Has anyone given a feral a home?

[Janee]

We are just at the start of this journey, I have been in touch with a local cat rescue for help and advice. I am told we need to keep them secure for about a week and once their "sat nav" kick in and they decide it is a nice place to be we can let them roam. We have 2 ordered and hope they will be with us next week, I am so excited, esp after finding a mouse in a water bucket yesterday, I can't bear the thought of them running over the ponies. Does any one know if they will use a litter tray? i will keep you updated.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

OOoohh, how exciting. Please let me know how it goes, I will be very interested.

 

[pip6]

We took on three ferals from cpl about 10 years ago. Still have 2, no longer feral, love their tickles. Have to say they are lousy mousers but we still love them dearly. I have to set mouse traps to control vermin. Ours were kept in large cage on arrival for a month with a litter tray until they were settled.

 

[LCH611]

SNIPcats (advertise in H&H and also have FB page) are fantastic to deal with as they give you a complete starter pack - cages/beds/litter tray food etc. We kept ours in for 10 days and the first night we let them out they caught a large rat. Last winter I lost loads of bantams to rats by the Spring we had a major infestation. We got on top of it and these year the ferals seem to be doing a top job!

 

[Janee]

We ended up with 2 ex strays, we kept them in for 9 days and we have just let them out 2 days ago when the weather was awful because we thought they would be less likely to try explore outside. They are lovely cats, personalities are coming out, BUT I haven't seen any evidence of mice/rat catching yet, although neither have I seen any tails scurrying away since we let them out.

 

[mandyroberts]

I took 2 ferals as stable cats (kept in for 2months in stable etc etc). I live on a very quiet country lane and after 3 months of going out, one was run over. Her sister then chose to become friendly and was the cuddliest house cat I have ever had. I had another 2 ferals I got at 11 weeks and they always lived in the house (with free access to outdoors) and they are still quite twitchy at 10 years old. I read that after 8 weeks it is much harder to 'tame' them but my original feral proved this not to be the case.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Just wondering if anyone has given a feral a home at their stables? We have a rat problem, little blighters are burrowing under the barn. Poison is down and hoping that will have some affect but I've wanted to get a cat or two there for some time. What stipulations do the charity put down?

Depends which charity




kept in a locked room or cage 3 weeks - they will be microchiped already - they need somewhere warm and dry to get out of weather. Need feeding as well as catching their own food call a charity and get their terms and conditions.






RSPCA* will cat be catching mice? sorry we don't home cats to kill mice!!!!! Idiots

 

[Janee]

Update, the boys have settled very well, they are so friendly and have become part of the yard family, and they are doing a great job, frequently have shrieks from fellow liveries when they come across part munched rats and mice. Only downside so far, YO complaining they have decided to use the barn conversion building site as a litter tray

 

[MagicMelon]

Have to say we've had lots of cats over the years (my mum was in the CPL for a few years) and I've never seen one catch a rat! Please remember OP that you'll still need to feed the cat daily, give it shelter (and warmth in winter) and vaccinate it etc. so its not really an easy fix for your problem.

 

[Goldenstar]

Have to say we've had lots of cats over the years (my mum was in the CPL for a few years) and I've never seen one catch a rat! Please remember OP that you'll still need to feed the cat daily, give it shelter (and warmth in winter) and vaccinate it etc. so its not really an easy fix for your problem.

All my cats have caught rats including one whose favourite trick was letting them go alive in the house .
Our cat recently died but had been going out and about much since last summer we had far far more rodents this winter .

 

[hackneylass2]

'RSPCA* will cat be catching mice? sorry we don't home cats to kill mice!!!!! Idiots'

Good Gawd, if you believe that, you will believe anything!!!