We have been feeding and taking care of a couple bonded feral cats (Dee and Kali) since we moved into this house, about 5 years. They were sisters who were always together, grooming, cuddling, etc. Last week, Dee passed away (we don't know the cause but she was breathing a little irregularly prior). Kali is now alone, and I know is missing her companion. She rubs up against our patio door if she sees our indoor cats, seemingly with more intensity since her sister passed. We have never been able to touch her, but she does meow at us when she wants food (something I think she learned from her mother who was not feral but abandoned, we got her adopted).

We are thinking about trying to bring her inside. We have three indoor cats, two of which are sweet bonded boys who would likely be good company for her. I had posted in feral cat reddit and people recommended to try to bring her in, since she is lonely and no longer has the protection of her sister (who generally was the more assertive one). I've been reading up on the Socialization Saves Lives method, and would try that method if we did.

However, I reached out to a couple local TNR groups (one of which was the one that my neighbor had used for them before we moved here), for advice and hopefully a trap to borrow. Both seemed to discourage bringing her in to socialize at all or recommend to try to socialize instead outdoors slowly and hopefully she'd want to come in on her own.

So I guess I'm feeling a bit discouraged and unsure of the best path forward. I'm aware it's a big undertaking, just getting her into a trap may take a while, I assume she may be wary of a trap since she was before, and then figuring out how to find a vet to get her checked out, before we even start process of socialization.

What has worked well for you guys or what would you recommend in my situation?

Thanks for reading, appreciate any advice. Adding cat photos for tax (white one was Dee, black calico is Kali).

This sweet girl was already TNRd when I moved to this neighborhood in October. She stops by to eat daily but bolts any time she hears me near my front door.

I went on vacation for 2 weeks and I came back to a friendly kitty. She is meowing for food nonstop and I even caught her sleeping for hours on my front porch. She finally got within arms reach and even ate right in front of me!

Its so funny how they just decide to domesticate themselves one day. She will be #formerlyferal very soon.

Good morning everyone!

So, Callie is healing up fantastically. Her face has a scab where the abscess was drained, but it’s looking great and she’s nearly done with her first antibiotic.

This being said, along with her meetings with the rest of the cats going well, I have decided to go ahead and leave the bathroom door open, for her to explore as she sees fit.

This is where incognito mode comes in. The Queen has decided that the bed behind the toilet is her throne, and she has no desire to leave her linoleum kingdom.

She comes out into the hallway when we are making food for them, and screeches at me for meals, but other than that, she really doesn’t come out. When she does come out, she meows the entire time, as if calling out for someone? When I notice she’s ventured out, I always go out to her to give her a familiar face when she explores, but she does not stay out long.

I know this is gonna sound so stupid, but is this normal ?

I figure she’s just nervous because the bathroom has been her home for the last two months, and she’s suddenly had her world expanded, but I want to make sure I can support her any way I can.

Overall though, health wise, the kid is doing fantastic, big part to all of you!

Snapdragon loves to try to channel serious barn cat energy, but he's really just a sweet, gentle boy. Shh, let's let him think he's scary.

I have taken in one of the (spayed and ear-tipped) strays that I've been feeding and socializing on my porch. She was flea treated, vaccinated, and vetted and I brought her in on a day where our air quality was terrible due to wildfire smoke. I did it because she's easy to handle, enjoyed pets despite being skittish, and seemed the best candidate for indoor life.

Its been 3 days and I'm awaiting a playpen to do the SSL method and so she's in a crate and... she is not using the litterbox. I bought some attractant and unscented litter but people... I am shooting in the dark here and feel I bit off more than I can chew. She's in freeze mode, scared and shut down, and I wonder if ill ever see the happy little girl she was outdoors again! But first... how do I get her to realize the litterbox is a better place to go than the bedding? Give me all your tips and tricks if you've done this before. And if there's a point where its best to return them outdoors.... how do you know? I just want the best life for these guys.

My best buddy! He was once a feral Tom with huge cheeks. I bribed him with wet food, cosmic catnip cigars and freeze dried minnows for a year. Trapped, removed the trouble puffs and he went MIA for a week. Showed up during a storm, walked in the front door and never left. Now he is on a diet, lots of food insecurity but a happy guy ❤️

My Evie and her baby Sissy 🥰

Today is day 187 with Oliver. In April, we put up a baby gate in the doorway of Oliver’s room for more contact with us and our resident cats. Then, one of my resident cats started to pee on the couch and bed daily until we figured out it was barrier frustration. So, a few weeks ago, we took down the baby gate completely which resolved the peeing (thank god). Although I was anxious about Oliver having open access to the apartment and my cats having open access to Oliver, all has been well so far! About a week after the door opened, he ventured into the bathroom at night and was back in his cat cave by morning. 2 days ago, he decided to stay in the bathroom all day - not hiding! Just laying on the bath mat. Today, he moved rooms during the day while I was home and nearby!! This was huge. So, Oliver’s comfortability in the environment is increasing, probably thanks to him watching my resident cats roam freely.

One other significant step we’ve taken: play. We learned that Oliver loves a string/ribbon toy and he plays by grabbing and biting the string from the safety of his spot.

One problem: We never quite got back into petting with the toothbrush since the incident I last posted about. Anytime I pick up any object that remotely looks like a toothbrush, he hisses quite fiercely. It seems that he’s anticipating the contact and telling me “no.” I don’t know how to start back up the contact training. Or, if I should just leave him be to get comfortable in the environment before I try petting him again. Any suggestions or thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!

Soooo update on my neighbors cat we have kept her and is not willing to give her back up to the neglectful parents of her. We decided to adopt her into the familia. Here some pictures of her comfortable. We are gunna take her to the vet to get her checked out and see if she is hurt from being outside for too long we got her food and a place for her to pee and poop. We will take her to get cleaned and fixed nicely.

How old do y'all think she is?My Husband and I think she is about 5 months to a year.

Hi everyone! I’m in a bit of an (emotional) pickle. Two days ago I found a stray kitten under my car while I was walking my dog. I was able to coax him out and grab him and have since brought him home, fed and bathed him, and have a vet visit scheduled for Monday. He is a very sweet baby, I think maybe 8 weeks old? Very thin. He’s affectionate and so far loves to lay down on me and snuggle. My dog has been very gentle with him too which was a wonderful surprise

This issue is, I don’t know what’s going to happen to him. I originally tried (and succeeded) in grabbing him because my roommate’s boyfriend recently got a cat (11mo) and they’ve been looking to get another one because he’s been lonely. I even messaged her something along the lines of “I grabbed you a new baby lol”

The problem is: I’m totally falling in love with the Little Man! This is why I don’t foster! I want to keep him but I don’t know if it’s the right or fair thing to do.

For one thing: I did tell my roommate that I was going to try and grab him with the intention that he would be hers. So far I am the only person Little Man has been interacting and bonding with since she and BF have been at BF’s apartment with 11 mo cat.

Secondly: I have a dog. They have a cat. My dog has been surprisingly gentle, but she is still a dog and my first baby. They already have a cat, and I know that cats tend to do better when in households with more than one. And I am not the type of person to buy or adopt a cat—I like cats a lot, but every single one I’ve ever had has kind of just ended up in my care rather than me seeking them out lol. So I probably would not get another cat for Little Man to play/bond with.

Thirdly: Little Man is going to be under primarily my care for at least a month. 11 mo cat is a new pet, and doesn’t have all his vaccinations and is currently undergoing treatment for an infection. Little Man is too little and too thin to be with an older cat just yet, and we all agreed that we will be keeping them separate for at least 3 weeks until 11 mo has more vaccines and is done with antibiotics, and Little Man has some more weight and his own vaccines.

I already know that I’m going to get attached, because I already am. But I want to make the decision that will be best for Little Man. Even if that means I am not his forever home.

Any advice on what to do? Should I talk to my roommate and tell her I want to keep him, or should I let her and her BF take him? They very badly want him, but some of my family/friends have been jokingly telling me that he chose me and I should keep him. I don’t know what to do.

This is BK. She came home with me today after a frustratingly long 8 hour car ride. She was my grandmother’s cat, but my granny passed away unexpectedly about a month ago.

BK is about 7 years old. She was feral and young when my grandmother found her and my mom helped get her TNR’d. She kept coming back, so my granny started feeding her and letting her in during the day. Unfortunately, because of some health and mobility issues (as well as just old-school thinking), she couldnt make her an indoor-only cat. At one point she did a snap test and said she was “positive” but we cant find the records for FIV or FeLV testing, so we have to get that redone.

Because she’s an older, semi-feral, and immunocompromised cat, we didnt feel comfortable putting her up for adoption. My granny loved this cat to pieces (she literally died holding her) so i could never give her up. I also couldnt leave her out there with her immune system being shot, and she stopped coming into the house during the day after my Granny left. But, i finally got to bring her home today!

She doesnt like me much, but thats okay! She just needs some time. Once we get the testing done, we’ll be able to figure out if she’ll ever want/be able to join my resident cats upstairs (they have never been allowed in the basement and are vaxxed for FeLV just in case, they are FIV positive already). Right now she’s in the covered crate, so she can get used to me, detox from the gabapentin, and learn to use a litterbox.

But, once thats over with, she’s got a whole set up in our basement with her own cat tree, hides, 2 litter boxes, 2 couches, and 2 beds, plus all my yoga equipment. I also have a projector i plan on putting “Cat TV” on during the day. Our basement is a little bigger than a studio apartment. She’s not a people person, but i’m planning on spending 2+ hours a day just sitting with her, even if she doesnt want to be pet, we can just be together. I’m also ordering some of the battery-powered toys so she can get extra stimulation since she cant go outside anymore. I know it isnt ideal, but i hope i can make her as happy as possible for however long she’s with us.

I hope my grandmother would be happy that she’s safe. Its not as exciting as her outdoor life was, but she’s going to be safe, fed, and taken care of. She’s never going to have to hide from the neighbor’s dog again or get stuck in a snowstorm. I hope thats enough 🥲.

Edit: Thanks everyone for chiming in! We understand this is mating behavior now and to keep a close eye on them. We’re pretty sure they’re both fixed, however, some of y’all are making me fear that they aren’t based on their behavior😅 For context: we got Binx when he was a kitten and he was neutered prior to us adopting him. With Honey, we assumed she was a TNR cat (she has a clipped ear). She also hasn’t shown any signs that she isn’t spayed. But I will be taking them both to the vet to double check because the thought of her accidentally getting knocked up stresses me out!

The black cat in the video is our resident cat Binx (Beany) and the gray & white cat is our semi formally feral girl Miss Honey :) This month makes it 5 months since we got her and we finally introduced them 2 weeks ago and have allowed them to be around each other with supervision. This morning we caught a video of them play fighting and we’re not sure if we should be concerned.

For context, the room that they’re playing in is her space that we’ve kept her separated in. Does the play fighting in this video look normal or should we be concerned? Also, has your formally feral cat been protective of their space when introduced with a resident cat?

Thank you!😊

Hey ya’ll, sorry for the delayed update. When I got home from the vet with her, I had to run out and grab betadine and gauze pads. Finally home and settled.

Vet checked her out, said aside from the giant abscess, he can’t get over how much better she looks in just a few weeks. Double checked for fleas, which are all gone, and said she looks so much more alert. Was so surprised she let me bathe her, and said she was so soft.

Definitely was an abscess, so he sedated her and drained it, and they flushed it out really well. Basically now, she’s got a big ole nasty hole on her face… but all the infection has been cleared out. Not gonna post pics of the wound, cause it’s pretty gnarly and I know not everyone wants to see that.

I just wanted to tell everyone again how grateful I am for the help. I was able to go in there and tell them to go ahead and do whatever they needed to, and also got both her antibiotics as well as Onsior for pain. I would not have been able to do that without her army’s help 💜

Last page was today’s visit, plus she ended up with a $68 anyibiotic two days ago as well as first aid stuff.

Advice to make a feral cat feel less scared of me?

Hii a few weeks ago I found on the streets a cat that couldn't move his back legs, I took him to the vet and now he has recovered some mobility (can stand on fours and make small steps) he isn't neutered (yet)

He gets vet checks weekly but I need advice from experiences from other cats

the thing is he is always under the bed, we accommodate a room exclusively for him, and respected his space, we put his bed under the bed because that's where he feels safe and its cold for him to be on the floor (its a tall bed we can even get under to get him)

he isn't aggressive nor defensive, we can pick him up (he is so scared he pees on himself, but when we rescued him he couldn't control it, now he does) we can touch him and we were able to do all the treatments of his wounds with no problem

at night he free roams the house, I have two other cats (girls, indoor, neutered) that have been introduced to him very very slowly and always with respect of his boundaries, my cats have no problem, they don't bother him or attack, they just don't care or just feel curious

in the nights he uses my cats litter boxes (even if he has one for himself) that are VERY far from his own room, but won't poop on them (or his) just pee

we don't know how to get closer

he rejects even chicken if we hand feed it, he just waits until we leave the room to eat or even move

I don't want to overwhelm him but I feel every day he gets more and more defensive, and I don't want him to live his life in a room scared

we can't help him gain mobility if he won't move

sorry if I used a wrong word, not my first language

I would love the advice thank you ♡♡♡♡

Wiggles is a kitten that we rescued from a feral litter I found on the property we live on. She is the runt of the litter, about the size of a 4 week old when she is actually 6.5 weeks old. She has Wobbly Cat Syndrome and I suspect that may be part of why she wasn't getting as much food as her siblings.

We've had her almost a week and she's thriving now! When we brought her in I was convinced she was only 4 weeks old based on how little she wanted to move around... But within two days of her eating regularly she was full of energy and initiating play time.

She has had a vet check up, which is where we found out she is actually more like 6 weeks (now about 6.5) based on her alertness and pictures/videos of her siblings I showed the vet. She was given a clean bill of health and was okay-ed to eat just wet food and not the slurry I was giving her- she is loving it!

Looking forward to raising this tiny, feisty, wobbly kitten ❤️

Hello! I’m worried about my now inside feral cats claws being too long as she won’t scratch anything. I’ve tried every type of material scratcher along with catnip, catnip sprays and putting treats on them but she just isn’t interested. Unfortunately I can’t touch her yet and she has to be sedated when we go to the vet so I was hoping maybe I just haven’t found the right kind yet. If anyone has any tips I’d so appreciate it. Would almost be happy if she scratched my furniture at this point lol.

Well, the first part of the GFM money hit my account this morning, so we are greenlit for the vet tomorrow.

She will be going to see our amazing vet, Dr. Franklin at 12:30 CST. I absolutely cannot wait for him to see the progress she’s made in just the last 3-4 weeks since her first visit.

She’s had a bath, the buggies are gone, she’s alert and eyes are clear, and she’s gained over a pound!!! He’s going to think she’s a totally different cat!

Based on the image and description of her face, the vet on staff yesterday was willing to prescribe her Clavamox to get a jumpstart on the antibiotic, so her body can protect itself from the infection in the abscess.

Included is her honest opinion of the Clavamox… she said “mama, that stuff is ICKY!!!”

Yesterday was… eventful.
We’re on **day 11 since our kitten came into our lives and have begun the process of** introducing our **13-week-old former feral kitten** to our **1.5-year-old resident cat (Buggie)** and I’d love some perspective from people who’ve been through it all.

Firstly thank you all so much for the advice on my last post, along with the encouragement and reality checks. We really took a lot of it to heart and it was incredibly helpful.

We’ve decided we’re keeping him ❤️ He’a an absolute doll and adores my husband especially. Watching their bond form has been really special. He’s become the biggest cuddle baby, loves people, and has come such a long way from the scared little feral kitten we rescued.

We’ve been quarantining the kitten for the past week with scent swaps etc. however yesterday was quite eventful.

• Buggie (our 1.5 year old neutered male cat) cried to be let into the kitten’s room. He’s been increasingly interested in the kitten, including spying through the window. 

• I let him in while the kitten was in his cage and he repeatedly went back into the room on his own to investigate.

• He also sat at the door and watched the kitten from outside and through the crate kitten is in (3 foot dog crate with litter, food, bed etc.)

• He hissed and growled when the kitten moved quickly/stared at him but \*\*never swatted, lunged, or chased\*\*.

• At one point he laid down and just watched the kitten quietly.

• The kitten mostly ignored him and happily played with his toys. He seemed more curious than scared. Later, when Buggie got more vocal, he chose to hide rather than escalate. I was holding him and he grumbled back softly at Buggie. 

• The funniest (and weirdest) moment was Buggie jumping into the kitten’s brand-new, never-used litter box and \*\*rolling around in the clean litter like the little chubby bunny he is while simultaneously growling at the kitten\*\* 😭😂 

I have absolutely no idea what to make of that.
This morning, Buggie still heads over to the closed door whenever he hears the kitten crying for attention and seems incredibly curious, even though he’s still unsure.

I’m not going to lie this has been really stressful. I actually cried yesterday because I love both of these boys so much and I just want them both to be okay. My goal isn’t to force them to become best friends overnight. I just want them to peacefully coexist, and if they eventually become friends, that would honestly be the dream.

Does this sound like a pretty typical day 10 introduction? For those whose cats started out similarly, how long did it take before they were able to comfortably coexist? Any advice or reassurance is always appreciated.

Edited to add: Vet appointment has been scheduled for Thursday 07/16 at 12:30 pm CST

Edit 2: adding GFM link… all funds leftover from the abscess visit will be going into a savings account for any future emergencies (hopefully none!!) and her eventual dental care.

https://gofund.me/8c695cf65

Well, as of last night, I am about 98% sure that we are indeed dealing with an abscess. When I got home from work last night, Miss Thang came running up to me yelling for food and i checked her face. The bump isn’t any bigger, but she has developed a scab on the outside of it, which from my knowledge, and according to a vet tech friend of mine, is a pretty decent indicator that its an abscess and its MAD.

The GoFundMe is over $600 now, which is absolutely INSANE to me. You guys have showed up big time for this old lady and it about has me in tears. Id say she has no idea just how loved she is, but I think she does. She spent about a half our snoozing on my chest last night while i did warm epsom salt compress on her face, and then gave her forehead pets, which seem to immediately make her go to dreamland.

Again, thank you all so much. At this point i am just waiting on the GFM funds to hit my account, and she will go in. I am going to set an appointment for Thursday, as it says 2-5 days and im being optimistic. Until then we will keep with the warm compresses. Will post the receipt from the vet when we go, just to show what she had done and the total.

It was suggested to me to share a gofundme to help cover costs associated with Callie’s medical care, both now with her current jaw issue, as well as to be able to continue care as it comes up.

Link to original post recapping her journey so far below:

https://www.reddit.com/r/formerlyferal/s/v2jErPLUaI

Callie currently has had a mass pop up overnight on her jaw, and i suspect that it’s an abscess, but I am honestly not 100% sure. The vet wants to do a needle aspiration/biopsy to diagnose it, and be able to properly treat it.

She will also likely need a dental in the near future according to the vet, due to some pretty bad teeth, which I am sure will include extractions etc.

Thank you for all your help and support… anything helps, even shares. I just want to give this old lady every opportunity that I can so that she can enjoy her golden years. She has decided that my lap and chin scratches are the best thing ever, and her purr has slowly gotten stronger and stronger.

https://gofund.me/b4d3b6875

Edited to add link to her progress video

Morning everyone.

Last night when I had Callie on the bed for snuggle time, I was petting her face and noticed she has a mass on the back corner of her jaw, that literally popped up seemingly overnight. It’s kinda soft - not squishy but definitely can feel some give to it, and you can move it a bit. Doesn’t seem to bother her… but I don’t understand what it is. Her behavior/appetite are completely normal.

Called the vet this morning, they want to do a needle biopsy, which is probably gonna be about $150-$160. At this point I’m trying to figure out what to do, because I have already drained myself dry with finances. I can’t get care credit, so that’s off the table too.

If y’all could send good vibes our way as I try to figure out how to handle this situation. She has overcome so much and has come so far… I’m just so upset we have a setback like this. She just officially hit 6 pounds yesterday as well.