# Stressed over cat fighting



## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I'm just sitting in my recliner, on my computer, already said goodnight to Arwen, my feral girl. She used to sleep by my front door, and at times still does during the day, but usually she hides and sleeps in my neighbors shed, or under it. Well, tonight she is by my door, and I hear cat fighting. I stupidly run out the door, knowing full well, I could get caught in the middle of it. The other cat was gone, Arwen runs to me, hides behind me, as she does when she is frightened by a loud truck passing by, or whatever scares her. I ran out into the yard to shoo away the other cat, I didn't see one, but I hope Arwen finds a place to go hide out. She will avoid a fight at all costs. If another cat tries to take her food, she will step aside and let them have it. She is not a fighter, and not very big. 

I feel so helpless right now. She can't come in my house. I have 3 indoor cats. I don't know her health status. She is a TNR. I am resigned to helping her as much as I can but this kills me when I feel like I can't protect her  Part of me wants to just trap her, take her in and see her health status, see if there is any way to make it work, but in my heart, I KNOW this cat cannot be an indoor cat. 

The neighbor at the end of my street currently is feeding MANY stray cats, which, obviously, I love cats. One of the cats has a messed up eye and does not look healthy. She has no plans to trap any of them and have them TNR, which makes me angry. She had just a few, now they say she has 9. I'm sure it is one of her cats hassling Arwen. I'm so afraid that AC is going to come out and round up these cats, and I wonder if Arwen will be caught in the process. Arwen is ear tipped, so hopefully they won't, but lately they have been picking up those guys too, which is reallly pissing off the cat shelters that they are doing this. 

I truly adore this cat. Her love for me is about the sweetest thing I have ever seen from any pet I have ever had. I realize that this is life for a feral cat and I do the best I can for her and I"ve said, if she ever gets hurt or sick I will bring her in to the vet for care, that I will not let her be sick and not help her. 

She is breaking my heart tonight. It's been a half an hour since the fighting, and it's quiet. I hope she has found a safe place to hide out. My poor girl


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## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

I dunno Lee Ann, sounds a little to me like your heart's telling you to adopt her - especially the part where you say _"I truly adore this cat. Her love for me is about the sweetest thing I have ever seen from any pet I have ever had."_ (That's just how I read what you wrote, I may be way off base.)

You also say you know she can't be an indoor cat. That's most often true with ferals. But the way you described her running to you to hide behind you makes me think maybe this cat wants to have a person.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

You could build her a little cat house outside. Maybe buy her one of those kiddy play houses. Put a cat door on it with the magnetic release so only her collar will open it.

That will give her a large safe area where she can get inside out of the elements and be safe from other cats.


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I do like the cat house idea. I also have the hose ready if I see a cat that is hassling my cats.


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## Justteri1000 (May 27, 2013)

*Someones trying to tell you something*

Howsefrau,

I agree, Arwen sounds like she is trying to adopt you. I love the cat house idea. My Pooter was a stray and had been turned into a local shelter when he was a kitten. He was not quite feral but definitely not socialized. He would accept no more from me than the briefest of pats for the first five or so years. Now, at 15 he is everything I had ever wanted from a Kitty, laying in my arms like a baby, reaching up to my shoulder with one paw as though to pull me just a little closer, gazing lovingly into my eyes. It is the sweetest love. I am SO glad I did not miss out on that. If You were able to get her checked out, that cat playhouse with the magnetic collar sounds like a really good way to make that work.

I feel for you and will keep my fingers crossed for you.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

NebraskaCat said:


> I dunno Lee Ann, sounds a little to me like your heart's telling you to adopt her - especially the part where you say _"I truly adore this cat. Her love for me is about the sweetest thing I have ever seen from any pet I have ever had."_ (That's just how I read what you wrote, I may be way off base.)
> 
> You also say you know she can't be an indoor cat. That's most often true with ferals. But the way you described her running to you to hide behind you makes me think maybe this cat wants to have a person.


You are so right, and I started to cry when I read your post, because it is exactly what I know in my heart. I just finished my last day of work as a pre-k teacher, and now I'm back to full time mom and therefore will be home more with my cats (like a certified crazy cat lady that I am), and I want to figure out a way to make a side porch with a fence around it on the side of my garage, maybe even put a cat door so she can come into my garage. Of course, this will not keep other strays out, but I keep imagining if I can make an area that is all her own to lounge on, with no dogs, maybe it would be enticing to her and she could have "some" shelter. Or making a small screened off area by my front porch. We just don't have the money to do it, but I want to do something. Now that I am done with work, I have time to ponder what I can do for her. She is worth it.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Justteri1000 said:


> Howsefrau,
> 
> I agree, Arwen sounds like she is trying to adopt you. I love the cat house idea. My Pooter was a stray and had been turned into a local shelter when he was a kitten. He was not quite feral but definitely not socialized. He would accept no more from me than the briefest of pats for the first five or so years. Now, at 15 he is everything I had ever wanted from a Kitty, laying in my arms like a baby, reaching up to my shoulder with one paw as though to pull me just a little closer, gazing lovingly into my eyes. It is the sweetest love. I am SO glad I did not miss out on that. If You were able to get her checked out, that cat playhouse with the magnetic collar sounds like a really good way to make that work.
> 
> I feel for you and will keep my fingers crossed for you.


She does just what you say, she looks at me with so much love, and if I try to leave her, she paws at my leg to try to hold me back to her. She will let me lift her up slightly, under her front legs, but if I try to lift her off the ground she FLIPS out and runs back a bit from me. She has jumped on my lap twice, when I had food, but jumped down quickly. Funny thing too, she jumps up on a little table I have on my patio, but she is not at all comfortable being that close to to my face, she will start to rub against me but then she gets panicky and she will raise her paw and smack at me, lightly, just a warning, but I don't want to get bit by her, so I don't push this. This girl literally used to hiss at me when she first started to eat the food on my porch, she would hiss once, and then shake the entire time she ate her food. Now I can pet her while she is eating, scratch her chin and neck, rub her ears, lift her up slightly, she has come a LONG way, but she still has so many feral qualities about her. I hope to one day Arwen is as trusting of me as your feral cat was of you, it gives me hope.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

That's perfect then if you have a garage! You can put the magnetic cat door on the garage and put the matching collar on her. That way she'll have complete access to the garage and wildlife (and other cats) won't. You can make her a nice area in there all her own and spend as much time with her as you want.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

Will a collar stay on a semi-feral though? I guess it's worth a shot.

Good like, howsefrau!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I can't imagine how I would get a collar on her. She would freak. She would likely have to be sedated to get it on her, I think, which I would be willing to do, I just don't know how she would handle having it on. It would make me feel better in a way, that way she wouldn't likely be picked up as a stray, although she is ear tipped, so I keep hoping she would be left alone for that. But I worry about her hanging herself. She has no concept of a collar. Still, worth a try. I hope that I can do all of this soon.


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