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On December 12th of last month, a frozen and starving young male cat ended up on my doorstep. It turns out he is a true feral, not just wild. I have never tended to a feral, and I need help in trying to figure out if his behavior is normal, or if this cat, also, has special needs. I have to figure this out so that I can make a decision to release him or not in the Spring, after a neutering, and when the weather gets warmer.
OK. This cat is about 1 year old. He never comes out of hiding. He rarely moves around and seems very lethargic all the time. He is extremely gentle in nature as well. He will only eat if I put the food dish directly in front of him, so that he does not have to come out of his hiding place. I intentionally listen from the room next door and I don't hear much movement from him at all. You would think being such a young cat, he would be bouncing all over the place. Of course, he does not want to be held, and is very fearful when I do pick him up to weigh him. I am really working on touching him and beginning to play with him, yet he just does not want to move.
My questions.....Is this behavior only "in hiding" mode? Is this instinct not to move because of the human factor, plus the fact, he is so out of his true element? I am very baffled for he is just not acting as a "normal" cat. The lethargy has me really concerned....or again, is this just a frozen mode to hide? I do plan on getting him tested for FIV and Leukemia when he is neutered to rule those diseases out. But, until then, does anyone know how a feral acts in captivity?
Oh yes. Some other odd behavior I have noted and forgot to write in my first post. I have never seen him stand with his legs fully extended. He has always been crouched, low to the ground, and the few times he does run right back to his hiding place, it's been low to the ground. I know when cats are scared they crouch low to the ground. But yet, he's been here almost one full month and I still have yet to see him standing erect. My "red flags" are flying, for he is just not acting like an active cat. Yes, he was on his death bed when he, out of desperation, put himself on my doorstep. So, yes, he has been very weak. But, since then he has gained 5.8 pounds. He just seems limp, lethargic, "out of it" expression in his eyes.....not your usual young cat you can't stop.
As I said in my first post, I have no experience with feral cats, that beyond those I care for on my property. I have dealt with many wild cats but none just don't compare to this little guy. I know I am really grasping at straws, but can anyone here help me out? Does anyone here have experience actually working with feral cats?
If you are not sure what a feral cat is......it is a cat who has never been exposed to humans and shies completely away from civilization for the most part. A feral cat only comes in close when desperate and hungry. It will not allow a human any contact, normally, and maintains a safe distance. A feral cat also does not allow a person, normally, to even see him, and will stay hidden until the person who is feeding him is gone. If a person has a gift with animals, and trust is gained, a person can have physical contact with a feral cat, but it takes a long time.
I have a feral cat living in my garage. She does the same things you have described. I believe they stay in the fright/flight survival mode for a very long time. I am surprised he lets you get close enough to pick him up. He definitely trusts you. Our cat will let my 3 yo and 5yo pick her up. On occasion, she will tolerate my touch. I am concerned about the limp, lethargic "out of it" behavior. Could be from long term starvation/cold/sickness.
Garden of Eden: Three cheers for you, caring about the poor kitty. If he isn't sick, he's just scared practically ot of his mind.
I've slowly gained the trust of a cat who lives outdoors in the neighborhood. I suppose I'd call her semi-feral; after two years, she will come up and purr and rub against me when I'm sitting on the steps, but she's very paranoid, running away if I don't approach in exactly the right way, and won't allow me to pick her up.
. But, until then, does anyone know how a feral acts in captivity?
Yes, and the cat you have is not one of them.
SoBelle's estimation is what I believe to be the correct one - he is formerly owned, now scared, and is not a well cat.
Regardless of the cat's origins, this cat needs to be seen and evaluated by a vet as soon as humanly possible. Both the physical posture and the behavioural indicators point to something being very, very wrong.
I would neuter and test him for diseases like FIV/ feline luk/ rabies. Vaccinate for Rabies and feline luek.
If he is positive for any of these diseases I would have him put down... if he is negative I would TNR, and build a shelter for him and leave food out.
Feral cats once they mature should really be left wild, the kindest thing you can do is TNR at this point. Some people, me included, think that rehoming once feral kittens isnt wise as the lifestlye of wildness with provided food/shelter/ and shots/altering could in fact be better then what happens to tame cats.
Thank you for the advice! I do plan on taking him to my vet, as soon as my instincts tell me to do so. For now, he is in isolation from my other cats, and gaining weight rapidly. Other then the symptoms I described he glows with health. I still cannot believe he is alive, for when I rescued him he was nothing but a skeleton. And that raises another question. What made him so ill in the first place?
I still believe he is a feral, for I am feeding his biological brother outdoors. SouthernBelle, you, also could be right on the mark, for if these guys were abused, they would be terribly mistrustful of people. I am praying that this guy, who I have named Whispers, for being so quiet, is negative in all testing. And if I assess that he does have survival skills, I shall return him to the wild when he is ready.
As for putting him down. Wow. I am a healer, a caretaker of cats who would otherwise be put down. This is my life's work! I have a total of 16 felines who either have fatal diseases or who have special needs. They all have been rescued from either death, or abuse and neglect. They are all at this moment happy, and symptom free, with years of hard work behind them on my part. We flow here as a family unit, and it brings tears to my eyes to see all of them adopting certain roles in this family system, and run and play. I don't stop until I find a means to give these guys quality life. It would go against everything I stand for to put this precious baby down.
And, if this guy is feral, I do agree that it is not right to keep him indoors. They were meant to be wild. For now, it is one day at a time, and I will cross that bridge.....IF his tests are positive....when I come to it.
Thank you for the advice! I do plan on taking him to my vet, as soon as my instincts tell me to do so. For now, he is in isolation from my other cats, and gaining weight rapidly. Other then the symptoms I described he glows with health. I still cannot believe he is alive, for when I rescued him he was nothing but a skeleton. And that raises another question. What made him so ill in the first place?
I still believe he is a feral, for I am feeding his biological brother outdoors. SouthernBelle, you, also could be right on the mark, for if these guys were abused, they would be terribly mistrustful of people. I am praying that this guy, who I have named Whispers, for being so quiet, is negative in all testing. And if I assess that he does have survival skills, I shall return him to the wild when he is ready.
As for putting him down. Wow. I am a healer, a caretaker of cats who would otherwise be put down. This is my life's work! I have a total of 16 felines who either have fatal diseases or who have special needs. They all have been rescued from either death, or abuse and neglect. They are all at this moment happy, and symptom free, with years of hard work behind them on my part. We flow here as a family unit, and it brings tears to my eyes to see all of them adopting certain roles in this family system, and run and play. I don't stop until I find a means to give these guys quality life. It would go against everything I stand for to put this precious baby down.
And, if this guy is feral, I do agree that it is not right to keep him indoors. They were meant to be wild. For now, it is one day at a time, and I will cross that bridge.....IF his tests are positive....when I come to it.
I commend you for your response. I agree that the advice to have him euth'd is excessive and I am so glad that this little guy has found you (it almost sounds as if you have a reputation among the cats in the neighborhood--"Go and see the lady up the street, she's really nice and she'll take care of you" )
I agree that it sounds as if he is/was sick. Even if he is feral, he should not be lethargic. It could be that he is still recuperating but it definitely sounds as if sickness rather than just hunger was his motivation for seeking you out. IMHE, no matter how anti-social/feral the cat, they will seek out and tolerate a human if they are ill; otherwise, he would not have shown up on your door.
Get him to a sympathetic vet as soon as you can so that he can get the medical attention that he probably needs. And thanks for not giving up on him!
The fact that you can get NEAR the cat, much less pick her/him up, makes me lean (heavily) towards it not being feral... more likely it is sickly.
I know you don't need thanks from me, but ... thanks anyway for being so kind to the cat.
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Our cat will let my 3 yo and 5yo pick her up. On occasion, she will tolerate my touch. 
I am concerned about the limp, lethargic "out of it" behavior. Could be from long term starvation/cold/sickness. 
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