CAT question?

Question

Hi. A friend has been feeding a stray cat for a while, he is 2 years old, very sweet cat...im planning on taking him in, ive wanted a cat for a while now. How hard will it be to litter train him...if anyone has any tips on how to make his and mine transitons easier that would be great. Anything u think i need to know about owning a feral cat please tell me!...i do know it will be hard to turn him into an indoor cat.

Answer 1

I doubt he's feral. Feral is a term applied only to wild cats. Ferals have had little-to-no human contact and are very leary of people. If your friend has been feeding this cat, odds are he's simply a stray, not feral. In which case, it probably won't be as hard as you think to turn him into an indoor cat. Many cats seem to really like being indoors after spending some time in the great wide open. We adopted our male cat when he was a couple years old, and he'd been a stray. The biggest issue we had with him being inside was that he would sometimes yowl at the door.....but he wasn't neutered until we got him, and I think he could still smell females in heat and it contributed to the yowling.

The cat may have been owned by someone at one point in time, in which case, he'll know what the litter box is. Even if he's never seen one, however, it shouldn't take him too long to take to it. Cats prefer to go in places where they can bury their business. Just show him where the box is, put him in it, gently rake his paw through the litter. If he has any accidents, put his poo and him in the litter box. He'll get the idea, and it shouldn't take long. Our male went in the box first thing....never even had to put him in it, just showed him where it was.

I'd recommend picking up a copy of Cats for Dummies. It's a fantastic reference book that's helped me out with a lot of things.

The biggest issue for you and the cat is getting him vet care. His shots will need to be given since you have no idea of his history, and he'll more than likely have to be treated for worms, fleas, and perhaps ear mites. I'd also recommend (and I'm sure the vet will, too) having him tested for feline leukemia and FIV (feline HIV). Both are manageable illnesses, but a cat can become very sick very quickly if he's not put on treatment. Because of this, it's important that you keep him away from other healthy cats until you know he's clear.

You will notice a big change in him if you put him on a high-quality food. His diet should be at LEAST 50% canned food since males are more prone to blockages from urinary crystals, and being properly hydrated helps to avoid that problem. My male had been free-grazing on dry Science Diet (I don't recommend it), and he was getting a bit tubby. After switching him to two meals of Wellness canned food a day, his eyes are clearer and brighter, his coat is softer and shinier, and he's lost some weight. He's also pooping less often, and it's not as smelly (canned food is easier for cats to digest than dry). If you want to see a good site on cat nutrition, check this one out:
http://www.catinfo.org

If you do feed him dry food often, it's a good idea to put him on a quality brand. Avoid foods that have "by-product" and "corn" in the ingredients list, and look for foods that list REAL meat as the FIRST ingredient, and use more nutritional fillers like peas. There is a list of good foods on that website, but my personal favorite is Wellness brand. My cat (and the female we once had) didn't really care much for Nature's Variety, but it is a quality food. I've had good luck with the Wellness. It's a bit more expensive than the cheaper, grocery store brands, but you'll save more in the long run because your cat will be healthy. It's much more economical than putting him on a cheap food, then having to take him to the vet for various illnesses. It's a preventive measure, and helps give you peace of mind....not to mention a sense of pride from knowing you're doing all you can to keep him healthy.

Make sure you get plenty of cat toys and keep 'em around to keep the cat entertained. Our male isn't much of a player, but he loves the fake mice. He bats 'em all over the place. Other than that, he plays with oddball things like ink pens, crumpled up paper balls, bottle caps, etc.

Scratching posts and/or cardboard scratchers (which my cat prefers and are cheaper) are highly recommended to give him somewhere to scratch other than your furniture. If he DOES scratch on your furniture, you can spray him with water from a bottle or squirt gun (just try and make sure he doesn't see you doing it or he'll think it's ok as long as you're not around). All my cat needed was a firm "NO!" with a clap and he quit scratching the furniture. But please don't declaw. Read up on it before even considering it. I grew up in a declawing home, but after reading the latest information on it, I've vowed I'll never do it to a cat in my lifetime.
http://www.declawing.com

I think it's wonderful that you're willing to take this cat in. I'm sure you'll both enjoy years of loving companionship:) Good luck!

Answer 2

I have had a number of cats who were rescued strays and most used a litter pan naturally. The few that didnt, were cats who had never seen litter before. For those, I started with potting soil in the litterpan, and over the next few days, gradually added litter and less potting soil, til the box finally contained only litter.

A feral cat should be vet checked for injuries or other problems (parasites, abscesses from bite wounds in fights being two common problems in a feral cat that need to be treated, )spayed or neutered too, given the necessary vaccinations, and dewormed.

It is not uncommon for a feral cat to act fearful when first brought into the house. Its often a good idea to start by keeping the cat in a smaller area, such as a bathroom, for a couple of weeks. That way you can easily observe if the cat is eating, drinking, and using its litterpan properly too. If your cat has had spay or neuter surgery, you can also easily make sure the cat is healing well. If the cat does act fearful, give it a hiding place, such as a cardboard box with a top and a hole in the side for a cat to go in and out of. Scared cats often will adjust faster if they can safely watch things from a hiding place.

Answer 3

Feral cats are wild and generally avoid human beings...unless there is free and easy food available. In short, you will not be able to turn a feral cat into this cute, adorable fuzzball. Seriously, feral cats will rip your furniture to shreds and mark its territory by spraying urine on every piece of furniture in your house. The time and effort it would take just isn't worth the hassle.

However, should you be able to catch this cat, do take it to the vet and GET IT NEUTERED/SPAYED so that it does not contribute to the countless litters of unwanted cats.

Answer 4

I have 6 cats and we never had to litter train them. We put a litter box and they just knew to use it. I would not recomend taking a stray cat in unless it is friendly.
Ps for some reson our cats seem to like aiming and peeing on you curtains. I don't know why though

Answer 5

this is going to be very tricky. I work for the SPCA and my best advice to u would be to try to make friends with this cat while it is outside as far as using the litter that will be up to the cat. I would take him to it as soon as u get him in the house then just hope he wants to use it. If u r not going to be leaving him out U might be in for a couple of wild nights..l wish u the best of luck and thank u for taking in a stray. Please be sure to get the cat fixed and microchipped as soon as possible.

Answer 6

Cats try to find earth or sand to pee in. So, when you take him home, put him in the box a few times. If he doesn't get it, when you see him pee outside, grab him gently, say nooot here, and put him in the litter box. If he still doesn't get it, collect some of the urine he has done with a spoon or sth, and put it in the litterbox. Then clean the floor well. He will go where it smells like his pee the next time.

Answer 7

Cats don't need to be trained to use the litter. Just show the cat where it is, and it will start using it when it needs to. Just one of the many marvels of cats.

Answer 8

it wont be hard to litter train that's natural for a cat


the cat might run out so id watch him very carefully

take him/her to the vet make sure its not sick and get her fixed

NEVER DECLAW its cruel cats claws protection

i had a cat that my aunt had and was keeping outside she let me have her i wanted to keep her in she stayed in for a while then she ran out we found her a week later then she ran back out . we cant keep her in.

good luck with turning it into a inside cat

Answer 9

first u need to be prepared for the cat,because the cat can harm u in many,many ways.like the cat could harm u by scratching u and /or biting u.it is also safer to call a vet to get the cat some shots before it hurts u ,because it could give u rabies

Answer 10

if you decide to take the cat just fill the litter box up with what you will be using and take the cat and just place him in the litter box so he knows where it is and you should be set there
thank you