Posted April 23, 2015 in Pet Blog by Jeffers Staff
By Susan Richmond, Neighborhood Cats
Fostering a feral cat safely means not letting him or her go in your bathroom and hoping somehow you’ll get him in a carrier later. Or releasing him into your bedroom then trying to figure out how you’ll ever get him out from under your bed.
Remember that your environment is totally unfamiliar to a feral cat and you are perceived as a threat, especially in this strange new territory. You have to give the cat a space where he feels safe and where he can either learn about his new surroundings, if he’s interested in doing so, or quietly retreat.
That’s what the Feral Cat Setup allows you to do. In the rare cases where someone has a good reason for trying to adopt a feral cat, the chances of a successful transition to indoor life are greatly increased by use of the Setup for at least two or three weeks until the cat is visually comfortable. At that time, the cage door can be left open for the cat to come and go as he pleases.
The Setup can be done using either a Feral Cat Den or a small carrier. We recommend using a den because it is safer and easier. However, we realize many people will only have access to a small carrier due to time constraints or costs.
2. The setup (without the cat):
The bottom of the cage is lined with newspaper. The carrier sits in one of the rear corners – whether left or right depends on which direction the front door opens. When fully open, the door needs to rest against the side of the cage, not being swinging in the middle. Side by side to the carrier is the litter box. Food and water dishes are placed towards the front of the cage. A sheet covers the back half of the cage, but needs to be large enough to cover all of it when necessary to calm the cat.
3. Putting the cat inside:
The cat should already be inside the carrier when placing him into the setup. Do not try to release the cat directly from a trap into the cage — he will be able to easily escape otherwise. Ask your veterinarian to place the cat into the carrier following spay/neuter surgery. With the cat in the carrier already, follow these steps:
4. Feeding and cleaning:
In order to safely open the cage door to feed and clean, the cat must be inside the carrier with the front door locked. Usually, a feral cat will run into the carrier as soon as you approach the cage.
If he doesn’t, you may need to coax him inside by making a loud noise, tapping the side of the cage, poking gently with the yardstick or spraying a small amount of water towards him.
Once the cat is inside the carrier, follow these steps:
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Excerpted with permission from Neighborhood Cats
Susan Richmond is the Executive Director of Neighborhood Cats, and has devoted her career to helping animals. Neighborhood Cats believes Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the most humane and effective method available to end the severe feral cat overpopulation crisis faced by this country. Their mission is to make TNR fully understood, accepted and practiced in every community.