Feral cat with cropped ear coming into house …

[Swollenandgrouchy]

Hi there,

Ive come to ask for advice please as not sure what to do. Am going to bullet point as shattered and up early for work tmrw!

-noticed cat pee smell in house a couple of times in last 3-4 days
-I have two neutered toms that rub along great - neither of them pee or spray in house
-today when I opened my door i heard a growling noise, then saw a cat (not mine) run towards the back door and out cat flap.
-thought i had scared it away but this eve found it in back hallway in my cats bed. It had eaten food so knows there is food here.
-it won’t let me near it, and growls
-face covered in scratches (none fresh looking) and left ear clipped in a straight line so think feral and been TNRd
-cat has been trying to get back in (cat flap now locked) all evening. My own cats are stressed.
-we live in a rural area , lots of farm cats. Suspect it’s wandered from a farm. Lots of farms around.

I’ve done the usual info sharing locally (shelters etc) but do think it’s feral

id be happy to feed it… but don’t think this is a good idea as I’d like it to stop trying to get in my house / spraying …

should I just keep denying it access and it will move on ?

thank you :)

I have to be honest, I would try and care for him! Do you have a pic?

I’d be happy to care for him/her but the issue is that we have a cat flap and other cats that would like to use their cat flap… and I don’t want it in the house as it growls and sprays! But if it’s near the house it will keep trying to get in…. 😬

Perhaps the ear is an injury? I used to do CP work many moons ago when they cropped ears but I didn't think they did that to their ears anymore.

Is it possible it is a pregnant female? They can spray and pong too? Seems odd he/she is risking contact by coming in, and being persistent.

Any local cat people that would help? Could you trap him and take him to the vet to be checked over?

Good luck, I thought about him/her and your situation when I went to bed. I do hope you can find a local organisation that might take him/her in.

We lived rurally and had several farm cats visit us, I used to try to trap and get them neutered/spayed. The farmer here didn't look after them at all. The last cat I trapped did find a home - but very sadly got run over a year later.

Can you swop your catflap for a microchip one programmed to only let your cats in

Possibility the cat has been dumped , doubt a feral would so really come in your house and i to a bed. Have you a shed you could put food in for him?

I’d try and befriend it too, it’s going to be winter soon and it sounds like this cat isn’t coping well being outdoors.

I have 11 cats, they are all ex feral. Thery definitely still do ear tipping as two of mine are done. Your feral cat won't be 100% feral if he is coming into your house, he may well be a cat that got lost and ended up in a colony.
The spraying and growling are just what frightened insecure cats do. In your shoes Id keep him, although I realise not everyone wants to do this. Put him in a room on his own for a bit with a bed, litter food and water etc. and in time he'll tame and be as loving ad your other cats, who you can gradually introduce

I’d try to check if it has been microchipped. From what you say, it may not respond positively to being taken to the vet for microchip testing but I’m sure I’ve read of animal charities that do home visits to check microchips.

Can you arrange for a trap from your local RSPCA branch? They'll be able to get him to the vets and checked for a chip, and to make sure he's not severely injured or in need of treatment.

I would get a microchip cat-flap for your cats, I'm not surprised they're stressed if any old cat can come in to their house.

I also don't think a feral cat would be so persistent in trying to.get into a house. It is spraying because it's distressed. It sounds like it could have been abandoned/dumped and is used to having a home with food provided. Could you keep it in a room alone with a bed and food and it will heal and stop being stressed. Introduce it to your other cats slowly always leaving it a way to escape. A good way to introduce is to let the stray cat sleep on a blanket then after a week put that blanket near to your cats and put something smelling of your cats with the stray. Give it a name and love it. It will stop spraying once it realises it will be fed and cared for.

We have been here for years and all has been fine, no strays coming in. But thanks for trying to make me feel like it’s my fault. 👍

My cat has his ear tipped, and when we first got him he sprayed in the house. He soon stopped doing that and hasn’t done it since. He also has old scratches on his face.

Hang on, is this my cat?! 🙀 (joking)

I wasn't trying to make you feel like it was your fault, I was giving you a solution!

I'm glad you've not had problems so far, but I suspect that's just luck.