I'm gonna call him Tuna... UPDATE:

[Pot Scrubber]

There has been a feral kitten about 3-4 months old hanging around my patio for the last few days. He is a beautiful big husky boy. I think he has some Maine Coon in him. He's a common ordinary grey tabby cat color with GINORMOUS white paws. He's gonna be a big cat.

When he showed up a few days ago, I left some table scraps and a bowl of water and he has come back every day but was scared of me. Tonight... when he showed up... I left him a can of tuna and while he was scarfing it down he finally let me pet him. Five minutes later he was all over me rubbing and purring and being so sweet.

I'm keeping him. I'll let him come and go for now but by winter I hope to have made him an indoor/outdoor cat.

I haven't had a cat in 20+ years but I want this one. My dogs will just have to deal with the stress.

I've named him Tuna because it is his favorite food.

Read more at: http://www.food.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?p=5782436#5782436&oc=linkback

[Krislady]

Aww. . .

Many years ago, I "adopted" a wild kitten - he was fuzzy and orange with the most striking a blue eyes. It only took a few weeks for me to be able to have him happily in the house. He used to hide under a chair and attack my feet in the mornings.

The best part was that he wouldn't let my sister-in-law touch him! (Today, I guess I'd say that we were "frenemies" - they didn't have that word back then, but I just know that, petty as it was, it gave me great satisfaction when she tried to pick him up and he scratched the HECK out of her. )

[Saralaya]

Pot Scrubber wrote:
There has been a feral kitten about 3-4 months old hanging around my patio for the last few days. He is a beautiful big husky boy. I think he has some Maine Coon in him. He's a common ordinary grey tabby cat color with GINORMOUS white paws. He's gonna be a big cat.

When he showed up a few days ago, I left some table scraps and a bowl of water and he has come back every day but was scared of me. Tonight... when he showed up... I left him a can of tuna and while he was scarfing it down he finally let me pet him. Five minutes later he was all over me rubbing and purring and being so sweet.

I'm keeping him. I'll let him come and go for now but by winter I hope to have made him an indoor/outdoor cat.

I haven't had a cat in 20+ years but I want this one. My dogs will just have to deal with the stress.

I've named him Tuna because it is his favorite food.

You are such an angel! ! Chances are excellent that if he's been hanging around your door he is not truly feral. That will make his transition into your family easier. If you can.... keep him an indoor only cat. It's much healthier for cats to stay indoors. Once he's had his little kitty surgery (which he will need by the time he's 6 months old) he will settle down and be happy staying indoors. You should ask your vet if there are free or low cost spay/neuter clinics in your area (if you don't already know). Let me know if you want info on cat foods and litters. He's such a SMART guy ..he picked you out of everyone else!

[Studentchef]

You are a good guy for taking care of Tuna. I know he will fit into your home perfectly well.

[K9 Owned]

Excellent! Tuna will have a fantastic home and your dogs will have a new 'boss'
It sounds like the cat will be as big or bigger than they are.

You're a good man Charlie Brown

[Pot Scrubber]

I picked up a dozen cans of real human food people grade tuna from Kroger today to feed him. The cans of real tuna are cheaper than the cans of "tuna flavored" cat food.

When I looked at the cost per ounce for tuna flavored cat food it was more expensive than steak! What is up with that?

Is purchased cat food better than Chicken of the Sea?

I love him. I brought him inside and he explored for about 15 minutes and then there was a fight with Farrah and he slapped her silly. Farrah started the fight so I just quietly observed. I think some boundaries have just been set. LOL.

[K9 Owned]

And so it starts You go Tuna!

I'll leave the food issue to Saralaya because as you know I'd feed him a raw diet approved by the vet.

[Saralaya]

Pot Scrubber wrote:
I picked up a dozen cans of real human food people grade tuna from Kroger today to feed him. The cans of real tuna are cheaper than the cans of "tuna flavored" cat food.

When I looked at the cost per ounce for tuna flavored cat food it was more expensive than steak! What is up with that?

Is purchased cat food better than Chicken of the Sea?

I love him. I brought him inside and he explored for about 15 minutes and then there was a fight with Farrah and he slapped her silly. Farrah started the fight so I just quietly observed. I think some boundaries have just been set. LOL.

Cats should never get "cat food tuna" and should only get "people" tuna as a treat. Cats are "obligate carnivores" and need lots of meat protein and also the nutrients that they would get if they were eating while prey like mice and birds...so.... cat food that has all the necessary vitamins and essential nutrients is a must for a healthy kitty. If you were to try to feed raw you would need to buy supplements to add.

As a quick overview...try to stay away from food with grains, especially gluten....grain free is best because they don't need any grain at all. If you can afford to buy the grain free foods like Blue Buffalo or Wellness at the pet store that's great. It seems expensive, but they don't need as much- so it goes farther. You also want to avoid, if you can, the foods that have "ground chicken digest" and such as ingredients....Cats dont actually need dry kibble, they can get along just fine with canned food and it helps them get the water they need. But if you do decide to feed dry, you should probably "meal feed" as in feeding a small amount( there are guidelines on the packages) rather than free feeding. First of all the dogs will probably go after the kitty food if it's left out and the kitty may overeat. Cats DO need access to fresh water all the time. And a litter box. Many cats, especially ones who have been outdoors will not like a covered litter box. Scoopable litter is great and this is my favorite:

http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/

It's all natural, so if any fur kid were to ingest any it's harmless. It controls odor really well and lasts a long time.Scented litters are "scented" for humans and some cats hate the smell and won't use it...you can use the old fashioned clay litters but then the whole box has to be cleaned ad changed VERY often....with scoopable litter you scoop and throw away and clean the whole box once in awhile.

It's really late here... I will send you some more info tomorrow! Give that guys some ear scritchies from me and put a picture up here soon!!

[Pot Scrubber]

This is Tuna. Ain't he handsome? He likes to eat my houseplants.

He also likes sleeping in the bathroom sink. What the hell is up with that? I think I just adopted a very strange cat. But... I'm strange, too. Tuna will fit in just fine with me and my motley crew of misfit beasts.

[Krislady]

What a cutie! I love tiger-y kitties.

Our Charlie used to sleep in the bathroom sink, too - I think it was cool in the summer, and he curled up and just fit.

Right now, our Minerva has claimed a copy paper box that's in the basement. Every time I go down there, she's sleeping in it. She wore out her last box. . . the sides kind of flopped down and it eventually was less a box and more a big piece of cardboard.

[Saralaya]

Pot Scrubber wrote:
This is Tuna. Ain't he handsome? He likes to eat my houseplants.

He also likes sleeping in the bathroom sink. What the hell is up with that? I think I just adopted a very strange cat. But... I'm strange, too. Tuna will fit in just fine with me and my motley crew of misfit beasts.

Potsie,

Seriously, check out what your houseplants are ad if its safe for him to eat them...some plants are poisonous to cats, some flowers too..... he is ADORABLE! My Stella is a "sink kitty" too....this is where she used to sleep when she first came to live with us:



He's definitely NOT feral or he wouldn't be inside so easily- you really have saved him, since chances are he was not used to fending for himself and the winter (even there) would have been very tough for him. As for feeding... If it wasn't so complicated for cats - and expensive - I would raw feed too. But I think I have the next best deal with the grain free foods I feed. I do have to give them a tiny bit of Fancy Feast (and I mean tiny- 1/4 of a can per cat) because Miss Stella, the sink kitty, is addicted to it and trying to wean her off of it just caused her major stress and acting out like crazy. The people whom she lived with previously clearly fed her only that. She has some behavioral issues anyway and this was just making it worse.

I really encourage you to take him to the vet and make arrangements for him to have that necessary surgery. If he starts "spraying" urine to mark his territory, the surgery might not stop that habit and believe me you do NOT want that! Unaltered toms also have a strong urge to get outside and wander, looking for females in heat...they also fight with each other and can really get hurt badly.

Tuna is one lucky boy... and you are a kitty angel!

Btw- there's an entire website devoted to pictures of... cats in sinks!

http://catsinsinks.com/

It's apparently a popular feline pastime!

[Connie Lea]

Potsie he is adorable. I also don't think that he was completely wild. I fed a stray cat for years on the farm and never was able to even pet him. He would let me get reallly close, but I couldn't touch him. I'm so happy that he found you. We don't have a cat now, but our dogs and cats loved each other, after a time that is - slept together and even groomed each other. God bless you.

[Pot Scrubber]

Tuna showed up for his afternoon feeding wearing a collar. I didn't buy him a collar. I guess he belongs to someone else.

He took a two hour nap in my sink and ate a can of tuna and then went on his merry way.

He's always welcome here but he can't be my cat. It might work out for the best. I get a part time kitty and don't have to deal with a stinky litter box.



Read more at: http://www.food.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=382467&oc=linkback

[K9 Owned]

I wondered about that. He seemed too comfortable indoors to have been feral in any way and you live in a fair sized community.
Cool that you have him as a great visitor but I'm guessing you are feeling a bit let down. That could be total projection on my part but hugs anyway doll.

[Pot Scrubber]

Yep. I'm more than a little disappointed. I live in a small apt complex and everyone knows everyone and their business. It won't take me long to figure out who Tuna belongs to after asking a few questions.

Oh well.