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Weird post incoming. I work at juvenile treatment center, we’re behind barbed wire fences and all that. Well, there’s this adorable pairing of cats (mom and kitten) that are currently living underneath the school trailer at our facility. They’ve been doing OK for awhile, but mainly because people look after them. One woman sneaks a bag of cat food into work and has been feeding them when she can. Anyway, winter is coming, and the thought of those two kitties out there in the freezing cold is just really hard for me to stomach. Especially because one of the kids in the school hung a bit of string out of the window and the kitty is playing with it and it’s heart-meltingly adorable. Problem is, I can’t get anywhere near them without them retreating under the trailer. I also can’t really call in any experts as I would have to get them past the gatehouse and that’s not something that would be at all easy to do. So, I’ve got a couple options in this case; 1. Leave them be. I know cats can survive winters on their own. Maybe they both make it, maybe just one does… I don’t know. Either way, they are all but wild animals now. Maybe I can just let them stay that way? 2. Try and trap/catch them and then take care of them for a bit and foster them until I can find a home for them. I like this option but I have no idea how to go about it. This is all happening at work, and it’s not as though I can spend a ton of time trying to get them comfortable with me. If I am to go about catching them, I’ll need some good advice on how. 3. Bring in some blankets or warm things and chuck them under the building? I don’t know? Maybe try and make them more comfortable? Part of me worries that they’ll just keep on breeding with other cats and they’ll make more cats that’ll have to go through more freezing winters. I don’t know, any advice would be helpful here, freezing kitties is such a lovely thing to imagine. For now, I can’t take any pictures, not allowed to bring my phone through the gate, but I promise an absolute mountain of pictures if you guys can help me smuggle them out.
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Oct 8, 2014 16:54
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Link removed You could try making them one of those, at least until you can figure out how to trap them successfully. Rodent Mortician fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Oct 12, 2014 |
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Oct 8, 2014 17:55
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Rodent Mortician posted:http://wallary.com/tag/feral-cat-winter-shelter I would, not really gonna be able to get all of that past the gatehouse though. The odds of me being able to bring anything solid through are slim, blankets may even get an eyeraise and some questions.
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Oct 8, 2014 17:57
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Chili posted:Weird post incoming. The first thing I'd try would be to trap them. Its not just the cold to be worried about, but also diseases, parasites, injury...there's a lot out there to get a pair of cats. Trapping would also mean that you can get mom spayed so there are no more homeless, feral kittens. Local shelters often have traps they can loan you, which you can bait with the cat food your coworker brings in. It may take a couple tries, but you'll get them.
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Oct 8, 2014 18:14
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Does anyone else have their cats get musical based zoomies? I play any heavy metal/hard rock and they both nutso like its catnip fueled playtime. I've experimented, its only hard rock, the harder the zoomier they get. Macklemore - continue napping Tool - wrestling time Madonna - Nothing Slayer - Turbo laps chasing each other until there are two piles of panting cats. Jason Aldean - Nothing I dont get cats.
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Oct 9, 2014 00:01
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One of my cats died today, cancer, was put to sleep. We werent very suprised, she hadnt been grooming herself and looked ill for a week or 2. RIP Nina, you were my favourite  Ive never been the cat person but im really upset. She was just always there hanging out somewhere, really quiet and placid and purry. Had a good long life. Bollocks im actually real life crying
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Oct 9, 2014 00:30
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My sympathies. A cat's life really isn't worth much when it's over, but I think one of the ways you can find out its value is by how much he or she is missed. And might I mention that not all people's deaths evoke tears. I conclude that your cat was a pretty cool cat. 
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Oct 9, 2014 01:20
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Chili posted:2. Try and trap/catch them and then take care of them for a bit and foster them until I can find a home for them. I like this option but I have no idea how to go about it. This is all happening at work, and it’s not as though I can spend a ton of time trying to get them comfortable with me. If I am to go about catching them, I’ll need some good advice on how. Re-posting what I posted for someone else a while back: ATP5G1 posted:See if you can get your hands on a humane trap. Local rescues that do TNR may be able to lend you one (Alley Cat Allies has resources) or you can purchase a Havahart-style trap yourself. You can often get larger and smaller size traps for adult cats and kittens. It sounds like the cats are used to being fed by people, so that makes your job a lot easier. The way the traps work is you put food at one end, cat walks in the other, then steps on a plate that springs the trap and drops the door behind them. Once you've caught one you can usually use it as bait to catch the other. If you only have one trap you can transfer one cat to a carrier (indoors so they don't escape!). Then you cover that with a sheet, place the trap butt-end against it, and cover the trap with a sheet. That way the only way for one cat to access the other cat is by going through the trap. I used this method to capture a whole family (and a possum, twice, because possums are dumb). Definitely look through that Alley Cat Allies website. There's a LOT of info about trapping and it's a great jumping-off point for rescue and socialization and all of that.
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Oct 9, 2014 05:20
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Kinda need to vent. Our cat has a history of liver problems. She's on meds and fluids, pretty much under control. I'm away at college, my brother's moved out of town. Parents are away in Spain for a few weeks, so they got a family friend to catsit. Apparently this friend thought that her not eating and being completely lethargic for TWO DAYS was not cause for concern. My brother came home to visit, walked in the door, instantly noticed something was wrong, and IMMEDIATELY got her to the vet. She's staying there overnight, and will be alright, but if my brother hadn't come to visit, she could quite possibly have died. Highly elevated BUN, consistent with liver problems. loving hell.
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Oct 9, 2014 07:18
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Karia posted:Kinda need to vent. Our cat has a history of liver problems. She's on meds and fluids, pretty much under control. I'm away at college, my brother's moved out of town. Parents are away in Spain for a few weeks, so they got a family friend to catsit. Apparently this friend thought that her not eating and being completely lethargic for TWO DAYS was not cause for concern. My brother came home to visit, walked in the door, instantly noticed something was wrong, and IMMEDIATELY got her to the vet. She's staying there overnight, and will be alright, but if my brother hadn't come to visit, she could quite possibly have died. Highly elevated BUN, consistent with liver problems. loving hell. I'm glad your brother made it home in time and I am sure your cat will be looking forward to seeing you the next time you return home 
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Oct 9, 2014 08:25
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Free cat. Great purr. Affectionate. Thinks she is R Kelly and the carpet is every 14 year old girl.
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Oct 9, 2014 12:32
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toplitzin posted:Free cat. Scoop daily. Use enzymatic cleaner. Try an extra litterbox. Try Cat Attract.
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Oct 9, 2014 13:20
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duckfarts posted:Scoop daily. Click the ? next to my name, see the saga of yes I've already done all of that.
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Oct 9, 2014 14:23
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toplitzin posted:Click the ? next to my name, see the saga of yes I've already done all of that. Oh I'm sorry, of course I should have looked through all your old posts to check if you did any of those or not before, I can't believe I was so careless and stupid. Past that(and checking with a vet), I'd isolate the cat to a room with the litterbox and such in it if possible; they'll be more likely to use it if they're going to have to be around it. Other than that, try a different type of litter maybe, different placement(maybe more private, maybe easier to access, etc) Maybe try a different type of litter, using clay instead of corn or fiber or vice versa; cats can be picky about that.
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Oct 9, 2014 14:39
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While I'm not going to wade through your post history, I did open it and ctrl+f for "prozac" and "fluoxetine" and didn't see it mentioned. My 10 year old male cat was having a lot of peeing issues and was generally an anxious mess, so he's been taking fluoxetine for something like 3 years now. No more pee, much better behavior, though still a mean rear end in a top hat. If you think her peeing is related to anxiety, maybe talk to your vet about that possibility.
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Oct 9, 2014 16:00
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duckfarts posted:Oh I'm sorry, of course I should have looked through all your old posts to check if you did any of those or not before, I can't believe I was so careless and stupid. did the vet. no problems found (minus a small amount of blood that was expected as part of a syringe urine draw, cultures negative as well). She pees in one of the other litter-boxes (I can tell because she is an edge pisser and seems to go in the same place in the boxes when she does urinate in them), poops in both, and just randomly decides to pee on the carpet next to one of the litter-boxes.(one is high sided and the other is low, neither have a lid). I've had the carpets profesionally cleaned, soaked them in natures miracle several differnt times then vac'd it out, and the cleaning co. used their enzymatic cleaner and soaked the area too. At this point i think i need to pull up the carpet and replace the padding/try to negotiate with the landlord to pull the carpet and go wood floors (it's a house from 1920s i'm betting there is Hardwood underneath). It's just stupidly aggravating because she has no rhyme or reason for choosing the carpet. I scoop three times a day (AM, when i get home from work, and before bed). Sorry didn't mean to snark out at you, it's just been going on for the better part of two months now and i'm tired of her using the litterbox all day and then randomly either seeing her pee in the morning on the carpet (at least i can clean that quickly) or coming home to find the carpet slightly damp, and the litterboxes mildly used.
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Oct 9, 2014 16:28
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So my cat seems to only want to eat dog food. At least thats what I think it is. He's staring at the dog bowl and then at me and meowing constantly. I tried feeding it some canned food which he only licks a bit and then stops and also some expensive super premium solid cat food (recommended in the nutrition thread) and he just sniffs it. Should I be worrying about all this stuff? I am stressing myself out Danith fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Oct 9, 2014 |
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Oct 9, 2014 18:09
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toplitzin posted:did the vet. no problems found (minus a small amount of blood that was expected as part of a syringe urine draw, cultures negative as well). Is it always near the litter box, or is it anywhere on the carpet? If it's near, you could try putting down mats around the box so she's at least not soaking the carpet. Also, is she spayed?(obvious yet required question) Last thing is that it may take time; one of my cats used to like pissing on soft clothes left out but grew out of it. She still likes peeing on synthetic materials for some reason, so I can't use this nylon hamper bag I have, for example.
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Oct 9, 2014 18:23
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Danith posted:So my cat seems to only want to eat dog food. At least thats what I think it is. He's staring at the dog bowl and then at me and meowing constantly. I tried feeding it some canned food which he only licks a bit and then stops and also some expensive super premium solid cat food (recommended in the nutrition thread) and he just sniffs it. Find some food your cat likes. Expensive super premium food that your cat won't eat is pretty pointless.
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Oct 9, 2014 18:34
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duckfarts posted:Is it always near the litter box, or is it anywhere on the carpet? If it's near, you could try putting down mats around the box so she's at least not soaking the carpet. Also, is she spayed?(obvious yet required question) Spayed - Yes. She used to void on my bed and bury it under the blanket until i banned both cats from my bedroom. After she was using the litterbox with what seemed consistency, i slid it up against the wall. She's still going in the box but more often than not she is peeing on the carpet where you see the box/in that general area. (The carpet is definitely off colorwise) Its the same place on the carpet over and over. In the below picture its the general area where the light grey litter box is.  currently that litter box has been replaced with a low entry one like this: 
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Oct 9, 2014 19:36
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Have you tried just a plain low tray without the high sides? It seems obvious, but I figured I'd ask. Our idiot likes to stick her head out the side of the box while she does her business, and would not get her butt all the way in a high sided box (that exact one pictured actually) because she's a particular dewdrop and didn't like being enclosed. That lead to her going right outside the box instead of inside, no matter how much cleaning was done (so much natures miracle). After trying a bunch of stuff, we got her a low sider and she now does all her pissing and making GBS threads directly in the center of the box. But I do feel your pain. I was at my wits end for a while, and our situation didn't sound as prolonged as yours (but ours did include mud butt outside the box, so that's a thing). The saving grace for us was a rubber mat intended to catch litter as they walked out, it sure was a lot easier to clean than carpet when she decided to go right by the box instead of in the box. I'm sure you could get some sort of rubber mat to put down on the area until things get sorted out (hopefully). In any case...good luck.
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Oct 9, 2014 20:56
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marchantia posted:Have you tried just a plain low tray without the high sides? It seems obvious, but I figured I'd ask. Our idiot likes to stick her head out the side of the box while she does her business, and would not get her butt all the way in a high sided box (that exact one pictured actually) because she's a particular dewdrop and didn't like being enclosed. That lead to her going right outside the box instead of inside, no matter how much cleaning was done (so much natures miracle). After trying a bunch of stuff, we got her a low sider and she now does all her pissing and making GBS threads directly in the center of the box. I've used a shortish rubbermaid lowside container too. Mine also included piles of mudbutt on the carpet in random places. I'll try taking the top off that box. I'm just so frustrated i feel ready to take her back/adopt her out just so i don't have to keep vacuuming urine. I mean it sounds harsh, but i'm so over it i'm willing to adopt both her and the other cat since they seem to have become a bonded pair. It's nice coming home to a creature that appreciates my presences, but my house is starting to smell and the carpet is probably fubar so i may as well write off any deposit back.
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Oct 9, 2014 21:24
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Soo, my kitten has become extremely lethargic today and has pretty much done nothing but sleep. I noticed she was holding her paw off the ground and when we actually tried to get her to walk she began limping. When sitting still, she starts shivering I am taking her to the vets tomorrow if I can but anyone have any idea what this might be? I'm assuming she's hurt her leg somewhere but I'm worried about the other symptoms. She recently had her worming pill and has only had 1 round of vaccs, eating and going to the toilet fine otherwise. She's been sneezing a bit but no watery eyes or nasal discharge. Any advice on how to make her comfortable for now would be awesome! LeafyGreens fucked around with this message at 22:08 on Oct 9, 2014 |
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Oct 9, 2014 21:38
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toplitzin posted:I've used a shortish rubbermaid lowside container too. Mine also included piles of mudbutt on the carpet in random places.
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Oct 9, 2014 21:57
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Octolady posted:Soo, my kitten has become extremely lethargic today and has pretty much done nothing but sleep. I noticed she was holding her paw off the ground and when we actually tried to get her to walk she began limping. When sitting still, she starts shivering The fact that she is eating is the most important thing. Sounds like she'll be alright until your vet visit so relax, make sure she's warm and comfortable tonight and just spoil her a bit! Good luck.
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Oct 9, 2014 22:36
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Mr. Wookums posted:I have not had issues with my cat, but those sides seem like even with the lid off there would need to be a hop. I have a 4 inch or so high box for my cat with a lip, and he gets litter on the floor, but that's a low box. From the picture I'd still guess that's a good 8 inches. Its only 5.5" high, 11" with the sides on. Both cats can just step in.
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Oct 9, 2014 23:49
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Captain Mediocre posted:The fact that she is eating is the most important thing. Sounds like she'll be alright until your vet visit so relax, make sure she's warm and comfortable tonight and just spoil her a bit! Good luck. Okay, thanks  I'm a nervy pet owner, especially since we've only had her a few weeks. I think it's just a sprain since she's eating like a horse as usual and seems perky enough despite all the sleeping.
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Oct 9, 2014 23:53
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toplitzin posted:Cat pee problems I fought this battle with a declawed cat. Try a different litter, the softer the better. It doesn't matter how much YOU like the litter, YOUR CAT has to love it. Maybe use more than 1 water fountain and feed only wet food or add water to the kibble at every meal. I know it sucks but you can win this battle. After years of frustration I found the right combo and my cat is now happy to use the litter box and my couches are pee free!
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Oct 10, 2014 01:39
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Joburg posted:I fought this battle with a declawed cat. Try a different litter, the softer the better. It doesn't matter how much YOU like the litter, YOUR CAT has to love it. Maybe use more than 1 water fountain and feed only wet food or add water to the kibble at every meal. I know it sucks but you can win this battle. After years of frustration I found the right combo and my cat is now happy to use the litter box and my couches are pee free! The hosed up part is i've had them both for the better part of two years now, and have had a pretty solid routine with them. FWIW, they're both fully clawed as my couches can attest. Two cat fountains, merrick kibble in the am. they split of 5.5oz can of wet in the evening. They've had the same 2 styles of litterbox (the boxes themselves have been replaced every 6-9 months because plastic) since then and the same Worlds Best litter. IDGI.
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Oct 10, 2014 02:30
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You try a fine clay litter yet? It usually seems to be the "safest" option as it's soft and most like sand for them to push around.
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Oct 10, 2014 03:04
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toplitzin posted:The hosed up part is i've had them both for the better part of two years now, and have had a pretty solid routine with them. FWIW, they're both fully clawed as my couches can attest. Is cat. Can't fix. Keep experimenting. Something is pissing him off (heh). Don't give up. There's enough options available that something will work.
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Oct 10, 2014 03:06
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So tonight one of my cats had some very pale, clay colored stool. I'm worried that it is my kitty also experiencing some abdominal distension, leading to me think she might have some liver problems. She's going to the vet first thing in the AM, but right now I'm just worried about her. She acts, eats, and drinks just fine. Right now she's running around playing with the youngster. She's only a year old, I really hope it is nothing. 
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Oct 10, 2014 06:23
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A cat recently set up shop in my backyard, looks healthy enough and is really friendly. Comes up and rubs herself next me, I feed her regularly and I generally take care of her as best as a cat novice can I suppose. I decided to get her a cat igloo, I put a decent bed in there and all the trimmings. For some strange reason, she won't stay in it, she goes in about halfway, then comes right back out and then goes up on the roof of the house instead. Anyone have any ideas that could explain this? And is there anything else I should be doing as regards to her welfare? WorkGroupDynamics fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Oct 10, 2014 |
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Oct 10, 2014 17:22
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WorkGroupDynamics posted:A cat recently set up shop in my backyard, looks healthy enough and is really friendly. Comes up and rubs herself next me, I feed her regularly and generally take care of her. How long ago did you set up the igloo? Cats are extremely suspicious of new things in their environment and it can take them a while to warm up to stuff. Whenever I get my cats new beds or furniture(scratching posts etc) it takes them a few days of sniffing and eyeing it before they'll feel comfortable with the new item. I guess you could try something like spraying Feliway in the igloo if you want to speed up the acclimation process, that's supposed to help.
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Oct 10, 2014 17:34
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WorkGroupDynamics posted:A cat recently set up shop in my backyard, looks healthy enough and is really friendly. Comes up and rubs herself next me, I feed her regularly and I generally take care of her as best as a cat novice can I suppose. You could try rubbing a cloth on the corners of her mouth then wiping it on the bed and tossing the cloth with it in the igloo. The problem is probably that she doesn't recognize the scent on it and knows it's not hers. Getting some of her own odor on it may convince her it's OK.
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Oct 10, 2014 17:35
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Deteriorata posted:You could try rubbing a cloth on the corners of her mouth then wiping it on the bed and tossing the cloth with it in the igloo. The problem is probably that she doesn't recognize the scent on it and knows it's not hers. Getting some of her own odor on it may convince her it's OK. Alternately, put up a gate and forbid her from going in there. She'll teleport in immediately.
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Oct 10, 2014 17:40
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WorkGroupDynamics posted:A cat recently set up shop in my backyard, looks healthy enough and is really friendly. Comes up and rubs herself next me, I feed her regularly and I generally take care of her as best as a cat novice can I suppose. My cat is more of a "percher" than a "hider". She won't use boxes we have for her if they're covered, and won't go into the hidey holes in her cat tree but will happily sit right on top of it. Maybe it just comes down to the preference of the cat?
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Oct 10, 2014 18:14
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I've had that igloo set up for about a week now. I'll try the advice and tips suggested and see how it goes.
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Oct 10, 2014 18:41
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My girlfriend and I are thinking about getting a cat, but we both work 8-5 jobs - a single kitten wouldn't work for us, would it? From what I've read, it seems that it would need a lot of attention during the day. Getting 2 cats is not possible for us. I proposed we get an older cat. The girlfriend thinks that an older cat may come with behavioral baggage and not adjust to us. I figure an older cat would be easier to deal with ( much less rambunctious / assholish / needy than a kitten ). What's the minimum age we should shoot for?
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Oct 10, 2014 20:34
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^^^^^ My boyfriend and I are both out of our large-for-nyc but small for everywhere else 1 bedroom apartment from 8-6 m-f and adopted a not-yet 3 month old kitten a few months ago and she's perfect for our lifestyle. We leave boxes and toys around for her to play with (her current favorite toy is the pizza table we dropped on the floor while cleaning up, she bats that thing around for hours at a time) and play with her when we get home/after we eat dinner. We're looking into getting a second kitten/cat eventually, but currently we can only have one. She's totally a little rear end in a top hat, but we fell in love with her the second we set eyes on her in the shelter. I would probably regret getting a young kitten if we couldn't lock her out of the bedroom at night. Thankfully she's only in rear end in a top hat in that she knocks poo poo off the table to get our attention and farts on us, she's great about chewing cords (did it once, we sprays bitter spray and said "no" and she never did it again) and other rear end in a top hat kitten things that can hurt them. ilysespieces fucked around with this message at 21:26 on Oct 10, 2014 |
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Oct 10, 2014 21:21
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