t touch her. I tried trapping her in a spare room & throwing a blanket over her. Imagine trying to catch an 80mph furry projectile with claws and teeth, fighting for her life…I opened the window, she shot out & I didn’t see her for days!
Yesterday I resorted to a feral cat trap from the Cat Care Society. I’m going to take my time getting her used to it before arming it, because several “foolproof” plans for catching her have so far failed…she is fast & crafty. But I really want to get her before she goes into heat, which could be any day now!
So, two questions: Anyone have any experience with feral cats - will she ever get “tame?” (I’m thinking not.) Also, any good hints for catching her would be appreciated.
At a previous home, we had a pool with a little ‘pool house’ that was a hotel for feral cats. One morning, I found two adorable feral kittens in there. I made the mistake of picking them up.
I still have scars on my arms.
Carina42, I have a friend in NC who has, at any given time, between 20 and 30 cats that she takes care of. (There’s a 14x14 ft heated cat house in her yard!) She is always trying to help others that come along as well, and she has told me countless stories of trying to do what you are trying - catching a cat to have it spayed or neutered. (And while we’re on the subject, please allow me to commend you!)
Rita says it’s up to the cat, and while some feral cats have allowed her to get close enough to pick them up (though they don’t like it), most are too untrusting. She generally uses a trap and then lets the vet deal with the rest. Her latest attempt took almost a month to catch with a trap. You might try making it look as little like a trap as possible - maybe wrap it with a blanket or some other form of camoflage.
You’ll just have to be patient and see if she will return to your house or woodpile, but it’s likely that she’ll be very wary for a while.
If a cat is truly feral - actually born wild as opposed to winding up on the street - they’ll probably never become a lap kitty.
Good luck Carina…I hope you’re successful. Do you have and Humane Society-sponsored spay/neuter programs in your area? They’ll save you some money.
I greatly admire your efforts and encourage you to continue forward.
One of our three cats, Watson, was a dumpster kitty who took a liking to our Siamese, Loki. We would leave food out for the stray, who was a kitten at the time, and then would throw food to him -increasingly bringing him closer to us.
Eventually, he was confident enough to take food from just about out of our hands when we made the decision to grab him.
We took him inside and let him roam about for a few days and then let him out. Fortunately he wasn’t traumatized by the experiment and would allow us to continue to feed him.
We got hold of him again and eventually named him, took him to the vet for all of his shots and to have him fixed. When we moved, we took him with us but figured he would bolt as soon as we let him out. (He can NOT be inside for too long or he goes completely stir crazy.)
He didn’t bolt and he is with us still.
I agree with you about not trying to corner your kitty as she will most likely become extremely frightened and defensive. Also, it is doubtful she will ever shed that feral instinct and may grow to trust you eventually - but to a point. Cats are really funny that way.
Applause to you for doing such a kind thing for this kitty.
I love all cats but don’t have any experience with ferals, but I am around half-wild barn cats at the barn I board my horse at. I have befriended a few and it takes a lot of time & patience to get them to allow me to touch them. I use my horse’s lunge whip and the cats love to play with the lash and it seems to relax them when I play with them. There are two cats at the barn who, no matter how much I play with them, won’t allow me to touch them.
Go down to the hardware or a sporting goods store and get a Hav-H-Hart trap. They work like a box trap and won’t hurt the cat.
A word of caution from someone who does wild animal rescue and has been there: DON’T try to take the cat out of the trap with your bare hands. Cat scratches can be deep and easily infect and their bites are even deeper. Also, try and tame it before you take it to the vet. He / she will appreciate it.
Thanks, y’all! I would not dream of trying to handle Daphne with bare hands; she
upended just about every plant in the house when I tried cornering her, and left claw marks next to one window, on the wall.
Harrison Animal Hospital here in Denver is non-profit, and will do spay and shots for a mere $21.00 (Petsmart wanted $209, though my regular vet would do it for about $60.) I’ll take her to Harrison & give a donation.
Well I did get a humane trap, and am putting little pieces of turkey next to the opening, getting her used to it. Just watch; I’ll catch every other cat in the neighborhood including my own two tame ones, before I catch her!
Before you catch the cat, construct a comfortable cage for it. It will be much easier to work with if it can be confined until reasonably tame. Also, keep it well away from your other pets. It can be carrying distemper, feline luciemia (sp), and possibly rabies.
I have a lot of respect for feral cats and frankly, I don’t mess with them. If I have to remove one, I treat it as if it were a wild animal, which indeed, it is. And I’d rather deal with an angry racoon, anytime.
I’ve fed three generations of feral cats, watching them get along, and only twice have I been able to get close enought to one to let me pet it. Others will come close but not close enough. It has been my observation that they don’t increse that greatly because the mortality rate is so high. I doubt one in ten lives to be 3 years old.
But since it can happen it may be worth a try. Use a lot of protective gear. I did catch one small kitten once and didn’t realize they had teeth and claws six inches long.
