Yay!

[Rook]

So I have just coerced a feral farm cat to enter my home.

For all the veteran Cateteers on here, what do I do now?

I lured it all the way into my house by a process of extensive grooming and purring(apparently it is very attention starved/horny).
I already gave it a small cup of yoghurt and a small chunk of butter.
It is currently drinking milk and ate a small piece of chicken.

How can I make it see my room as it's new home?
Should I wash it?
Must I install a sand-feces-thingy or will it go outside?
Any general advice regarding cats/feral cats appreciated.

I think it's male.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Don't give it milk, else it will regurgitate white stuff. Plain water, unless it's toxic in your area.
Sand boxes prove more effective than teaching cats to go outside, at least in my experience.
Get some cat food and forget about dairy products, it's not how it works.
Don't let it outside until it gets addicted to your feeding, then you might expect it to return.
If you are sure you have it, have him neutered/castrated to prevent many unpleasant things. This is more up to personal preference, so you might consult with the broader range of perspectives aka google.

So there you have it, off the top of my head.

edit:
Veterinary checkup, vaccination + parasite protection is a must, especially if you intend for him to be an outside cat, not just house cat.

 

[Brontosaurie]

I think it's male.

[joke]

 

[Rook]

Thanks XD
Dairy was so easy to give, probably have to open up some tuna for the while being.
It seems to have settled in, hissed the dogs away and is generally just hanging around.
Now for the addiction part.

I probably will have to pay for a vet, seeing as the cat had been living outside.

[joke]

[applause]

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

I probably will have to pay for a vet, seeing as the cat had been living outside.

Considering you don't know anything about it, seems reasonable to at least try to protect yourself and your cat. You could check the law, some vaccines are required in some countries to protect others.

Tuna works fine, some milk or butter from time to time wouldn't hurt, but I doubt it's necessary, maybe if you learn more about proper dietary needs of your pet.

 

[Minuend]

If his weight is normal, then make sure he has cat food available to eat at his convenience. Most of the times cats regulate their own meals and wont eat themselves fat. When cats grow fat, it's usually beause the owners give them a lot of "human foods". Water should ofc be present as well. You can try to make him like you/ trust you by giving him cat treats or particularly tasty foods. You can google for what to give him as treats.

Is he dirty? If he smells then maybe you need to bathe him. You probably need protective gloves for that... Cats usually keeps themselves clean, I've never bathed my cats of 8 years.

Having an indoor sandbox can be beneficial as you can keep your cat indoor all night without having to worry about when he was outside last and getting up early to let him out. And sometimes you can detect illness, for instance if you find blood in the sandbox. Cats will generally prefer going in sandboxes, so when he knows it's there, he'll probably use it. Just make sure he's in a quiet room and wont be scared by a lot of noises and a lot of people coming and going.

I'd recommend keeping him indoor at least some 8-10 days. When that time has passed you'll probably know how probable it is he will return if you let him out, or whether you should keep him inside for a while longer. I've heard a lot of cat people mentioning keeping the cat indoors for about 2 weeks when moving to a new home. I don't know what that conclusion is based on, though.

 

[Yellow]

Thanks XD
Dairy was so easy to give, probably have to open up some tuna for the while being.
It seems to have settled in, hissed the dogs away and is generally just hanging around.
Now for the addiction part.

I probably will have to pay for a vet, seeing as the cat had been living outside.

Tuna is a great thing to feed a cat, but it gets expensive. If it's in it's prime, mostly dry food is fine (indoor variety if it seem to be getting chubby). A little wet food here and there and more as it ages is also good.

You should absolutely take him to a vet. Feline leukemia is very common among stray cats because it's so contagious among them. Also, I am not a huge advocate of sterilizing strictly indoor pets, but some male cats will get feisty and "mark" all over the house if you don't. Something to consider. Litter-training a cat is as easy as setting out a litter box and keeping it clean. so you might as well do that.

If he's obviously dirty, then a bath may be necessary. Otherwise, wipe him down with moist towel or something and see where it goes from there.

Also, make sure he has fresh water available at all times (he may become picky and refuse the dog's water btw). many cats don't drink enough and develop kidney problems as they age.

Finally, it's natural to assume that a rescued stray will have issues suddenly being cooped up in the house, and it can sometimes happen, but many feral cats love the safety and comfort so much that they never want to spend more than a few minutes outside again. It just depends.

By the way, if he's a he, and an unfixed he, you'll see a pair fuzzy little testicles about an inch below his anus. They're hard to miss.

 

[Rook]

Thanks all for the in depth advice, will do some further reading as to keeping him healthy and content.
He seems to be a fully endowed male.
Upon further investigation, the security guard on the farm had routinely put food out for the cat.
So at least it is not completely feral.

He seems to be growing accustomed to his new home.
Left this morning, and when I came back, he was still hanging around in the house.
One of the dogs have no problem with him, but the other male dog gets quite shaky when near the cat and acts aggressively if I touch the cat within his sight.

Brought some dried food and tuna, he dug into it.
Going to set up the litter-box now.

Somehow I suspect it is controlling my mind.
It made me take it home and buy it food, and I already love it.
Cats are...somehow...epic.

Spoiler

His name is Random.

 

[Helvete]

I hope you have many happy memories with your new companion, may you hunt together fruitfully.

This reminds me of 'Shedpuss', simply named. He just arrived in our back garden and entered our shed, we fed him and there he stayed. He would not enter the house but freely used the shed and surrounding gardens/hunting grounds. Hung around for about a year before disappearing, I like to think he took off for a new home.

 

[redbaron]

I already gave it a small cup of yoghurt and a small chunk of butter.
It is currently drinking milk and ate a small piece of chicken.

Cats really aren't supposed to eat dairy. I know they love the stuff but it's actually terrible for nearly all of them - you should assume a cat is lactose intolerant by default. Dry food is fine and preferably grain-free if you can get it. Give it ample amounts of easily accessible fresh water every day.

Careful with tuna if it's the canned variety because it will eventually cause weight problems if you overdo it. Fresh raw fish or chicken is the way to go if you want to treat your cat. Frozen first to kill any bacteria and then thawed and just served as is. Try not to give them fish with bones - they don't really prey on fish in the wild to be honest. Don't give them cooked chicken either, the bones become brittle and will likely splinter and your cat can choke.

Raw skinless chicken drumsticks are what I feed my cat every second day and she eats a mixture of wet and dry food in between. She cracks the bone for marrow and it's fine. The big bones won't splinter into choke-sized pieces. My other cat is just a fiend for dry food - he actually prefers it over chicken so I just feed him that and leave him with fresh water each day. Although you do have to moderate your cat's intake of dry food to prevent weight issues if it's the sort of cat who loves to eat. Mine's currently on a diet.

Enjoy your new friend

 

[punchinelli]

Former President of our local Humane Society -

1. Get tested at vet for FIV and Feline Leukemia

2. Definitely get him neutered ASAP. Besides the animal overpopulation thing, he is going to start spraying in your house (and it's not the same thing as pee!).

3. Just a tad bit of milk will be ok until he has fully warmed up to you, but nothing more than a few "drops" - make sure water is available

4. Buy some cheap wet cat food versus tuna or chicken

5. Give him a flea prevention like Revolution. It will kill both ear mites and fleas (and some worms), all 3 of which he probably has

6. If you're going to keep him inside for more than a few minutes, you definitely need a litter box and some litter

7. Cats are so amazing :-)

 

[Jennywocky]

AFter my cat almost died in his first year from a UTI (from dehydration), the vet informed me to:

1. Get a cat fountain. Unless of course you are really good about always having fresh water in that bowl. The fountain keeps the water circulating and more interesting than stagnant water in a bowl. Cats can be finnicky and will just stop drinking if you don't keep that water fresh.

2. Offer wetter meat/food. Dogs can eat purely dry food without a problem; cats are biologically designed to get some of their moisture from wet food, since they bred to hunt small critters and your food for them should emulate that. I guess tuna can work. I just buy canned food in quantity and mix it with a bit of dry food to stretch it out, and my cat hasn't gotten ill for the last few years. My cat's average size and he keeps his weight at a good place with just a can a day (half morning, half night) plus dry mixed in each time.

I agree about the milk thing, and the vet told me as much.

Get a laser pointer. Bwa ha haha. And a scratching post, unless you want him scratching your furniture.

 

[Rook]

AFter my cat almost died in his first year from a UTI (from dehydration), the vet informed me to:

1. Get a cat fountain. Unless of course you are really good about always having fresh water in that bowl. The fountain keeps the water circulating and more interesting than stagnant water in a bowl. Cats can be finnicky and will just stop drinking if you don't keep that water fresh.

Thus far I have made sure the water is fresh and accessible(next to food), but somehow he prefers to drink out of the dog's water bowl, which seems to have collected some dirt at the bottom and was in no way clean when I saw him drinking.
Somewhat baffling.

Get a laser pointer. Bwa ha haha. And a scratching post, unless you want him scratching your furniture.

Must...resist.....evil temptations....

I figured a scratching post would be mandatory, thus far he seems content with carpets and my flesh, but there will probably come a time were pillow destruction may occur.

 

[Jennywocky]

Thus far I have made sure the water is fresh and accessible(next to food), but somehow he prefers to drink out of the dog's water bowl, which seems to have collected some dirt at the bottom and was in no way clean when I saw him drinking.
Somewhat baffling.

Lol!

Well, he was also an outdoor cat. My cat was pretty much indoors from the start. Maybe he's used to dirt. As long as he's drinking, that's all that matters.

I figured a scratching post would be mandatory, thus far he seems content with carpets and my flesh, but there will probably come a time were pillow destruction may occur.

My cat loves plastic. I have to make sure plastic (especially stuff that makes crinkly noises) is securely away and/or in the garbage. he'll even dig plastic out of the garbage to chew on it.

Oh yeah, my cat likes chewing my hardcover books. He chewed up the bottom of the binding on my Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosity $60 hardback, I wanted to pummel him for that. I have all my hardbacks tucked away where he can't get his face on them; I think he's cleaning his teeth that way, but... arrrrg....

They're all different. That's part of the joys of having a cat.

 

[Rook]

Lol!


Oh yeah, my cat likes chewing my hardcover books. He chewed up the bottom of the binding on my Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosity $60 hardback, I wanted to pummel him for that. I have all my hardbacks tucked away where he can't get his face on them; I think he's cleaning his teeth that way, but... arrrrg....

They're all different. That's part of the joys of having a cat.

All part of their master plan to make humans more ignorant.
Worked on the ancient Egyptians, their pyramid spaceships never launched.

Really exited to see what unique challenges and personality quirks he has

Just observed him use the litterbox, at least that seems to be going down well.

 

[Polaris]

Nice cat ^..^

Just make sure he doesn't find out where your internet connection is because my cat has worked out where the ADSL line is and disconnects it every day. Not so secret ploy to get me away from the computer and into the room where he will race around my legs like a Formula 1 car while I attempt to reconnect the line.

 

[Yellow]

5. Give him a flea prevention like Revolution. It will kill both ear mites and fleas (and some worms), all 3 of which he probably has

I would be a spokesperson for Revolution if they asked me. Out of all the neurotoxins you could dump on your pets, it is far and away your best option. I don't really understand how the other brands even stay in business. It works better (by that, I mean it actually works), it's much safer, it kills more parasites, and it can be used on more pet species than anything else I've come across. The only downside is you have to get it from the veterinarian.

Really exited to see what unique challenges and personality quirks he has

Try setting out a small pile of scrap paper. I've never met a cat who doesn't feel the urge to sit on, and eventually shred, paper.

 

[Jennywocky]

I always wondered about the paper thing. If I leave a piece/stack of paper on the floor or something smooth with the same degree of hardness of a small stack of paper, he will eventually come and lay on it. Don't ask me; I can imagine comfier places.

 

[Perfectly Normal Beast]

commercial cat food (wet or dry) is junk food for cats and leads to a similar health clusterfuck that humans who live on such food experience. the best food for cats is that which is analogous to what they'd eat in their natural environment. i found this website really helpful when i switched my cats from "normal" cat food to a raw food diet several yrs ago. their health improved dramatically and they completely stopped getting flea infestations (i'm not sure where you live but if ticks are your only other potential parasite you can obtain tick "hooks" and be freed from the necessity of dousing your cat with toxic pesticides/repellents).

i mostly feed mine chicken (particularly necks, which are available really cheaply where i live and are proportionally similar to natural prey animals), 5-10% (of total diet) organ meat, raw eggs, the occasional "human food" treat such as cheese or butter and for convenience a small amount of dry commercial cat food.

once your cat has accepted you as his "owner" and your home as his residence, i recommend getting a cat flap or similar (open window?!) unless you live in an exceptionally urban area/apartment, and allowing him to come and go as he pleases; for me the risks of such freedom are strongly outweighed by the benefits.

btw random is gorgeous
btw you can disregard this post because i am going to steal him while you sleep.

 

[Cognisant]

It's probably the smell, ditto for books, paper is essentially wood pulp so as it decays it smells much like tree bark, they must be instinctively drawn to that smell, probably because in the wild being able to climb trees is their primary defense against larger predators.

 

[Rook]

commercial cat food (wet or dry) is junk food for cats and leads to a similar health clusterfuck that humans who live on such food experience. the best food for cats is that which is analogous to what they'd eat in their natural environment. i found this website really helpful when i switched my cats from "normal" cat food to a raw food diet several yrs ago. their health improved dramatically and they completely stopped getting flea infestations (i'm not sure where you live but if ticks are your only other potential parasite you can obtain tick "hooks" and be freed from the necessity of dousing your cat with toxic pesticides/repellents).

i mostly feed mine chicken (particularly necks, which are available really cheaply where i live and are proportionally similar to natural prey animals), 5-10% (of total diet) organ meat, raw eggs, the occasional "human food" treat such as cheese or butter and for convenience a small amount of dry commercial cat food.

Pondered upon this, seeing as cats pretty much have all their predatory instincts and functions in place.
Will check the links...
Chicken necks are also cheaply sold here, funds usually a concern for me so would be convenient if chicken necks are cheaper than Colonel Capitalist's Cat Chow.

once your cat has accepted you as his "owner" and your home as his residence, i recommend getting a cat flap or similar (open window?!) unless you live in an exceptionally urban area/apartment, and allowing him to come and go as he pleases; for me the risks of such freedom are strongly outweighed by the benefits.

I do live on a farm, so open windows and doors are generally not much of a hassle. For now, he skulks in the house like some feline vampire instead of going outside that much

btw random is gorgeous

Thank you, you are so kind and sweet and moral

btw you can disregard this post because i am going to steal him while you sleep.

*Rook sits on the ground, eyes bloodshot, swaying back and forth while holding Random*

"Lock the doors, close the windows.
She is coming.
Lock the doors, close the windows.
She is coming.
Lock the doors, close the windoooAaaaaaaaarggggggghhhhhhhh........"

*Silence falls*

 

[Perfectly Normal Beast]

Thank you, you are so kind and sweet and moral

the illusion is complete
yay! i have portrayed myself accurately

She is coming.
Lock the doors, close the windoooAaaaaaaaarggggggghhhhhhhh........"

*Silence falls*

*pnb teaches random by example how to consume the raw food (aka rook's still warm corpse)*

 

[Rook]

*pnb teaches random by example how to consume the raw food (aka rook's still warm corpse)*

*Rook's spectral form smiles as it descends to Hades, for Random has been given a hearty meal and is being taught the way of true felinity by the priestess of Bastet.*

 

[Jennywocky]

That cat has it too good.

 

[SmaretESFJ]

omg cats! I LOVE CATS! they;re so cuteeeeeeeeee!