Cat lovers--HELP!!

Trap and neuter him.  Give him a dry place to eat and feed him.  He will get less aggressive after a full tummy.  I take care of about 60 feral cats.  Get a big rubbermaid container, and lay it on it's side. My husband screws the lid onto the side making an overhang, and trims the screws , so they don't cut themselves on the screws sticking out in the container.  It's now  a feeding station with a bit of an overhang, so the cat can walk up and eat and even stay dry in a light rain. Keeps the food dry.  I use a styrofoam cooler on it's side as a water holder.  I put the water dish on the bottom, and the styrofoam keeps the water from freezing a little bit longer.  You can also make a shelter for him to sleep in, but he might prefer under your tarp more, by again, taking a rubbermaid container, keeping the lid on tight this time, standing it up, making a small cutout for a door on the skinny side, and lining the container with styrofoam insulation board.  The styrofoam stays  warm to the touch and the cat has a warm , dry , place to sleep.  Weight the container down with a few bricks, or it will tip over in bad weather. Randi

I believe also that cats are survivors and not tyrants.  If you can't get him fixed then call Animal Love look it up on the net if my small City has one I hope yours does.  They will help with this without killing the cat.  I have fed and taken the time to get to know any stray that comes to my house, they are usually terrified at first but when they realize your just feeding them and giving them a dry warm spot they do start coming around. Once they trust me enough I put the flea drops on from the vet, by then they usually look good enough that if you call Humane Society they don't kill them, they try find them homes. I still don't trust the Humane Society enough though and always try animal love first. I would take in every stray I could but I have two cats and I'm on a limited income right now so I do what I can. I believe that if a cat comes to my door they know I will help them and I always do. Good luck. Pearl  Poor baby, he's probably been through so much and to have to live in the cold and fend for himself, it just breaks my heart.

Calico, you can get your stray guy neutered, so he doesn't have to stay outside.  And if he comes in, expect some nasty snarling when they are introduced, it's normal.  Mizsissay, if your guy has shelter that seems adequate, that's fine, but try making a nice dry feeding station for him anyway, where he can feel safe to eat, after you put the food down.  Just make sure his food is not frozen if canned, and that he gets clean water.  it will need to be changed a lot in the winter.  The most important thing is that he gets nutrition, and if he's a big tom, i would imagine one can of cat food, and some dry will do him.  He might just want 2 cans  a day. might prefer it.  I'm very fortunate, I work with a an animal shelter, so the food is provided for me for my ferals, but as I said, I feed probably over 60 every day, and I'm out an hour every day, 365 days a year doing this.  I force my grown sons to do it for me when I go away, and they hate it, consider it embarrassing.  Once, someone called the police on my son, didn't recognize his car, and he knows all the officers in the area (he's  a cop also), he was so embarrassed explaining he was feeding stray cats, so my friend had a shirt made that said "I love feeding stray cats while my parents vacation". We enjoyed that... also,I know it's easy for me to say, as I get the food for free, but try to do a quality dry if you give dry food (like science diet).  Neutered males (I know he's not neutered yet) are known to have urinary problems from the stuff they use in the food, and if they can't urinate, and be brought to a vet within 36 hours of onset, will die a painful death.  Sorry about this long post, but this has been the hardest for me, not being able to take care of my guys the right way, and having to make other people do it for me, not everyone is as fond of cats (especially strays) as I am.  Randi

Hi Mizsissy, I was thinking that you probably didn't want to take him in, but the fact is, he's not going to leave anyway.  I was figuring you should trap him in the humane trap, just to at least be neutered, and if he was going to be living there, on your deck, (which he obviously is (lol)  ), he really truly needs to be fed. Any living creature in my books has to be at least fed.  The poor guy, and it's so cold out.  I just recently had the same experience with an outdoor bully tom.  Lived on my porch for the last 4 years.  Wouldn't go in the trap. Got sick, mouth hurt, and stopped eating. still couldn't trap him.  I gave him baby food mixed with half and half, he liked that.  I would mix in chicken fat, and something else to make up for the nutrients he had to have to survive, and this went on for the last 3 years.  I thought we would find him dead and frozen every winter.  I would cry at night.  I once left a space heater on the porch with him through a snowstorm, and of course it caught fire.  I was up all night worried anyway and caught it. Three months ago, he walked into my open garage, my son slammed the door shut.  he hid in a corner under a workbench.  We jammed the corner up, put the trap against the open edge, and prodded from above.  He had nowhere to go but in the trap.  We couldn't believe we got him.  Had him fixed up, had all his teeth pulled, spent a fortune on him, and brought him in. Put him in the basement, in a cage with a litter box.  Used it after a day and a half, we let him out. He hung out down there, used the  litter tray, and about a month later, decided, what's upstairs.  Well he always beat up all the other cats outside, and now hits my cats who try to eat, he wants it all, sleeps on the couch, doesn't let me touch him, but looks at me as if saying, ""what took you so long".  Never looks out the door or windows.   Has no use for the outside world.  couch, food, litter tray, what more can an old tom want.   You don't have to take him in, but you will feel better knowing he's neutered, and fed, if nothing else.  good luck. Randi  ps, he's fat from his winter coat.  he'll look skinnier in the summer. 

Some years ago I wondered aloud "Why is that white tom cat always hanging around our porch?"

My son replied "Do you think it might be because this is where I feed him?"  What can you do but laugh?

The cat was adopted by neighbors and fixed.  He no longer eats here but he still hangs out on our porch I guess he likes the view.

I hope you can find a good place for him, and try to talk the feral people into doing the trapping for you.  They know how to handle these guys. They are all volunteers themselves, but this is what they do. Do a lot of crying about the poor guy, it's winter, yadayadayada, etc.... sometimes it helps.. Randi

<----------- I was a stray

MissZ- my cat was abandonded and left out in the snow and rain and the harsh realities of rotten kids.

I took him in over the objections of all my neighbors who told me he was a wild cat and would attack me and bite me.

He is sleeping right next to me now with his head buried in his collection of stuffed animals and has been the greatest companion to me.

When you take in a cat that was unwanted, they pay you back ten-fold with love.

jmo

Mr. Fluffy's mom 

I want to wish you the best of luck in trying to save this poor cat...

I have TWO cats, and they are great to have around!  They kept me company this past year, while I was going through bc dx and tx, chemo, and reconstruction. 

We got them after my first cat, Axel passed away.  He was 11 years old when he was dx'd with cancer.  He had fluid all around his chest, and also around his stomach.  He eventually reached the point where he couldn't eat.  We didn't want to put him through an 'experimental' operation, just so the vet could find out what he had.  They told us that they couldn't take it out, since the mass was in front of his heart, and they might cut his major artery and that would be fatal.  Oh, when I think about it, even now, 5 years later, I cry!  

We weren't sure we were ready for another cat, but...  Thanksgiving day weekend, about a month after we lost our precious Axel,  we went to Petsmart and found Spike.  While visiting him at the shelter, we also found Thor.  We decided it would be best if we had BOTH, so they could keep each other company when we aren't home.

Sorry for the long story.  Just wanted to add my 2 cents... animals are worth saving!! 

Spike & Thor's Mom,

Harley 

I love all animals, (ok, not moles) and I understand your feelings of not trying to bring him in.  If he can be caught and neutered, that would be the most important thing to do.  In the meantime, if you have given him a good place to rest and feel safe,  I think you've done well.

We had a 5-6 month old kitten show up here, all ribs and sad.  We fed her of course, but had to take her and leave her with the Humane Soc. here.  They have a set of cages, all fixed up with bedding, food and water.  I'd taken those things with me, but they weren't needed.

I will never forget how hard it was to leave her, but we had 3 cats at the time and 2 of them were NOT open to additional guests.  We even had to have our daughter rescue one that was getting picked on by them.

Good luck with the capture, hope it finally goes well.

My neighbor had the same situation..she set up a nice shelter on her porch..left food and water and after A YEAR the cat is their best friend...lives on their deck in the shelter because she has 2 cats inside..who used to hate him but now they are ok...he was tamed down because he learned to trust and was actually cared for..hoping that happens to "your" cat also.  BTW, some cats are "fat" not because they are well fed but because they have parasites..so he still needs to eat and drink I'm sure....soon you will be putty in his hands and he can still enjoy his outdoor freedom without the terrorism

It's true, you will get a raccoon or possum, but not if you only put the food our when he's there.  Your neighbor who doesn't want to see him fed, doesn't have much of a heart.  It's a hard world out there for feral cats . They live on the outskirts of society, always wanting a home and a meal, but too frightened to get one.  I am really hoping you will truly get in touch with as many animal rescue groups as you can find to get help with him, if you can't get him,yourself in the trap.  Let them know your neighbors don't want him around and that they consider him a pest not a cat.  Her cat ran off not because of him, but because the cat is outside.  sometimes they just plain get lost, get taken in by someone else, or get killed by cars, and other animals.  She's just assuming and blaming him, for her runaway cat.  That makes me very sad as an animal lover.

It's been somewhat of a roller coaster reading this thread.  I'm a professional cat sitter and very passionate about all animal care.  I'm currently looking for homes for 2 cats.  It is heartbreaking when cats are left to tend to themselves.  It is frustrating when shelters and rescue organizations "can't" take them in.  Sometimes it is simply because they don't have the space.  It does my heart good, though, Mizsissy that you are determined to help this guy. Thank you! Pooh on the neighbors.  All of us animal (cat, especially) lovers would try to save all the fur babies, but obviously cannot.  But, what we can do is help one and get him/her neutered/spayed, at the least.  A dry place with food and water will help immensely.  I have four 100% indoor kitties.  One of them was a new born orphan rescue 7 years ago and to this day I cannot pick him up.  He is a handsome guy and I love  him.  All that is really needed - for any creature, fur or otherwise is love and compassion.  Ruth

Here's a happy cat story.  Sorry it's a bit long but worth it.My cat went missing a week before my fiance died, I was a mess, not only was I crying and carrying on about my missing cat and then Ronnie died.  It was horrible.  Well my son's fiance has a sister who always volunteered at the shelter we had in our small town.  Now this shelter was basic and the owner was doing the best she could with the cats and relied on donations and volunteers.  So my son and his fiance's mother went to the shelter and brought me home this gray cat with a white tuxedo marking on him. He had the most beautiful blue green eyes and his name was Rupert. Well Rupert lived in the shelter for 3YEARS he was always passed over for another cat or kitten.  The poor guy had the worst cat cold and mites. So Kathy and my son Jesse bathed him and we called the vet and got him anitbiotics for his nose cold. So for a month the two of us were glued together on the couch, me crying and him sneezing and snotting all over me, but I didn't care. He was so loving and so happy to have a home and someone that snuggled him he was truly a Godsend.  Well it turned out I had to move from Red Lake and my son loved Rupert so much that he asked me if he could keep him,it was hard but I said yes. So now he lives over the best gift shop in town Kathy's, she set up a pillow for him and Lucky another stray we took in but Rupert gets visitors everyday and tourists from all over the US come to visit Rupert they just adore him.  So Rupert is now loved by the town and many strangers that meet him in the store. So for three years he lived cold and sick in the shelter where no one wanted him to now being petted and fussed over every single day. Now that is a happy cat story.  And every word is true. If you ever go to Red Lake to fish (NW Ontario) go to Forever Green and you'll see Rupert being talked to and spoiled by someone.  I'm so happy for him and when I let Jesse take him I found two more strays and they're mine now and I love them everyday.  Good things can happen in this world and to me this is the best thing ever. Pearl

I wonder if your vet would give you sedation to put in some wet food for this guy so that he could be caught?