It's A Good Feeling . . .

[lynnestankard]

OH LOTS AND LOTS OF LUCK AVAJOY

Hope you get her in the carrier without too much trauma - but it has to be done - cruel to be kind and all that. Thinking of you.


Lynne

[Logan]

Best of luck, Avajoy. I hope you can get her in without too much fuss!

[lizbud]

Sometimes I have had to delay an expected meal to
lure a kitty into the carrier for treatment. After she's
waited some hours pass the normal feeding time, give
her some canned food inside the carrier. Push it to the
back and be ready to close the door when she goes in.
It's really a balancing act on your part, as you have to
actually act like "nothing special" is going on.Just keep
in mind how this will help her, and no matter what happens
try to keep your voice, soft & sing-song like. Best of Luck.
I know you can do it, and she'll thank you for it later.

[AvaJoy]

Well . . . as it turned out, getting her into the carrier was the LEAST of my problems . . . the vet visit was a total FIASCO!!

After a 45 minute wait, the vet finally got to us. The vet thought it best to take apart the carrier so she could be removed from above. (It is one of those plastic carriers with steel door at one end). She told the assistant to put towel over Muskrat's head as soon as she removed the top, but the girl was not "with it", so the moment Muskrat saw daylight from above she jumped out OVER the carrier AND the examining table onto the floor and skittered into a corner of the room behind some plastic stackable bins on wheels. From back there, she could have crawled through a tiny space behind an immoveable built in desk and the wall, so the vet quickly found something to slide back to prevent this. She had also closed and locked the door to the examining room beforehand, which was now a welcome precaution. To make a long story short, the stackable bins were wheeled out just far enough so that she could not escape, and the reassembled carrier was placed by her with the door opened, and the vet used a towel to coax my poor little frightened girl back into her carrier.

She was never examined (vet proclaimed her too wild and scared, and inquired if I had a video camera to take movies of her leg . . . oh, PULEEESE!!!!) and yet they wanted to charge me for a "Brief Exam" . . . Hah! The vet did give me antibiotic pills to crush and put in her food once a day on the assumption that the leg is probably infected. If I had known the assistant was such an air-head then I would have volunteered to take her out myself through the steel door, and she wouldn't have gone through all this trauma. I kept my distance, assuming the vet and tech had experience handling uncooperative cats, and I also did not want Muskrat to associate me with this unpleasantness which would possibly outdo all the trust she had gained in me.

I just don't understand why the vet couldn't have taken better control of the situation . . . I have always had much respect and confidence in her . . . I brought Muskrat to be examined, and she was not, and I'm extremely disappointed. How did they handle her when I first presented her for spaying??? Don't they have long heavy gloves to handle ferals?? I did find out that another vet (who owns the practice) was on hand then, and different vet techs as well . . . so now I will know to request her.

Despite the nightmare experience, little Muskrat is more affectionate and trusting than ever, and i don't need the brush to approach her for petting anymore!!! She is my little dollbaby.

My goal: I look forward to the day when she climbs onto my lap and lets me give her a little kiss on her head.

[lizbud]

Avajoy,

I'm so sorry that the Vet visit didn't go better. Did this
Vet know that this kitty was "fresh-caught" and not yet
socialized? It must have been horrible for you to see her
freak-out like that. I use a different Vet for my kitties than
I do for my dog , only because the cat Vet has more experience
with semi-ferals. I'm glad that" Musky" doesn't hold it against
you. I'm thinking she will do just fine. You have earned her
trust...

[AvaJoy]

Thanks, Lizbud . . . you know, maybe this vet just didn't want to deal with the hassle because she was exhausted from being so far behind schedule . . . I try to give people the benefit of the doubt . . . too often for my own good, actually.

I would love to locate a Feline Specialist Vet in the area, but don't know of any . . . this clinic is only down the road about 5 minutes away so the convenience just can't be beat . . . and usually the care given is excellent . . . I will try to take Musky back for an appt. with the vet that spayed her and if I'm not happy with the outcome I will have no choice but to find another more competent practice.

Oh! I have pix of Muskrat and will post them over the weekend!

[lynnestankard]

Oh Avajoy I'm so sorry the vet visit was such a shambles. Poor you and poor Muskrat {{{{{}}}}}.
She must have been terrified. All your good work down to nothing! Makes me feel angry.
As long as she's still fine with you thats good. Hope things go better next time. Fingers crossed.

Lynne

[lizbud]

Avajoy,

Just a thought, but I got my kitty vet's name
from the local Cat Rescue group called Cat's
Haven. Maybe you could contact a group near you
and ask for vet's names.

[AvaJoy]

Today, Muskrat let me put a collar on her . . . she was intrigued by the bell and kept trying to bat at it . . . last night when hubby and I were sitting outside on the patio with a fire in the chimnea we could hear her in the barn playing with her bell/ball/thingy on an eleastic string that I had tied to the top of her cage so it would hang down for her entertainment . . . I have also tempted her to play with a feather teaser on a stick, so she is feeling much, much better and I'm very much relieved and happy for my little rescue girl!

Her she is!!!!! The first photo is after she was beginning to get used to me (notice the alert ears), and the second is the morning after she was first trapped (not a happy camper!). Today I took about 10 photos of her, so when I get the film developed there should be better ones to come.

[AvaJoy]

Muskrat is doing so well and her leg is healing nicely, thanks to the antibiotics. She is anxious to play every evening! She's used to me pulling/rubbing the scruff of her neck, so it is easy for me to move her and now I have the confidence to handle her myself when I take her back to the vet. So she could have more room to play, I tried putting her on my screened in porch but she hid in a corner and was so relieved when I loaded her back in the carrier and put her back into her cage in the barn. She is still very frightened around unfamiliar people and places, but she is so affectionate and trusting with me that I have every reason to believe that I can help her overcome her shyness eventually.

I have not seen Debra's Mom in several days, but there is a new solid white (or probably cream) cat that has been coming around for the past few nights. At first I thought it might be Sasquatch, but no. He/she is not feral; while eating I can get within 2 feet so she should be a cinch to trap. I call her Moonglow, because on the first night that I saw her the moon was shining down, highlighting her beautiful coat . . . I don't think she has blue eyes, but it is usually dusk/dark when she comes so I'm not sure. Could be almost a year old and seems to be in good condition. I think I spotted "cotton balls", so probably Moonglow is a young boy. After the holiday weekend, I will bring out the trap and try my hand once again!

[SANDY FROST]

BRAVO! A GREAT JOB WELL DONE!
Sandy Frost

[lovemymaltese]

Good job, that is wonderful!

[AvaJoy]

Thanks for the encouragement!

Moonglow seems to be staying in the back yard and not wandering . . . I've seen him in daylight and he is solid white and has moon-yellow eyes. The other night he and Debra's Mom had a posturing stand-off, with Moonglow deferring to DM. But since then I have not seen DM, and Moonglow appears at the feeding area long before dusk, anxious for dinner. Tonight I put the trap out (closed) just to get him used to seeing it, and he had no problem eating right next to the trap. Tomorrow night I think I will set the trap . . .

I bought one of those large ferret hammocks for Muskrat's cage, and she loves snugglling in it! She is only about 6 lbs. so it is perfect for her. She does have trouble jumping up onto it because of her bum leg, but she is no longer tipping over her water bowl in the process, so she has gotten the hang of it.

Over the weekend I had her on my lap in my hammock for a little while, making sure to keep a light hold on the scruff of her neck in case she spooked, but she was not afraid and I'm so PROUD of her!!!

[mruffruff]

Anxiously waiting for more news.........

How is Muskrat progressing? And have you managed to trap Moonglow?

Mary

[lovemymaltese]

You have done a great job!