Need some stray cat advice

[chyam]

Originally posted by LisaSt
I know I read that post that is why I said what I did not to make light of his/her situation but to bring some humour to the situation. We have a stray here that digs or was digging in our garden. We called animal control and they told us unless it is causing any problems with your children they could really do nothing so I got out the BB gun nad made sure I scared it well enough it wouldn't come back and it hasn't. I wasn't going to take any chances on it scratching or biting one of my kids who love to play outside. It wouldn't leave the yard so I made it leave. My kids health and safety are not worth a stray cat to me.

Don't you just love it........a BB gun to shoot at a cat, what's next a 38? Great way to show your kids compassion and respect for another living creature. What's next shooting the bullies at school? Heck the kids probably are tormenting the cat ......pulling it's tail or something.

 

[chyam]

Originally posted by Straycat
Not straycat advice but advice from straycat..
moderators, lock this thread, its getting way out of control. yikes

Yes I agree I can't stand to read about any sort of animal abuse, it's right up their with child abuse in my book!

 

[Popsicle]

I may not be the brightest bulb in my family's marquee, but if you, lisajl, truly work in a vet's office, it would be the last place I'd take by critter. Are you kidding about that? I'm serious, do you really work in a veterinarian's office?

Poison it? Shoot at it with a BB gun? Don't know about other animal lovers, but I've always found my vet and his assistants to be better with their patients than my human doctors are with me.

With that kind of attitude about animals, why do you work around them?

phorsenuf, getting back to your original question, I, too, domesticated a feral feline. It took several weeks of laying food out and gradually getting closer to her until I was able to snatch her up and take her inside. Took her to the vet the next day for tests, and she tested okay. She didn't want to have anything to do with me. She warmed up eventually. Had another "queen" in the house at the time, so for 5 years (that's right, FFFIIIIVVVEEE years), I had to put the new girl in a separate room during the day while I was away so they wouldn't kill each other. They seemed to keep a truce when I was in the room. The first queen died (had to be put down at 21 years old), so now the interloper is my only kitty. I look at her sometimes and can't believe she was so afraid. She's still a "scaredy cat" around strangers, but she's fine with people she knows (and who feed her.)

By the way, she'll be celebrating her 15th birthday some time within the next month or so.

Peace out, lisajl. Hugs and kisses!!!!

 

[chyam]

lisajl does work in a vets office she is the one fostering the kittens........you have your lisas mixed up..........it's lisast that shoots them with bb guns............
I have seen the rescued kittens that lisajl is raising and I commend her for all the work that is going into raising these little guys...........unlike others who would have thrown them away or did away with them.
But I can see how you could get the 2 names mixed up.
I too have an elderly cat he is almost 20 and one died at 21 so we both most be doing something right............all my kitties were rescued off the street, probably got run off by someone with a bb gun but I am very happy they found me..

 

[AStarOnMars]

We have 2 strays at our place.

The first one was very friendly after a couple of days. However, he was an indoor cat that was thrown out of his home down the street b/c the lady there died so he was very smart to head to the house that had an indoor cat hang out by the window (our place). Our cat hated this cat, when my cat was alive, he jumped out of the window screen a couple of times to chase the stray.

This first stray brought the second stray to the house. He was very small and I know he was no kitten. He would never come close to me when I would feed the other one. I would literally have to walk across on the other side of the yard to set a plate down for him to eat a way from me.

It has been a year now and he is still very small. He now eats a couple of feet a way and will only let me pet him when he is eating. I have come to the conclusion that he was an abused cat. Every once and a while he goes low to the ground and thinks I am going to hit him. I am pretty sure he is sick b/c he always has stuff coming out of his eyes. The vet said as long as he is eating that it is a good sign.

The closest we have come to getting him in the house is when I left the door open and his two front paws came inside. I made eye contact with him and he ran back outside.

He pretty much only stays in the area of the front door and gated fence, and has made a home in the bush by the door.

As for the first stray we are planning on making him an indoor (finally) b/c he never wants to leave the house. When I pick him up to take outside he holds onto the couch for his dear life.

I say just give it time.

 

[Popsicle]

lisajl, please accept my apologies. You're a saint. Just like I said, people who work in vet's offices are great. It's LisaSt to whom my comments were directed.

chyam, as you can see, "huked on phonix" did not work for me!!! Thanks for the correction.

 

[chyam]

Popsicle it's quite alright, I just didn't want lisajl to get flamed......people like her make this world a better place. I guess it's because I was in greyhound placement for awhile and I know what kind of cruelty is out there, although I think cats really get the worst of it...........and I truly believe that animal abuse leds to other types of abuse. People need to have more compassion for one another and for all of the creatures, we were all put here for some reason and I am sure it was not to inflict harm on anyone or anything.

 

[rvoto]

This thread does need to end. It is a bit too much for my stomach. Please no one write anything else. Lets end it here.

 

[katerkat]

I would take it to a vet and get it completely checked out before you bring it home. And the sooner you bring him in, the easier it'll be to acclimate him. We have three strays in our family of kitties. One I found on the street in college, he was about 6 weeks old. He adjusted quickly but still wants to go outside. He lives with my parents and they won't let him out.

Wedge and Tycho are both from the shelter, and Wedge was found as a kitten stray. He had no trouble adjusting as well. Tycho was a young adult and was a stray for at least 6 months, according to the guy who trapped him and brought him to the shelter. I think he was a house cat before then because he doesn't even ask to go outside!

 

[phorsenuf]

You don't think tho if I put him in the cage it will freak him out? I don't want that to happen. He's such a sweetie. His name is ramen because it was my cat noodeles that brought him home.

 

[Amberle3]

2 of my cats were strays (well, one was stray and one was feral). The stray was just skin and bones, and had obviously suffered abuse by humans because she was scared to death of people. She still is actually, but she's much better about it. She cried outside our door for about 3 days before we finally got her inside.

Our feral cat was another matter altogether. We knew he'd been outside for several months, but had thought he must belong to a neighbour until we discovered he was living under our deck. It took about 3 weeks to coax him inside enough to keep him there. I started putting cat food in the yard by the deck. Then I'd open the basement window that happened to be under the deck and put a dish of food just inside the window. Then I put a wooden plank from the window to the TV (close to the window) and the food on the plank, and kept moving it further and further in. He let me touch him at one point, but then ran. We got him inside for good when another cat happened to show up when he was inside the house (on the plank) and they stood on either side of the window staring at each other. I took a broom handle and closed the window and voila! 4th cat.

Amber (the stray) has warmed up to people a bit, but it has to be on her terms and for short periods of time. Kohl (the feral) is now a total people cat and loves to climb on laps and be petted & pampered.

It can be a lot of work, but I think it's totally worth it.

 

[goofygirl]

Some advice to a few:

Cat lovers find the idea any kind of harm to cat NOT FUNNY at all. Keep that in mind.

How would you like it if I joked about poisoning or BB gunning your kids?

 

[goofygirl]

Also want to add a word of praise to all the people here who save cats. You are guardian angels for animals!

 

[poochie]

Originally posted by phorsenuf
You don't think tho if I put him in the cage it will freak him out? I don't want that to happen. He's such a sweetie. His name is ramen because it was my cat noodeles that brought him home.

Wow great choice for a name, I love it. Ramen and Noodles. LOL .

 

[Laura]

I agree. Ramen sounds like a great name. Especially since it's such a young kitty that you're trying to save, I think you have a good chance of rehab success. I hope everything turns out okay.

 

[katerkat]

Awww, what a cutie! I think he may be freaked out by the cage, but he'll get over it. We wrapped Oscar in a towel to take him to the vet and he did fine.

BTW, Oscar's full name is Oscar Mayer Weiner, because we lured him to us with a hot dog.