The little black and white tuxedo boy- Mike said we should call him Bones- he eats like a steam shovel! I am feeding him small bits at a time, and when I go to remove his plate to put a bit more food on it- he will attack my hand! Poor baby- he is but 3 months old or he could be older and in such deplorable shape. I pick him up and weep, you can feel his ribs protruding and his backbone and leg bones protrude as well. He really is a walking skeleton, it is a wonder he is even alive. He is out in the living room in a large cage getting used to being warm and having food. I am hoping in the next few days his food aggression will stop as he realizes food does come at certain times and kibble is down all the time. He allows me to pet him but not too much as his skin is very thin. he will bite if I inadvertently hurt him. But he is a sweet boy and I just hope he survives. If he does- then he will find his own name in time.
I think I will call him Quinn. Here he is:
Poor little fellow that food is something so rare for him – but not any more. A merry Christmas to everyone there; this little fellow has received a chance of life, the best gift of all.
Hi, ;have a question for you…we have a feral cat that set up residence in our garage and the local rescue cant take her/him until Jan 8th. Since we are in Wisconsin, we are providing food and water and there are numerous spots filled with blankets and snow clothes for kitty to keep warm. The cat didnt seem like it was starving but its first poop was mostly leaves, (poor thing), we”re feeding small frequent meals. A strange thing happened yesterday tho, the cat was constantly running around the garage. The door was open and it could leave anytime but it didnt. What do u think the likely hood is that it is pregnant and searching for a “nest”? If so, is there any additional items we should supply? I was a bottle feeder for rescues for many years so I know how to take care of the kittens but Ive never dealt with a mommy. Is there any thing else that you think would cause that kind of behavior? Any help is appreciated. 🙂
Hard to say why the cat was running around doing laps. It could have just been startled by a noise or even if the door is open a crack, it might not have noticed. Your rescue will take a feral cat? Did you happen to ask them what they will do for this girl? Most rescues will just put them to sleep if they aren’t approachable and people can’t hold them. I would check that out just to be safe.
If this is a girl and she hasn’t been spayed and she is 5 months or older then chances are pretty good she is pregnant. I would put up a box of straw for her to nest in. Cover half of the top of the box with a blanket, or if this is a kitten, turn the box on its side and place a blanket over the box so the kitty has a half door at the bottom to get in and out of easily. Usually when they are searching for a nest, they aren’t running they are just nose to the ground looking for a quiet out-of-the-way place away from predators to start nesting in. if she starts tearing up paper- or rooting through the pile of ski clothes, then she is pregnant and she is looking for a nest. Be sure if you put a box for her- it is under something (a work table) or something similar and away from any foot traffic so she feels safe. If you can touch her then you can always rub her tummy and feel her nipples to see if they are engourged or showing signs of filling with milk. If the nipples are swollen but red and hardened- you need to get her to a vet pronto- those are signs for mastitis which is a dreadful cancer that some queens will get. She wouldn’t be able to nurse her babies so you would be the main provider for these kittens to survive.
Best of luck and thank you for caring when so many others do not.
Long story…..I have a cat who was abandoned by the feral mom…now about 8 years ago. I did not act quick enough….we have her two kittens as in-house pets. Since…. we have her neutered and yearly vet visits for vaccinations. It is a challenge to pick her up and transport to vet. I love this cat!! I have “cat door” in the garage door and heating pad for the winter. She will sit in my lap for hours, but if I move away too quickly…..she will swat and hiss. I think this is a good thing as she remains a feral cat and I don’t want her to become too accustomed to humans and at risk of capture or injury. Daily feeding and she likes…half and half!!! Just ordered a new Kane heating pad to keep her comfortable for the winter months. I feel guilty that I cannot do more…but she seems appreciative after 8 years.
David,
I don’t think you have anything to feel guilty about. You got her spayed, you are giving her food, love, a warm place to sleep. Do you know how many cats DON’T get that? Some cats prefer to be outside. I have one cat who would love to be outside, but she runs into problems when she is out there, so she hangs out in the main cat enclosure and only ventures into the house (she can access it anytime through tunnels) when it is really cold outside. If I pet her- she will hiss and swat at me- yet she yearns to be petted. So I pet her, and I get swatted often. When they are not handled as young kittens- touch is foreign to cats and some just don’t like it. I have left the door open accidentally and he won’t go outside. One of my alphas outside will pound her into sand. They have never got along. She sleeps in a warm cat house and prowls the enclosure chasing away any cat that comes close to the wire.
Thanks so much for your help, and rest assured I wont let her be put down because she is feral. The rescue is going to provide us with a safe trap so we can have her fixed. If she wont stay or adjust to their cat enclosure we will give her an outdoor weather proof cat house. Our main goal is that she doesnt add to the kitty population.
She can come and go as she pleases here as the main large garage door is left open most of the day, except when its really cold, but she hasnt left in five days and the temp was in the mid 40’s today. I think she has had or is about to have her litter, she has found a very secluded place that i havent found yet but I think she is on the shelves where the blankets are stored, I just dont want to root around too much and disturb her. She wont let anyone near her so touching is out of the question. She will tolerate me being across the room from her for about a minute, probably because i feed her, but with anyone else she goes into hiding immediately. i will make her a nice box like you suggested tomorrow and put it near where i think she already is.
Once again, thank you sooo much for your help… Ill let you know what happens..
Yes please keep us updated. As hard a decision it is to spay them if they are pregnant, based on how many kittens are waiting for home, it is always the way to go sadly. If people would just spay and neuter their cats then rescues such as ours would not even be necessary. Right now, we have 7 wonderful kittens that no one seems to want to adopt. They are too “old” and most of them aren’t even a year old yet!