Help... Cat Lovers/Owners - Designer Handbag & Purse Chat.. The Bag Forum

brandieforever · May 12th, 2008, 01:23 PM

Hi, Girls and Guy. There is this Precious little Cat that I have been seeing around my house recently. He had to have been put out, lost or he is stray. He's very small and looks like he barely eats and is crossed eyed. I want to help him but everytime I get close to him he runs away. I called Animal Control to see what I should do and they told me to put an ASPCA trap out, "You don't have to touch him or get near him, call us when you have him and we will come get him." That upset me because it sound so cold to me and I know this Kitty must have been having a hard life, i don't want to just trap him like his an irritant or nuisance. I want to catch him and take him to a no kill shelter, my 3 Furry babies are dogs so I can't keep the Kitty with me. How do I get him to trust me and how do I catch him? I know how to get dogs, I have done it quite a few times but catching a cat is a lot harder and then I think he might have had bad experiences with People. It upsets me thinking that he is out there starving to death in this cold, never ending rain. Can any of you please give me suggestions on how to get him to let me pick him up so I can help him? Feed, bathe him and take him to a shelter. I know that he might have rabies but I am willing to take that chance on myself just to be able to help a defenseless animal. I won't let him near my babies though out of fear that they might get something that Kitty might have, due to no fault of his own. Please if any of you have any helpful suggestions let me know. Thanks.

loveguinness · May 12th, 2008, 01:45 PM

the way i catch strays is by keeping my distance and then showing them food. ill put out food and then sorta toss some kibble/treats their way. they usually come quickly. as far as rabies is concerned, id be more concerned about cat scratch disease than rabies...but have a towel handy so you can wrap it up in it. i would bathe it, youll run the risk of it biting or scratching you and increasing your chance of having a severe bacterial infection.

NashvilleDiva_83 · May 12th, 2008, 01:53 PM

Could you try to lure it into a cat carrier and then put it in your backseat and take it?

I wouldn't touch it because you could get really sick. I'd also be careful of fleas, especially if you have other animals. Fleas are the worst to get rid of.

brandieforever · May 12th, 2008, 02:02 PM

Thanks, guys. I did think about the treats. Yea, I probably shouldn't bathe him. I really do want to feed him and give him water. Hopefully I will see him again today. Usually when I see him it's in the middle of the night.

Maeveyblue · May 12th, 2008, 04:10 PM

Does he hiss at you when you come near or run away?
Cats are usually very docile creatures. All of mine have been strays and I've rescued dozens of feral cats.
Answer the above and then we can go from there.

susieq · May 12th, 2008, 04:23 PM

just open a can of food daily. when he comes to eat, for the first day don't do anything. the second time he comes by, stay outside. then progressively get closer and closer. it might take days ...

brandieforever · May 12th, 2008, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maeveyblue

Does he hiss at you when you come near or run away?
Cats are usually very docile creatures. All of mine have been strays and I've rescued dozens of feral cats.
Answer the above and then we can go from there.

He doesn't hiss at all. He does run away though, he looks at me for a long time, he doesn't seem scared but he does seem weary of me. I was telling Hubby about it and just started crying uncontrolably.

He looked so skinny and frail. It just breaks my heart. Then with him being crossed eyed upsets me even more because I know People wouldn't want to adopt him, some People are funny about things not being the norm with animals. That's why I have to take him to a no Kill Shelter and there are 2 near me. I wish I could just keep him but I can't.

Zombiegirl · May 12th, 2008, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susieq

just open a can of food daily. when he comes to eat, for the first day don't do anything. the second time he comes by, stay outside. then progressively get closer and closer. it might take days ...

I agree with Susie...it will just take time.

Maeveyblue · May 12th, 2008, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brandieforever

He doesn't hiss at all. He does run away though, he looks at me for a long time, he doesn't seem scared but he does seem weary of me. I was telling Hubby about it and just started crying uncontrolably.

He looked so skinny and frail. It just breaks my heart. Then with him being crossed eyed upsets me even more because I know People wouldn't want to adopt him, some People are funny about things not being the norm with animals. That's why I have to take him to a no Kill Shelter and there are 2 near me. I wish I could just keep him but I can't.

Why can't you keep him? Some of my best animals have turned out to be the ones I was just fostering. Like my Lucy who is currently sitting next to me at the computer and nuzzling me.
You can go to your local animal control and rent a trap from them to get him. But I would suggest putting food and water out for him and feeding him for a week or so every day, several times a day. The first two days, put the food down and walk away. Then start slowly sitting a ways away from him and just gently talking to him while he eats or looks at you. The big thing about animals is that they read your thoughts, the pictures in your head. Normally it is only with animals that are close to you, but I've been able to do this with strays for as long as I can remember.
So if you are showing pictures of a cage or a shelter, the cat won't come near you. Ever notice how you can just be thinking about feeding your dogs and they start to go wild? Or just thinking about taking them for walk?
Once you've gained trust, you can put some yummy tuna in the back of a cage and trap him that way.
You could probably trap him that way right away, it all depends on what your intentions are for once you catch him.
Humans can't catch rabies or any other virus he may have. You can tell with rabies because they show symptoms almost immediately and are unfriendly.
Once you catch him, if you want to keep him, take him directly to the vet and have them quarentine him while they check him out and vaccinate him. It should take about a week or a little less of time.
Also remember that with the exception of rabies, there is no virus that can be transferred between dogs and cats.

brandieforever · May 12th, 2008, 07:11 PM

Thanks. I do think that I will try gaining his trust so he can feel comfortable around me. I would keep him if I were able to but I have a fear of mixing cats and dogs unless they are puppies and kittens when I intorduce them. I hope that him being in a loving shelter, I know it's not like having your own home, that he will be better off then how he is right now. I don't want to use the trap at all, it just sounds too cold to me. My only intention is wanting him to gain weight, have a safe place to sleep and be as happy as he can be.

Maeveyblue · May 12th, 2008, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brandieforever

Thanks. I do think that I will try gaining his trust so he can feel comfortable around me. I would keep him if I were able to but I have a fear of mixing cats and dogs unless they are puppies and kittens when I intorduce them. I hope that him being in a loving shelter, I know it's not like having your own home, that he will be better off then how he is right now. I don't want to use the trap at all, it just sounds too cold to me. My only intention is wanting him to gain weight, have a safe place to sleep and be as happy as he can be.

Some cats are happy outside as long as they are fed and loved.
I understand not being comfortable with the mixing of dogs and cats but unless you have really big aggressive dogs, I wouldn't worry. If the cat has claws, there shouldn't be a problem. They will learn the hiarchy soon enough and normally the dogs end up on the bottom.

Traps aren't cold if you have no other way of trapping him. It isn't as if he is going to stay in it. You need to get one that is a box. They step on a latch at the back while eating and it closes the door. Totally humane.

Also something to remember, feral cats don't find homes while in shelters because people want the sweet, loving ones. And shelters can't keep them forever. Even no kill shelters send them on to shelters that do. Or they have to close their doors until one or more die that are already in the shelter. It's a vicious and sad cycle.

boysRsmelly · May 12th, 2008, 07:55 PM

What you need is the smelliest, yuckiest canned cat food you can find. It works every time.

brandieforever · May 12th, 2008, 08:37 PM

Maevey, I truly don't believe that a new Kitty will become part of the Family and my babies, not large or aggressive, will be on the bottom of the hiarchy . I actually take offense to that comment, I have friends who do have cats and dogs and it's depending on them, the individual animal, I have seen Dogs, who are small and not aggressive, be on the top and have seen cats be on top as well. I don't know if you believe that cats are smarter or better then dogs but I actually feel that both felines and canines are very intelligent and neither are better then the other, although I am bias because my babies are dogs, I know that cats are just as special. It truly angers me when People are judgmental or snob-by and there are quite a few things you have said on here that makes me think you believe you are above others. For instance, when you were talking about being a Republican and anyone who owns their own home and business becomes one. I know People who do own their own Homes and businesses and are Democrats, I'm sure that makes them dumb right? Or when you were going back and forth with lilstrlett, who was acting more mature then you at her young age, on the Suze Orman blog and finally told her, "And I just noticed that you are 23 and must still be living at home. Once you grow up, raise a family of your own, you'll get it. Until then, it's like talking to a wall because you don't know any different/better. " When did you die and become God? I simply can not communicate with People like you, I have kept biting my tongue, not anymore. You said you think to yourself, "What will Jesus do?" Maybe you should ask yourself that before you decide to judge someone. Of course you won't, you don't judge People you simply try to teach those of us who aren't as knowledgeable as you are.

The sad thing about it is that there are quite a few People on here that I like and enjoy reading what they have to say but because I can not tolerate People like you I choose to no longer be on here.

NashvilleDiva_83 · May 13th, 2008, 05:35 AM

Whoa.

Now, why can't we all just get along? Sometimes you can't tell someone's tone by reading what they have to say ... some of the things Maevy may say, she may not mean in the same way. Also, some peopel are just a little less tactful than others, and that's not always their fault.

Also, on brandies side, I do see the point about mentioning politics. I really don't think this would be the forum to express political views. There are probably those who are passionate about each political party, and to generalize the type of people that associate with a particular party could hurt a lot of feelings. I know very intelligent, prominent, people who are quite wealthy that are Democrats. On the flip side, I know probably an equal amount of intelligent, prominent people that are quite wealthy that are Republican. Intelligence, wealth, and status are not always determining factors of the political parties that people follow. I know because my ex wrote a research paper on this ... and if I still could put my hands on a copy (I cant though, he got the puter in the divorce) I would forward you a copy of it to read. Personally, I am apolitical (not a fan of politics) - so I am not taking anyones side on this one only to say be careful when you talk politics and religion.

Dogs v. Cats - that's not really something to argue about either. I would just take what she (Maevy) has to say with a grain of salt.

boysRsmelly · May 13th, 2008, 06:53 AM

Hehe... my husband thinks dogs are better than cats. But then I grew up having cats and not dogs. Now we have both.

Anyways, girls, this is not place to be arguing about politics, religion, or anything else for that matter. People come here to have a good time, so let's keep things cordial okay? I'm not singling anyone out, I just think everyone needs to take a deep breath and think before they type something that is potentially hurtful.