Feral Cat Behavior

Recently, I have been wondering if it is time to just stop what I am doing and find another path in life. What with the continuing decline of Mike’s health, all that needs to be done around the property and the house, keeping up with my clients demands and seeing to the needs of my own animals, I have been praying that God would give me a peace about just resigning from the rescue business. I see the worst in people when I am presented with a sackful of kittens someone dropped down a well, or a few years ago when I rescued a black cat someone tried to crucify on a stop sign! I see the evil and it is easy to forget at times that good people also walk among us.

I had to take the kittens to the vet a few days ago. The little mackeral tabby was doing so poorly and I was scared I was going to lose him. I called the clinic and they said they would work me in- so off I went- kittens in tow.

Once there, as usual, the waiting room was crowded. There was a woman with a small mackeral tabby kitten probably about 5 weeks old. It’s eyes were gooed shut, it was sneezing and it was sitting in a open crate, to scared or to sick to move. The woman said she had found the baby on her gravel drive that morning and she was bringing it in to be euthanized because she didn’t have time to deal with it!

We sat and talked a bit, I was constantly looking at this poor kitten who just seemed to have a really bad URI and ticks on his body. I felt so sorry for him/her. Finally, the woman said “If I give you $40.00 would you take the kitten?” (40 dollars would buy 4 bags of cat food) so I thought about it and told her if Ben didn’t find anything alarming wrong with the kitten, I would be happy to take it home. The minute I said the words, I wondered who had invaded my body without my knowledge! The woman’s face lit up like a christmas tree and she leaned over to give me a big hug of thanks. Then they called her into the room- and soon I was called to join them so Ben could talk to me.

The kitty is quite ill- the URI is severe, compounded by bad parasitic loads and ticks. Ben said he would do his best to save the kitten’s life, and if successful he will call me to come and pick him up. I told him that was fine with me and went back to the waiting room and my cats.

After my appointment- the woman rushed up to me in the parking lot to thank me again for taking the sick kitty. I told her, I didn’t have him yet so thanks weren’t necessary. Then she thrust her hand deep in my purse, told me to use the money for the kitties, hugged me goodbye and left.

Halfway home, I looked in my purse expecting to find the $40.00 and instead I found $100.00! I was so relieved because I had to get cat food that day and instead of it coming out of our house budget, I now had this wonderful windfall.

I loaded up my cart with both kitten and cat food and proceeded to the check-out counter. There was a distinguished gentleman in line and he looked at all the cans of food and commented “My but you must have a lot of cats!” So I told him about my operation and he ended up insisting on paying for all the cat food in my cart! Then he went back to the cat food aisle and brought back 2 more cases of canned food and paid for that!

Then a lady called me when I got home. I had a stray come wandering into my yard a few days ago with a badly injured eye. I took the kitty to the vet and then found out about the owner through a fluke. She stopped by and gave me a check for the vet visit and gas. What a nice surprise.

To top it off, there was a generous donation given to the cat cause here when the mail arrived. God had heard my prayers, thought about it and decided it isn’t time for me to quit just yet. So I will plug on and try to get everything i need to do done while taking care of hubby and the precious souls God has entrusted me with.

Solo, the cat from the mill is now on the back porch. He has been neutered and thankfully, there is a home waiting for him. The lady will pick him up in about a week.

The little mackeral tabby is doing a lot better. The non-stop diarrhea has stopped for the time being and he has been eating well. Stimulating is still a painful time for him, it is a dirty job but someone has to do it! Guess I am that someone who is supposed to continue on, even though I am so tired these days I fall asleep while eating dinner.

Since early afternoon, the little mackeral tabby boy has been suffering with virtually nonstop diarrhea. He had been doing so well too, I am unsure what has happened here. But in the last half hour, I have changed his bedding eight times. I’ve started him on immodium liquid and hopt that does the trick- but the coffee is on and it looks like it will be a long night.

This morning when I went to feed Solo as I have been doing now for several weeks. He came up out of the culvert and stayed just within arms reach of me. He was headbumping a nearby bush and I could just see him thinking- “I wanna headbump her….I wanna headbump her…..” So, I reached out with my fist clenched while looking the other way, and he ran off. I put his food out and went back home.

Tonight as I drove up to the fence, he ran out of the bushes and stood waiting for me at the end of the parking curb. I went over to what was turning out to be our special bush and poured his food- he was behind me. I suddenly felt him gently nudge my back! I reached out my hand to the side and snapped my fingers calling to him in his special call- he came over to me and headbumped my hand! I took a chance and started to pet him and he went totally nuts. He couldn’t get enough of this good stuff and even turned his scrawny belly up to me for a good rub. It was wonderful.

We had a bit of a love-fest and I stood up to go back to my car and get him fresh water- and he followed me! I opened up my car door, he didn’t run- he just stood there. I had no traps with me, no carriers, no cardboard box, nothing. I stood there for just a minute then knelt down, tapped my passenger seat, snapped my fingers and he jumped right in! I left the door wide open and he rolled over, looked at me then hopped down.

I went and poured his water, and again as I was going back to my car, he followed me. This time, I opened the rear car door, snapped my fingers and he hopped in. Before he could change his mind, I swung the door closed (thinking to myself “- what have I done?) I was at least 15 minutes from the house, I had a strange cat trapped in my car and I was outside the car. He just sat there- so I quickly walked around and got in and he didn’t try to escape.

When I started the car, that’s when the fun started- he began to race around the car- going along the dash and the the rear of my car. I just talked to him softly and finally he landed on the passenger seat growling at me.

I grabbed the scruff of his neck, and started petting him with my free fingers and that is how we got home. He laid there almost the whole time, except about the last few minutes he got squirmy. When we got home, I hissy-grabbed him, supported his rear legs and walked him in the house past all my cats and put him outside on our porch!

I have since dosed him with profender (a topical wormer and anti flea med) he has eaten, he has water and lots of places to hide and I have visited him several times. He can’t get out of the porch and he will come out and see me after he thinks about it.

I have a friend with a soft spot for mackeral tabbies, so I called her and she said if I continue to work with him for about 3 weeks, she will take him then. She is in the process of building a cat enclosure off her house.

So, Solo is safe. He doesn’t have to worry about cars speeding around a near-empty parking lot, reckless teenagers or mean people who want to hurt him. He will get neutered soon. I am tapped right now so I can’t get him done right away- but until then, he will continue to be a porch kitty. he is so so so thin- he needs good groceries. I will post photos tomorrow, I just want him to decompress before sticking a camera in his handsome face.

Color him safe- and color me stunned !
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Although it is a bit of a hardship for us right now, I decided to take the kittens ito the vet clinic this morning. I took a fecal with me which they tested but it came up negative for known parasites. The conclusion drawn was that their systems are in an uproar and so the vet wants me to start them on solid kitten food! They aren’t real receptive to the idea- but holy smokes, they are so young who can blame the,? What I have done is started pureering the solid food so I can feed it through the bottle. They also got antibiotics and benebac- hopefully, these three solutions together will help solve the problem. otherwise, I have wasted my money.

MacBeth totally zonked

Hopefully sleeping off the illness

Protecting them from the resident cats

These three little ones are not in good shape. Their guts sound like a washing machine. When they eat and at least now they are eating - I hear what sounds like air in their throat I wonder if she accidentally aspirated them? Whatever the case, I will probably never know, and so when a bottle baby becomes ill, it really becomes a crapshoot as to what is wrong with them. For these guys, their churning guts indicate a lot of digestive upset, gas and air trapped in their systems. The nasty green diarrhea means that they either have coccidia, giardia, a parasite load or some other infection working. The bloating of the bellies both before and after feeding/stimulation could indicate FIP Feline Infectious Peritonitis and if it is FIP then these kitties will be dead by the end of the week, because IF they do have it- it is the wet form not the dry- and the wet form is aggressive and merciless on little ones. But FIP also mimics other diseases as well and these little ones aren’t big enough to be tested for much.

So for now, I will stay the course and keep adding probiotic powder (just a pinch) and a bit of mineral oil to their formula daily. They are not even a half-a-pound in weight, so they are getting .15 cc of Albon once a day. If the Albon fails to arrest what is going on, my next step is to put them on Amoxy.

When your bottle baby is so ill, it is imperative that you don’t change up their routine in any way and keep them to a set schedule of feedings, stimulation, playtime and bonding. Even these young ones need a set routine in order to feel comfortable and to reduce any stress they might feel- as stress can kill a young kitten quite quickly.

Wish me luck faithful readers- as the feline specialist told me yesterday- it is still quite possible I can lose one if not all of them before this is over-

I have the three kittens back and they aren’t in good shape. They are not eating, they have nasty bad diarrhea and MacBeth is constantly crying. He bit me hard when I was stimulating him. This is the first time I have ever been bit by such a young kitten. I talked to the feline specialist and she suspects tummy trouble so I have them on a bit of probiotics as well as Albon to see if I can simmer them down a bit. I miss Triffles though- next to Troy, she was my favorite.

Introducing a cat to a dog does not always flow smoothly because animals can be unpredictable. Before you proceed to put the two animals together, please consider first the following factors:
• What breed of dog you are working with.
• Are you the leader of the pack?
• Is your dog obedience trained and compliant?

If your dog is a cross-breed and the two breeds are not fully compatible, you could have a genetically confused dog. This can make for a bit of a problem when you want to introduce Fido to a cat or kitten. If you are not Alpha over your dog, then he does not respect you, he will not listen to you, and introductions to your cat should wait. Things to remember:

• You cannot control the cat. Your focus should be on controlling the dog.
• You need to consider the breed of dog you are working with.
• The dog should be obedience trained, and should respect you.
• A puppy will become overly excited, and could hurt the cat unintentionally.
• When it goes right, you praise, praise, praise. If it goes wrong NEVER punish!

Your dog needs to have completed basic obedience training before this introduction. Dogs are pack animals. They respond to other dogs differently. Don’t make the mistake of thinking because he is accepting of other dogs in the class or at the dog park, that he will respond to a cat favorably right away. Cats and dogs are by nature, prey and predator.

If you have a purebred dog, be sure to research how this breed gets along with other pets. For example; an Afghan hound is a hunter. If an Afghan sees a cat outside, it will chase the cat. But inside the home, it will not. Cocker Spaniels, Beagles, Bassett Hounds and Dachsunds are good with other pets. Your sporting dog groups are not generally good with pets: they may have issues with cats.

If you have a cross-breed ask your vet what the dog resembles, then make a judgment of how best to handle that first introduction.

Here are some tips.

• I cannot stress this enough! Obedience classes are a must. If your dog has not been through an obedience course, do not attempt the introductions.

• Keep your cat isolated from your dog. Make a safe and secure room for the cat.

• Swap scents; using an old blanket or towel, give the item to your cat. Let her play on it, sleep on it, eat on it. Rub her with this blanket and then leave it in her room for 24 hours.

• Remove the blanket and present it to your dog. Rub him all over with it, let him roll on it, sniff it, sleep on it for 24 hours, then switch and do the same thing again. This blends their scents, making them a bit more at ease with each other.

• Stay away from plush soft toys for your dog. A soft chew toy resembles a small kitten and the dog may not be able to make the distinction. Stick with kong toys or tennis balls or rope pulls instead. Never buy a faux fur toy for your dog if you have a cat in the home.

Obedience course completed? Good job!

You are both ready for the first meeting.

Take the dog for an extended walk, use a choke collar and short leash, not a retractable lead. You have minimal control with a retractable lead, and you do not have your dog’s attention if he is allowed to run all over the place.

Bring his favorite toy and find a safe place where he can run and play fetch. You want him tired and relaxed.

Return home and put him in one of your largest rooms. You should have a second person there to help you now. Put him in one end of the room, farthest from the door, on a down- and- stay command. Keep your hand on the leash so you have control of him.

Have the second person bring the cat into the room, and set the cat down in the opposite end of the room. Make sure the dog stays calm.

The cat will react in various ways upon seeing the dog. The cat can spit, hiss and run out of the room, or dive for cover. She could attack. If she runs at the dog, bring the dog into a sit position quickly. This should stop her attack.

She may just walk carefully over to the dog to check him out. As long as you have that lead attached to that collar and the dog’s respect you have control. Keep your emotions down for both animals will feed on your emotions.

If the cat runs out of the room and the dog wants to chase, pull up sharply one time on the lead and collar and tell the dog firmly “No Chase!” Then leave the dog in the room with the door closed.

Locate your cat and herd her into her room (she probably already is there). She is going to be scared and defensive, so don’t pick her up. Herd her into her safe room, turn the lights down, turn on some classical music low (to help soothe her). Shut the door and leave her be. Don’t mess with her, or you may get bit or scratched. It is helpful to have feliway spray available, you can spray the room to help the cat stay calm.

Try the same routine the next day. Keep doing this procedure for as long as it takes for the animals not to react to each other.

Have patience, it is a slow process. They have to come to understand that, they are not a danger to each other. Once you see that neither animal reacts, take the lead off the dog. Be sure to observe them carefully. Some dogs will chase the cat when it turns around and runs. This is a normal reaction on the dog’s part, but the dog may also hurt the cat in the process.

Make sure your dog does not gain access to the cat’s litter boxes. Cats are gulpers by nature, so they rarely chew all their food. What they leave in their pans smells like pure protein to a dog. He is going after the scent of the *food* he smells, the cat is just in the way.

One of the quickest ways to destroy the trust these two animals will build up with each other, is to allow the dog to ambush the cat in the litter pan. A Booda domed litter pan works, only if you have a dog of a larger breed, but a small puppy can easily find his way through the opening and attack the cat inside.

If you have a small puppy, the safest first introduction is done best while the cat/kitten is in a large cage. You don’t want to use a cat carrier, or a dog crate, it should be a large wire cage.

Place the cat/kitten inside the cage, and bring the puppy (on a lead) into the room. Again, be sure the puppy has gone through basic obedience. Let them see each other; don’t allow the puppy to get to close. Keep your voice level and firm and put the puppy on a down and stay command near the cage. Let him lie there for five minutes, then lead him out of the room and feed him a tasty treat. Go back and release the cat/kitten out of the cage.

Do this style of introduction over a period of two weeks. Gradually move the puppy closer and closer to the cage. If the cat is spitting and hissing let her. This is normal behavior. As long as you have control of the puppy that is the most important aspect of this method.

If you haven’t brought the dog/puppy into the home yet, there are a few ways you can prepare your cat for this. Make sure first of all that you set-up safe places. Places tall enough where the cat can scramble to if danger confronts her. A tall cat condo is ideal. Dogs cannot climb, but they can jump so be sure that the condo is tall enough and sturdy enough, that if the puppy or the dog jumps against it, the condo will stand. You can attach it to the wall by some sturdy screws.

If your friend has a dog that is used to cats, ask your friend to bring the dog over for an evening. Don’t force the cat to come in the same room. Chances are she won’t, and she will hide fairly effectively. But it will allow your cat to be exposed to what is coming.

You will want to start feeding your cat off the floor. Dogs love cat food. If you have a table that you can clear off, or a shelf and start feeding your cat there, you will have less confrontation issues over-all.

After the dog arrives, be sure and put the cat in another room everytime you feed the dog. More cats and kittens get bit when they try and raid the dog’s food bowl. It is a “doggy accident” and not intentional.

Set up a secure room for the cat. Do not allow the dog access to this room. This is the place where the cat knows is a “no-dog” zone. Allow her someway to access this room 24/7 while the dog cannot gain access to it.

Despite the fact that in nature these two are enemies, this sharing of space can work. The key is really YOU. YOU have to take the initiative and research the breeds of dogs. YOU have to take your dog through obedience courses, keep YOUR stress level low at all times. Don’t expect trouble, but be prepared should there be.

Dogs are pack animals, and cats are generally quite sociable. The two animals can get along in your world, if you pay attention to details and apply what you know to make this work.