Although we already have 3 indoor cats...

[Badger]

...we finally got Olive (our little black feral outdoor cat) in a cat carrier without getting torn apart and then to the vet this morning for the first time. It took a couple of months before she would let me get near her and a couple more before she would let me touch her. Now, a few more months later she likes having us around and being petted (up to a point).

She needed a full work-up for rabies, FVRCP, feline leukemia, etc. plus Revolution for flea and heartworm preventive. Whew, that was expensive! Now she is on the porch with me away from the other cats until she relaxes before I let her back outside. I hope to slowly introduce her to the other cats in a few days. She may never be a total indoor cat since she grew up on her own so I will always worry about cars and mean people. At least she will be free from most diseases and always have a meal and fresh water waiting for her.

If I don't do anything else today it will still have been a productive day.

Cheers!

 

[easysurfer]

That's a great story. I have two strictly indoor cats but each time it storms outside I am happy for them as they could easily have been a stray as I couldn't find a home for them when they were kittens. So..... they adopted me

 

[Sarah in SC]

Big love to you for looking out for this little kitty. Gold star Badger, gold star.

 

[Tailgate]

Kudos for caring!

 

[Calico]

...we finally got Olive (our little black feral outdoor cat) in a cat carrier without getting torn apart and then to the vet this morning for the first time. It took a couple of months before she would let me get near her and a couple more before she would let me touch her. Now, a few more months later she likes having us around and being petted (up to a point).

She needed a full work-up for rabies, FVRCP, feline leukemia, etc. plus Revolution for flea and heartworm preventive. Whew, that was expensive! Now she is on the porch with me away from the other cats until she relaxes before I let her back outside. I hope to slowly introduce her to the other cats in a few days. She may never be a total indoor cat since she grew up on her own so I will always worry about cars and mean people. At least she will be free from most diseases and always have a meal and fresh water waiting for her.

If I don't do anything else today it will still have been a productive day.

Cheers!

You are a hero! (my three current rescue kitties approved this message)

 

[Another Reader]

Is she spayed? You don't want little ones appearing for breakfast some morning...

 

[FIYes]

Good for you, Badger!


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[eytonxav]

We had two indoor cats, sisters, but lost one this past Winter to cancer. Good luck with getting her to accept an indoor life. At least in this part of Texas it's much safer for the kitties due to coyotes, foxes and some big hawks.

 

[Dreamer]

That was a terrific act of kindness for that kitten. We have 5 strictly indoor cats.

 

[footenote]

Badger - Good on ya!!

Five years ago, DH was devastated when we finally lost a rescue cat that had bonded with him (and him only) for many years.

A few months later, we took a chance on a cat described on a no-kill site: "Smoky was found in a woodpile with her litter. [In March! In Minnesota!] All her kittens have been adopted. Now it's time for Smoky to find her 'forever home'." If Smoky and her litter would have been taken into the county system, they all would have been put down due to being deemed feral.

We visited with Smoky's foster mom. I wasn't super optimistic because she wasn't very personable, but we adopted her anyway.

The first few weeks were rough. She was super thin and very paranoid. But she gradually started to relax...

Fast forward five years: Smoky is (by far) the most intelligent, funny and engaging cat we have ever shared our home with. (And we've had some great cats, including a foster Abyssinian who was a riot.)

I told DH the other day: we will certainly have many more cats in the future. But we will remember Smoky as a very special companion. Olive may just be your special "feral" cat.

 

[Dancer373]

I too took in a feral kitten (3 months old) and now after almost 2 years she's gotten comfortable and will get in my lap. I had her spayed but she's an inside cat. I had a 9 year old mostly indoor/outdoor cat when I got the feral and the older one has never "taken" to the little girl. However, they have co-exhisted, somewhat, well. The little girl still wants to play and follow the older lady, who puts her in her place with a hiss or growl, lol

 

[pb4uski]

We have a black male cat who showed up on our deck one day and looked scrawny and we thought was a stray. Shortly after we started feeding him one of our other cats went missing and DW was canvassing the neighborhood looking for the missing cat. It turns out the black cat was a neighbor's barn cat and their family were all allergic to cats to varying degrees so they pet the black cat with their feet. Anyway, DW returned the black cat to the neighbor and was sad about it. About a half hour later the neighbor show up at our door and said that they had a barn full of cats and since we had just lost one if DW wanted it that we could have it. It made her day. To this day that cat loves being petted with our feet.

DD's two cats are here now. One she found on the streets of Albany, NY as a kitten and took him in.

The three of them here together make life interesting an provide us with a mini-symphony of cat noises. DD's cats are indoor cats (and one is declawed) but they have learned to use the cat door and go out on the deck and are getting more adventurous every day.