Getting Macduff upstairs

[Lizzie]

I would appreciate advice from those of you with adult feral experience on how to get Macduff to come upstairs.

I trapped Macduff when he was about two years old and it took a long time to socialize him since he was an adult feral. Now he's about 14; he'll let me bury my face in his tummy fur and adores attention from me, though he panics when picked up still. I have moved Taranis upstairs successfully and now I want Macduff to come up also. I thought of putting him in a carrier and simply taking him upstairs, blocking off the stairs with something solid so he doesn't see it as a way to get back down, but that seems too brutal. After isolating Los and Tom, who live with him downstairs, I've been leaving the door to the downstairs open for hours at a time during the past two weekends in the hope that he will be curious and come upstairs. I have seen him poke his head around the door frame a few times, but he won't come onto the stairs. I've tried fussing him and then slowly moving out through the door while calling to him, but that didn't work.

Do you think he will be tempted by cat treats on the stairs? Any ideas on how long this could take? Do you think he will move one step at a time or just suddenly decide to come all the way up? I know it will take time, and I'm prepared to give him that time, but I'm curious how long others think it will take. Any other ideas on how to get him up the stairs? He's not much of a cat nip freak and, although he enjoys playing with a feather toy occasionally, he's not one to follow toys.

To clear up any confusion, downstairs is the daylight basement, upstairs is the main living floor and my bedroom. I really want this cat upstairs with me to get the attention he's deserved for years.

[Laura's Babies]

I just think if you leave the door open he will come to want to explore his surroundings and eventually come out of the basement. Just don't rush it. The basement is his safety zone and he has lived most of his life in there so it will take a lot of time. The BIGNESS of the house probably scears the daylights out of him.

[catmandu]

Just let him come up by himself,and dont try to force him.
You just have to let the Cat think thats its his idea to go upstairs,and he will go.

[Beauty17]

He may not come upstairs. On the other hand, he may already be coming upstairs, unbeknownst to you, when all is quiet - when everyone is out or asleep. My mother has a very shy cat who mostly lives in the basement, in hiding, but comes out at night and ventures upstairs. The evidence is seen in the clumps of long white fur from where she has lain down. Sometimes my mother just sits on the stairs to the basement, and Magic comes partway up and stands on the stairs to be scratched. You could try that as an enticement.

[K & L]

He may never venture up there if he feels secure where he is. We have one feral that basically lives in our computer room. She chose this spot since the litter boxes are there along with food and water. She never ventures far from there. Forcing the issue just might set him back.

[Killearn Kitties]

From your post, it sounds to me like food would be the best way to get him up. How about putting his food a few steps up from the bottom and see what happens. If he is happy to come and eat it, you could start feeding him further and further up the stairs.

My cats were feral when they appeared in the garden and I know all about how long it can take to get them inside, but Macduff obviously trusts you already, so hopefully it will be a bit easier to get him to come upstairs.

[Lizzie]

While Macduff does feel very secure downstairs, and it is his space, he's far less comfortable there than he used to be. His two friends died a few years ago, they were quite a bit older than him. I brought in Taranis as his companion and Los as Ted's companion. Ted objected strongly to Los (she is very objectionable) so I moved her downstairs and Macduff has tolerated her quite well, even letting her snuggle beside him. However, last year I took in an abandoned tom and he's trying to assert his dominance over Macduff now. The dynamics are very different from a few years ago. Tom and Los are great playmates and Macduff is odd man out, and pestered by both of them to boot. It really is in his best interests to move upstairs, I wouldn't bother him at his age if it wasn't.

I've only had the door open when I've been around, so I know he hasn't made it up the stairs. This weekend, I'll set up the bedroom downstairs with litter boxes so that Tom and Los can spend nights in there and the door to upstairs will be open all night. The only problem is that Taranis will wander down there and Tom will react the next day by peeing on wherever she has been. That's what he did last weekend. He's now on Clomacalm. Ah, cat dynamics! Don't they make life interesting.

I'll also try food treats on the stairs during the day (after locking up Taranis who is a piggy).