Feral cat update

[GoddessOfGuinness]

Some of you may remember that I started feeding a feral cat a couple of months ago, with the hope that I could get him to a vet for shots and neutering. Here's his pic:

He's made a lot of progress in the last month or so especially. He eats on the front porch instead of the side yard. He's sleeping in a little shelter I made for him out of an old litterbox lid, a car seat cushion, and some towels. We've been calling him Fitz, like Fitzgerald, since he seems enamored of our Zelda. Fitz plays with me when I bring out a teaser toy. He's also letting me pet him, and he occasionally shows signs of responding to my petting; but usually he just tolerates it.

He seemed to want to come inside tonight; but I don't dare until he's been tested and had shots. Besides, I'm not sure I want him inside unless he'll let me pick him up.

Anyway, I think Fitz is doing really well. I hope I can get him to the vet soon. :hi:

[Robeson]

1. As someone who has taken care of many ferals, ....

...if you have become attached to Fitz, and he will let you pet him, I'd recommend bringing him inside. Mrs. Robeson and I have grown emotionally close to a lot of ferals over the years, and there were a few - just when we were going to get them to vet and bring them in - were run over by cars. We had already grown emotionally attached to them by building shelters and providing food, and suddenly, they were gone, and it was devestating. Take him in. You'll only regret what you didn't do if tragedy happens, not the good you can do. You'll be able to give him a wonderful life he would have never had, and he'll thank you 10 fold.

On edit: Besides, he's a beautiful cat.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. I will as soon as I can...

but I want to get him to the vet first.

[emilyg]

23. He's beautiful and looks healthy.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

24. Tonight he didn't come when I called him for dinner...

That's the first time since I started feeding him that he's done this.

I was so worried...thought maybe I'd jinxed myself by posting this thread. I drove around the neighborhood a bit, to make sure he wasn't lying by the side of the road somewhere. He finally showed up about 45 minutes ago.

He actually came to me and started rubbing affectionately against my hand. I think it won't be long before he's ready.

[zanne]

10. I heartily agree with Robeson. nt

[Lyric]

2. OMG! My cat!

Except for the fact that their "Kitler" splotches are on opposite sides, that cat could be a TWIN of mine!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

8. Awww...

I love the snuggly pic!

[Kool Kitty]

3. My husband and I feed some feral cats that

live near the local railroad station. One night in late July, one of the females gave birth to three kittens while she was eating-and we were watching, just amazing. After that, we didn't see any of the kittens until the last week in September. Two of them appeared healthy, but the third one looked blind. (Her eyes were closed, and she let my husband pick her up, which is not usual for ferals.) A couple days later, I was waiting for my husband to come home after working the night shift. Instead of him coming home, I got a text from him saying that he had the little blind kitten and was taking her to the vet. He had found her sitting in a clearing, alone and shivering and crying.

It turned out that she wasn't blind in both eyes. She had one injured eye and a serious infection in both eyes. She spent a week in the hospital, was de-fleaed and her eye infection healed. She now has a home-ours, a name-Hope, and she is a thriving member of our kitty clan. She also has seven toes on each of her front paws. And if I could figure out how to post a pic of her, I would.

Good luck with that beautiful kitty.

[Robeson]

4. What a great story Kool Kitty...

...I hope you can post some pics. I'd love to see her.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. That's a sweet story...

I'm so glad Hope has wonderful people like you to take care of her! :hug:

If you have a digital camera or a scanner, you can upload photos from your computer to a site like http://www.photobucket.com
Once you've uploaded them there, you can use the direct link photobucket provides to post your pics here. That's how I got the pic in my OP to post. :hi:

[Kool Kitty]

26. Thanks for the tip.

I'll see my sis Christmas day and get her to lend me her camera.

[ThomCat]

5. I hope you can bring him in and get him to a vet.

:)

I hope he becomes a happy, wonderful addition to your family.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. Thanks, ThomCat!

He's already become more comfortable with the dog. That's a very good sign! :hug:

[Mollis]

6. That's wonderful

A great thing you are doing
:)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. I started feeding him because

I didn't want him eating the visitors to my bird feeders. But I felt sorry for him too....
He's a cutie. :)

[Mollis]

18. He is very cute

I like his markings

[GoddessOfGuinness]

31. Me too...

:D

[Bertha Venation]

9. you're truly a goddess.

Thank you for taking such good care of Fitz. Congrats on the little shelter; it doesn't take much, and the critters do appreciate what we do for them. :hug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. My husband thinks I'm nuts.

I took a plastic soup container filled with water, microwaved it, covered it, and put it in Fitz's shelter so he's got at least a temporary heat source.

[Bertha Venation]

17. I don't think that's nuts.

If you want to go a step further and can spend a little money, see this:

http://www.freshpets.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RP-600721&click=15211

This link shows the best picture and description I could find, but you can find these for as low as $35. There are a few different brands. I use the Lectro-Kennel brand, and the small size is perfect for a little cat house. Google is your friend. So's eBay.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

25. Thanks for the tip!

Maybe Craig's list, too... :hug:

[Haole Girl]

15. I'm so glad you're taking care of him

And hope he can get to the vet, soon, too! :hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. Thanks, KC2!

Zelda just adores him. Anything for our little princess! :D

[alphafemale]

19. I did that once. Took him to the vet once I got him to the level of sitting on my lap and purring.

They needed to bring out the lineman (think thick,thick) gloves just for the examination.

And the former cat friend never came to my porch again. He would growl at me when walking by from 50 ft away though.

It hurt my feelings a bit until my hubby said...

"Well if you had been the first human I trusted, and you suddenly shoved me in a crate and took me to a place where they stuck a stick up my butt and hacked off my jewels I might nurture a grudge too."

[GoddessOfGuinness]

29. Well, I guess I run that risk...

...but it could also prevent the needless spread of disease.

I only hope that when I take him in, he doesn't test positive for something incureable and need to be put down.

[alphafemale]

34. Agreed. It's the right thing to do...even if the sweet little beastie disagrees.

:hi:

[stuntcat]

20. I remember that picture!

I think. He is one lucky LUCKY cat!

I've been feeding a feral in our back yard almost every day, it's such a wild cat but I can tell when it watches me it knows I've helped it.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

30. Bless your heart...

S/He knows...s/he knows and appreciates it, too. :hug:

[applegrove]

21. You are a cat angel.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

32. That's Bertha Katzenengel's department

But she calls herself Bertha Venation now. :D

[applegrove]

35. I guess she got a deal with the admin to change her screenname.

And yes she is an angel too.

[Skittles]

22. awesome, GOG

and Fitz is an awesome Kitler Kat - yes INDEED :D

[GoddessOfGuinness]

33. He actually initiated affection last night

That's a HUGE step for him!

[bobmorr1]

27. Ferals

You are a cat angel.

We take care of ferals too. We trap them and bring them to the anti cruelty to get neutered, rabies and distemper shots and a left ear clip. We release them in the yard then. Here are a few of them.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

28. The clip identifies them as having been treated?

Seems like a real time-saver to mark them that way.

I've been wondering if Fitz has already been neutered. I haven't gotten close enough to really examine him. In fact, the only reason I call Fitz "him" is because Mr GoG is so sure that the shape of his head looks male.

[bobmorr1]

36. ear clips

Left ear clips mean they have been neutered. I heard sometimes but rarely they will clip the right. The picture of the kittens haven't been neutered yet.

[bobmorr1]

37. ear clips

Left ear clips mean they have been neutered. I heard sometimes but rarely they will clip the right. The picture of the kittens haven't been neutered yet.

[alphafemale]

39. they just do a little V notch in the left ear around here.

I guess that might be more noticeable from a distance...but OUCH!

[Bertha Venation]

45. Woo hoo!

A kindred spirit. :hug:

[JitterbugPerfume]

38. I used to feed a big male tabby

but one day he just disappeared :cry:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

41. That must have been heartbreaking...

:hug::hug::hug:
You made his life much happier....

[madeline_con]

40. My wild and wooly has stripes. Obviously an ex house cat.

She lets me pet her, but she has to jump in my lap, no picking her up! Sometimes, I'll just be petting her and she up and bites th tar out of me. But she's my baby. :loveya:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

42. They definitely know their own minds...

That's what I love most about them. :D

[Roon]

43. Aww! I saw a feral kitty this morning.

His ear was cropped! :o

[GoddessOfGuinness]

44. Last summer I met a feral who was missing an ear completely...

I felt so badly for him... :cry:

[sinkingfeeling]

46. The feral cat that showed up at my place stayed. It's been four years since Dubya

was discovered, eating foam meat trays from the trash, and hiding inside a huge dog airline kennel on my back porch. I called Animal Control, but they couldn't catch him and I refused to live trap him after I'd gotten a good look at him. He was so thin he looked strange because his head seemed way too big.

I started feeding him. Six months later I was able to cage him in his dog kennel house and take him for shots and neutering. I named him Dubya because he was so afraid of people.

Now I call him Dubs. I still can't pick him up, but he will turn over on his back for a belly rub. He comes when I call him and still sleeps in his bed in his kennel house.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

49. That's a wonderful story!

Bless your heart for taking care of Dubs! :hug:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

47. You HAVE to submit that pic here:

http://www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com/

[GoddessOfGuinness]

50. I already did!

In fact, I think you were the one who suggested it! :hi:
It's a great site. Amazing how many kitties reallly look like Hitler.

[Arkansas Granny]

48. I think you are making remarkable progress. I once fed a feral tom cat

for over 3 years before he would let me touch him. Like you, I had hopes of getting him to the vet, but he disappeared before I could get him there. Good luck with Fitz.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

51. That must have been tough after being so patient

for his trust.

I have a feeling Fitz was abandoned or possibly abused. Sometimes he seems scared of me, even though I approach very gently. The other night I gave him some beef scraps, and he seemed not to believe that they were meant for him. Poor kitty...