The problem is this- he fights. Whatever happened to him in his absence, it had to be pretty substantial because he has what I refer to as a hair trigger. Most strays, if they are going to fight-there are early warnings. Tail tucked, body low to the ground, ears back, eyes narrowed, growls, hisses- something. With him- there is nothing. He comes in fast and quick and strikes. He means what he says and if you don’t listen and back away he will hurt you.If you are a cat, I suspect he would really hurt you.
Mike and I put our heads together and came up with a plan- but we need help with a few dollars if you feel the tug to do so.
His enclosure has a two entrances, one goes to the house, the other is outside. We are going to build a mini-deck/enclosure for him off the screen door. We have a 4 foot overhang from the roof that provide the roof for this man cave- LOL We will run 2×4’s as support for the structure and put the deck on stilts as our septic pipes run right underneath that door back under the house. We will screen it with pet proof screening so the bugs, the other cats and predators won’t be able to get to him, nor he to them if he wants to hang out all night.
I worry that if I just let him outside to be himself, two things will happen- my vet bill will climb higher than it needs to be 🙂 Or he will get killed. If he gave a warning, the other cats and myself would be prepared- but he doesn’t he just attacks. With me he will now attack me when my back is turned to him and all this is such NEW behavior for him. I don’t know what happened to him and suspect if I did, I would probably be in jail right now. Hopefully this solution will allow him to relax, catch some sun and air and still feel he is king of the world without turning into a dictator.
Wow. He waits for your back to be turned?! Poor guy. His life must have been hard, very hard. A separate space is a good idea. He may not take you up on your ‘offer’ but it’s a good step. Here’s a tiny bit to help. Thanks for your kindness.
Is PayPal the best way?
Now that’s a loaded question! LOL Kim, I sent you an email~
Have you ever looked into Bartonella disease in cats?
I have with other cats in the past, but the problem is the tests for Bartonella besides being costly aren’t all that reliable. They know about as much about Bartonella as they do about FIP.
The problem with finding out what is actually wrong with him is simply the cost. I have to draw the line somewhere and consider the rest of the group here. He is an older cat, he went through something that literally sucked most of the life out of him. The fact that he is still alive is nothing short of amazing.
Purrrrrrsss for Cyclone. We hope he calms down a bit once he has a place to call his own.
Have you considered moving him to your barn? Or would he just run off if you tried that?
He fights with no warning so it wouldn’t be fair for the barn cats who are calm and get along with each other. He may not like this new mini outside escape but I have to try. I know some people might think I am nuts to go this extra mile for a cat- but he deserves the chance to see if he can adapt.
I am working on a plan for the New Years with the help of wonderful artist who makes beautiful ceramic pet fountains. He wants to donate one of his beauties to me for a donation drive. I’m still trying to figure out the details- so stay tuned. 🙂