When we found Noodle they estimated him to be 5 weeks old. He had two ticks, fleas, and was emaciated at 0.98lbs. He was dewormed but later we found a bot fly larva in his face, he had contracted giardia, and still had roundworms. I snapped this pick today of him trying to surprise me on the couch. He is ~3lbs, they aged him up a week (now 10 weeks), is parasite free, and has had his first round of shots! He has truly unhinged goblin energy and we love him for it (though his older brothers Pizza and Vader are skeptical).

This baby showed up in my yard today drinking water out of a pot I had and I fed her some turkey deli meat I had on hand. She laid on my lap for over an hour cuddling and she stuck around near my yard for the next 3 hours or so and then even introduced herself to my husband 5-6 hours later when he also fed her and we haven’t seen her since. I’ve already grown attached to her already and want her to come back but I’m also afraid I’m just preventing someone’s outdoor cat from coming home more :/ how do I know if this cat is truly feral or belongs to someone? No sign of ear clipping and I had to tweeze a tick off her anus region (didn’t attack me at all, slightly uncomfortable for her I’m sure but was submissive enough) which makes me think she roams outside often! We bought the house 2 months ago and this is the first time we’ve seen her. All my cat owning friends think I’ve been adopted by her but I don’t wanna take someone’s baby

tldr; first TNR experience ever, received heartbreaking news. Need advice

Hi, I live in a very small rural town in South Carolina and am known as the cat lady in my town and surrounding small towns. I have rescued cats many times and got them fixed, vaccinated, and adopted. Two days ago I got a call from a lady about a colony in the woods behind her street. I trapped my first truly feral cat with the intention of doing my first TNR from this colony, planning to slowly catch them all and get them fixed. This will take a long time as I am just one person with no other help and the humane society in my area does not handle anything to do with feral cats or colonies. I brought the cat to get neutered, vaccinated, and got a blood test run. After his neuter was over, the vet called me and said that he tested positive for AIDS. (She made it clear that it was FIV that has progressed into later stages, classifying it as AIDS.) She said that they typically recommend euthanizing at this stage. I was heartbroken and came up to the vet to speak with her about it. I was especially distraught because almost every single cat in his colony looks skinnier and rougher just like him, making me think I am dealing with an entire colony of cats with AIDS. She told me that there is no wrong or right answer and I ultimately decided not to euthanize and to take him home to recover and release him back into his colony, where I will monitor and try to recapture if he ends up looking worse. The main thing I need guidance on is whether or not I did the right thing. I am distraught either way as I don’t want him to go back to his colony and suffer sicknesses, but also don’t want to euthanize him if he doesn’t seem like he is in immediate pain or suffering. Also with the possibility of having to slowly euthanize an entire colony. I am also distraught over the decision to release him in general, but he is so unsocialized and fearful of humans I worry trying to find a shelter or foster that would take him wouldn’t be the right thing for him either.

I visited my mom about a month ago and noticed a mom cat and kitten. Unfortunately, some neighbors let their cats roam, so I asked my mom if she knew if the cats belonged to anyone but she doesn't like to talk to the neighbors at her complex since people love to gossip.

Anyway, it's been about a month and I thought I saw the kitten all grown up. Except it wasn't the kitten, it was the mom cat and she's pregnant again. I went to give her some cat's food to see if she's friendly and would come up to me. She seems comfortable but keeps her distance. While I was doing this, her 2 kittens came out of hiding and started playing. This broke my heart. Two kittens, more coming, and Mom cat seems to be young herself.

A neighbor came out and she said she doesn't think the cats belong to anyone but pointed at the apartment that leaves food out for them.

I try to visit my mom at least once or twice a week. Does anyone have any tips on how I could possibly coax mom cat with my limited time here? My mom won't e able to do it herself. There's a TNR program at the local pound..they don't accept cats to adopt but they will perform surgery for those in need.

Since she's a mom with 2 kittens, I'd have to somehow trap all of them. It seems like it'll be complicated... Any advice on how to proceed appreciated

Pictures: kittens hiding before they went to sniff the wet food I brought out for mom. Mom cat laying on the grass. (I was slow blinking at her and when I opened my eyes she was blinking back. That's when I took the picture)

Edit to add: my mom has a senior cat in her apartment, so even if we are able to catch her, we don't know if we'll be able to separate everyone.

And maybe I'm overthinking if she's pregnant again. She might just be nursing. The pictures doesn't show her belly, but it looked like a "pouch". Maybe it's just from nursing?

I think she is adjusting well

In my previous post I was venting frustrations about finding him care. Since then his vet appointment has been made and a neighbor that is also attached to him is glad to take over care while we're gone. Here's Harper enjoying some skritching.

So after a rough couple of weeks being sick, 2 rounds of antibiotics, subQ fluids, hand feeding gel, slowly increasing food intake...then my 3 resident cats getting sick (they're all vaccinated so mild sneezing mostly). Then Gertie and my 3 got better. Gertie had her spay. Its now been 2 weeks since her spay and her donut has come off. The rescue has said that she is ready to adopt! So, for now, I am anxiously waiting for an appointment to adopt!

(Pictured: Gertie at various stages of her journey and then the last 3 pics are: Fenix the Fooftiest of all the Foofs, Luna Beans aka Luna the Tuna, & Maggie aka Bitty Boops the Master of Mayhem.)

I'm very excited to have Gertie the not so feral foster come fully into our furfamily.

Kaia (dark solid gray) was a colony cat. Last summer I trapped her to get her spayed. She was pregnant and very skinny, I live in Arizona and at this time last year temps were above 110 F daily. She got a spay abort and I decided to see if she could be socialized because I just felt like she would be a good contender.

She hid under the bed for weeks. She hissed, spat, ran everywhere if I was in the room. She was so unhappy, and the whole time I just kept thinking: did I make a massive mistake? Should I have released her back outside?

Then a month later she left under the bed. She came out and played with the toys I got her in the living room. Her first toys ever. She saw me, and she ran back under the bed. Later that week, she let me pet her.

A year later and she is by no means a lap cat. But today, she jumped up on the bed while I was laying in it and approached me for pets. That’s a first for her.

We had a horrible storm today and as I laid with her I just thought I’m so glad she’s not out there scared right now. I’m happy I gave her a shot at the indoor life, I think she likes it here.

They keep bringing noisy kids over with no boundaries. I just feel like I can't ever catch a break.

This happened last weekend too when we had just rescued one of the feral kittens and he was very sensitive. I'm trying to feed and trap train the rest of his family and they're right next door screaming, shouting, slamming things and the cats obviously will not come out to eat. I can't take it anymore.

I sleep in the same room as him just so that I know nobody will try to come upstairs and see him or anything. I have doors locked to our part of the house. I just hate it so much it's so exhausting. I'm so sick and I can barely look after myself and do all this, and they have to interfere.

Vets are free next week for spays but I don't know if I can get the mother in time. If they interfere between her and the kittens I'm scared I'll lose them, if they scare them with noise or something.

The kids' mother died recently. I get it and all, but now nobody can say anything or do anything about them, they just do whatever they like. They come over whenever. Nobody listens to us. The worst part is that she was the animal lover. Nobody else cares and they don't even care about her memory or values apparently. Hell they already went against all of her wishes for the funeral. It sickens me, all of it.

Update: I left them with the wet food this time, even though I wanted to stay nearby with all their meals to improve my chances. I just got too stressed out and worried today to stay.

When I went back to pick it up, they had eaten most of it. They have fresh water and kibble for the rest of the day. Feeling a bit better because everyone is well fed but ugh, I'm just tired.

Hi everyone

This is my first time ever trying to help out feral cats. I started out feeding a cute cat I was seeing behind my work shop, then a week later she brought me five kittens.

Honestly they couldn't have come at a worse time lol where I live now is very tiny and I have one large indoor cat, and neighbors with over 15 "outside cats"

My husband and I bought a home in the country and we're planning on trapping, getting them to the vet and getting mom fixed. Then taking them to our new house and working out homes for them

That was six weeks ago, our closing was pushed back due to things that needed fixed before we moved so I have no where to take them after mum is fixed, that time is approaching and we're getting them used to eating under the drop trap and an appointment at the vet has been made

Sorry for the drag on, here's the question

The smallest baby is the most shy, I never got a good look at it until today and I noticed this large pink scar or wound? Kitten seems to be getting on alright but very shy and stays near mum

Any ideas?

Also any advice on how to handle this, I've been lurking here and watching YouTube videos but I'm terrified of messing something up and I'm really nervous 😅.

Thanks

Hi everyone! I could really use some advice from people who have successfully transitioned a friendly outdoor/feral cat into an indoor home.

Backstory: We have a male cat we’ve been calling “Meow Meow” who started showing up months ago. At first he wanted absolutely nothing to do with us, but over time he’s become incredibly trusting. Now he’ll let me, my husband, and even our 2-year-old pet him. He’ll rub against us, enjoys attention, and will even let me pick him up and hold him for a bit. He’s also started trying to walk into our house whenever the door is open.

The only reason I haven’t let him inside yet is because he’s still intact (“has his berries” 😂), and I’m worried about him spraying before he’s neutered.

Our goal is to bring him with us when we move into our newly built house later this year (hopefully around December). Before that happens, I obviously want to do things the right way—get him trapped (if needed), neutered, tested for FIV/FeLV, vaccinated, treated for parasites, microchipped, etc.
We do already have one indoor cat and one dog. Our indoor cat has been seeing Meow Meow through the glass doors for months. He’ll paw at the glass, roll onto his back, and they spend time looking at each other through the door. I honestly can’t tell if that’s a good sign or if he’s just being weird. 😂 There’s never been hissing or puffing that I’ve seen.

For those of you who’ve done this:
1. What’s the best order to do everything?
2. After neutering, how long did you wait before introducing your outdoor cat to your resident pets?
3. Would you recommend bringing him inside immediately after he’s neutered (after recovery), or continuing to let him live outside until we’re in the new house?
4. Are there any mistakes you wish you’d avoided when bringing an outdoor cat indoors?

He’s become such a special part of our family already, and I really want to give him the best chance at becoming a happy indoor cat. I’d love to hear your experiences and any advice you have!

TL;DR: Friendly intact male outdoor cat has gone from completely feral to letting my family pet and hold him and now tries to come inside. We want to make him our indoor cat when our new house is finished later this year. Looking for advice on the best order for neutering, FIV/FeLV testing, introductions to our resident cat and dog, and making the indoor transition as smooth as possible.

I responded to someone on Nextdoor who asked for help trapping two cats, and I'm wishing I hadn't. It doesn't matter what I say, these people are just determined to try to chase the cats near the traps. It's driving me nuts. I keep trying to explain that it can take a couple of hours, but they seem to just want it to be over with.

I get that it's hot out, but like, don't try to trap in the summer if you can't take the heat??? I'm sweating too but I knew what I was signing up for and I tried to tell them what this would look like.

Just a bit of a rant. I never realized how well-trained in patience doing this kind of work has made me compared to the average layperson lol

I want to thank all the incredible ppl on here and related subreddits who care for and live these cats. You’re wonderful. Sometimes I can’t even read your posts as they’re too sad (such as if a cat hasn’t made it.) Remember to take care of yourself first, tho. You can’t help your cats if you are not able to take care of yourself. It’s like the oxygen masks- put it over your face first before the baby’s. God bless you incredible people.

Hey all, hoping I can crowdsource some creative ways to trap a feral for TNR.

I have 8 cats that I've TNR'd already, a mother and siblings. They come to my porch twice daily, morning and evening, when i put out food. A few friendlies will just hang out on the porch for most of the day.

Their dad is an intact male that I've never been able to trap. He left for about 1.5 years and i figured he had passed but he came back a few weeks ago looking ROUGH. I can't get close enough to tell what's going on - maybe a really bad case of mites or injury to his ears. He used to be so friendly but is now extremely skittish. Long story short, I want to get him medical attention and get him neutered. With so many other cats hanging around at all times, how do I set out a trap to catch this one particular cat? He doesn't even show up on a regular basis. Any tips? Thank you!

Hi! My neighbor has been taking care of what we suspect is a semi feral cat, for probably about 2 years, maybe a little less. This cat, lovingly named Gabby because she’s very talkative, lives on my neighbors porch, we built her a heated cat house for the winter, and during the summer she lives in another house he has for her. he feeds her every day, brushes her with a flea comb, cooks her fresh fish, the whole works! She’s been in his house once but she was very nervous and wanted to go back outside. To make a sorta long story short he passed away two days ago unexpectedly and his family has asked if I can help them with the cat. I don’t know what is the best option and I want to do right by my neighbor who I will really miss. Eventually his apartment will be rented out to someone else and I’m not sure the cat will understand why she can’t live on the porch anymore? Or maybe the new people will let her I don’t know. I could try to move her to my side of the parking lot but I have an indoor outdoor cat that doesn’t love being around other cats… do I find another outdoor home for her to live at, is moving her way too stressful? I can take care of her if I need to but two cats isn’t really in my budget, but again I’ll do what I have to. I don’t know what to do please help any advice welcome

I have been feeding a feral cat for a few months and last week noticed one of his eyes is infected. He runs away when I try to get close to feed him. He will only eat when I have gone back in the house. Last night I set up my iPad to video him eating to get an image of his infected eye so I could show the vet. But when I called vet they said I have to bring him in for medication. However I can’t not catch him and I don’t think he will go in trap. Any suggestions on successful trapping or any natural supplements I can give him in his food that would help with infection?

Hi everyone, there is a stray cat I've been feeding. He's very friendly and lets me pet him. I notice he has bald spots and not sure if it's it's an old wound from fights or ringworm. Does anyone have any clue?

I do plan to try and get him neutered (I think he's not neutered) and vaccinated soon.

I trapped sweet Terry (what my husband and I have been calling him) on July 2nd. I took him to the shelter July 3rd and the tech recommended euthanasia because he was most likely blind. I didn’t have the heart to do that, so $1k later and a visit to the vet and animal ophthalmologist Terry is negative for FIP, FeLV, FIV and has both retinas detached and glaucoma. He’s been staying in our spare bedroom. My other male cat is FIV+ and wants to fight Terry, so we have to have them separated. I’m sure going from being feral to being in a house has been very stressful, but he seems to be very sick despite what the bloodwork says. He has been great at the vet and even let my husband bathe him to get all the flea dirt off of him. I’m at a loss at what is best for him. He is lethargic, losing weight, and breathing heavily. I know he can’t go back outside, but is being inside too much for him? Or is he sick with something the bloodwork didnt pick up? The ophthalmologist said based on blood work it most likely isn’t cancer, but could it be? I’m just looking for some guidance on where to go from here. This has been a lot financially and stressful for my other cat, but I wanted to give Terry a chance 🩷

Unexpected Update: I helped Terry transition today 💔 I did not see this coming. He was in heart failure, lungs filled with fluid. The doc said even with intervention his prognosis was very poor. He lost so much weight and his temp was dropping; it was time. It breaks my heart he was so sick and he had such a short, tough life. I hope he knows he was loved and I wish I could have saved him.

Hello, I am a military wife currently with a cat and dog. Both the animals i have right now are sweet as pie and get along quite well. Well a little over a month ago a starving stay started approaching our doorstep for food and we started leaving food out for her. We are in Hawaii on base, there are a looot of strays in our neighborhood but she was the only one that came up for food. One night my man comes home drunk and lures her into the house with food 😑. While i love animals it was a chaotic surprise and we herded her into a guest room/my game room. She has been there for almost Exactly a month now. She still hisses every time I go into that room although ive spent countless hours playing with her, feeding her, hanging out and trying to use tips af tricks from the internet. She has a hiding place in a cat tree. She's even ate out of my hand and tolerates some pets while eating (kind of). However she still hisses and growls pretty much anytime I enter the room :(. Its frustrating and I feel like its one step back one step forward lately. If after a month i can't even walk in the room without hisses and growls is there even a chance i can integrate her into the little family? I feel like im too deep in it now and cant just cut her loose especially since cats are ao invasive here in the first place and people lowkey dislike strays. Is there something im missing? I feel like ive been more frustrated lately and maybe she can detect that, im not sure. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Northern Arizona. I trapped her at a colony last week and she had a vet visit yesterday. She’s possibly the nicest cat I’ve ever met. Super friendly, playful, affectionate. She’s been isolated in a separate room, but is bouncing off the walls wanting out. My other cats aren’t vaccinated,(vet said because they’re indoor cats and they don’t vaccinate for FLP.) Just playing it safe, I’ve been washing my hands and taking all the precautions not to spread anything just in case. Just wondering if anyone had any information from experience? She’s super healthy, I would never have guessed she was sick. She estimated to be 6 to 7 months old. Can she beat the infection? Will I have to put her to sleep? How do I keep her happy in a room by herself? Is it wrong/dangerous to keep her if I have other cats? Thanks in advance

Bandit is on day 11 of quarantine. He is absolutely miserable and crying being alone. He’s had revolution, dewormer, and the first FVRCP vaccine (yesterday). His 3 siblings were caught several weeks before him, hence the quarantine. How risky is it to put them all together now instead of waiting the full 14 days? He seems totally fine (knock on wood).

I TNR a male cat on Saturday night and he was fixed Sunday. I made him a priority due to extremely bad ears. The shelter gave him capstar and ivermectin. I paid for antibiotics (two week long lasting) and they put gel on his ears. Due to him not being given a long lasting flea or ear mite meds I wanted to give him a chance to recover before releasing. The shelter said he is probably 3years old .

I set him up with a cage with multiple ledges and he is doing just fine. I would love to befriend him enough to get him a long lasting meds or seen by a vet prior to release. In the short amount of time he will take treats from my hand and eat wed food from my hand but anything else is a lot of hissing and just being scared.

Is it wrong for me to keep him in a cage set up , should I just release him and stop letting my human emotions get involved. I have 7 indoor cats upstairs so he is down stairs but I can let him loose inside because I would never catch him again due to him being scared and I need a vet to run test to make sure he doesn’t have anything my cats can catch. In a dream world he would become part of my inside colony, but I don’t want to cause more harm then good by keeping him.