Transitioning former semi-feral back to being an outdoor/porch cat. Tips? Help? Assuage my guilt?
the day before his great escape
I've been socializing a semi-feral tom (Big Guy) since February. I've posted about him here before and on r/formerlyferal (see here and here). He has made great progress over the last few months. I got him neutered, vaccinated, and dental care. He's become affectionate with me, lets me handle him, and seeks out pets, playtime, and brushing. I had genuine hope he could be adopted into our home.
Unfortunately, despite months of cat integration work, consulting with a behaviorist, and trying him on prozac, gabapentin, and trazodone, he is still dangerously territorial and aggressive toward my other two cats. Yesterday he escaped out a back window (he straight up busted through the screen without warning) and I watched him immediately get into a serious, screaming/howling physical fight with a neighborhood tom across the alley. After seeing that, there's no way I can try reintegrate him with my cats, especially since they are FIV- and he is FIV+. Their safety has to come first.
I've been in contact with basically every rescue, shelter, and placement program in the Chicago area and suburbs to no avail. We're hopeful about a potential FIV+ program placement but nothing is confirmed yet. I am 100% unwilling to take him to animal control, since that would likely be a death sentence.
In the meantime while we try to figure out our options, he's living on our covered back porch. Here's his current setup:
- Insulated tote shelter with straw
- Dome cat bed with his catnip toy
- Cardboard scratcher
- Fresh water and regular feeding at his normal times
- Revolution Plus
He was semi-feral before I started working with him so outdoor life isn't foreign to him. He knows how to navigate the neighborhood and came straight back to the porch after his fight yesterday. He's sleeping out there now. He is microchipped with my info btw.
My questions:
- What would you add or improve for a porch/outdoor cat?
- Any tips for helping him adjust to this new arrangement? He's been crying at the door and trying to come back inside nonstop.
- I feel guilty because I'm generally against outdoor cats, especially in urban areas. But he genuinely cannot safely live indoors with my other animals. Am I doing the right thing?
I care about this cat a lot. I just want to make sure I'm setting him up as well as I can while we work toward a better permanent situation for him. Thank you for any insights you may have...