Advice needed!

[smileyiloveyou]

Originally posted by moosmom
Thank you for caring for the cats.

I can make one suggestion. Try buying a couple of large Rubbermaid bins with lids. Flip them over onto their lids and cut a hole large enough for the cats to get in and out. Line them with newspaper, and straw or old blankets. They make great little kitty "houses" and the cats will love them!

Please keep us posted okay? And good luck. What you're doing is wonderful!

Thats a great idea!!! Thanks!!!
My mom is calling local vets, to see about discounts ect tommorow.

I have enough money to get two cats spayed. Both of them the vet will keep and monitor for 5 days. Then i will keep them in my house for the amount of time the vet reccomends!

[leslie]

keep them in the house until there is no swelling, no stitches (all absolved), and she is eating, and peeing and pooping normally, and if you're not sure what that is - it's twice a day! a nice firm poop and a nice 1/8 th cup of pee (about) and she should not be straining in the litter box (sign of uti if she does) if she tries to pee in porcelain like the tub or sink, that means uti, if there is pink in urine, that means uti, if there is black in stool, that means blood in stool and bring it to the vet. If she picks at her stitches, try to divert her with play or petting, or cat nip. or sooth her stitches by patting the area carefully, they probably itch. They can get infected easily and it's up to you to be the watcher for signs of infection! Good luck and after she looks good, and a couple more days for safe keeping!

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

You have already had some great advice, and contacting the local vets and shelters re low-cost operations is a great way to go.

A while ago I put together some info on behalf of our local shelter, for the local newspaper, as we have loads of people feeding compound (or stray) cats, but not enough of them are TNRÃ_ng. Good luck with getting your cats "fixed"

______________________________
The harsh reality is that these animals are "hunters" and by providing an easy food source we are causing them to lose their hunting and scavenging abilities. What will become of these animals when their reliable food source disappears? They will not know how to fend for themselves. In addition, nature minimizes overpopulation by a process of natural selection - "survival of the fittest". In nature only strong animals will successfully mate, and produce litters. Weak, sick or malnourished animals will typically not produce large, viable litters. However when we remove natures "birth control", and provide food, we are creating an environment where healthy animals are breeding and producing large healthy litters. This needs to be controlled in some way.

A very humane way of handling this problem is by a process caller TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release). An animal is trapped in a humane trap, is spayed or neutered, and after a short recovery period is released back into the same area. Over a period of time, if all animals in an area have been TNR'ed, the population will decrease to a manageable level.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO??? If you are already feeding cats in your compound, please consider taking this care one step further, by embarking on a TNR program!

(The rest of the article was info specific to our situation in bahrain, but I'm sure you get the idea. It's WONDERFUL what you are doing by feeding and sheltering them, but it will get totally unmanagable if the numbers of cats are not controlled.

[leslie]

Oh dear, be careful regarding "hunting" and cats. They only know how if mom teaches them. If mom is dumped/abandoned, they are not taught and are scavengers of trash (bones and bread and I've seen cats eat paper and leaves and bugs and sticks). I beg to differ on "natural hunting" skills. In all the 10 years of trapping Ive done with jan, not one cat was doing ok with "hunting" (and no feeder involved") they were dying, dehydrated and poops were hard black from eating bugs and sticks. And sick with parasites from what they did eat. (lung worm etc)

[smileyiloveyou]

I went to the Pet store today, and found a filterized cat water bowl! Do you think that would be good for the cats? The water is always on a cycle. It goin in to the bowl and is instantely sucked up in the filter again. More water is always been filtered and poured in the bowl. I though maybe that would avoid germs?! Has anyone used or seen one of these? Do they worked or are they just an over priced water bowl!?

[leslie]

i think if you can empty and wash with soap and water the bowls every other day, that should be good enough!

[jamie123]

I've heard they are nothing that special. However that was from people with out 30 cats haha!!! But i think if u keep the normal bowls sinitary then that would be just as good.!

[catmandu]

I ahve the same problem,as there at at least 6 Cats,who are regulars,on Te Porch! I put out food,for the Hungry Ones,and end up,with the House Cats,that come over,to supplement,thier diets!I do keep,the porch clean,as the smell,would be unbearable,elsewise!

[moosmom]

I have a PetMate filtered fountain for my cats. They LOVE it! I clean it out once a week. I got it on sale at Petco for $19 cuz it didn't have a filter. That was a great deal considering the original cost is $39.99. I simply bought a new filter for it.