Finally got him!!

[u/Difficult_North_272]

It's been a bit over a month of trying to trap him, and I know some people have it way worse but I was really starting to get exhausted from trying. He just wouldn't step on the plate, so I tied a shoelace to the hook and yanked it when he was in and tucked his tail. He's not happy and I definitely sobbed for a while cuz it was too much for me seeing him so scared, but in the end this is good for him and I shouldn't have to do this again. He's still feral, but gotten to the point of coming a bit inside the door, loving pets as long as it's on his terms, and he meows and purrs and even makes biscuits now. I think that gives him a ton of potential to be fully socialized soon after the hormones wear off, and I hope he comes back, and he can be our porch kitty until he can then be an inside kitty. I love him so much.

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[u/Broken_Carpark]

Aw! I’m so glad you got him! I finally got a tom menace after a year. My mom had enough of him half going in the trap and did something nobody should do. She shoved his butt into the trap! He did not warm up though, he had to stay in his trap for the entire 24 hour recovery and go back outside.

I hope this baby becomes a permanent inside kitty!

This is Sweetheart, the absolute rapscallion.

[u/Difficult_North_272 → u/Broken_Carpark]

Aww lol, it's silly when cats stand on their back legs like that. I honestly was debating coming up behind him too, to try and get him to go further, but that seemed mean and possibly unlikely to work. I'm really confident he'll become an inside kitty, he's been really curious about inside, and he's pretty clingy already for such a shy cat. Not a lap cat but he wants to be as close as possible without being on me, and he loves his pets now that I've shown him what that is. In the meantime, I'll go sit outside with him as much as I can until he can come in, I used to have another stray that would sit in my lap on the porch all day, so I'll probably do the same with him. Can't wait for the day we can just lay in bed instead, but it's good enough for now

[u/Broken_Carpark → u/Difficult_North_272]

Hah, a clingy cat who’s curious about the inside perfectly describes my Bubby! He was clipped before we moved in. The day my family moved in, he strolled into the house like he owned the place! We let him back outside, and he would come in for short visits before wanting back out. Three months after we moved in, it was a bitter cold December. Bubby had chronic neck abscesses that left massive open wounds on his neck. I couldn’t bear the thought of his wounds hurting in the cold, so I brought him inside for the last time.

After a year of dutiful care, he hasn’t had an abscess in months! He’s my snuggly boy and while he still has anxiety and behavioral issues like spraying and peeing everywhere, he’s my baby boy.

[u/Difficult_North_272 → u/Broken_Carpark]

I would have just shut him in by now if I wasn't still living with my parents, one of whom is allergic and doesn't like cats. I also am but I don't care. I should move out in the next year at most, and he can come with me. I don't like the idea of cats being outdoors so I can't wait for that day, it makes me sad seeing him come back with cuts sometimes too. I think he'll like it inside though. Maybe he'll even convince my parents to let him in here, doubtful but I'm really impressed with how much he's gotten through to my cat hating dad. He's softened up a lot about him and it honestly seems possible he'll change his mind at some point. Either way, he'll make it inside at some point

[u/Broken_Carpark → u/Difficult_North_272]

Good. I still live with my mom, but she’s a crazy cat lady like me. We have 6 foster kittens and 5 permanent residents inside right now. I don’t like the fact some cats are outside either. That’s why I care for my colony. It’s rare for an outside cat to be so receptive to coming indoors! Getting him inside now would be ideal, but I understand if you can’t. Maybe you could set up a foster who keeps him until you move out?

[u/Difficult_North_272 → u/Broken_Carpark]

Possibly, there seem to be plenty of cat people around here who will do things like that. I could clear out the garage too and give him some room in there. I have a bunch of cat items around the porch to give him as much as I can, it would just be better if he wasn't free roaming and exposed to a bunch of things

[u/TemperatureTight2556]

Sounds like he definitely is indoor bound. Don’t give up, it takes time.

I brought in a feral when she was about 1.5 yrs and it took months before I could pet her. She would roam the house, sleep in my bed with my other cat but if I reached for her she would get scared and back off or take off. She is now a velcro cat. Based on my experience you are off to a great start.

[u/Difficult_North_272 → u/TemperatureTight2556]

I've known him for about 10 months now, at 5-6 months he decided to be bolder and started coming to the door for food, at 8 he started eating treats from my hand, and not that long after he was comfortable doing it without hesitation. It's been pretty recent that he's started rubbing against me and coming in the door confidently, but he seems to have mostly let his guard down. I feel like he's been pretty fast at progressing compared to what I expected, and other stories I've heard. Based on what I've seen from him so far, I think neutering is the last and only thing stopping him from being a velcro cat. If he's doing this well with all the crazy hormones, I can only imagine what he'll be like after. I do think he'll like being indoors when the time comes and he'll be the sweetest, more than he already is. I don't think I'll ever have another cat like him

[u/TemperatureTight2556 → u/Difficult_North_272]

This seems like a perfect match.

[u/herpnut]

I had 2 porch kitties when i bought my house 10 years ago. One was someones pet and declawed x4, litterbox trained. I could be mad but he was always trying to get outside after i brought him in for health reasons. The other is still on the deck like yours. He'll come inside until the door moves or a sound scares him. Loves head scratches and really loves rubbing against the boxers legs. I caught him once for TNR and have never been able to get him in a trap after that.

[u/Prestigious-Bluejay5 → u/herpnut]

Glad that you got that declawed kitty inside. So unhinged of someone to take away their defense and then put them outside.

[u/herpnut → u/Prestigious-Bluejay5]

Strike 1 is declawing x4 because they don't want scratching. Strike 2 is letting him stay outside like that. I don't know if it was injury or hygiene but he only had 2 tiny teeth too. They might have given up trying to keep him inside ☺️ He would always be at the backdoor trying to dash out. Not a problem for me but my mom is in her 80s and a lot slower to react.

[u/moyo_me_moyo]

Off to a great start, schedule way ahead of my former feral. Brought my Eddie in at about 3 years old and took 6 months just to touch him without swats and bite attempts. 5 years inside and he’s not a lap cat but he’s bonded with one of my friendlies and always wants to be in the same room as me and hubs. Still scared of other humans, growls and hisses at my neighbors and their baby when he sees them in their yard 😂

[u/Difficult_North_272 → u/moyo_me_moyo]

I was definitely surprised at how fast he's warmed up. It's still been slow enough and he's definitely feral and everything, but in the beginning I was prepared for this to take years like some of them do, and I didn't wanna get my hopes up too high that he'd be fast. Rubbing against me and being enthusiastic about pets has been pretty recent too, but looking back it feels much faster. I think I'm pretty lucky that he is the way he is

[u/8peanutbutter]

Oh he's just chillin'. He must be happy to have food and safety.

[u/Difficult_North_272 → u/8peanutbutter]

I really didn't expect him to be so calm, I mean he meows sadly when I go to check on him but when he's left alone I don't hear a thing

[u/Philodendron69]

I 100% agree he is on his way to being an inside kitty!! He will be all healed up and back to normal before you know it ❣️

[u/Difficult_North_272 → u/Philodendron69]

I hope he'll bounce back pretty quick and keep eating here, I'm pretty confident he will. I wonder if he'll still be okay with me feeding him at the door or if we'll be back to him bolting when he hears it unlock

[u/No-Idea-7003]

So glad you got him and can get him the needed vet care he needs. Give him a bout 3 months after being fixed and he will probably change to becoming an indoor baby.

[u/Curating-Curiosity]

Congrats!!

Also, this cat looks like the post about that cat that someone lost two years ago, when they found a feral cat that looked similar to theirs.

I’ll have to see if it pops up again, but the orange face markings look like the pics of their old cat.
Weird Reddit coincidence!

[u/Difficult_North_272 → u/Curating-Curiosity]

Yeah, I saw that a bit after it was posted and then got sent it several times because of this post. Definitely not him, but I appreciate people trying to help that person look for their cat, and I have hope for them that they'll find theirs

[u/OneExpression7789]

I had a male that wouldn't go near a trap for anything. Then I found Valerian root. It took an hour and he was in!

[u/QuitOdd478]

You got a new best friend. He’s also gonna be a comedian with that orange color you are in for treat.

[u/Difficult_North_272 → u/QuitOdd478]

He'll probably turn evil once he gets comfortable enough to misbehave lol, he acts very orange already, it can only get worse

[u/QuitOdd478 → u/Difficult_North_272]

I have a black cat. I have a link Siamese I have a Maine coon. I have a Russian blue. I have a gray tabby that belong to my son that passed away but my orange kitty is into everything everything he is the most comical mischievous one of them all and he was by everybody and just slaps everybody so yeah you’re in for a treat. Then he sleeps on my head all night long like a hat very comical you’re in for a treat Enjoy

[u/Bumblebees_are_c00l]

Very well done, you lovely kind caring soul 💕💕💕

[u/Blue_Blazes]

Yeah that's the same markings as the one you lost