Anyone take in a stray cat?

[pixxi]

We had a kitten that was hanging around our house last spring. I eneded up feeding it. I also left my garage door open a little, so it had a place to stay. The cat is now bigger, it's friendly (when we pet him, he just melts) but skitish. It's getting colder in WI, and I'm not sure what to do. We can't leave our garge door open (snow). We have 2 dogs and 1 cat already. The shelters are over full, so the cat would probably be put down since it's ferrel. I called out vet and with the inital costs (with a free exam) it's about $400. They want feline lukemia test, deworm, fecal test, rabies shots, neuter/declaw. It's a tough sell for my husband. We also don't know how it will adjust being inside, we have 4 kids with lots of activity. I also don't know if the cat will go in the litter box after going outside all this time. I did put a box with litter in the garage but he didn't use it, but he had access to the outside. It's a lot of money to invest with no guarantees. Anyone ever deal with this issue, any suggestions? I just don't want the cat put down! It's not his fault.

 

[MineMail]

Be careful - I read an article about a woman who took in a stray cat. It turned out to have rabies. Not only did her whole family have to get the shot series, her other pets had to be quarantined at her expense, even though their vaccinations were current. Have the Vet check the cat before you allow it to have contact with anyone/any other pets.

Feral cats are difficult, especially unneutered male ones because they spray. What about a little well-insulted doghouse for the backyard so it has shelter when it gets cold? Keep it on the sunny side of the house and it won't be too cold for someone wearing a fur coat.


Contact a local pet rescue site or a cat-specialist veterinary. Sometimes, people will "sponsor a stray" and offer discounted shots/neutering. That might make it more palatable to your budget.

 

[AlwaysMoving]

Don't declaw that cat. I don't want to turn it into a debate, but given the fact that this cat is wild, there is a possibility that it will never be satisfied as totally inside and it will need defense when outside.

You sort of already have taken the cat in. You feed it and give it shelter. That sounds a bit like ownership to me Anyway, if you care this much for the cat, I would go ahead and get it shots, and neutering/spaying. Testing for leukemia is a must, especially since you say the cat is already hanging out in the garage. You don't want a disease such as that transferred to your cats in the house. You are kind to care for this cat.

 

[marie1203]

Why not make him/her a garage cat? The process of adjusting to a house for a grown cat that has never been inside is difficult and long. Accidents will happen most likely. I would take him/her to the vet update the shots, test for parasites, etc. There are many low cost spay and neutering clinics so I would got there to reduce the price. Maybe buy a cat tree and a bed for the garage and see how him/her adjust before you try putting indoor. I would never declaw my cats. I had 2 and never had issues with them.

 

[tlenzendorf]

How about making a kitty hut for it to go in and leave it outside? A boarded box with some straw/blankets in it? Then at least it will have a warm-ish place to go.

 

[Eventer98]

I adopted a stray cat through a shelter once and she peed all over..I tried everything to no avail..I had to take her back. That being said..seems like your cat is young enough to at least give it a try if you feel it's the right thing You can get discounted shots at a clinic (maybe petsmart or petco?) I would start with that. All my cats are declawed (and I have never had any probs..even after I did my one cat at a late age) but don't worry about that until you know he's a keeper. Perhaps leave the garage open during the day and make him a nice bed for the evenings? Also, there are a lot of no kill rescue groups in our area..perhaps you have one near you that would take him? Check petfinder. Good luck..it's a wonderful thing you are trying to do

 

[SYDCOLEMOM]

$400 Seems really high. Where I live I can get shots/rabies tag/deworm for about $60. Neuter is another $75. I would for sure NOT do the declaw. I have 3 cats, One is declawed and the other 2 have their claws. After having the 1st cat declawed I swore I would never do it again. You are doing a great thing already by feeding and giving him shelter. I would continue to do what you are doing but get him neutered and get his shots. Best of luck !

 

[tlenzendorf]

Also depending where you live in Wisconsin, the Dane County Humane society will do very cheap vaccinations and spay/neutering. I believe they also spay and neuter feral cats for free. But if the cat is friendly enough they may charge you not believing that it's a feral cat. We got out dogs neutered there.

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

We take our animals to the SPCA to get rabies shots and spayed (they are very cheap). My husband gets the other shots (like Kitty 4-in-1) from Tractor Supply and administers them himself. I believe there are utube videos to show how to give your own shots (not a big deal, at all).

 

[lisam427]

please contact your local spca or humane society. a friend of mine was in your same situation. she called our local spca and they refered her to an agency that does low cost spaying and shots. she was able to get her animal fixed, rabies and distemper shots for $10. they even put a vial of avantage on the cat. there are a lot of places that can help you and your local humane society/spca should be able to refer you to agencies that can help you and save you lots of $$$$.

 

[nala87]

Depending on where you are there is a low cost spay/neuter clinic in Duluth, MN.

 

[PlutoBaby]

Many, many local shelters will do free/low cost spays, neuters, and vax, especially for feral cats. The trick will be catching the little whippersnapper in the first place. Check with the local shelter - many times they'll loan you a have-a-heart trap. Once he checks out, see if he'll hang out in the garage in a warm, soft, cozy bed and something to play with. I never had a cat that didn't love a pile of old blankets and a ball hanging from a string. I'd hate to leave him out in the cold and end up having something bad happen to him. Try leaving the door open a bit during the day, and if he's inside around dinnertime, just close the door and let him back out in the morning.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

please contact your local spca or humane society. a friend of mine was in your same situation. she called our local spca and they refered her to an agency that does low cost spaying and shots. she was able to get her animal fixed, rabies and distemper shots for $10. they even put a vial of avantage on the cat. there are a lot of places that can help you and your local humane society/spca should be able to refer you to agencies that can help you and save you lots of $$$$.

My thoughts exactly - don't spend a ton of $$ at the vets if you don't have to. Rescue groups etc will generally help you out getting at least the basics done for less money.

Also before you have the cat tested for feluk/ FIV ideally you want it to be inside (no access to outside) for 2 weeks so you know the test is fairly accurate. Also you don't want it to have any contact with your cat until its tested.

Ideally you should put it in a small spare bathroom with a litter box, a towel or something soft to lie on etc. That will get the cat used to the sounds of the house while keeping it safe/ warm during it's "quarantine" period. The cat should easily take to the litter box - cats don't like to pee/ poop on your floor they want to dig in the sand/ dirt - that's just the way cats are.

I worked with rescue groups for years and never had any trouble bringing a cat in and getting it to use the box. Usually if a cat won't use the box there's a phyical problem (UTI) - not always but most of the time.

Good for you for rescuing the kitty!!

 

[Gr8dan2]

Here's a link that can help you find low cost/discounted spay/neuter services (and usually vaccine services with it) in your area.

http://www.petsmartcharities.org/people-saving-pets/act/spay-neuter-programs.html

There are age old debates on whether a cat should be inside or outside, declawed or not. I think that one thing most do agree on is that once a cat is declawed it's really dangerous to be back outside, so if you go declaw, please be committed to keeping the kitty and keeping the kitty totally inside.

Regardless of whether you bring the kitty in or not, you should definitely vaccinate and spay/neuter. If its a female, you'll have kittens sooner than you can imagine hanging out at your house, if its a male spraying can be terrible (though females can spray too! not just a males!). And of course vaccines are the responsible thing to do.

There are hundreds and thousands of cats who live outside and seem to be plenty happy, though they're known to have much shorter lives on average than indoor cats. Providing a warm bedding area would be ideal if the cat is going to stay out in your cold weather. There are actually heated cat houses that can be built or bought, with a huge variety in pricing.

Most cats, regardless of whether they've been out or not, will learn to use the litter box pretty quickly and reliably. Generally non litterbox use is medical, but can also behavioral, and can also be declaw related (theory is that the pain of the declaw can affect their willingness to dig in the litterpan).

 

[Sandy61]

I tend to rescue cats every few years. Please be careful because a really cute kitten panicked when I picked it up (ok I chased it around the garage awhile first) and it bit all the way through my thumb nail! It looked and acted so cute.

Before having that bad experience, I had taken in a couple of cats. They eventually loved being inside and the vet said if they pee to have them spayed/neutered.

I have 3 cats and 1 dog and it does seem like a few too many once in awhile. You have a good heart and you should do what you can for the cat. It is a very hard life for them to find food and water in the winter. You are the person that has noticed the cat and feel for it, no one else has.

 

[kacaju]

as others said. I would not declaw a feral cat.
I have taken in a stray cat. Before I could get near her I trapped her in a have a heart and took her to the Vet. Got her fixed and shots and set her free again. I had an old dog house and filled it with straw to help keep her warm in the winter

 

[m&m's mom]

Oh my! I don't think we have ever had a cat that was NOT a stray. Well, ok once we actually got a cat from the humane society so not directly off the streets.
We have 2 cats now, pound kitty in my signature and stray kitty. Unfortunately pound kitty's life mission is to kill stray kitty. We live in a bizarre world. My DH (HUGE animal lover) made up a schedule so each cat gets socialization time, alone time, etc but never the 2 cats can meet. It's crazy to have to train a new pet sitter.
This is my DH's modus operando. First he starts putting food and water outside for stray cat. Next, he brings them in the garage because it's "too cold", "too hot", "It might get hurt" etc.... After they make it into the garage I sigh heavily and start making vet appts cause I know in a few days the cat will be "bored" and DH will bring it in the house where I will be stuck with the cat. Now, don't get me wrong, I love animals but I would prefer to pick them myself instead of every poor, old mangy cat that wanders onto my yard.
If the garage stage we keep a cat carrier with a full cat bed inside and a heater so the cats are comfortable in that stage. We have never had a problem.
There is a lot of satisfaction in taking care of one of God's animals that needs help so I am secretly glad DH does it.

 

[buzz2400]

I have six cats in side and three feral cats outside. We had a very snowy and cold winter last winter and the then two feral cats survived. We tried everything to help them out keeping warm by building boxes, buying hay, etc. They seemed to prefer a cardboard box on the back porch. This is the second year of feral cats for me and this is what I found:

1. DO NOT DECLAW any cat. It is not humane and it does hurt the cat.
2. You do need to get it fixed and at least have a rabies shot. There are many low cost places that will to this. Look for a cat rescue group and they will direct you to the right place.
3. There are many, many homeless cats out there. For some reason, some people feel that if you don't want the cat anymore, you just let it go and it will survive. It will but only for a very short time.

A few of our indoor cats were feral at one point. It is very hard to tell if a cat can be brought indoors. It really depends on what the circumstances are (ie what interaction it has had with humans). Just keep feeding the cat and do make sure it is fixed and has a rabies shot. If you can somehow leave your garage a little bit opened for the cat to go in, that would be perfect. Otherwise maybe if you have a shed in your yard. Also you can talk to the cat rescue groups and they could give you ideas.

I am sorry that I am rambling but it breaks my heart to know that there are so many homeless cats out there.

 

[JaxJags08]

Our local animal control has a free program where they will spay/neuter and everything else necessary for free. They then return the cats back where they came from. You may want to check with them or your local humane society, as others suggested.

We have been feeding about 3 strays for 2 months or so. Only 1 will let us pet her, the others (including 1 of her babies) run when they see anyone. I can look out the window though and watch them eat the food. The weather here has been fine and we've only had one frost so far (we're in FL). But when it gets colder, I'm going to cut 2 doors into a big Rubbermaid container and fill it with straw. Then we'll put it on our front porch. I've also seen styrofoam boxes used for houses. They line them with mylar blankets (emergency blankets) and fill them with straw. Just google feral cat houses and you'll get plenty of info. Just be sure to have 2 doors, so there's an escape route for the cat so they don't get cornered by another animal. Also, straw is the best to fill it with since it doesn't retain moisture. Towels, blankets or hay will get very dirty and moldy. I've read you can find straw at feed stores or pet stores in the rabbit section.

Please do try to care for the cat, though. It has come to rely on your family for food and shelter. This would be the worst time of year to make it find another place to survive.

 

[mackeysmom]

Blackie (as a kitten) when he lived on my deck:

Blackie (at five months) falling for the Have-A-Heart trap:

Blackie (three years old) exhausted after sleeping and eating all day :

I had a tough time with Blackie when I first brought him in, but he was a true feral - completely untouchable. The fact that your little guy lets you pet him puts you leaps and bounds ahead of the game. I think you'll be fine.

Good luck.

- Laura