# New Stray



## emilyatl

I have a feral kitty, Mr. Kitty, who I've been taking care of for a couple of years. I had him neutered last May (he really hates me now), and the vet estimated he was 5 years old! He's pretty beat up, very grumpy, and doesn't let me anywhere near him. He's also extremely territorial of his home on my front porch and gets in fights with others who come near my porch. Well, yesterday, I caught a glimpse of a kitty in my backyard, so I put some food out. He came back today and ran off when he saw me, but he didn't go too far. I went outside to see if he'd come close to me, but he kept his distance, so I put more food out and he came back to the patio. He's super cute and looks to be in pretty good shape. He is definitely NOT neutered (got a good look at his rear), but doesn't appear as beat up as most outdoor kitties (definitely not like Mr. Kitty). I'm now worried that he'll get in a fight with Mr. Kitty if he catches him on his turf. So I'll try to trap him so I can take him to the vet to see if he's chipped.

Anyhow, this is not the best pic of him (through a window), but he's very handsome!


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## spirite

Aww! So has Mr. Kitty met the new guy yet?


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## pkbshrew

He's a handsome boy all right!


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## howsefrau32

New fella is indeed mighty handsome  Yeah, I have a porch dweller that I have been caring for now for the past two years. I was lucky, she is already fixed and ear tipped, thank GOD, because I know she would hate me if I trapped her. It took me about 6 months before she would let me barely touch her, and used to hiss at me when I first started feeding her. She has lived in my neighborhood for at least 5 years before I started caring for her....she wouldn't let me care for her before, I tried, but one day she gave in and took the food, and 2 years later, she sleeps by my front door. She, like your Mr. Kitty, is VERY territorial of her porch, and I have heard fighting on a few occasions when someone tried to come to her porch. But, she also knows when to step aside and not fight and last winter, a big orange cat (looked like your new fella) started trying to eat her food in the morning and started peeing by my front door, and she just stepped aside and knew not to mess with this big guy, who was 3 times her size. He was not neutered, and the lady at the end of my street was feeding him, along with 8 other cats, which I was not happy about. I know they are hungry, but if you are going to feed them, you have to make sure they are neutered or, as you know, there will be a constant stream of cats that will grow and grow until you have 20. Now, I feed Arwen, my feral girl, and I sit by her while she eats, and I pet her even (that took a LONG time before we got to that point), she is so spoiled that she will NOT eat her meals unless I pet her back the entire time. She is rotten. I think you are wise to think about trapping new kitty and get him neutered, because if he is not fixed, he is defintely going to tangle with Mr. Kitty. As much as I LOVE cats, I love my Arwen, so I don't feed other cats that come around, I have even chased a few off that were hassling her.....like the big orange guy. I felt so bad for him once though that I walked down the road way away from my house and gave him a piece of chicken to eat, but I didn't want to encourage him to show up at my door every day. Like I said, I LOVE cats, but I love Arwen so much, so I won't feed other cats in my yard. I would see though about trapping this new guy and who knows, maybe he will be tame enough once trapped to get adopted out, and if not, they can fix him, ear tip him, and put him back in your neighborhood, and maybe once he's fixed, he won't want to tangle with Mr. Kitty. I think you will have problems though if these two meet, for sure, I hate to say. Arwen never goes in my back yard, because I have a doberman, who, even though she is fine with my 3 indoor cats, she will chase cats that are in her yard (she wouldn't hurt them but she will chase). 

Good luck with new kitty, and bless you for caring for Mr. Kitty, who even though he is still holding a grudge over you trapping him and fixing him, you know you saved his life and you still manage to love and care for the little turkey even though he is not nice to you, that makes you a really special person.


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## emilyatl

Well, the new stray and Mr. Kitty haven't fought yet (at least if they have, I haven't seen them). I watched the new stray leave yesterday and kind of followed him to see where he was going. It looks like he was hiding out in the woods behind a neighbors house behind mine. I know all of my immediate neighbors really well, and none of them have cats, so I walked down the street to ask the neighbors who's houses he was behind and no one knows him, but they've seen him around. He's getting a little closer to me each day. Yesterday, he got within 30 feet or so after I put food out and immediately came up to eat after I closed the door (he had previously been waiting several minutes before I went inside). So, I think I'm going to continue to try to get him to trust me before I resort to trapping him. We'll see how it goes. He's actually in really good shape, he has no visible cuts/scabs and his coat is really shiny (he doesn't have cut up/chewed up ears and a face like poor Mr. Kitty). He looks pretty young too, so I'm hoping I'll be able to get him to come in the garage now that it's getting cold. 

I definitely don't blame Mr. Kitty. He's been an outdoor kitty his whole life and who knows what people have done to him. He's 100% feral and I know could never get adopted out, so he'd be put down if he went to a shelter. He's never been aggressive with me, he just hisses and keeps his distance. But he seems pretty happy living on my porch, so I just leave him be. If the vet is right, he's close to 7 now, which is REALLY old for an outdoor cat, so I always worry when I don't see him for a couple of days, but he always come back to be the guardian of my porch.


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## Mitts & Tess

Sounds like your new kitty was dumped. Luckily he found you. I hope you can gain it confidence and trap him soon. 

What kind of shelter do you think youll do for this winter for them? You are so awesome to care for these two wanderers! They now have a safe place, safe person, and food and care!


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## emilyatl

Well, we've made some progress. The past couple of days, I've sat outside in the morning for a little while when I put his food out (he's always out there waiting ). Initially, he really kept his distance out in the yard, but he's slowly started coming up to the patio. Today, he actually came within about 5 - 10 feet of me!  I opened the patio blinds so he could see in, and he didn't run off while I was sitting there. Scout came over to take a look and meowed, and pawed at the door, but didnt' hiss at all (neither did the stray). So I'm hoping I can continue to gain his trust. 

For Mr. Kitty, I have a big rubbermaid container with a hole cut in the side (I bought an outdoor heated bed last year, but he wouldn't sleep in it). So I need to get another rubbermaid container for the new kitty (it's supposed to get really cold tonight). I'm still hoping I can get him into the garage where it's much warmer and safer for him. He definitely doesn't seem feral and looks really healthy (has a shiny coat and doesn't appear too underweight). His right eye does look a little goopy, so I definitely want to get him to a vet soon. He's never hissed or shown any aggression, and has been softly meowing when he sees me. 

Here are a few new pics. He's such a handsome boy! 

Patiently waiting to be fed:



Scout saying hello through the door:



Napping after being fed:


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## howsefrau32

Aww, he reminds me of my feral, Arwen. She is content to be in my yard and on my porch. This will also be my second winter with her, and I made her a feral house once too, but she didn't sleep in it. I live in FL, so it's not so bad, but this winter I will be encouraging her to sleep in the garage on the really cold nights. 

Your little guy looks pretty content, napping after his meal


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## emilyatl

Yeah, I'm worried about him in the back yard because there really isn't any shelter. Mr. Kitty "owns" the front porch, which is covered, but there's no way they will share. So I'd really like to get him into the garage. It's supposed to be well below freezing tonight, which is definitely unusal for this time of year. He seems to find shelter in the woods behind my house at night because I never see him in the evenings. Fingers crossed I can get him in the garage...


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## howsefrau32

Our situations are so alike. Arwen can't go in to my back yard because my dog Greta, who is fine with my 3 indoor cats, but she will chase cats outside (she won't hurt them but she will chase them and bark), so she owns my front porch too, and she won't really go into my garage, except for a few minutes and then walks out. What I usually do is just but a bunch of blankets and she sort of burrows underneath them when it's really cold. I sometimes plug in a heating pad too and she will huddle near it. But my neighbors across the street have a sort of barn/shed, and they say she sleeps underneath it when it's really cold. She has been around for at least 5 years, and she always manages to find somewhere, but I always wish I could do better too. I will be working on getting her to get more comfortable inside the garage. These silly cats have no idea how much they worry us!


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## emilyatl

Yeah, I worry a lot about Mr. Kitty when it starts to get cold like this because he's so old (for an outdoor kitty). I bought a covered heated bed, but he won't sleep in it! Last year, he definitely had a bad upper respiratory infection because I could see/hear him sneezing and coughing.  I put L-Lysine in his food (and still do) and he seemed to get over it pretty quickly. But the poor guy looks so beat up and tattered, and his eyes are always crusty/goopy. It just breaks my heart that he doesn't have any human interaction, but he seems happy. I wish I could get him to come in the garage, but he won't set foot in there. I know he must be freezing sitting up on the chairs and have tried to shelter them as much as possible (and put pillows/towels up there so he can burrow). He's so stubborn!

The new kitty seems much friendlier and approachable, so I'm going to put some tuna in the garage tonight to see if I can get him to come in there. Maybe he'll use the heated bed Mr. Kitty didn't think to highly of.


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## Marcia

Here's a video for a feral cat shelter using a Styrofoam cooler. Some of us have one in their attics! I wouldn't use a pillow, I'd use stray or something more easily changed or cleaned. Maybe a fleece blanket?


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## Marcia

Another feral cat shelter video - easy to do!


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## emilyatl

I like to use straw inside of mine because it doesn't absorb moisture like towels, pillows, paper, etc. do. And it's supposed to be pretty good at retaining heat )plus they're used to it if they are out in the wild). The syrofoam cooler is a really good idea though. That's probably much cheaper than the rubbermaid container I have for Mr. Kitty (and easier to cut a hole in). Thanks for the info!


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## Mitts & Tess

Put some Llysine in its food to help with the eye.


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## emilyatl

Mitts & Tess said:


> Put some Llysine in its food to help with the eye.


Yep, I already started this morning.  Mr. Kitty has been getting it for a while since his URI last winter and he's still going strong. 

I found a styrofoam cooler in my garage (no idea where I got it), but I cut a hole in it and put some straw in, so I'll bait it with some tuna to see if the new kitty will take shelter tonight. We'll see...


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## Marcia

I think I would tape the top closed and attach it to something solid like boards so it won't flip over in the wind. Let us know how it works out.


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## emilyatl

Well, "round 1" went pretty well. After setting up the cooler in the garage, I went around to the bag yard where he hangs out most of the day in the sun. I shook the food dish to get his attention, then walked around to the garage making sure he was watching me, and put the dish in the cooler, then hid in the laundry room with the door cracked. He came in a few minutes later, and immediately went into the cooler!  He ate the food, then left, but at least he knows it's there. I'll leave the garage door open tonight a bit so he can come in. Hopefully he will. It's already getting really windy and cold here. I'm pretty confident I'll be able to easily trap him since he went into the cooler so willingly. I wish I could do it this week, but I am tied up most of the day tomorrow and Thursday and my TNR place only does neuters Monday - Thursday, so it will have to be next week....


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## Mitts & Tess

Perfecto!!! Maybe put a cat door into your garage for the winter?


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## emilyatl

I don't know if the new kitty actually spent the night in the garage, but the food was gone this morning. I put some kibble out this morning after seeing him in the backyard and he came right into the garage to eat, but then left. I need to see if I can follow him in the evening. He must be going to someplace sheltered becuase he always shows up first thing in the morning the backyard, yawning like he just woke up.


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## dt8thd

Marcia said:


> Another feral cat shelter video - easy to do!
> 
> How to Build a Winter Shelter for Street Cats - YouTube


Hey, it's Bill and Kali, I know them!  They coordinate the Toronto Street Cats shelter building workshops. We make these shelters every other Saturday during the late fall/winter/early spring months down at the Toronto Humane Society. The shelters are made available to colony caretakers for $15, to cover the cost of the materials. I have 2 of these at my colony at the office, 1 at the side of my house for neighbourhood strays, and 2 currently sitting on my porch waiting to be picked up by a colony caretaker. They're really simple to make, especially if you have a power tool to cut the entrance hole with, and they keep cats nice and toasty.


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## Carmel

That's great progress!!  He looks so sweet, he was lucky to find you.


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## emilyatl

He is really cute. I'm such a sucker for an orange cat, so he came to the right place. He's still shown no aggression at all, he just runs to maintain a safe distance, but he's started coming closer and closer each day. He has the cutest little meow! I'm a little reluctant to trap him this soon, but I just assume get it done and over with. He's the first feral I've considered trying to socialize and keep. And I definitely want to get him tested for FeLV and FIV before I make any further decisions. So we'll see how it goes next week when I try to trap him...


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## Mitts & Tess

Just a heads up and you probably know this. Do the blood test so they can tell whether its a vaccine or true felv or fiv if it shows positive.


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## emilyatl

So I'm still working on gaining his trust. He's very reluctant to come in the garage, and will only jump in there for a minute to eat, then dart back out. My garage doesn't have any windows/external doors, so I'm sure that freaks him out a bit. So I put an igloo house in the back yard for him that's up against the house in a corner, so it's sheltered pretty well. I've been sitting out with him while he's eating, and he'll come within a foot or two of me and eat without seeming skittish, so he's slowly getting closer and closer. He used to keep his distance when I went out to feed him, but now he comes right up to me and meows his head off. Yesterday, I got a very quick pet in as he was sitting next to me after he ate. He looked at me like I was crazy and backed up a bit, but didn't hiss or growl or anything, so that's progress. My work schedule has just been so crazy that I haven't been able to get him trapped, but this week should be much quieter, so I'm going to give it a try this week. I hope it doesn't undo any progress I've made with him. We'll see...


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## Greenport ferals

Re: shelters for ferals in the winter.

Everyone pushes the use of straw, since it doesn't get damp like blankets. 

I'm a backpacker. My ferals get the same setup I use in winter. Underneath, a closed cell pad (or foam insulation board.) These have a high R value. 
Bedding is old down jackets and down sleeping bags to burrow into. The nylon shell means they never really get damp. Down is the ultimate winter material. If these things keep me warm at 15 degrees, I know they'll keep a feral cat warm.


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## 10cats2dogs

And a add on to Greenport...you can find old down sleeping bags at thrift stores!
Look in the smaller thrift stores (not Goodwill, they charge to much!)
My favorite thrift store is ran by volunteers and supports our animal shelter!


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## emilyatl

Yeah, I've always used straw. Never thought about using an old sleeping bag. We have a "thrift store" in Atlanta that adopts out animals (and fosters for one of our shelters). They have a lot of really nice furniture actually. I'll check and see if they have any down sleeping bags or jackets because it's supposed to be really cold this week. I wish I could get him to stay in the garage, but he's just really scared in there. I'm pretty sure he's never been indoors. He's really so sweet, so I hope I'll be able to get him in the house eventually. This morning, I brought some of his favorite treats out and he _almost_ ate out of my hand. Scout was looking at him through the door, and he walked right up to the window and rubbed his head where Scout was looking out!  Neither has hissed at each other through the door, so that's a good sign. And his right eye is looking much better, so the L-Lysine appears to be working. I haven't noticed any sniffles or coughing, so hopefully it was nothing major. Here's another pic I took this morning of this cute boy:


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## NebraskaCat

Has Scout had any reaction/interaction with him through the window?


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## Marcia

Awww, emilyatl, he is cute!! He looks fit and healthy, too. He could be spending the nights anywhere!, under a house, in an open shed, in someone else's garage. Next time you feed him in the garage, sit in a chair as far away as possible and see if he won't come near you after he eats! I love the threads that document the acceptance of strays and ferals. Keep it going!


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## pkbshrew

He's magnificent for sure


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## emilyatl

NebraskaCat said:


> Has Scout had any reaction/interaction with him through the window?



Scout hasn't hissed or growled at him at all, which is good because he and Mr. Kitty (my front porch feral) fight a lot through the window next to the front door. Today, Scout was looking at him through the window, and the stray rubbed his head against the window where Scout was sitting. Scout kind-of pawed the door like he wanted to go out to see him. It was very cute. Neither has shown any sign of aggression towards one another, so I hope that means they'd get along. 



Marcia said:


> Awww, emilyatl, he is cute!! He looks fit and healthy, too. He could be spending the nights anywhere!, under a house, in an open shed, in someone else's garage. Next time you feed him in the garage, sit in a chair as far away as possible and see if he won't come near you after he eats! I love the threads that document the acceptance of strays and ferals. Keep it going!


He definitely looks healthy. His coat is very shiny, and I don't see any obvious cuts/bites/etc. like most ferals have. I see him go back in the woods behind my house at night and there are a lot of really heavy brush and overhead trees, so I don't know if he spends the night there or not. He never looks wet or dirty though. I was really surprised when he almost ate out of my hand today. He doesn't run from me like he used to when I approached him. I'll try sitting far away from him to see if he'll approach.


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## Jordie

That is awesome! I hope you can tame him


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## Greenport ferals

He's a beautiful cat and his eyes look great now.


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## Yuki'sMum

Awww I love ginger boys. My youngest daughter has one and he is sooo sweet and lovey. Mr Kitty is very handsome and looks very fit. I hope you can convince him to stay with you indoors. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## emilyatl

So, just to give an update, he has been neutered!  It took him several days to come back around afterwards (he acted 100% feral after the surgery - can't say that I blame him), but he's back to his usual self now. He is still very skittish of the garage and won't stay in there, and it's been raining a ton here, but he still prowls around the yard in the pouring rain. On Sunday, when I was out feeding him, I took a chance to pet him, and he didn't jump back. I sat there and petted him for several minutes (just on the back, neck, no face contact yet). Yesterday and today, I did the same, for a bit longer each time, and he seemed to like it (I haven't heard him purr yet though). This afternoon, I had some treats in my hand and he came right up to my hand and almost ate from my hand. I was sitting on the floor of the doorway with the door open and Scout was right behind me. Neither hissed or growled, so I'm still hopeful I can get him indoors. He's kind of peeked in a couple of times and looked around, but looked terrified.  Baby steps...


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## Mitts & Tess

Being neutered is going to be the game changer, as far as my experiences have gone with similar situations just like yours. Their focus is changed from mating and territory to being a normal domestic cat that will come around with a little work and love.

You are doing a FANTASTIC job of helping him and doing all the right things. I enjoy reading your updates.


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## emilyatl

The day he came back after being neutered, he was pretty groggy and I kept him in the garage that night. When he finally came off the sedation, he completely flipped out, then took off, and I thought I'd never be able to gain his trust again. So I'm really happy he's letting me near him. I hope he'll initiate contact soon. I'd love to get a head rub!

Oh, and his combo test was negative.  He got his rabies and distemper vaccinations and a dewormer too. The vet thinks he's about 12 - 18 months old. I think I'm going to name him Atticus, but I'm waiting to see if it sticks...


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## pkbshrew

What fantastic progress. WOW! He's such a lucky boy to have you in his life


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## emilyatl

Well, I found his kryptonite! I had some roasted chicken for dinner tonight and thought I'd give him some as a treat. I sat down outside and tossed a little piece to him and his eyes just lit up and he was sniffing all over for some more. He came over and ate out of my hand and licked my fingers!!! He let me pet him for quite a while afterwards, and I got some good chin scratches, etc. He even let me rub his belly a little. He was purring up a storm!  My heart just melted. He's such a sweetie. I'm going to see if he'll let me pet him when it's not feeding time tomorrow...


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## emilyatl

So, not too much has changed in the past couple of weeks. He will now come running when I call him, and he will let me pet him without food out, so that's progress. He's sat in my lap a few times too and let me pet him, and seems very comfortable (purring, head butting, even making bisuits ). But, he's still terrified to come inside. One day when it was really cold and raining, he stepped in the door and he and Scout sniffed each other, and he looked like he was going to come in, but he looked around and looked totally freaked out, so he backed up. I have a heating pad in the outdoor house I have for him. It hasn't been that cold lately, but it's supposed to get back down in the 20s at night soon. I'm pretty sure I'd be able to pick him up, but I don't want to freak him out and break his trust. Any suggestions on getting him indoors?


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily, I am so hoping he fully comes around and decides that Indoors, is where its at! How are you and Scout doing otherwise? ?
Hugs!
Sharon


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## emilyatl

We're doing pretty well. Saturday was 2 months since Jem passed away, so needless to say, the holidays have been pretty difficult. I'm so glad I have Scout with me though. I can't imagine how much harder it would be without him. He still goes looking for Jem under the beds and his other hiding places, and yowls for him to come out and play. 

I hope Atticus comes around too. He's made a ton of progress in the past month, so I guess I just need to continue being patient.


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## 10cats2dogs

Besides cooked chicken as an incentive, 
try some roast beef! My Mr. Jazz, goes bonkers for roast beef! One of the very few things he won't stop pestering me about!! I give him a few shreds of meat and then he's content! 
(Typically male! "Where's the Beef?"!)


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## Mitts & Tess

I had a semi feral that wouldnt let us near him for two years outside. I TNRed him. It was my cat which brought him around. He began by sitting outside the french door looking in at my cats and all the foster cats. 

Then we started letting him in and let him back out right away when he got would start to do the panic behavior. He started staying in longer and longer each time with the foster cats. 

We couldn't pick him up in the beginning. One day he decided he was going to trust me and it was all easy from that point forward.

Now he is a full time indoor only cat.


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## emilyatl

That's what I'd like to get to. I really don't like having indoor/outdoor cats (Scout has never been out). He and Scout look at each other through the door all of the time. And he definitely seems to crave affection now, which he didn't before. I'll go out and call him, and he'll run right up next to me and kind of motion for me to pet him. He does this really cute thing where he starts making biscuits before I even pet him and he'll kind of head-butt the air (almost like he's scared to make the first move, but he definitely wants to be petted). I guess he needs time. I hope he comes around!


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## emilyatl

So lately, I've been leaving the door cracked a little and feeding Atticus just inside the threshold. He came in maybe 3 or 4 feet the other day, then looked around and his eyes got all wide and he went into freak-out mode and bolted. Today, he decided he wanted to explore a bit. He walked through the kitchen, and sat with Scout for a little while - neither hissed or growled . He stayed inside for about 10 minutes. Then he went into freak out mode again and actually tried to climb UP the french doors to get outside. I grabbed him just as he was making it to the top and held him for a second to try to calm him down (his heart was beating SO fast), and he seemed to calm down a bit. Then he bolted outside. He's sitting out in his "house" now and seems settled. So, my question is, should I try to confine him to a bathroom or something the next time I get him in? Or should I just let him continue to come in and explore? I'm guessing the latter, but I just don't want to end up with an indoor/outdoor kitty...


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## 10cats2dogs

I think the more you let him come in and go out, the more comfortable he is going to feel about it all...It will build his trust in you and the new situation presented to him, namely, exploring your house!!
Let him get comfortable with his baby steps, you can convince him later to stay inside!!
Sweeten the pot by only offering some special goodie...When he had come inside to visit!
Good Luck!


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## howsefrau32

Wow, that is great that he has come such a long way, even coming inside for 10 minutes, that is a huge step. I know you are going to have some really cold weather and you are worried about him. Maybe he will actually decide to come in on his own, when it's really cold? I know when I got Arwen locked in my garage for the first time, she didn't quite freak, like your boy did, but she was nervous, mewing, scared. I just sat on the ground by her and kept petting her and telling her it was ok. Then she finally crouched on her warming mat and I was lightly scratching her head and she fell asleep...almost. When I went back inside, she did meow, quite a bit for a while, off and on. She would settle, then she would start up again. The next morning, she darted out of the garage as soon as I opened it, but she has been coming back so far. I think once you get past that first time of being confined, and then they know they will get to back out, they relax a bit, at least Arwen did. Now she knows that she is going to get out in the morning, she is much more relaxed about the door being closed and her trapped in. I'm not sure if Mr. Kitty will get to this point, but he just might. I think it really helped for me to sit out there and talk calmly to her and pet her and tell her she was ok. 

That is really good that he got along with Scout. I think there is hope for this boy, that he may just come around and see how awesome life inside is


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## emilyatl

He came in again last night several times (pretty much every time I opened the door, he was waiting to come in). But if the door is closed, he freaks out, so I just leave it open a bit for him.

Late last night, I did leave the garage door cracked a tiny bit and called for him from under the door, he came around and meowed and peeked his head in. So I left a space heater in there and put some food out. The food was gone in the morning, so I'm sure it was him. It was still pretty chilly in there even with the space heater, but still nothing like it was outside with the wind. It just got down to the low 20s (teens with wind chill), but tonight, it's supposed to be -20 with the wind chill (now the coldest temps in 30 years here)!! I'm just so worried about him. I'll leave the garage door cracked again tonight with the space heater and some food. Hopefully he'll stay in there tonight. I need to find something to block the crack except for small area for him to come in (I have a double door, so it's a lot of open space). Maybe some cardboard boxes? I'll see what I can find...


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## cat face

I know this sounds like a stupid question but do you have a window in the garage? (most people do)
If you do wouldn't it be easier to show him how to enter and exit the window? It would be less open space?


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## emilyatl

Catface - nope, I don't. I wish I did. I just have the garage door, and then a door into my house. I think that's why he really freaks out.


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## cat face

was worth asking <shrugs> sometimes things like that are right in front of us and we don't notice. lol Well it works that way for me a lot of times! <laughing>


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## howsefrau32

Arwen is terrified of the space heater. I have a very small one, and it is not very loud, like it's literally one of those personal space heaters, and she will not come near it. You might want to make sure Mr. Kitty is not afraid of yours. It was just a thought I had. The heating pad might be a better option. I'm betting you he did go on there though. He has poked his head in there before and been in a few steps, so I just bet he did stay in there for a bit. Your making baby steps, that is really good.


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## emilyatl

The one I have out there is quiet - it's radiant heat, so there's no fan. I'm going to run out and get another heating pad today though and put that under a bed too just in case. I may just have to close the door and trap him in there tonight. I'd rather him be freaked out and warm than freeze to death.


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## Mitts & Tess

In the Stickys on the feral forum. http://www.catforum.com/forum/56-feral-cats/110830-outdoor-shelters-feral-cats.html 

You could make one of these for your garage.
http://www.catforum.com/forum/56-feral-cats/110830-outdoor-shelters-feral-cats.html


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## emilyatl

I left the garage door cracked for a few hours today just to see how cold it was (it's a lot colder today than it was last night), and it was still freezing in there (well below freezing already). So I closed the garage door and let it warm up a bit with the heater on. He came in the back door today for a while and let me pet him and was in my lap. So I took a chance and picked him up and took him to the garage. He's a little freaked out right now. He's hiding under my car and meowing and won't let me pet himi, which I guess is to be expected. I hope he doesn't hate me after tonight, but I'd rather him be mad than frozen. :| We'll see how he's doing tomorrow morning...


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## emilyatl

He's breaking my heart. He sounds exactly like Jem did when he cried. It's the most pitiful yowl. I measured the temp in the garage and it's 52 degrees right now with the space heater and the door closed. I'm sure it will get colder tonight, but I think it should still be considerably warmer than it is outside. I just hope he forgives me for keeping him locked in there for the night.  I took him some food and warm cat milk (which he loves), but he hasn't touched anything so far. I hope he settles down tonight. Poor thing.


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily, he'll be fine! He's complaining which is to be expected!
I'm so glad you got him in!
Offer him goodies whenever you're out there....talk to him like you normally 
would...
Oonce he figures out that there's no monster to get him in the garage, he'll start to settle down! He may explore his surroundings later...
He will be so much better off in the garage!


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## emilyatl

Scout went in and said hello to him, and kind of whined back at him, but hasn't budged from under the car. I sat for a while and talked to him, and gave him some treats (which he still won't eat). He still hasn't hissed or growled at me, so I guess that's positive. I left the door open a bit so I could hear, and he's not crying when I'm not in there, so I guess he's settling down. At least I know he won't freeze to death and has food in there. I'm also interested to see if he uses the litter box!


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## howsefrau32

Emily, he will be OK, like you said, better than a little mad at you then frozen. And really, I think once he gets over the first night, he'll see that you will let him out in the morning, and he'll get it. Arwen did. She was pretty fearful that first night she was in there, and I almost let her out too. But she eventually settled down and she was all happy and purrs in the morning, although she did run out when I opened the door. But she came right around to the front door for her "noms", just like a normal morning. Don't let him out!! I put some dirt from the yard in the litter box, there is litter underneath it, I figure if she has to go, maybe this would make more sense to her....I don't know, maybe that was stupid, but that's what I was thinking. 

I am actually sitting in my (closed) garage right now with Arwen. We are listening to classic rock, "Dream Weaver" is playing, and she is cuddled on her blanket already. I trapped her in here kind of early, so I thought I'd hang with her for a while. THis is something I do a lot when she is on front porch and I am in a chair near her, so I figured this is as closed to her normal routine, just inside the garage. So far, so good. I have walked out a few times though and she starts walking around mewing, just a little though. I put the a little clock radio with a lighted face out here for a little night light (yeah, I know cats can see in the dark....I just argued this with my husband but it made me feel better). She seems to be pretty chill with the music, I'm almost wondering if I should let it play softly while she sleeps. Not sure yet. 

I'm just glad she is in where it's warm. It's supposed to get to 29 here tonight....which is like death to us thin-skinned Floridians. 

I am glad you have him in there tonight. He will be Ok, he really will, even if he mews off and on all night, which honestly, he probably will, but he'll be Ok. Better than freezing outside, or climbing up into a car engine. 

Going to make a cup of hot cocoa and back to hanging with my girl. Hang in there!


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## emilyatl

It's already -2 with the wind chill here, so I'm definitely happy I got him in. He's stopped meowing finally! He also moved from the center of under the car to near the tire where I had put a heating blanket/towel. He started purring when he saw me and let me pet him, then came up as close as he could (while still staying under the car) to get next to me and nuzzled up to my leg. I almost cried! So I laid on some patio chair cushions on the floor next to him for a while. Yep, the coldest night in 30 years and I'm laying on my cold garage floor on patio cushions.  I got him to eat a few treats too, and he was making biscuits and purring very loudly, so he seems to be doing great now! I'm so relieved. I'll probably go in again before I go to bed just to make sure he feels safe. I thought about a night light too! 

Maybe I'll be able to get him in the garage again...

I'm pretty sure he has been getting up in someone's engine. He has some dark spots on his neck and ears that smell like oil.


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily, LOL! Yes! The things we do for cats!
Thank heavens for this forum where we can share our stories with other like-minded cat lovers who understand! 
He's going to realize its not so bad after all!!


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## howsefrau32

I knew he would settle down eventually! I'm so glad he is in there. I spent a few hours in my garage with Arwen too. And guess where I am this morning? Sitting in the garage with her curled up literally right on my feet. I let her out this morning, thinking I'd feed her on the porch and then she could go do her business. She was literally shivering as she ate so I now have her back in the garage. It's a little cold even in the garage, but she is terrified of the space heater, but I may just go see if I can try again. 

That's sad that Mr. Kitty probably has been sleeping in an engine. I know Arwen has done the same, she is greasy sometimes. Hopefully these smart kitties will see that a closed garage is a good alternative to a car engine. Lets hope. 

I hope it will be uphill from here Emily, and that he will come inside and see that it's not so bad. 

Have you had any luck with the litter box yet? None here, in fact, she is sitting here and she did not go outside this morning, but ran right back in the garage, and I KNOW she has to go. I even put some dirt from the yard, near where she goes normally, in the box, and she won't even give it a glance. I'm debating if I should crack the garage again to let her go, but I'm just thinking she will run off again and find a car instead of coming back.


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## emilyatl

I can tell he got in the litter box last night - there were paw prints in there, but no business. He's still hiding under the car and hasn't eaten much - he'll only eat out of my hand (he didn't touch any of the food on the plate). So I fed him half a can of food this morning out of my hand. I swear, the things we do for them!! It's still -9 here right now with the wind chill, so I haven't let him out yet. The sun just came out, and it's supposed to warm up to the low 20s today, so I think I'm going to hold him hostage a little bit longer. I hope I'll get him back in. We'll see...


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## emilyatl

Catasaurus said:


> You should probably bathe him.
> 
> Ha, just joking!
> 
> Good luck, sounds like things are going quite well in spite of the terrible cold.


Ha, yeah, that would go over like a lead balloon. He is very submissive though, and lets me pick him up without fighting or squirming at all, so I'd probably be able to bathe him. Maybe eventually - he is pretty muddy and smelly, but I won't bother until I get him indoors.

So I let him out a few minutes ago, and he immediately came around to the back door looking for food, and walked right in the door for some head butts! I guess he doesn't hate me.  I hope I'll be able to get him in the garage again tonight, but I think I'll see if he'll come in on his own. Paws crossed...


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## howsefrau32

Emily, you are making me giggle, because my family thinks the things I do for my cats....that I am the only person in the world they know who is this into their cats. But look at you, feeding him canned food out of your hands! (I'd have done it to, in a heartbeat). 

I thought Arwen was mad at me this morning, in fact, I know she was. I got out the scary space heater again, and she made horrible noises until I felt so bad that I had to let her out of the garage  It was 35, and she sat across the street in my neighbors yard just staring at me. But she came back just now and I went ahead and fed her early. She's chilling in the garage again with me and hopefully she will come back again later tonight. She's actually sitting on the warming pad right now....for like the first time, so hopefully she will use it again once she sees that it is warm.

Mr. Kitty sounds so much like Arwen, he gets grumpy and just when you think you won't see him for days, there he is, walking in your door for head butts. I'm jealous that he lets you pick him up, Arwen won't let me. I can half way pick her up, under her front paws, thats it. 

Paws crossed that Mr. Kitty comes back tonight.


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## emilyatl

I have to laugh at myself sometimes too. The things we go through for these babies is pretty comical. I've been so worried about him the past few days, I've barely slept! He came in the back door again this evening as usual to eat and snuggle, then went back out. I put some food out earlier and left the garage door opened and called for him and he peeked his head in, but looked very dubious, and didn't come in. We'll see if he does...

I'm pretty surprised he lets me pick him up too. He doesn't squirm or fight at all, and just seems very calm and rests his head on my shoulder. He's such a sweet boy! He purrs the second he sees me now too. It's really cute.


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## howsefrau32

That is so sweet that he likes to be held. He must have been someone's cat at one point, to let you hold him like that. I don't think I'll ever be able to hold Arwen. 

My husband's aunt lives in Alpharetta, she has 5 cats and some ferals outside that she has built a shelter for under her deck. I know she has been worried about him too. I think she has a bunch of down blankets and sleeping bags that he gets down into, plus he is a very long haired cat so I'm sure that helps him a little. People drop cats in her neighborhood all the time, and they always end up at her door. She is the resident crazy cat lady of her street. 

So, did Mr. Kitty sleep in the garage again last night? I was wondering if he would be hard to trap in there again.


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## emilyatl

I think he slept there for a bit. I have a low cardboard box with some straw in it sitting on a heating pad under my car (he won't sleep in a cushy cat bad at all), and the straw is matted down a bit. So I know he was at least in there for a little while, and all of the food was gone. He was waiting at the backdoor at 7AM as usual for his breakfast and pets. 

Yeah, I don't know what his background is. The vet said he's probably 12 - 18 months, but it's so hard to tell. He made eye contact with me from day 1, which is really unusual for ferals, so that does make me think he's at least been exposed to people. Once he trusted me enough to pet him, I think that was the big turning point, and he's very social (at least with me) now.

Don't feel bad about Arwen, you're doing much better with her than I am with my other feral. He won't let me anywhere near him and hisses/growls any time I come out on the front porch! He's pretty old though (the vet estimated 5 - 7 years when he was neutered) and I'm pretty sure he's never been around people. So I just feed him and leave him alone. He's happy as a clam on my front porch keeping other ferals away.


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## emilyatl

So I thought trapping him in the garage would have a negative effect, but it's been the reverse. If anything, he's more trusting/clingy now. He came in (just inside the kitchen door) several times yesterday, not seeming to want food (he had food in his dish), but just attention. He loves being petted, and has been laying on his back a lot, letting me rub his belly, and has even given me a few kisses. He sat next to Scout for several minutes and they just prrttt'd to each other and sniffed. And he let me pick him up and put him in my lap, though he wasn't too sure about that, so it didn't last too long. He still gets REALLY freaked if I close the door (which isn't great, becuase it's still cold here). First thing this morning, he didn't even touch his food, but wanted to come in and get pets. Any suggestions for getting him more comfortable with the door closed? I've tried giving him treats, then trying to close the door, but as soon as I do, he gets up and tries to scale the window/door to get out (maybe I should call him monkey because he climbed my French doors with such ease!). I wouldn't mind so much if it wasn't freezing out, but keeping the door opened (even cracked) isn't so much of an option...


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## Marcia

Are you buying or renting?? If buying, easy, just put a dog door in. A person with a bit if DIY skills can do it. If renting you can buy a premade door and put a doggie door in that. YOu might need to swap out hinges but someone with some tools a bit of DIY expertise can help.


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## emilyatl

I did think about the doggie door. It's my house, but I really do not want Scout going outside. And, I think I'd have to replace my entire door too - my French doors are glass and I don't think you can put a doggie door in glass, so that would be pretty pricey. And I don't have another external door that he could come in/out. My front door has a storm door (don't think I'd want a doggie door on the front door anyhow). I would like to put in a screened in back porch - if I did that, I'd definitely put in a doggie door. That's a big project though!


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## Marcia

I took in a stray when we lived in Sicily. When we moved on base we kept her shut in the house because the traffic was crazy near our townhouse. She cried and cried to get out for about 3 weeks (she could see her old stomping grounds!) but eventually got over it and resigned herself to it and even after we moved back to the states, preferred to be inside. He'll get used to it, but it might be painful on your ears for awhile. You're right, a dog door won't work on French doors. They do make through the wall doggie doors but that requires a hole to the outside. That is what I did when we remodeled. I just had the guys install it so the cats can go outside to the screened in porch. They use it every day - even in winter.


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## emilyatl

Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking about, just bringing him in and letting him stay in a bathroom with a window for a couple of days to see if he settles down. I don't mind the noise. He doesn't meow too loudly, but he just starts climbing up the walls (literally) and seems very stressed, which reminds me that I need to get a refill of FeliWay. I'll try plugging one in near the kitchen door and see if that helps. He may turn out to be an outdoor cat, but I'd really like to get him indoors!


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## Mitts & Tess

This is just way too easy!!!! He has definitely pick you as his person. This is so heartwarming to read about. Well done emilyatl!


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## emilyatl

Yeah, I guess he has. I didn't expect this at all when he first came around because he was so skittish, but he definitely seems to trust me now. He's such a little love bug! When I open the door, he starts making biscuits on the ground and purring almost immediately when he sees me. It's really the cutest thing ever. He loves attention, that's for sure.


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily, that 'making Biscuits' thing is how my new little guy got his name so fast!
All I had to do was look at him and he full on would start biscuit making!
So his name is Biscuit now! Lol!


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## NebraskaCat

Are you and Scout at a point where you would consider having a new permanent roommate if things go that way?


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## emilyatl

Sharon - Biscuit is such a cute name! I thought about calling him Nugget because he's just a little thing. I don't think he's going to be a big boy. His paws are really tiny and I'm pretty sure he's full grown. 

Jeff - Definitely! So far, there hasn't been any hissing or anything when they've been around each other, just a lot of sniffing and chattering. I would love to get him indoors and see how they do together. Scout is very laid back around other cats - he's just scared of little kittens, but usually he gets along with adult cats very well. And I don't know how much time the outside kitty has spent with other cats, but he doesn't seem scared or aggressive. Time will tell. I certainly hope it works out.


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily, When you mentioned maybe you should call him 'Monkey' because of his door climbing gymnastics, I had to laugh!
That would be a very cute name for him and original!! 
'Nugget' is cute too!
Maybe 'Tonto' for his 'wild' ways!!


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## emilyatl

He is definitely wild. My doors barely have the frames on them (they're really thin and almost flat against the glass if that makes sense), but he climbed up it like it was a tree! Maybe Monkey would suit him. I'll have to test some names out and see what works.


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## howsefrau32

Emily, my daughter has a big tuxedo cat that climbs door jambs. It is hysterical when he does it. And he is not a little cat, he is like 16-18 pounds, and climbs them like it's a tree. He has done it since he was a kitten and is still doing it, it just cracks us up. I bought her a big armarkat tree for him, and that has helped a lot, he now runs up and down that thing MOSTLY, but he still will climb a door jamb when he is really excited. Maybe you should call him Mr. Monkey instead of Mr. Kitty, LOL!


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## emilyatl

I thought about SpiderCat (or Spider) too since he climbs the walls, LOL. It reminds me of The Simpsons movie (SpiderPig).


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## emilyatl

I think I may go with Monkey. It kind of suits him. We'll see if it sticks. This morning, it's actually really warm outside (almost 60), but it just pouring down rain about an hour ago. My feral who stays on the front porch must be hiding this morning, because Monkey was out there waiting for his breakfast this morning instead of on the back porch. So I let him in and he sat just inside the door for over an hour just watching the storm with us! 

Here are a few new pics of him (sorry for the quality, it was kind of dark, but he was scared of the flash so I turned it off):


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## pkbshrew

He is just a gorgeous boy for sure and looking very calm and at home


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## NebraskaCat

He's home.


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## emilyatl

This is a cute pic of him I took yesterday while he was inside. He stayed inside for a while and even took a nap! He is seeming more comfortable now inside, but he still likes to stay close to the door (and he gets very scared when I close it, so I leave it open for him). If I walk away from him, he starts meowing for me to come back! Hopefully I can get him in full time eventually...


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## 10cats2dogs

What a Cute Guy he is! Love that Big Yawn!!


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## howsefrau32

He is really cute! And he looks like he is getting VERY comfortable in your home


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## emilyatl

Over the past couple of days, he's been sitting outside the door meowing to come in for a visit. And he doesn't run from me at all anymore, and will let me approach him. So I think he's definitely getting more trusting and comfortable. It's really amazing how much progress he's made in the past few weeks!


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## howsefrau32

He really has made some wonderful progress. How is he doing with Scout?


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## emilyatl

So far so good. Neither are aggressive. I've seen him outside with my other feral and he just avoids him completely. They sniff each other quite a bit and do their "prrrtss", but they haven't hissed or growled at each other. I give them both treats together whenever he comes in, and they eat them without any problems. So I'm hoping that means they'll get along. If and when I do get him in, I'll still follow protocol and keep them separated for a while.


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## Heather72754

Oh that's an adorable pic of him yawning! Maybe you could consider not separating he and Scout when you decide to bring him inside since they've already been together and neither has shown any aggression. I feel like Scout could maybe help him acclimate in some ways that a human couldn't.


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## howsefrau32

That's great that they are being so friendly. I swear, I think cats that are allowed outside, and are spayed/neutered, they don't have nearly as much aggression as inside cats do, and I think it's because they are allowed to be cats, and hunt and kill things. At least, this is Jackson Galaxy's theory, that being inside with nothing to kill can drive them stir crazy.


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## NOLAKitties

Awe thats the cutest yawn. Inside is warm, so he can relax a bit


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## Mitts & Tess

Very handsome guy! Good on you too for what your trying to do for him at his pace


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## emilyatl

Yeah, I thought about just putting him in my bathroom for a few days until he gets used to being inside. He'll let me pick him up without a a problem, so I'm sure I'd be able to. But I figure if he really wants to be/stay in, he can, so I'd rather it be on his terms. And I don't want to freak him out or make him distrust me...


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## Kneazles

It is amazing how much he has come around in such a short period of time. 
I love the yawn!


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## bluemilk

I think he likes his new pad!


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## emilyatl

So I just found out that Monkey is FIV positive.  I happened to be looking over his records from his neuter and saw that his combo test was marked positive for FIV and negative for FeLV. No one ever mentioned this to me at the clinic, but it was kind of rushed when I picked him up (it's a low cost clinic that does TNRs, etc. and they are always swamped, but I've used them several times in the past for ferals and they've always been really good). So I'm pretty irate, but at the same time, really worried. I called them to ask about it and spoke to a manager there who said he definitely tested positive and someone should have discussed it with me when I picked him up, but no one did! I suppose it could be worse, and it could be FeLV, which is way more contagious, but I'm worried about Scout now too. What started this all was that weird bump that showed up on Scout, and I was reading about the Papillomavirus in cats that can cause warts and that it's common in cats who are immuno-suppressed, and I just started worrying that this happened suddenly after being around Monkey, so I checked his paperwork. I'm totally freaking out now. They haven't really been in immediate contact with each other, and it's all been supervised, so I know they haven't bitten each other, and the liklihood of Scout being infected is low. But I'm still worried. I guess I will be getting Scout tested tomorrow too when I take him in. 

I know FIV+ cats can live long lives, and the end stages are really horrible, but I will not desert Monkey. He's such a sweet boy. Now I'm really worried about him being outside AT ALL because if he gets a URI or something really simple, it could kill him. Should I just bring him in and keep him in a bathroom until he gets used to being inside?

Does anyone have experience with an FIV+ and FIV- cat in the same household?


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily, Sometimes I get confused about all the different vaccinations....
BUT, isn't FIP the one that can have a 'false positive' result?
If its the one, than it depends on the type of test that was performed...
Someone I'm sure, has got a better answer for you...
Sharon


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## Heather72754

Oh poor Monkey, and poor you - sorry you got that news and it has thrown a...whoops, almost said 'monkeywrench'...into your plans, but this isn't a time for joking. I know you have some tough decisions to make, but either way like you said you know you aren't going to abandon him so he and Scout will both be okay however you decide you need to handle it.


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## emilyatl

Sharon - the test they did is the SNAP combo test, which can be unreliable. If they've been vaccinated before, it can come out positive. But the liklihood he's been vaccinated seeing as how he's been outside his whole life and was not neutered is probably pretty low. I'm guessing it's accurate.  It's pretty common with outdoor cats (particularly males who fight and I did notice a couple of scabs on him when I took him in). There is a blood test that can be done that is accurate, but it's $100+. I'm going to ask my vet about it either way. 

I'm so mad right now. I guess I should have looked at the paperwork instead of just listening to the the guy that checked me out, but I would have thought that would have been brought up. 

So I guess I'll bring him inside tonight and see how he does inside and go from there.


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## howsefrau32

I know you are freaking out, and I probably would too, but hopefully you can find out more information about all of this. From what I hear and know of other people that have FIV + cats, they live just fine with other FIV- cats just fine. I'm not expert, but hopefully someone more knowledgable about this will help you make some sense of it. I highly doubt that the bump that Scout has is from this. Isn't FIV the one that is also called feline aids? I am not familiar with the differences. I can tell you this. I did not even have Stephano tested for either. I didn't want to know. I knew that I loved him and he was going to be mine, and that I would love him. Some people will think I'm insane for this, but I just said I will take what I have. I know there are a few others here who feel the same way with me. There is so much hype over some of this stuff, and some vets will jsut tell you to "put them down" no matter what if they have one of the diseases. I don't feel that way. I have friends that have both together and their cats have been fine for YEARS and ones that have cats that NEVER developed the disease. Like you said, I think the feline leukemia is more contagious....I could be wrong, but that is my belief. I hope that you are able to talk to a vet who is one that does not believe that cats just need to be put down if they have this disease and that it is something that you can manage. Poor little thing. 

I can imagine how you feel, I know I'd probably be panicking too. But it will be OK.


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily, that sounds like a plan to me!
There are several threads going right now about FIP kitties...
And with the research that other people are finding...It can be safe to include a FIP kitty into your household, even with other cats, as long as no deep bites occur. ..
As someone described it in another thread,
"Vampire Bites"!
I'm sure more people will respond with a lot more info for you!
I think Monkey is in good hands!
Sharon


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## emilyatl

It just breaks my heart to think about him suffering later in life. I just opened the door to feed him (this is his usual dinner time) and he came right in and sat down next to me and gave me head butts and started purring. He's just the sweetest boy imaginable. I certainly don't love him any less and have grown so attached to him, I can't imagine re-homing him. I'm just sad. And mad. 

I know I'm over-reacting about Scout. There's really no way he could have gotten it. They've only sniffed each other and have not even had any contact. Some resources I've found say you should not bring an FIV+ cat into a house with an FIV- one, and others say it's not a problem. I'm sure Scout's wart (or whatever it is) isn't related, I'm just kind of in freak-out mode and have been googling ridiculous diseases all night long and had very little sleep. It's a good thing I don't have actual kids. They'd probably live in bubbles.


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily, I think the 'suffering' that people talk about with FIP is right towards the end...if they were to die from it alone.
We being the caretakers, can spare them from that kind of an end...
In the mean time, Monkey will have an outstanding life with you and Scout, and a cat couldn't ask for much more than that...
Sharon


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## emilyatl

Well, last night he did ok in my bathroom. He didn't cry at all like he did when he was in the garage. He hasn't used the litter box yet though. He peed on the bathmat (not surprised), so I put the litter box on top of where he peed and removed the bathmat. Finger's crossed he'll figure it out. Right now I have regular clumping litter in there, but I'm thinking feline pine or something may be better for him to get used to the box? I guess I'll find out later today. He's gotta poop at some point...

My bathroom has 2 rooms. One for the shower and toilet that's pretty small - which is where his "bed" and food are. The other is where the bathtub/sink is and a little bigger. That's where I have his litter box, but he's still staying in the smaller/inside room for the most part. If I come in, he immediately comes to snuggle.  I think I'll leave him in there for at least a couple of days until he (hopefully) uses the litter box and comes out of his shell a bit more. The good thing is, Scout pretty much avoids my bedroom (that was Jem's room), and rarely goes upstairs, so once Monkey settles, I'll let him explore a bit more and take introductions slowly. I really hope they can get along well.


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## emilyatl

Monkey used the litter box!!!  Right after I got home from taking Scout to the vet, I checked on him. He'll come out of the smaller room in my bathroom now for some snuggles. He just kind of looked at the litter box, sniffed it, and jumped right in! No poop yet, but at least he used it to pee. He kind of peeked out of the door into the bedroom, but looked scared and went back in, so I'm still leaving the door closed for now until he feels comfortable to come out on his own.

I also talked to my vet about him being FIV+. She said there's really no chance Scout got infected from just casual contact/sniffing. Even if he'd eaten after him (which he hasn't), it's nearly impossible unless they got in a serious fight with deep bite wounds (and even then, not all cats who are exposed contract it if they are healthy). I'm still not sure what Scout's bump is (waiting on the results of the aspirate), but she doensn't think it's viral. He didn't have a temp and his lymph nodes all felt fine. She said we can test him for FIV, but she recommends waiting a few weeks since it can take 8 - 12 weeks after exposure to even show up on blood tests. So, she pretty much talked me down off the ledge.  She also said that an FIV+ and FIV- cat can live fine together if they get along well. So I'm just going to take it a day at a time and work on getting them introduced and go from there...


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## Mitts & Tess

If you have a top to a litter box use that as a place he can retreat to so he doesnt get stressed out. Put a feliway plug in dispenser in the bathroom to up his odds of being calm. If you want to maximize the chances of using the litter box all the time use Dr Elseys Cat Attract litter unless you feel confident he is going to continue to use his litter box. Most likely he will. Good job. Things are going great! Im so happy for you


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## emilyatl

Yep, I put a Feliway diffuser in there last night. He does seem pretty calm, just not quite ready to go exploring yet (it's been less than 24 hours though, so I don't blame him). He's doing really well so far. 

His pee smell is REALLY strong - like the smell of a male who's just sprayed/marked (the whole room smells like it's been sprayed). He was just neutered a month ago and I know it can take a while for the hormones to get out of their systems. Is it normal for it to take this long? I've only ever had little kittens neutered and their pee never really smells strong, but he is an "adult"...


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## Mitts & Tess

Normally that shouldnt last too long after the neuter. Maybe a month. Its nasty isnt it!


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## emilyatl

Yeah, it's pretty funky. I've only ever smelled it outside when they've sprayed on the house or something. Inside, you realize how potent it is!


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## Heather72754

So glad things are going well with Monkey so far and the vet was able to calm some of your fears!! Here's hoping the boys will get on well and Monkey will acclimate to the rest of the house but he's doing amazingly so far. Just the fact that he comes right over for cuddles as soon as you go in there is amazing in itself. :kittyturn


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## howsefrau32

Yay! I'm glad he used the litter box! I know how happy I felt when Arwen used it for the first time. She is now using it regularly. I am having great luck with Feline Pine, she seems to like it just fine. I'm thinking it probably is still hormones that are making Monkey's pee really strong, I have heard that does take a few months. I can tell you Arwen's pee is pretty rank too, I guess because she is sort of a wild cat, that pee does smell like a wild animal, but at least she is using it, so I am very thankful for that. 

I'm glad your vet talked to you about the FIV. I agree, I know many people who have a cat that is FIV + and lives just fine, for years and years and their other cats have never gotten it. It sounds like he is not aggressive at all, and gets along good with Scout. So did the vet say how long before they would know about the bump? They were able to aspirate it?


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## emilyatl

Yep, she aspirated the bump. She thought it was a wart or some sort of solid growth/tumor at first because it's pretty firm. But when she inserted the needle, this black (yes, black - I almost barfed) liquid came out. It wasn't thick at all, very watery (thinner than blood). There was no puss or odor to the fluid (I almost barfed again when she sniffed it), so it doesn't appear infected. She doesn't think it's a tumor since they are not fluid filled, she thinks it's just a cyst of some sort. She doesn't think it's viral either - his lymph nodes were fine and he had no temp. She took 2 samples of the fluid for slides and is going to get back to me this afternoon with the results to determine if it needs to be removed/biopsied. Scout didn't flinch at all, so it doesn't seem to bother him, which is good. I'm just supposed to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get infected or grow. So, now it's just waiting for review of the slides...


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## pkbshrew

I really hope the results from the slides are ok ... fingers crossed. 

Monkey is doing fantastically well. What a clever boy!


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## howsefrau32

What a little trooper Scout is. Beep is like that at the vet. She looks terrified, but she doesn't move, except to run back in her carrier and bury her head in the very back. It is so sad! Taffy and Stephano are funny though ,they hop of the table and explore every little corner and detail, they talk to the vet and are just so cute when they are there. 

I hope all comes back well. My dog had a bump aspirated a year ago, and they thought it looked a little abnormal. We had it removed, and the vet that removed it was not the one that did the aspiration, and he actually called me before the surgery and said that he thought it was nothing, maybe we should leave it alone, I don't think it is anything at all, but I had him take it off. And it was nothing! It was some scar tissues from a skin condition that my dog has, from her severe skin allergies. The first vet had me so worried though because from the aspiration she thought she saw abnormal cells. So don't worry too much if they say they see something abnormal, from what I hear, that is common when they do this. I was just trying to save you from the freak out and worry if they do say it looked abnormal, but you will probably do that anyway. I am a huge worrier too. I'm sure it is nothing, but I would have done the same thing. I don't mess around with lumps and bumps, I have them looked at.


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## emilyatl

So, she didn't find anything in either of the slides (which I know is always a risk with a needle aspirate). The first one was just fluid with some debris, and the other was just blood with debris. She said normally with a cancerous tumor, she would expect to see some abnormal cells or inflammatory cells, so she thinks it's a benign cyst. There is still a possibility it's a melanoma because they can be pigmented like this. After just losing Jem to cancer, I'm going to have it removed just so I can know for sure. So I'll probably schedule him to have it removed in the next week. Poor Scout. He just had dental surgery a month ago, and now this. 

And Monkey did finally poop (and I gotta say his poop smells almost as bad as his pee!).


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## Straysmommy

emilyatl said:


> Poor Scout. He just had dental surgery a month ago, and now this.


Did he get a depo convenia shot as part of the dental treatment?

In my country, no cats at all are tested for FIV or FelV. Vets consider it an American custom that has no real incidence in the life of a cat or the cats he lives with. Plus, when they're both neutered, the chances of one biting the other are practically zero.


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## Straysmommy

How dare you all say such a thing! I am ABSOLUTELY NOT yawning in that photo, I was singing an Italian operetta to my Mum who is an angel to me! I only just happened to recline back a bit while singing...


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## emilyatl

Straysmommy said:


> Did he get a depo convenia shot as part of the dental treatment?


Nope. One of my first thoughts was an injection site lump, but he only had oral antibiotics and pain meds post-surgery. And it's about an inch and a half away from where his IV was, and it's not really "under" the skin, more on top of it like a wart (it actually looks a lot like a tick). I really think (and hope) it's something benign, just better safe than sorry. 



Straysmommy said:


> How dare you all say such a thing! I am ABSOLUTELY NOT yawning in that photo, I was singing an Italian operetta to my Mum who is an angel to me! I only just happened to recline back a bit while singing...


LOL, he yawns a LOT and makes a big production of it every time (he makes a little squeaking noise when he does it). It's really cute.


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## emilyatl

Well, he made it out of the bathroom tonight. I went upstairs a few minutes ago to see this. Not bad for 24 hours inside. And he's using the litter box like a champ! I'm pretty proud of the little Monkey.


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily, I'm so happy for you and Monkey!!
Great Job!! :thumbup:
For all the rest, just take it slow!


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## NebraskaCat

That looks like a photo from a magazine ad.


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## Straysmommy

I thought that too. Is that Scout?


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## Mitts & Tess

What a handsome guy he is! Congrats


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## howsefrau32

He's no dummy, he can finally see that this lounging around on comfy chairs deal is not so bad  I'm so glad he is doing this well.


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## emilyatl

Straysmommy said:


> I thought that too. Is that Scout?


This is Monkey (my former "new stray"). He just came into the house and spent the night for the first time on Wednesday, and is settling in fine so far. He's still pretty skittish, and hasn't left my bedroom. I haven't made "formal" introductions yet with Scout, but they've sniffed each other before, so paws crossed, all goes well. 

I left the bathroom door opened last night and he pretty much slept in the chair all night. He let me know EARLY this morning when it was time for breakfast. He's a very perisistent alarm clock!


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## Straysmommy

Oh I thought the photo was in the living room! So the armchair photo is when he ventured into your bedroom... He looks as if he'd always been a house cat in that photo.


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## emilyatl

I think he's finally "settled". He seemed pretty anxious Wednesday and Thursday, but has literally slept ALL DAY today and just purrs his heart out when I go to pet him. I guess the stresses of being outside and fending for himself have finally warn off and he's relaxing (and getting caught up on some much-needed kitty naps). 

It was pretty funny when I took a shower this morning. He came into the bathroom meowing his head off with this look of horror on his face like "OMG, OMG, you're getting wet, get out of there!". He would not stop yowling until I turned the water off and he looked at me with such relief. It was pretty funny. I guess giving him a bath is out of the question.  I did clean him up with some baby wipes last night and he actually seemed to enjoy it.


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## NOLAKitties

He is sooo cute. So happy to see him settling in!


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## emilyatl

He's getting a little better each day. Last night, he curled up with me on the floor and fell asleep tucked up under my arm. He doesn't hide in the bathroom at all anymore, but did find the magical hiding place under the bed today.  

So one weird thing I've noticed (and maybe this is a feral thing?), but he breaks up all of his poop in the litter box with his claws (he'll dig around in there for several minutes after he goes). Like, he'd make a really good chef at Benihana's because he goes to town on it! I guess that's some sort of instinctive thing to try to hide their poop so predators won't find it? I've never seen a cat do this before...


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## Straysmommy

Is he confined to the bedroom + bathroom? Doesn't he ask to be let out into the rest of the house?


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## emilyatl

Nope, not yet. I haven't introduced him to Scout yet, I'm giving him a few days to get settled in. His first night indoors was Wednesday, and he's still pretty skittish. I've opened my door to see if he wants to venture out, and he runs back in to my room, so I want him to feel completely comfortable and confident before introducing him to Scout. Mind you, my bedroom/bathroom is really big (almost 600 square feet), and I have 2 kitty condos and a cat tree in there, so he's got plenty of room to play! And I work from home, so I check on him very frequently. He doesn't quite understand toys yet, so we'll need to work on that too. I got Da Bird out this morning, and he just stared at it. He wasn't interested in the laser pointer either...


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## Mochas Mommy

LOL...I can imagine him looking at Da Bird and thinking "You have got to be kidding me? THIS is not food...I have caught and eaten many birds and THIS is definitely NOT acting naturally so it must be one sick bird. Nope...not eating that!"


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## emilyatl

Yeah, that was pretty much the look I got. He sniffed it and was like "this isn't a bird, what are you trying to pull?" I don't know if ferals ever "learn" to play with toys? Maybe when he sees Scout playing, he'll jump in? I hope so. He is living up to his name with the cat tree though!


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily, That's wonderful news about Monkey!! So glad he's settling in! Sleeping a lot seems to be pretty normal for strays when they realize they're safe!
They can relax and let their guard down.


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## Straysmommy

Yes, from my experience adopting 2, often former strays do love to play, but it may take a while. At this stage, in a new environment, anything that moves or is new is first of all resisted. Princess Gatita ran under the bed the first time I introduced Da Bird to her, then with time started to love play, same with Lady Nikita.


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## emilyatl

It's been a crazy work week, so I haven't been on much, but so far, Scout and Monkey are doing well together. Monkey is still really skittish when he leaves my bedroom to explore the rest of the house (especially downstairs), and runs back upstairs to the saftey of the bedroom after a few minutes. So I'm just letting him introduce himself to Scout on his own time. Scout seems completely unphased and doesn't even come up sniffing/pawing at the bedroom door, so I hope that's a good sign.

Last night, Monkey came up on the bed and snuggled with me for a couple of hours, which was the first time he'd gotten up on the bed (he seemed scared of it before). He's been giving me head butts to the face now and gives me nose kisses. He used to cower and blink his eyes any time I got anywhere near his head like he was scared I was going to hurt him, so the fact that he's reaching out to give me kisses is HUGE.  He's really made a lot of progress transitioning to an indoor cat! I just need to get his scheduled adjusted a bit. About 2AM, he becomes chatty Cathy and feels the need to tell me ALL about his day (either that or he's practicing his different meows). I know cats are nocturnal, and since he's been outside his whole life, it could take some time to change this. We'll see...


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## 10cats2dogs

The Chatty Cathy thing I can relate to! When I haven't seen Midnight for a couple of days (my days off) she talks up a storm!!!

Monkey sounds like he's making GREAT Progress!
It also sounds like you're doing all the right steps! 
That he is coming to you and doing head bumps and giving you kitty kisses is wonderful!!
The more little exploration trips he makes downstairs, the more comfortable he'll get, till they get longer and longer! :thumbup:


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## howsefrau32

This is all so great to hear, how much progress he has made. He is doing so great. I don't know that I will ever be able to hold Arwen. She occasionally will put her paws up on my knees, if I am sitting on a chair, like she is going to jump up on my lap, but then she won't do it. She also gets very weird sometimes and will try to smack me, very lightly, but she is just unpredictable, so I'm very careful. I do not want to be bitten by a cat that I have seen with a rat in it's mouth....very recently. She's still sleeping in the garage every night, and if it's cold during the day I just keep her in there most of the day, until she asks to go back out.


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## Heather72754

This is all awesome progress for Monkey! What a sweetie. It seems like he is quickly realizing how much better it is inside than out lol. As far as him going downstairs, like you said he will do it more and stay longer as he gets comfortable. My Mystique was first a 'bedroom' cat (in her safe room), then a 'living room' cat (that was as far from her safe room as she felt comfortable venturing) and now has become a complete 'hang downstairs with the family' cat.


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## emilyatl

Howsefrau32 - I know what you mean. Monkey can definitely revert back to his feral behavior at times. He's way better than he was though.

Last night he slept with me on the bed for most of the night, then in his kitty condo. But he slept the whole night through!! He didn't wake me up at 2AM to chat with me. I hope it's not a fluke. We'll see...


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily, Monkey is making wonderful progress! Pretty cool he slept on the bed with you!


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## emilyatl

He's slept on the bed with me the past 2 nights the entire night! He's been sleeping through the night now too (just waking me up at 6AM to be fed :\). And he's declared my side of the bed to be his now, so naturally I have to move.


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## howsefrau32

Awww, what a little sweetie! Yeah, sleeping on a comfy bed isn't so bad, he has decided. How sweet


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## 10cats2dogs

Emily what a Great Picture!!
Monkey is showing his trust in you by wanting to share sleeping space!
Our human beds are one of the most saturated areas for our scent, which is why so many cats will lay there when "their people" aren't around!


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## emilyatl

Sharon - yeah, I thought about that too. That's my side of the bed he likes to lay on and I've caught him a few times up laying on my pillow, which I know smells a lot like me. It's kinda sweet. He likes to put his butt in my face too, which may be considered a compliment for cats, but no so much by me.


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## 10cats2dogs

LOL! Emily, yeah the butt in the face thing, is a compliment in its way! Its how two friendly cats greet each other along with the nose sniff!!
Monkey has decided you're "Cat Worthy!" YAY!!


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## emilyatl

Last night Monkey sat on the couch RIGHT NEXT to Scout for over an hour. There wasn't any cuddling or snuggling, but they both seemed completely fine (and were purring). Monkey also put his butt in Scout's face for him to get a good sniff earlier, and Scout reciprocated. He's still very timid when leaving his "safe room" and he won't come downstairs unless I'm with him, but he's getting better and has started exploring more on his own.


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## Arianwen

I have a semi-feral hermaphrodite cat and your new visitor reminds me so much of her!! Good luck.


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## emilyatl

OMG! Monkey and Scout are sitting on the couch next to each other and they just started grooming each other! Aww, I'm so happy.


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## MowMow

Just saw this thread and OMG what a beautiful big orange boy (I obviously have a soft spot for them).... 

I'm glad they made friends so quickly. That's amazing!


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## liloddball

Emily getting him to play with toys yet? My ferals like things with bells. I got my former street cats really simple bell toys that have a feather stuck to them. They prefer those over anything else. Monica is still semi feral and she is obsessed with the little jingle bell balls too. Lol maybe try those out with him?


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## Straysmommy

MowMow said:


> That's amazing!


From what I see in these forums, not in the US. Here in the Middle East, it'd be quite astonishing. I think maybe it has to do with the size of the houses...


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## emilyatl

liloddball said:


> Emily getting him to play with toys yet? My ferals like things with bells. I got my former street cats really simple bell toys that have a feather stuck to them. They prefer those over anything else. Monica is still semi feral and she is obsessed with the little jingle bell balls too. Lol maybe try those out with him?


I've tried Da Bird and the Neko Flies - which other cats have always gone crazy for. He was completely uninterested in Da Bird. One of the "attachments" for the Neko Flies is a "kittypillar" (looks like a catapillar). He played with it for a minute and "killed" it, but when it "came back to life", he kind of freaked out and went and hid.  He's scared of most noises, but I may try something with a bell just to help him not be so skittish around noise. The other day he started playing with this stretchy feather thing that hangs on a doorknob. Scout and Jem never played with it, so it's been there for years. It has feathers and little tassles on it, so I may look for more toys like that. So far, his favorite toy is Scout's tail! Fortunately, Scout is pretty laid back, so he didn't seem to mind him playing with it. Monkey seems completely enamoured with Scout (and Scout seems to like the attention). 

I've been working with him on getting him used to me touching his paws, so I may try to trim his nails today (they're really long and sharp and get caught on everything). We'll see how that goes. Hopefully I still have hands...


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