If you’ve ever had a feral cat take up residence in your home, you know it’s a dance of patience and time before the wild one settles in. And when Hurricane Ian thrust a sudden indoor living situation on Old Man the cat, he and his frazzled mom found themselves at the beginning of this dance while weathering the effects of a Category 4 behemoth.
Reddit user Lady Sidereal shared the tale of Old Man in the subreddit, Cats, hoping to soothe her nerves over scaring Old Man inside and find some advice for helping a feral cat adjust to indoor life when necessity forced it to happen. But no matter how much this dedicated cat mom feels she betrayed her feline friend by bringing him inside before he was ready, she did the right thing as she ensured the Old Man was protected from the powerful hurricane.
Scaring Him for His Own Good
A few weeks ago, Lady Sidereal noticed a “fuzzy old man” hanging out at the colony near her home. Seeing Old Man had missing fur, deep wounds, and suffered from a host of parasites, she managed to take the senior boy to the vet for treatment. He returned to the colony on the mend, and Lady Sidereal visited him often, bringing food and friendship when she went. He was thriving there and had even made a kitty friend.
“But then Ian came,” Lady Sidereal shared on Reddit. “I tried to trick him inside and failed, but today I knew I couldn’t fail, so in making sure he couldn’t escape, I super scared him, and he freaked out all over the room.”
After Old Man calmed down, Lady Sidereal offered him a bite of fish to further calm the irate kitty. But he wasn’t having it and gave his new mom a scratch instead. So, she let him be to retreat to the safety beneath the bed.
“He snuck to under the bed, and there’s no getting him out. I’ve stuck some food and water under the bed and followed advice to put a litter box nearby.”
She’s also kept the lights low and helped Old Man find serenity with lo-fi music made for cats. Old Man has it good, even if he doesn’t realize it yet.
RELATED: 6 Steps To Taming A Semi-Feral Cat
A Cat Mom Still Worries Though
But still, like all good cat parents, Lady Sidereal worries that Old Man feels betrayed. And how can a cat lover not feel that way? We love our kitties so much it pains us to stress them, even when it’s for their own good. If only we could tell them it’s all okay…
Commenter frantastic99 said it best, “I HATE THAT YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN IT TO THEM SO MUCH!!!!!”
Cat lovers from across Reddit chimed in with support and suggestions for Lady Sidereal and Old Man, everyone assuring that though the feral guy is stressed at the moment, getting him inside in the face of Hurricane Ian was undoubtedly the right thing to do. And with time and understanding, soon Old Man will understand life is good inside the house and that his new mom makes an excellent minion for a cat’s every whim.
URGENT: Help Pets Displaced by Hurricane Ian
Feature Image: u/LadySidereal/Reddit
