Please can people offer me some more advice on dealing with my feral kitten?

People were really kind last time and offered me some great advice but now I am after a bit more!





Oscar is about 12 weeks old now. He's getting quite big and a little bit more confident (he will come into the room where we are sitting to get food, although he bolts if we move quickly or go too close).





Question one is about getting him jabbed and neutered: I'm not absolutely sure whether 'he' is a boy or a girl because we haven't been able to examine 'him' properly. I really need to catch him and get him to the vet's ... any advice?





Question two is about getting another cat: I was thinking that if I got a very domesticated, rescue cat then it might be a positive influence on him and give him some company. I'm thinking that he's still little enough to become acclimatised to another kitten and make friends.





Question three: when do you think he will be able to go outside to go to toilet?





Please help! I am getting very sad about not having a loving kitten!!Please can people offer me some more advice on dealing with my feral kitten?
Well, I have a feral kitty who is now about 6 years old and the laziest, happiest, most affectionate adult cat. He is still timid around strangers and takes himself off alone if we have guests. He always used to hide if we walked around, footsteps were his biggest fear, so hard floors and movement outside 'his' conservatory etc made him scurry for cover.


Neutering can wait a while I think, check with your vet, but is essential before he goes outside (in case it's a girl) and essential if you are keeping him indoors because he will smell bad.


I wouldn't risk getting another cat unless you can get one from the same litter. Or if you can borrow one in the first instance to see if they get along. I am not in favour of taking cats back when you have made a choice but some cats will truly never never get along and could cause you more problems. On the other hand it is good for them to have company so trying it is possibly a positive. Maybe a trial of two weeks or so may be good, so long as you know that if you return the new pet, it will go to another good home.


I would advise against letting the cat outside until it is truly comfortable and loving towards you.


Biggest and most valuable piece of advice I can offer is the slow blink. Slow blink at your young cat and watch him slow blink back. Staring is a form of aggression and your anxiety about him may make you stare at him in a way that is aggressive to cats. A combination of slow blinking and trailing string around may make him come to you. Try to make yourself small or partially hide yourself to help with his fear of your size. Cats turn sideways to show aggression because it increases their size and makes them look more formidable. Decrease your size to be friendly. Observe how placid cats sit with their front paws tucked under and try to mimmick their non aggressive poses. (and be quiet and gentle) In short, be a cat!


In time he will be curious enough to come to you.


Good LuckPlease can people offer me some more advice on dealing with my feral kitten?
I didn't see your earlier question but I can answer from my own experience with a feral kitty.





If your cat hasn't been to the vet yet, you need to get him there as soon as possible. A feral cat can have all kinds of diseases that you don't know about. Some are treatable and some are not, but you need to find out right away.





I used a safe cat trap to get my cat to the vet. Call your local animal shelter and ask if they have one you can borrow or rent.





The trap that I used, you put some cat food in it and leave it in his space. Don't give him any other food during this time. It took my cat almost 2 days, but he finally got hungry enough to go in the trap. Don't worry about him starving to death, they have better survival instincts than that.





As for going outside -- a lot of cats never go outside and are perfectly happy. If your cat is box-trained it shouldn't be necessary to go outside to do his business. If not -- follow the usual rules: Set your cat up in a room of his own if possible, with a place for him to hide from you, his food and water dishes, and a litter box, kept scrupulously clean. Don't approach him in a threatening way, but do spend some time every day just sitting quietly on the floor in ';his'; room.





What finally did the trick with my kitty: I got a can of oil-packed people tuna and dipped my finger in the oil. Then I sat perfectly still on the floor and held my finger out. He was scared at first, but he couldn't resist licking my finger! Ever since then we've been best buddies (for 10 years).





Anything you can do to help your cat bond with you, you should do as soon as possible. Now is the age when they develop habits that will last all their lives. Playing with him is another possibility. Dangle a piece of string in his direction and see if he wants to play with it.
First of all well done for taking in the cat.The vet will tell you if its a boy or a girl when you take him .As its really important for her to be jabbed and neutered as you now. No i wouldn't get another cat as it might distress your cat .I took a stray cat in yrs ago was very scared we got him really homely then 2 yrs later brought a Kitten and now our older cat wont even sleep down stairs now and when we first had the new kitten she wouldn't come in the House for about 6 mths we had to feed him out side. I would keep her in as long as you can I keep ed mine in for 8 weeks goodluck
Truly feral cats are just that. Call your vet and ask their advice re jab's neutering etc. You may have to trap him.her to get there and at the moment it's far to soon. (Don't let him out untill he has had jabs)


If you want to rescue another cat I would wait untill you know what sex this one is. If He is a he, he will not like having another he in the house and will only get more wild. (same with the girls I'm affraid)
I have a kitten just like yours (more domesticated now but was just like yours)!!! She definitely did warm up with another cat around. I would get one around her own age so they can play together. It helps socialize them plus they sometimes feel more safe when there's more then one.





About getting him/her to the vet. If you can touch him you might want to ask your vet for a sedative first so he's more relaxed for the trip. If you are unable to do that then you might need to get a cat trap box (you can rent one from the shelter) and put his/her food in there to trap the kitty and take it in. I know this sounds traumatizing but it is really important to get the kitty his shots/castrated. Plus he might warm up to you when your taking care of him post op.





I wouldn't let the cat go outside until she/he's more use to you. If you let a feral cat out it wont come back. You have to have trust and a human/animal bond/relationship for the cat to realize hes loved here and gets to be allowed to go out and play but has to return home.





Working with feral kitties is very difficult. It requires a lot of time and patience. You have to work with him slowly and just try to get him used to you. You have much better chances since he is so young and I would recommend getting him a playmate to show him that human affection really isn't a horrible thing. I wish you all the luck and hopefully soon you will have the loving kitten that you want, it will just take a little hard work :)
I found a really good website that should help you. I used to work in a Vet clinic and it was not fun trying to handle feral cats. I was told by the vets there that once a cat is feral (lives its first few weeks without human contact) you are unale to domesticate them whether the mother is feral or domestic.





I hope you find some useful information on the link below:
Q1: Get your cat carrier out a couple of days before it and put something of his in it (such as a blanket) and he will get used to it. However, he may not get in it so you will probally have to pick him up. He will probally fight back but if you hold the skin around his neck he should be fine. He will wine a bit but it is for his own good





Q2: He should e fine with another cat, however cats are very protective of their house and don't like other cats their but i don't think he is old enough yet. Be sure to talk to your vet and the rescue centre about it before you get another cat.





Q3 When he is about 3-4 months old start taking him out while we you are outside to let him get used to it and you can see what he is up to. Make sure he is up to date with jabs and has been neutered. Try and get another cat before you let him outside as he will be more protective ounce he goes outide.