Socializing Barn Cats to Live Indoors

This week I helped a friend socialize her six cats so that all could live together in her home.  The cats were barn cats but when her husband brought down the barn it left the cats with no shelter so my friend thought she would bring them indoors.

The cats were accustomed to being with each other outdoors but indoors stressed them out. All of the cats were suffering from anxiety and had behavior problems such as marking outside of the litter box, scratching the sofa, climbing the drapes and fighting with each other.

We shopped for Feliway plugin diffusers for the entire house, extra litter boxes, one for each cat, catnip spray, toys, and a large scratching post/cat condo. Also instead of the clay litter, I suggested feline pine cat litter because it was similar to what the cats used outdoors.

Know that Feliway MultiCat diffuser is a synthetic copy of the feline pheromone from the mammary gland area after a mother gives birth to bond with kittens. By mimicking the cat’s natural pheromones, Feliway creates a state of calmness and comfort to alleviate tension and conflict between cats. As a result, Feliway can be used to help reduce tension and conflict in multi-cat households.

I set up the tree for her (in the living room) so the cats could be a part of the family put the Feliway diffusers in every room of the house, and provided each cat with their own litter box.

I suggested that she leave the cats indoors for 21 days, let them get used to the Feliway product and used to living indoors.  That they all should do fine but if she wanted to let them go outdoors after that, I recommended a cattery since cats free-roaming their farm was out of the question due to coyote and dogs in her area.

So it was a busy week and hopefully, all of my friend's cats will adjust to living indoors under the same roof with the humans that love them.

White Manx Cat Found

We found a rare white Manx cat in our yard and at first, we thought it was a neighborhood stray, but when we found that it was living in our yard we thought it was abandoned. (Sleeping in the grass garden, or under the side deck) 

We ruled out feral quickly due to it not hissing at people, and not running away from humans. That is not to say that the cat does not walk away when we come close to it but unlike feral cats. When I approach the cat it walks to a safe distance and sits down.

Whenever we find a stray cat living in our yard we do feed it and give it water while searching for its people. Normally I take photographs of the cat and post a flyer around the neighborhood and on local bulletin boards. I also put a flyer in the mailboxes with the cat's information along with how to contact me.

A woman five houses away called and told me that the cat looks a lot like the kittens from a house two doors down from me. They had a Manx cat but instead of putting the kittens up for adoption they just opened the garage. I learned this occurred ten years ago and that this woman said she had trapped a white Manx cat and had it spayed and vaccinated before releasing.

So if this is the same cat then it was part of the TNR program and I guess found its way to a neighbor who cared for it / adopted the cat I do not know. I do know that a neighbor recently moved and this white cat recently found its way to my yard.

Our thinking is that the people that moved may have left the cat behind, or maybe they were the cats caretaker and now the cat has found its way to my yard. So many unanswered questions.

My husband and I have decided to get the cat dependent upon us for food and water then trap it and take it into the veterinarian to check for a microchip.

In the meantime I call this cat Honey…

Here is a photo I captured of her

Manx cat at feeding station

Rare White Manx Cat

Today while working in my garden I discovered a white cat hiding in the liriope ornamental grass garden. The cat just assumed I could not see it but it was white and that color does stand out.

 Whenever cats come to our yard it is customary to put out a bowl of food and water. We have no idea if they are a stray, feral, or visiting neighborhood or an abandoned cat. But like all guests that visit we offer them a bite to eat and a beverage.

White cat hiding in the grass garden

The cat watched me put down the food but instead of going to the feeding station, it was hesitant. The Manx did not move toward the food bowl until I was a good 40 feet away

When the cat stood up I realized that it had no tail, it also looked like its back legs were longer than the front. The cat was rare white Manx. On closer inspection, I found that it had light calico colors of tan and light gray, but these colors were close to its ears and the rest of the body was a solid white. 

I wondered what this Manx cat was doing in my yard, wondered if it had gotten out of the house, and had wandered too far. Perhaps it was visiting and would go home. It was too early to know why this white Manx cat was sleeping in my garden but I planned to watch it for signs of being a feral stray, abandoned, or a neighborhood cat.

Here is a photo of the rare white Manx Cat

About Special Needs Kitty Oliver

Oliver is a kitty that came to me because he needed help due to his “special needs’ In the past I had taken care of rescued cats that were partially blind, deaf and many cats that had behavior or anxiety issue but I never took care of special needs kitty like Oliver.

Oliver age 5

When Oliver was rescued he was a baby kitten that had been left with his siblings on a grassy section of the road. There was no water or food and the only way to get to homes or people was to cross a busy road. When my friend found Oliver she noted that all of the other kittens had ventured into the road and had been killed. Oliver remained in the grass but he was skin and bones and his eyes had clouded over which meant that death was near.

My friend who rescued Oliver took him home and did not sleep for the next 10 days. She nursed Oliver back to health and loved him dearly but said her husband would not let her keep him. So that is how I met Oliver. I was to foster, socialize, and help him to be a normal cat.  We had hoped that we could find him a forever home, but when we discovered his special needs we knew that was not an option. 

From the start I knew something was not right about Oliver. He was a rambunctious kitten that always bites on my hands. At first, I thought it was due to him being a kitten but when he started biting on cats paws I thought maybe he was trying to communicate that he wanted something.

I watched Oliver closely and discovered that he was not eating or drinking. He was very nervous and was constantly biting on my hands. I made up a food and water bowl for Oliver. Picked him up and put him in front of his own bowls and that cat ate and drank.

I soon learned that when Oliver wanted something he would bite on my hands.

Oliver is our special needs kitty because he is “slow” Presently he is five years old and still does not know to go and eat at the food bowl unless I pick him up and put him in front of his own bowl. He also bites my hands to use the litter box and bites my hands when he is scared. He still plays like a kitten and has no fear of any person or animal. He thinks everyone is his friend and that all the cats, dogs, and people love him.

Oliver in the center with his kitty friends

He is incapable of detecting negative energy and does not understand that he needs to climb a tree or seek safety to get away from the neighbors growling dog. 

 We never let Oliver out of the house, not even into the garden. We are fearful that if he gets out that he may get into trouble due to his kitten-like behavior. But one day he got out of the house and all he wanted to do was rub on our neighbor's dog and show the dog that Oliver loved him. We were lucky that we got to Oliver before the dog was aggressive.

Yes Oliver is our special needs kitty, and I need to be with him daily to take care of him. He is five years old rambunctious cat that thinks he's a kitten. He still bites my hands when he wants to eat and drink or if he wants my hand to rest on his back until he falls to sleep. 

Here is another photo of Oliver he is with Frankie our 18 year old cat.  Frankie and Oliver are friends. 

**Oliver eventually learned that it’s okay to eat with the other cats, but if the other cats are not eating and Oliver is hungry or thirsty he will tell me with a love bite on my hand.

Other

I was told that when Oliver’s eyes clouded over that the oxygen to his brain was not normal. When he was rescued he was dying and that is why he is slow.

Read about my other special needs kitty here

PRESCRIPTION PET FOOD SCAM

PRESCRIPTION PET FOOD IS not any better than the food you buy off the shelf and without a prescription from your local pet store. There is no medication, or herbs for natural healing in the food that would make it warrant a prescription and I learned that prescription pet food is a scam or in other words consumer fraud.

Rescued cat "Shadie" 

My story; Know that male cats in multiple cat homes or strays that are rescued are susceptible to getting a painful bladder condition that causes the cat to strain to pee and have crystals, bladder infection with blood in their urine.

This cat health condition affected 6 male cats that I had rescued, brought indoors to socialize before finding them forever homes. Each cat developed this condition and my veterinarian recommended that I feed them HILLS prescription C/D cat for the rest of their lives.

Rescued cat Frankie

I was told that this veterinarian prescription food would heal them and prevent them from having a re-occurrence. It was a long-term food treatment that I had to feed the cats for the rest of their life. I was told that veterinarians had developed the food and it was formulated to heal my cat, but I could not feed them any other cat food because if I did the cats would get sick.

From my experience the HILLS prescription C/D pet food did not heal my cats. The cats got worse, and we had made many trips to the veterinarian. The cats suffered, and my husband and I suffered the stress you feel when you see that your cats are not getting better and that they are still in pain and suffering. The food was not curing or healing the cats, 

Rescued cat Leo

There is so much sadness, that you feel inside like you are going to cry..when nothing you are doing is helping your cat. The cats were nervous, straining to pee, blood in their urine, in pain and the medicated / healing prescription food “was not curing them”

My husband and I were doing everything right but the cats were not getting better. At one point a normal cat (no health concerns ate the prescription medicated food) and I was distraught because or the medicine...that is when the veterinarian said 

"no worries" the food will prevent your cat from getting cystitis or other urinary conditions followed by all of my cats could eat the prescription food and it would help them by preventing any urinary or bladder conditions".

From that day forward and for the next year we were buying cases of canned food along with dry kibble weekly because the food was now a preventative a healing prescription diet to help all of my cats be healthy.

Note the food never helped the cats and three of the cat's health got worse and we had to put them down. The other three. I could not adopt them into forever homes because nobody wanted a “sick cat” who had to eat very expensive prescription food for the rest of their lives. So we kept the 3 cats because if we surrounded a sick cat to a shelter they would be euthanized. 

Rescued cat Louie

 We continued to feed them the prescription food, we added more litter boxes and kept them very clean we added the Feliway plug-in diffusers to calm the cats and to eliminate any stress. We also allow the remaining 3 cats to go out in the garden daily and this activity has been beneficial to their health. They seem happier but still seem to have periodic urinary problems where the urine is cloudy with a pink cast. Which means the prescription pet food never cured them.

Rescued cat Buddy

Know I was led to believe that the prescription cat food would heal my cats. I was a victim of consumer fraud. Scammed just like so many other pet owners who followed the recommendation by their veterinarians to feed their pets prescription diet food.

Rescued cat Sam

The problem with the Hills Prescription C/D multi-care food is there is no medication in it. In fact, the ingredients are poor quality in comparison to foods found off the shelf at your local pet store.  For one thing, the prescription C/D food has corn and soy, both are GMO foods because there is no mention of an organic source on the label. I did a food ingredient comparison and the food that does not require a prescription had better ingredients and costs less and you could buy it off the shelf at your local pet supply store.

Learn more at perscriptionpet food article How lab tests show pet food ingredients are no better or cleaner than off-shelf brands with interview of Dr. Karen Becker and see prescription pet food analysis here

Read another article by author “Prescription Pet Food Product Review”

Heart Murmur in Older Cats

Charlie is a feral kitten that we rescued when he was weeks old. He had a full veterinarian exam and we were told that other than his infection from the wild animal that had bitten him that he was a healthy Maine-Coon mix cat. Life with Charlie was fun until it wasn't at age nine we learned that he had developed a heart murmur.

Charlie on the day we trapped him

We had adopted a feral kitten when he was injured by a wild animal. The animal had bitten off the kitten's toes and by the time we found him he had a very bad infection. Both the mother and kitten had to be trapped as they both needed veterinarian care. Due to the extreme illness, we kept the kitten and tried to socialize him to live indoors with humans and their dogs.

Charlie, Boris, and mom at our shelter

Charlie adjusting to living indoors

Charlie on the day he mastered the scratching post, with sibling Boris

Charlie loves his litter box for all the wrong reasons

Some feral cats can be socialized others cannot. Know that I thought maybe the medication at a young age affected the cat because this cat would tolerate us but was terrified when we touched him, Did he associate my human touch to when he was in the animal hospital for two weeks? I don’t know but do know that I had tamed adult feral cats in about six months but Charlie did not like people.

So the cat lived with us, tolerated us and grew into an adult cat that was a Maine Coon Mix. A beautiful cat that was hard to handle. We had to give him his Revolution when he was sleeping and trap him for his veterinarian appointment.

Charlie the semi-feral cat tolerated us and that was okay..until it was not okay. Charlie liked to play with a plastic ball with a bell and one day he stopped due to a coughing spell. Then another day he was playing with our dog and again he stopped for a coughing spell. It seemed whenever Charlie played he would cough. Then one day he stopped eating and this cat was so sick that I did not have to trap him or put on gloves to hold him. Charlie came to me and laid on my lap.

That was the weekend that we really knew something was wrong. Since Charlie was not eating or drinking I syringed fed him to keep him hydrated and I also gave him CATMX a high-calorie paw gel. The gel enabled him to eat because it gave him an appetite.

The following Monday I made an appointment for Charlie and on the day of his appointment, he was feeling better, and once again we had trapped him. We thought he is fine, he is back to his old self. But that soon faded when we were told he had a heart murmur and that was why he was coughing when he played. Other than the cough there were no other outward symptoms such as poor appetite, weight loss, breathing problems like asthma, or weakness. The only thing we noticed was the coughing when Charlie played with his cat toys or when he ran from the bedroom to the living room.

The veterinarian at this time would like us to watch Charlie and when he goes to sleep to count his heartbeats in a minute's time. From that reading our Veterinarian will determine what other tests are needed / blood-work to check for anemia, blood parasites or diagnostics tests like an X-ray, electrocardiogram, or ultrasound of his heart.

Learn more about heart rummer in cats here

What to Do When Cat Gets Out of House

Over the years my housecats have darted past us and went out an open door and I have run after them which is a dumb thing to do since it frightens the cat and they will run away from you.  If your cat runs out the door then stops to enjoy the grass then this is how to catch them before they wander too far.

My housecat thinks the backyard is this special magical place but the yard could be dangerous for a cat that is not permitted to go outdoors. Try to stop the cat before he darts past you but if your cat does slip by stay calm because if your cat senses stress they will run from you.

The best way to catch your cat that just got out of your house is to grab the cat treats and walk slowly out of your house.  Most cats that get out of the house are fascinated with grass. They will roll in the grass, eat the grass, and stretch their entire body in the grass.

It's important to not scare your kitty while they are experiencing grass for the first time. It is best to stay calm and coax your cat to come closer to you.

Talk to your cat in a playful sweet voice because the last thing you want to do is scare your cat

Approach your cat slowly. You may want to sit down close to them and toss their favorite cat treats to them. Lure your cat to you with the treats.

When your cat is close enough to pet then pet them with one hand and grab the cat by the scruff with the other hand.

Then give your kitty a kiss and just love your cat while you take them back indoors.

**If your kitty loves the outdoors consider investing in an outdoor cat enclosure or train your cat to walk on a leash.

Stray Cats Choose Their People

In the past, I have overheard my cat helpers say that all stray cats choose their people and I thought how odd seeing that we were trapping so many cats weekly for TNR. None of the cats had chosen us they were terrified of us. After they were sterilized and vaccinated, we would release them and they would runoff. My cat helpers would then say, the cat did not choose you.

I never thought much of the cats choosing their people until the other day. You see two years ago a black kitten ventured into my yard and into my flower window box. That kitten wanted into my house, he wanted to live with me. Regretfully my husband said I could not take in any more cats so I instead fed the kitten and gave it fresh water. Set up an outdoor house for it and took care of it while it lived outdoors.

A neighbor asked if he could have the cat and I thought that would be wonderful. However, on the day I went looking for the cat it was gone. We later learned that a family who walked past home picked up the kitten and took it home. 

Two years later, my neighbor tells me that the people who had taken the black kitten had moved and abandoned the cat. In no time that cat found its way to my house and once again sat in my flower box.

When I went out to see the black cat, it did not run from me. Instead, it meowed and came to me. He walked through my legs and rubbed all over me. I suppose this black cat that crossed my path when it was a kitten had chosen me and now two years later it came back to me.

Here are some photographs

Black cat returns to the chosen person after 2 years

Black kitten choose the person it wanted to be with from watching the person

Stray cats choose their people

Wheat Straw is Best for Outdoor Cat Houses

Fill your outdoor shelters for feral or stray cats with dried wheat straw, not hay and not a blend of straw that feels damp to the touch. Hay and a blended straw will hold moisture and will make the cat feel colder. Also the hay and blended straw will get moldy. So when you shop make sure you buy straw that is made from 100% dried wheat.

Feral Cat Sleeping in Winter Shelter Post Card

by Susang6

Normally we do not have a problem with buying wheat straw but this year the shops in town, Lowes, Walmart, and Home Depot are all selling a blend of straw, wheat, rye, and corn. This straw does not feel right, it feels damp to the touch so it would not be good for an outdoor cat bedding.

Cathouse in the barn filled with wheat straw

One of our outdoor cat houses..
We added mylar insulation and wheat straw bedding

The best bedding for outdoor cats or dog houses is wheat straw. The straw that is made from leftover wheat stalks will repel moisture and this is why wheat is ideal for keeping outdoor cats or dogs warm and comfy in their cat houses. Wheat straw is the best form of insulation, but I do recommend that you change out the straw weekly to remove any straw that is marked (urine sprayed by the cat)

I recommend that when you set up your winter cat houses that you put down dome cedar chips (mulch) or dried pine needles on the bottom of the bed then a hefty layer of straw on the top, Do not add blankets as they will retain moisture and make the cat feel colder.

A wooden cat house filled with wheat straw, you can see the cat made a bed from body imprint in the straw.  The top, walls, and floor of this house have Mylar reflective board which will keep the cat warmer in winter.

Update 12/30/2023

Many online retailers are promoting and selling barley straw for feral cat house bedding.  Barley usually costs less money than wheat straw.  I know in my city barley straw is not available whereas I can easily find wheat straw.  

Know that I prefer wheat straw because it makes a warm and comfortable bed for feral cat houses.  The straw is easy to handle and if it gets wet it drains well. 

I asked Bing what straw was best for feral cats 

 

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Feeding Feral Cats at Colony

Colony cats live in thicket dens in the woods

This morning is chilly and rainy and I would rather stay indoors and watch the morning news under my warm down comforter but need to get up, get dressed and hike through the woods to feed the feral cats. 

Today is the first cool day in Autumn and it is supposed to rain all day but that is not an excuse as the feral and stray cats that reside in the woods depend on me for food and water.

I know that if I do not set the freshwater and cat food in the feeding station by a certain time the feral cats will get agitated, so it is important that I allow enough time to get up, get ready and hike down the nature trail, then cross the gully, up the embankment to the south bluff where the caves are located.

This cat colony is small so I don’t need to carry out many things; bowls for their food/water packaged dry kibble and water bottle. But I do need to dress properly, spray-on deep woods off, and must wear my hiking boots.

Right now the food station is set up under the overhang of a large rock but we will have to change that come winter. The overhang prevents a downpour of water from getting the food wet but when the wind blows the food does get wet. I am hoping that my husband can build me something that would be 4 feet off the ground so that we would not have to worry about snow or water runoff.

We have cared for this colony of feral and stray cats since 2008. All are part of TNR and we always watch out for the cats and will trap them if they are sick and are in need of veterinarian care.

So it is safe to say that no matter what the weather is, we take care of the feral and stray cats at the colony daily. Here are some photographs of our colony cats.

Why is My Cat Marking my Sofa

Normally cats do not mark the sofa however when a cat feels anxious or is under stress they will mark the sofa and other areas of your home.

I used to rescue cats that were abandoned and bring them through the house to my safe room. Well, that was enough for my pet cats to feel threatened. They would immediately start marking everything. They certainly got my attention and I knew they were not happy, It was their way of telling me that the cat was not welcomed.

Any changes made to the home can cause your cat to become agitated and feel stress. Your cat may roughhouse with the other cats or the family dog then feel stress or anxious. New visitors to your home may upset your cat. If you have a quiet home and the noise level has changed such as more people making loud noises, yelling, fighting, or even loud music.  If the environment of your home changes in any way it will have some effect on your cat.

When a cat marks the sofa, the door, the bed, or anywhere else in your house they are marking their territory. As if to say this is mine, mine, and mine. You can prevent territory marking by using Feliway room diffusers.

A new pet may cause your cat to feel anxious.

Buy Feliway and plug the diffuser into your electrical outlet 10 days before you bring the new pet into your home. This will allow your cat to feel the effects of the diffuser and will calm your cat. Cats will then be more welcoming to the new pets or people. Feliway is a great product to calm an anxious cat. For best results buy, only Feliway cat products, do not mix them with other products and I recommend shopping at Chewy.com (best price for this product)

NOTE: If there are no changes in your home that would trigger your cat to mark then your cat is telling you that it is sick, Cats will mark or pee outside of their litter box when they are ill, It is how they communicate with you. Don't yell at your cat for doing this as it will frighten them. I would recommend taking your cat to the veterinarian for a wellness checkup

Also, it is imperative that newly adopted cats go into a home that has a Feliway diffuser in the outlet.  All newly adopted cats suffer from stress/anxiety and the Feliway will help them to adjust to their home.