save more cats!

[ILOVECINDER]

Did you know that people save more dogs than cats? I think people should start saving more cats!!!

[Former User]

Hey, some people like dogs, some cats, they save what they want and like, can't help them! Everyones taste is different you know!

[purrley]

Every life is precious and every effort should be made to save them - big or small.

[4 feline house]

The problem is in the difference between the nature of the dog and the cat.

Actually, there are more cats in homes than dogs (US only statistic, I don't know about the rest of the world). BUT....

Dogs generally go into heat only once or twice a year. Cats generally never go out of heat until spayed or bred.

Although dogs are certainly notorious for getting out, a cat in heat, or a randy tom looking for a cat in heat, can escape confinement much more easily.

Few dogs are left to roam, most are confined in some manner or another. Only strictly indooor cats are confined. (And the type person who would not spay or neuter is not generally the type that would keep the cat indoors only).

Stray dogs are less self-sufficient than cats, and are either captured and euthanized or killed pretty quickly. Cats can roam for years.

So, we are doing our best to keep all those puppers and kitties (and buns etc...) out of the shelters but cats are disadvantaged from the start. The FIRST step is to spay and neuter. Adoption is the clean-up when the first step was not done.

Thanks, L4C, for bringing this to our attention. Even on a petlover's board, it always bears repeating, becuase we never know who may be lurking!

[lizbud]

I'm trying to help those (cats & dogs)
that happen to wander into the neighborhood
and are obviously in need of food,shelter
or a kind word from a human being..
A white long haired cat showed up about
1 1/2 weeks ago and I have been feeding him
and trying to get him to trust me enough to
get close so I can check out his general
health.He has several 'marks' across his
nose and generaly acts pretty beat up &
tired of life. I'm pretty sure it is the
same 'pure white ,beautifully clean' cat
that was brought into the neighborhood
about 2 yrs ago by new neighbors.He was once
accepted by my outdoor cat (Momma Kitty)
who sleeps in my garage, but now she does
not allow him into the garage (food & shelter). I've been feeding him on my front porch both dry & wet food and he gobbles it
up. I've put out a 'chair pillow' on a
porch chair where he can sleep in the
afternoon sun and stay somewhat warm but
it's getting very cold at night, and I must
make a decision soon to trap & bring to the
vet for a check up & try to work him into
the garage for shelter or keep feeding him
were he is and hope for the best.
My Momma kitty accepted him once, but he
does not act as confident as he once was
& also needs to be cleaned up.

[lizbud]

Well guess what? The long haired white cat
started to answer me with a 'meow' whenever
I talked to him & has stopped running away
from me outside. If fact, he's following
me everywhere I go when I'm outside & he's
just talking up a storm. He's even wanting
to be petted. Definately not a feral!
I can now see clearly that he has several
deep scratches on his chest & one fresh
scratch on his face.He's going to the vets
Monday morning to be neutered & have doc
look at & treat his wounds.
He treats Momma kitty with great deference
& she's relenting a little bit.He's now
out of the weather & sleeps inside the garage overnight. He's picked out a box
that's full of old clothes & spends most of his time just eating or sleeping.
I think I've just got another cat...

[BigCharles]

Congrats lizbud,

I once saw an all white cat that looked like a twin for Lamoni. I fell for him. Too cute.

What color are your new baby's eyes? Hope everything goes okay at the vets.

[lizbud]

Thanks Big Charles,
His eyes seem to change color according to
the light.At first they looked a pale blue color, but this morning they look hazel
colored. The scratches on his chest did not
look quite as red, but I'm sure he needs to
be fully looked over by the vet.I've been
watching Momma Kitty's reactions when I'm around them both, and while she will not
'touch noses' with him, she seems much more
at ease. I would never try to keep another
kitty if it stressed Momma Kitty to much,
no matter how much I loved it.Momma has been
with me now for about six years & I promised
her a home & love for the rest of her life.

[sirocco]

Hello Lizbud!I am glad to hear about those good signs. I know it isn´t over yet (Momma Kitty needs to get used to a new pal!!) but I´m sure you´ll manage to make them get on well with each other, with a little patience, of course! And I hope you´ll receive good news from the vet... Will you keep us updated??
I know how sad is to find cats on the streets that you know they once belonged to a household. They´re not prepared for the life in the streets and must suffer a lot, discovering they can´t trust humans anymore and fighting other cats Abandoning pets is a most horrible thing to do, I can´t understand how can someone do that, but, anyway, they keep on doing it, so let´s not waste time trying to understand and go for saving all we can instead! Thank you for being so caring!

Nita

[Randi]

Building a cat house in your backyard

In our backyard, we have had several stray cats, one neutered male is still living there. When we moved in 8 years ago, he was sleeping in an old pram someone had left.

A few of us decided to build houses for them. We got some Polystyrene boxes from the grocery which had contained vegetables and we taped two together. We cut a hole in one end (along the lenght of the box, to avoid the wind going through), then we covered the box in thick plastic - also taped on with good strong tape and put some old blankets in. The cats immediately moved in and has been there ever since. As you can imagine, it can get pretty cold in Denmark in the winter, but now, they're not freezing their paws and ears off. It will probably be a good idea to choose some plastic which blend in with the background color.

We also take turns feeding them - about the same time every evening, after the birds have gone to rest, otherwise they will steal the food.

This may be an idea for other catlovers - it´s certainly a cheap solution and quite easy to do- and best of all THE CATS LOVE IT!

Good luck!

[lizbud]

Well, I dropped off the white kitty at the Vets yesterday
after work & he had his surgery this morning. The Vet called
me at work after he had been put under to tell me that there
were some complications. Kitty had to have two claws removed,
one from each hind paw. One nail had been broken off at the base & the other was torn away from the paw and had become
infected. The vet is giving him antibiotics & will be keeping him
overnight to recoup a little till I can bring him home tomorrow.
I could clearly see the scratches on the kitty, but had no idea
about his paws. I just called the Vets, and they said he was
resting comfortably. Guess I better start thinking about a name
for the little guy...

[lizbud]

I went to pick up my kitty today, but the vet wanted
me to leave him at the clinic overnight again. The vet
was very concerned about the site of the "declawing"
on two toes on his hind feet becoming infected. They
have given Sugar(my name for him), two baths & a flea
treatment He looks Beautiful!! He could be a show cat
he's so handsome. Beautiful ,totally white ,long hair !!
I have a different vet for the cats than I do for my dog.
The Kitty's vet works with local groups who take in both
stray & feral cats, if you pay for their neuter/spay and
FIV/ FLV testing. I get the feeling that this vet has
taken a special interest in this cat b/c he loves white
cats, everyone at the clinic kept saying what a
"Sweetie-pie" he is.... I really want Sugar to be an
indoor only cat so he never has to go through this
again, but I cannot keep him as an indoor cat.(4 is my limit)
for the size house I have. He could stay in my garage with
Momma Kitty & I would feed and care for him , but I fear
for his safty outdoors. If the vet can find him a 'indoor'
home, I would let him go for his own good.

[lizbud]

The white kitty, Sugar, came back home with me
on Friday (1-18-02). The vet sent antibiotics home
with him(Amoxicillin) liquid. Sugar already looks a lot
better than he used to. He is very affectionate with
me but was totally freaked out by everything inside
the house.The tv,radio, furnace going on & off. and
of course, my other cats. They are living in separate
areas of the house for now and I really don't think
they all will be happy campers ever. I want to keep him
indoors at least until he finishes his RX. He's shown some
progress getting accustomed to the house noises,
including the DOG.(Hates the DOG). Anyway in refreshing
my memory about how to go about cat introductions. I
found this site called,

http://methuen-mspca.org/petcare/htm/catintro.htm

It is an excellent bit of advice for anyone interested
in thinking about bring in a new addition to a cat household.

[AmberLee]

{{{Lizbud, Sugar, rest of the fur babies}}},

Thanks for the progress report. Poor guy sounds a little traumatized... Hope things work out for you. Hang in there. I'm sure your goal of keeping him until the medicine takes effect will do him a world of good. (Much luck surviving that long. ) You're a good pet mommy!

[Randi]

Congratulations Lizbud! I think you have handled the situation very well. I can tell you really care! So, now is the time for patience. It's very difficult to keep an outdoor cat inside, but you will be able to, after a while.

When we first got Fister indoors, he wanted to go out all the time (his mum was still in the backyard) and we let him out, but he kept coming back and stayed for longer and longer at a time and now he hardly ever goes out. It has taken us 4 years and a lot of patience, but we love him!

Had a look a the site - it's sounds like they know what they're talking about You can do it!!

Good luck! Please let us know how you're getting on.