Feral cat

[Tinkerpuss]

I know I shouldn't be doing this but I have been feeding a feral tomcat since the spring. He now trusts me enough to let me stroke I have 2 cats and obvioualy can't let him indoors because he sprays.

Can anyone tell me how I could build or buy an outdoor shelter for him as I hate to think of him freezing outdoors through the winter months?

[tonyav]

You could use a dog kennel .

[ummmm]

He'll go back home.

[Tinkerpuss]

Thanks tonyav I hadn't thought of that - would a rabbit hutch be suitable?

ummmm, this cat is feral and my garden has been his home since February.

[tonyav]

Tinkerpuss, I'm sure a rabbit hutch would be fine, actually it would probably be better than a dog kennel ( a bit cosier i should think ).

[wolf63]

Take him to the Vet et him de-nutted and he will be a much nicer cat.

If he gets on with your other two cats it seems that he has made your garden his home - at least he is getting regular meals and has somebody that cares for him.

[tonyav]

De nutted Wolf, your a very strict mom.

[lankeela]

Get him de-nutted and welcome him into your home. He will soon lose the urge to spray everywhere. And you will curb him giving his affections to all the local feline ladies and increasing the local cat population.

[woofgang]

I agree. If you talk to your vet, he may be happy to presecribe a sedative to put in his food so he can be caught and neutered. round here (new forest) its quite a common thing for folk with barns or stables to keep colonies of neutered feral cats. The cats live longer better lives because they are not continually fighting or producing kittens. Whether or not he decides to come into your home (sometimes they don't) he will be happier and more relaxed once done.

I lived in the US for a while, in new jersey, there feral cats are caught and put to sleep because of the rabies risk...deffo puts neutering into prerspective eh?

[Dee Sa]

we brought two cats [ mother & son] back with us from Dubai, when they came out of quarantine and into our new home the boy kept spraying and he could reach about 5ft up the curtains, we got him done but it made no difference for the rest of his life he sprayed , he lived till he was 12 yrs old and when he died we changed all the carpets & curtains in the house and believe me there was evidence he had sprayed everywhere.
I have written this before dont want to bore you, for similar we bought a small size kennel from the pet store, put it 6ft off the ground away from foxes hopefully, on a pupose built ledge near our back window, put tarpaulin over the top to keep him dry and a made a small cat ladder for access, put small cat blanket and some cat nip inside.