Outdoor Cat. Tips?

[nminusyplusm]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my ferals! I have SIX feral barn cats that keep my property rodent free. They were all brought to me by local feral cat adoption programs. Fully vetted, vaccinated, spayed/neutered and free of charge - these programs are desperate for homes and bring the cats to you, and also will rent crates/shelter to you to acclimate the cats. The employees also act as mentors and answer any questions you have.

I kept my ferals locked up for ~1 mth before turning them loose, and they have all stuck around. I do not know where they hunker down and sleep, but they eat on the front porch and show up like clockwork at meal times. A few like to sleep on the rocking chairs on the front porch but they scatter if you get close. They drink from the horse water tanks, which I heat in the winter so cats and livestock have ice-free water.

We live in the sticks, and before the cats came along, we would catch half a dozen mice PER DAY in our garage. We haven't caught a single mouse in the 5 years we have had the cats. I did stagger the cats in age - 2 young adults in 2012, then 2 more in 2014, and 2 more in 2016. I didn't want them all to get old at the same time.

I would strongly encourage you to look into a feral cat adoption program, and DO NOT get a free/cheap random female cat and have it live outside, unless you want your property to become over-run by a kitten explosion.

What a great program!

 

[Ruralhideaway]

+1 for keeping the cat locked up for awhile. I've done so with adult feral adoptions for just 4 days and had them disappear. So, longer than that. A big dog crate works with a litter pan and cardboard box to sleep in if it's cold. This will also litter train the cat which you'll appreciate when you don't step in cat unmentionables. I use horse pine pellets in outdoor litter pans, 5 bucks is many many litter changes.

Also, the cage is a great place to store the cats food later away from free ranging chickens.

If you end up with true feral cats they may well have upper respiratory issues, sometimes chronic. Some vets won't treat ferals, plus they aren't always easily caught and handled. If you are comfortable medicating, buy a bottle of Fishmox from Chewy. Straight amoxicillin. I dissolve one capsule in about 3 quarts of water and keep their bowl filled if someone has green or yellow snot. Store in fridge if hot out. Triple antibiotic ointment(no pain reliever! ) for infected eyes. I buy large Dog frontline generic for fleas and lice and scale the dosage down to about .3 mil per cat. Less than 2 dollars per cat at Walmart prices. DON'T USE THE WHOLE TUBE and this only applies to frontline and advantage 2 that I'm personally aware of and have used. I get wormer from my vet by the bottle and dose into yogurt, milk, or canned food.

I feed my barn cats well. Some feel differently but strong healthy cats that stay home rather than try the neighboring farms for food hunt better I think. Mine leave me presents daily. Mice and moles mostly.

I had a teeny tiny ultra placid Cochin bantam hen years ago who was always brooding. No cats were allowed in the barn for months at a time! She had them all terrified. I hear of ferals killing chickens but really wonder if they are literally starving to death. In my experience the chickens are way tougher.

In really cold temps you could provide a cardboard box or plastic tub with a small hatch cut and old clothes in it.

 

[nminusyplusm]

+1 for keeping the cat locked up for awhile. I've done so with adult feral adoptions for just 4 days and had them disappear. So, longer than that. A big dog crate works with a litter pan and cardboard box to sleep in if it's cold. This will also litter train the cat which you'll appreciate when you don't step in cat unmentionables. I use horse pine pellets in outdoor litter pans, 5 bucks is many many litter changes.

Also, the cage is a great place to store the cats food later away from free ranging chickens.

If you end up with true feral cats they may well have upper respiratory issues, sometimes chronic. Some vets won't treat ferals, plus they aren't always easily caught and handled. If you are comfortable medicating, buy a bottle of Fishmox from Chewy. Straight amoxicillin. I dissolve one capsule in about 3 quarts of water and keep their bowl filled if someone has green or yellow snot. Store in fridge if hot out. Triple antibiotic ointment(no pain reliever! ) for infected eyes. I buy large Dog frontline generic for fleas and lice and scale the dosage down to about .3 mil per cat. Less than 2 dollars per cat at Walmart prices. DON'T USE THE WHOLE TUBE and this only applies to frontline and advantage 2 that I'm personally aware of and have used. I get wormer from my vet by the bottle and dose into yogurt, milk, or canned food.

I feed my barn cats well. Some feel differently but strong healthy cats that stay home rather than try the neighboring farms for food hunt better I think. Mine leave me presents daily. Mice and moles mostly.

I had a teeny tiny ultra placid Cochin bantam hen years ago who was always brooding. No cats were allowed in the barn for months at a time! She had them all terrified. I hear of ferals killing chickens but really wonder if they are literally starving to death. In my experience the chickens are way tougher.

In really cold temps you could provide a cardboard box or plastic tub with a small hatch cut and old clothes in it.

Great advice! And I completely agree about making sure they're fed. I have a very well fed 15 year old indoor former bodega mouser who has access to a screened cat porch and anything that makes the mistake of wandering into that porch through a crack (lizards, horny toads, field mice) has about 5 more minutes to live.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

The only cats that I think really unlikely to hunt well are un neutered males. Tom cats have more pressing matters to pursue. Always.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

+1 for keeping the cat locked up for awhile. I've done so with adult feral adoptions for just 4 days and had them disappear. So, longer than that. A big dog crate works with a litter pan and cardboard box to sleep in if it's cold. This will also litter train the cat which you'll appreciate when you don't step in cat unmentionables. I use horse pine pellets in outdoor litter pans, 5 bucks is many many litter changes.

Also, the cage is a great place to store the cats food later away from free ranging chickens.

If you end up with true feral cats they may well have upper respiratory issues, sometimes chronic. Some vets won't treat ferals, plus they aren't always easily caught and handled. If you are comfortable medicating, buy a bottle of Fishmox from Chewy. Straight amoxicillin. I dissolve one capsule in about 3 quarts of water and keep their bowl filled if someone has green or yellow snot. Store in fridge if hot out. Triple antibiotic ointment(no pain reliever! ) for infected eyes. I buy large Dog frontline generic for fleas and lice and scale the dosage down to about .3 mil per cat. Less than 2 dollars per cat at Walmart prices. DON'T USE THE WHOLE TUBE and this only applies to frontline and advantage 2 that I'm personally aware of and have used. I get wormer from my vet by the bottle and dose into yogurt, milk, or canned food.

I feed my barn cats well. Some feel differently but strong healthy cats that stay home rather than try the neighboring farms for food hunt better I think. Mine leave me presents daily. Mice and moles mostly.

I had a teeny tiny ultra placid Cochin bantam hen years ago who was always brooding. No cats were allowed in the barn for months at a time! She had them all terrified. I hear of ferals killing chickens but really wonder if they are literally starving to death. In my experience the chickens are way tougher.

In really cold temps you could provide a cardboard box or plastic tub with a small hatch cut and old clothes in it.

That is so informative! Thank you.

 

[theoldchick]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my ferals! I have SIX feral barn cats that keep my property rodent free. They were all brought to me by local feral cat adoption programs. Fully vetted, vaccinated, spayed/neutered and free of charge - these programs are desperate for homes and bring the cats to you, and also will rent crates/shelter to you to acclimate the cats. The employees also act as mentors and answer any questions you have.

I kept my ferals locked up for ~1 mth before turning them loose, and they have all stuck around. I do not know where they hunker down and sleep, but they eat on the front porch and show up like clockwork at meal times. A few like to sleep on the rocking chairs on the front porch but they scatter if you get close. They drink from the horse water tanks, which I heat in the winter so cats and livestock have ice-free water.

We live in the sticks, and before the cats came along, we would catch half a dozen mice PER DAY in our garage. We haven't caught a single mouse in the 5 years we have had the cats. I did stagger the cats in age - 2 young adults in 2012, then 2 more in 2014, and 2 more in 2016. I didn't want them all to get old at the same time.

I would strongly encourage you to look into a feral cat adoption program, and DO NOT get a free/cheap random female cat and have it live outside, unless you want your property to become over-run by a kitten explosion.

This excellent advice.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

Howdy y’all! We are FINALLY getting the cat! She/He is a kitten. Any advice?

 

[PirateGirl]

Yay! This is exciting. Mine was a kitten this time last year and is now almost exactly one year old. He has come a long way and goes in and out pretty much whenever he wants and catches and/or kills all kinds of critters.

We did not let him out much until he had all shots and was neutered. I'm not sure of the status of your kitten. A neutered male will supposedly stick closer to home. We started with supervised trips outside close to the house so he could learn where home is. We allowed him to bond with us and bond with our dogs. He likes us so he wants to come home. I'm not sure if you plan on having your cat inside at all. We only provide food indoors so eventually when he gets hungry, he comes home looking for food. The food bowl is the first place he ALWAYS goes when he comes into the house. If you have good hiding spots for him outside, show him where they are. My cat figured out that our front porch is the safest spot (hiding under it or in our clutter that tends to gather there). If he gets spooked outdoors you can see him running high speed for the porch. Make sure you show him the spot to go in/out whether its a cat house, garage, barn, your front door. Gradually expand your explorations. He always gets a special treat (usually hamburger) if he brings me a rodent. Have fun! Toys teach cats hunting skills. They can learn to come when you call their name. If I go outside and call my cat he will come out of hiding or come running from down the street. It can take up to 15 minutes depending how far he's gone, but he comes back home when I call him. You will get there! Their survival instincts are great. You can be hands off and he will figure out how to fend for himself, but if you are hands on and teach him a thing or two you can take it to the next level

 

[cassie]

To prevent being overrun with kittens, all you have to do is to get the cat neutered or spade. As for mousing ability, it varies a lot from one individual to another. Some cats will go after anything that moves, and others would allow a mouse to stand on its head without reacting.

 

[PirateGirl]

Soooo where are the pictures of your new kitten!?!?