New Cat mom needs advice....

Hi -

I'm new to the board -

I have never had a cat before, though I am a longtime dog owner. We recently were 'adopted' by a stray ginger cat in our neighborhood who found shelter in our garage. After a month of feeding him and providing a warm bed in the garage, a really cold (below 0) spell convinced him to try and trust being inside the house.

Teal’c is a really smart kitty and has learned ( on his own) to use the doggy door to come in and out of the house - he now has free run of the house, and has not damaged or bothered anything inside. Teal’c potty's outside - either while he's prowling, or when the weather was severly cold and snowy - in the sand of the large dog run attached to the side of our house and protected from the elements. While he was very wary and easily startled at first - he warmed up to us pretty quickly. He comes in now looking as much for companionship and petting as much as for food and shelter. His quick turnaround in behavior makes me think that he was probably abandoned, and not a 'Born' feral cat.

With the help of a cat owner friend, we've guessed that he's about 2 yrs old, and appears to be in good physical shape and health. His pads are pink, but really tough and his coat is rough and VERY thick. He has (and continues to get) quite a few bites and scratches from fighting with other cats (? a guess, could be other animals or thorny brush?) esp on his ears, but they have really been minor scrapes and he heals very quickly. Since he spent more time indoors, and i suspect, because he has had more 'secure and safe' time, he has started looking better - cleaner, softer, better groomed. Having a 'safe place' to relax, he can probably let down his guard and have more time to attend to his grooming. He loves to have me rub him down with a towel when he comes in wet, and he's even let me clean his ears somewhat (they were FILTHY!) though they are much smaller than my dogs, and I can't get as far in with my big people fingers as i would like. I'm thinking I'll have the vet clean his ears good while he's asleep being fixed.

My questions have to do with having him neutered and what kind of care and medical attention is needed for a mostly 'outside' Cat?

It’s been a long time since I had a pet young enough to be ‘fixed’ – my last dog was from rescue and was neutered when I got him. When I get Teal’c neutered, am I going to have to keep him in for a few days? How long? Will I have to restrict his activity?

What kind of shots and vaccinations are necessary for a cat that is exposed to the outdoors? (Rabies, of course, but what else?)

Money is an issue- as I am currently unemployed and we just finished paying for 4 months of Chemo for our dog, Tristan, who died 3 weeks ago- I can find a way to do whatever is necessary, but if there are less expensive alternatives, I would be grateful for suggestions.

Lastly, we ARE ‘dog people’ and are currently looking for another dog. One concern with Teal’c being an ‘outside’ cat is that we had a bad flea problem 2 yrs ago in our area, and Teal’c would likely be exposed to them, even if the dog is given Sentinal or advantage, etc., and Teal'c would bring them back into the house. I'm not an anal housekeeper ( my house is VERY pet friendly - hair, noseprints and loose kibble are 'decorating accessories' in my house!) but those fleas were a nightmare of WORK to get rid of them completely. Is there something similar (flea treatment) for cats? Is heartworm a cat issue as well?

As I said, I’ve never been ‘owned’ by a cat – so I am pretty ignorant regarding any health issues. So is there anything else I need to know / ask about regarding the health care of a cat? Any suggestions or comments would be welcomed….


Laura


Photos - Teal'c being coaxed into my lap in the cold garage
and Teal'cs checking out the INSIDE of the house for the first time.

I posted two photos, but only the second one showed up?

oh well, here's the first one from the garage the night we coaxed him inside -

isn't he a pretty baby?

laura

Awwww, what a beautiful orangie baby boy!! How lucky he is to have found you. The first thing I would do is take Teal'c to the vet and get him tested for diseases such as Feline Leukemia and the aid virus. Blood tests can determine if he's a carrier or not. If he gets a clean bill of health then proceed with the neutering.

1. Neutering...I had two boys years ago and the neutering was a piece of cake. I dropped them off in the morning and picked them up at night. At first their little back ends were a bit wobbly and they just slept all night. I did not feed them when they came home just in case of adverse reactions from the anesthetic. However the next morning they were completely back to themselves and were eating, peeing and pooping just fine. I kept them in the next day but let them out the following day. I don't recall if I gave them any antibiotics afterwards...this was in the early 80's. So in short, nothing to worry about. While he is "under" please consider getting a tattoo as well. Another alternative is a microchip. You might also find that after the neutering, his purrrsonality might change a bit and he might want to stay indoors more. Some kitties become much more mellow after loosing their "kitty bits".

2. Shots....kitties exposed to the outdoors should definitely have rabies along with all the other usual ones. Shots are quite a subject of controversy around here...some believe in yearly shots and some don't feel it's necessary. For example, my kitties are indoor only and not exposed to other animals at all so I don't give my babies shots. Besides there are old (11 and 17) and the last time they had shots, they reacted pretty badly so I don't want to put them thru that again. However, in your case, since Teal'c is an outdoor kitty, I would highly recommend yearly shots.
http://videoforcats.com/cathealth.htm - here's one of the many articles I found on shots.

3. Low-cost...contact your local Humane Society or any other rescue organization because some of them might offer low-cost spay/neuter programs. Sometimes they can help out with shots as well.

4. Fleas...I use advantage on mine. Just a little dab will you ya. I'm sure if you keep up with meds, the fleas will be kept at a minimum.

BTW, Welcome to Pet Talk. It's nice to have you here. My name is Vickie, but I prefer to be called Slick. I live in BC Canada and am owned by Max the Persian and Speckles the Tabby. I'm sure many many others will have lots more information to add to my lengthy message. Stay tuned....;)

One other thing, we crazy cat people have funny names for things so you may want to read up on the "Furminology Dictionary"..
http://67.15.70.205/talk/showthread....ht=furminology

Welcome to PT! Sounds like you've got a good friend there!

Slick covered all those main points, but I just wanted to add that the rescue I volunteer for uses Revolution. That handles a range of insects from fleas and ticks to mosquitoes, mites, and beyond. Its made a difference around here - and my cats are all indoor only!

When I had my youngest boy fixed a few onths ago, he was back to bnormal within a day. Boys are a lot less intrusive than fixing girls.

Welcome to PT.:D Teal'c sure is a handsome orangie. I'm a big orangie fan.:)
He looks much younger than 2 years old to me so maybe your vet will be able to help you detemine his age. You've already been given great advice and this forum is a great place to come for questions about health issues etc.:)

Welcome Laura and Teal'c! I followed Tristan's valliant fight against Lymphoma on the IMOM message boards. I'm so glad another baby has come into your life (and Jon's). Hmmm, Tristan was a Golden and Teal'c is gold in color. I wonder if Tristan sent him your way?

I can't really add much that hasn't already been said. Try the SPCA and look for low-cost clinics (I bet IMOM would have a list of those in your area). I encourage you to get all the health tests. You guys have been through so much. If Teal'c has already been infected with an awful disease there may be more expensive medical bills in your future. Fingers and paws crossed that you guys will have a long, happy and healthy life together.

Lisa

WELCOME! Teal'c is gorgeous.

A cat that goes out would need more than a cat that stays in. After testing for FeLV (feline leukemia) yearly shots should be administered as exposure is inevitable. Indoor only cats do not need to be vaccinated against this.

As a tom cat with a history of fighting, he may already have contracted FIV (feline aids) He should be tested for that as well. If he is positive, he can live a long healthy life, but should be kept indoors.

Regular de-worming is something that you will need to think of. Exposure to the outside world has MANY parasites that can be contracted. A GOOD all around de-wormer, on a regular basis as per your vet's instructions.

Flea treatment will also be a concern. Advantage, Frontline, revolution, to name a few, are applied topically about once a month.

Neutering a male is not too traumatic on them. He could probably venture outside in a day or two after surgery.

Rabies and distemper are the other vaccinations to concider.

Both neutering and shots can be found at a reduced cost through humane organizations in your area. Just ask around.

HAVE fun! cat's are addicting!!