Expert: Jessica - 3/25/2010

Question
I was adopted by a young feral male 2005. Little did I know he was baiting me into taking over a small colony  (currently 7 inside - 11 outside). Sadly I lost the my first boy to aids last July but since then have tamed and homed two kittens and  and  I finally won over the two main queens and a knave - all now reside in my studio plus their four kittens. I understand the patience involved in taming these cats The queens took 3-1/2 years just to touch but I think touch is necessary with even the most elusive of them in case they are ever injured and need to be transported - ideally to find them homes. The 7 inside I managed to get into carriers to get examined and vaccinated (2 visits each) and the third visit to be spayed/neutered this past January. It wasn't easy. I have the scars to prove it. Currently we're having a bout of diarrhea and mild vomiting and so far fecal sample tests show no sign of parasites so the vet is at a loss without seeing any or all of the cats. Easier said than done. I can do just about anything with these cats in the room now, providing I move slowly and ease them into a cuddle, trim their claws (only a couple will go for that), comb them, etc.. The problem starts the moment the cat carrier comes into the room when all trust is lost. No manner of begging, pleading or forcing them into the carrier (which is not terribly small) now that they are very certain of what it is. I'm currently awaiting my vets decision on whether or not he'll do house calls but even that is going to be difficult as they are extremely wary of strangers. The one kitten i did get my hands on went into hysteria immediately - dangerously fast heart rate and hyperventilation causing him to vomit and making him too risky to move. As per the vet the illness isn't life threatening but I'm sure they're uncomfortable. Any suggestions on how to get them over the fear? Leaving the carrier inside their room just makes them hide for days and get overly stressed. I really need to be able to move them when necessary so any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Hi Victoria.  Honestly, with my ferals that are still that tense, I have to slip them a sedative in some baby food to get them to the vet.  I have done it the tough way, tossed a towel over them and shoved them into the carrier while they were disoriented, but it just sets them SO far back in the socialization process - years of work undone - that it's not worth it.

If you have a good relationship with your vet and you can get accurate weights on the cats in question, he may prescribe something for you.  Acepromazine is a real life saver.  I crush the tablet and mix it into some chicken baby food 2 hours before I need to catch the kitty.  Be warned, however, that it makes them extremely dopey and actually affectionate!

Other people use Benadryl, which you can buy over-the-counter, but I've never seen this do much good in a feral cat.

Hope that helps!

Jessica