Cat turned wild

Question
QUESTION: Holly,

I have a 9 yr old cat "Moose" that has been an indoor cat his whole life.  He has always been friendly, slept on my bed, sat on the couch with me....etc.  I recently built a home on a large piece of property on the Coast of Florida.  My property butts up against National Park, so there are literally thousands of acres for him to roam around.  The first week here, he ran away.  After a month, just when I didn't think I'd see him again.....I saw him sleeping in my clearing.  Then I have caught sight of him a few times here and there.  Now I see him once every few days now.  He looks healthy except for some big ticks.  I'd like to get close enough to grab him and throw some Advantix on him and turn him loose again. He will not come to me, he runs away as if I were a wolf or something.....I mean REAL FAST.  I have put food out for him, a blanket with his scent on it, but he just seems "wild" to me.  I'm glad he loves living outside, but I'd like to take care of his health now and then.  Any chance he'll get back to normal or was the move to Florida a little too tramatic.  Any ideas you have would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot,

Kyle

St. Marks, Fl.

ANSWER: Hi Kyle,

Wow, this is unfortunate.  I can tell you I do not have experience with this scenario, however I will tell you what I would do and hope it will be of some help to you.  Unfortunately, if he has become as wild as you say and you can't even approach him, the only way I see to getting him back inside is to get a trap and trap him.  To accomplish this, you can either buy a trap yourself or contact a local shelter who should be able to rent you a trap with a refundable deposit of about $50.  After that, keep him in a bathroom that you have set up with food and water, a towel or bed, litter box, etc.  The smaller the room, the better because cats feel more secure in a smaller space.  Of course he will have trouble adjusting for awhile, but just make sure you go in and spend as much time with him as possible.  Personally, I don't believe anything is impossible--you can tame him again if you are willing to provide him with the time and patience it requires.  One of my cats, Luna, was picked up by a Rottweiler when she was 4 weeks old and lived to tell the tale.  She was severely timid and terrified of dogs, but I spent the time to develop a strong relationship with her and then when she was four months old, I started introducing her to my dog.  After about a month, I was able to have them in the same room without her running away.  I was determined to not have her live her life afraid of dogs, from a psychological standpoint and also because I knew I was going to have more dogs in future.

At any rate, I believe it can be done, as it sounds as though you care about him enough to put in the time.  While I definitely recommend taking him to the vet after you get him inside, be sure to wait a few days or until he calms down and seems more comfortable.  Getting him in a carrier and to the vet are also going to stress him, so you don't want to do that too soon.  If you'd like, there are some calming treats you can buy at your local pet store that may help.  There are also some calming wipes you can use to try to clean him up since you most likely will not be able to give him a bath yourself.  When you take him to the vet, you should get a Rabies shot, an FVRCP shot, and Strongid (a dewormer that covers hookworms and roundworms).  You may want to get him a Droncit shot too, which kills tapeworms.

Anyway, let me know if you have any more questions.  I'm not sure where you live, but it's relatively easy to rent a trap from a shelter here.  Keep me updated, and good luck!

Best regards,
Holly M.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Holly,

Thank you for the advice, I wish I got a chance to try it.  Unfortunately, I found Moose today under my BBQ cover on my deck.  He died.  I think he could have died from several things; rabies, U/T blockage or snake bite.  I live in Florida, down on the coast s/of Tallahassee.  There is a lot of water and swamp around so he could have easily tangled with a Rattlesnake or Cotton Mouth. I checked him out a bit but I couldn't tell.  Anyway, he came home to die.  I wish I had better news.  Thanks again for your help.

Kyle

Answer
Oh Kyle, I'm so sorry.  I'm glad that you were able to find him so that you have closure on the situation.  Personally, I think not knowing is worse.  I wish you the best, and want you to know to feel free to email me if you choose to adopt another so that I can give you tips on how to train your cat to respect the space around a door so that they don't ever bolt out.  I'm so sorry for your loss.

Best wishes,
Holly M.