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dancerjodiOur little neighborhood stray has been coming around for food every couple of days now that its getting colder out. He cries at our back or front porch and if we're around we'll bring food and water out. We were talking with a friend that's rescued lots of cats in the past who gave us some ideas on building him a warm house for the outside for the winter and had plans to make one http://www.pacthumanesociety.org/core/WinterShelter.htm .
Tonight when he came meowing we noticed a cut on his head between his eye and ear. Its not bad - our old cat Max did something similar when scratching with his back paws before (when we weren't keeping up on trimming nails) but Willie's cut is quite infected. He needs vetinary care, and clearly doesn't belong to someone. I'm assuming he's got different people that are looking in on him. Someone put a flea collar with a bell on him at some point - no tags or anything. The bell is smooshed and the collar (just like he) is filthy.
We can trap him and get him vetinary care, but we can't give him a home. Time to make some calls. http://www.straypetsinneed.info/ (where our cats and buns came from) can't take him but their voicemail suggested that we talk with a local animal control office (which is where they get their animals from). The city doesn't deal with cats because they don't have to legally http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/animal/FAQs.htm and suggested contacting http://www.thecatconnection.org/ . These guys have a voicemail saying that they are overwhelmed and can't help folks calling in about strays themselves but can suggest some no kill shelters. Geez! When I had called the Metrowest Humane Society months back to ask for advice for him they weren't too helpful beyond "geez, poor cat".
Is anyone looking for a cat? The poor guy is missing an eye, half a jaw and who knows how old he is! Its the last kind of kitty anyone would want to adopt. He's very trusting of us though - he comes right up to us, meows at us, rubs on us and when we opened the garage tonight (for a brief moment we thought we'd try and trap him in there until we could get him to a vet but we know the second we opened the door later on he'd run out) he didn't act skittish at all about going in there. He's not feral, but he doesn't seem to belong to anyone either.
For now we have food and water outside for him and one of those makeshift warm houses since we did have some foam and large plastic bins laying around unused. He's using it! We went to Petco to get him one of the http://www.amazon.com/Flexi-Mat-Mysterious-Purr-Padd-pads/dp/B000084EG6 blankets for inside of the smaller box and he came running out of it when the motion light came on when we returned. The poor thing. Perhaps it will make it easier to trap him if it comes to that. We could get him medical treatment and let him back out again, but I'm guessing he'd need antibiotics for a bit (and there wouldn't be an easy way to give them if he's outdoors. We don't have anywhere we could keep him away from our cats save for that garage.
Anyway, if you have any ideas, we'd love them. Here's hoping the Cat Connection folks call back soon also with some ideas.
Tonight when he came meowing we noticed a cut on his head between his eye and ear. Its not bad - our old cat Max did something similar when scratching with his back paws before (when we weren't keeping up on trimming nails) but Willie's cut is quite infected. He needs vetinary care, and clearly doesn't belong to someone. I'm assuming he's got different people that are looking in on him. Someone put a flea collar with a bell on him at some point - no tags or anything. The bell is smooshed and the collar (just like he) is filthy.
We can trap him and get him vetinary care, but we can't give him a home. Time to make some calls. http://www.straypetsinneed.info/ (where our cats and buns came from) can't take him but their voicemail suggested that we talk with a local animal control office (which is where they get their animals from). The city doesn't deal with cats because they don't have to legally http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/animal/FAQs.htm and suggested contacting http://www.thecatconnection.org/ . These guys have a voicemail saying that they are overwhelmed and can't help folks calling in about strays themselves but can suggest some no kill shelters. Geez! When I had called the Metrowest Humane Society months back to ask for advice for him they weren't too helpful beyond "geez, poor cat".
Is anyone looking for a cat? The poor guy is missing an eye, half a jaw and who knows how old he is! Its the last kind of kitty anyone would want to adopt. He's very trusting of us though - he comes right up to us, meows at us, rubs on us and when we opened the garage tonight (for a brief moment we thought we'd try and trap him in there until we could get him to a vet but we know the second we opened the door later on he'd run out) he didn't act skittish at all about going in there. He's not feral, but he doesn't seem to belong to anyone either.
For now we have food and water outside for him and one of those makeshift warm houses since we did have some foam and large plastic bins laying around unused. He's using it! We went to Petco to get him one of the http://www.amazon.com/Flexi-Mat-Mysterious-Purr-Padd-pads/dp/B000084EG6 blankets for inside of the smaller box and he came running out of it when the motion light came on when we returned. The poor thing. Perhaps it will make it easier to trap him if it comes to that. We could get him medical treatment and let him back out again, but I'm guessing he'd need antibiotics for a bit (and there wouldn't be an easy way to give them if he's outdoors. We don't have anywhere we could keep him away from our cats save for that garage.
Anyway, if you have any ideas, we'd love them. Here's hoping the Cat Connection folks call back soon also with some ideas.
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no subject
Date: 2007-11-25 11:50 pm (UTC)Lancaster MA
http://local.yahoo.com/details?id=10048298
No kill shelter
no subject
Date: 2007-11-26 12:15 am (UTC)I have a hav-a-heart trap if you need.
I'll help with vet bills. Seriously.
It might be that he can get antibiotics in his food. Direct to the cut might be preferable, but sometimes the indirect route works too.
Also, CALL Kitty Connection in Medford. # 781-393-9995. A friend just adopted two kittens from them, so I'm hoping that leaves a space open to put another cat IN. Especially if we tell them that his vet care payment is assured (by me), so it won't cost them extra. (I've meant to volunteer with them, and then life intruded for a bit so I didn't start. I hate to start and then have to drop things like that.)
They may know someone who has space to FOSTER Willie just to buy him some time until he's either healed or until someone actually wants him.
This won't be popular, but you know, rather than see him perhaps suffer through winters and illnesses and getting old and infections and who knows what else, I personally don't think it's "cruel" to euthanize an animal and spare them all that when there are no other options.
Do you have an outdoor plug-in? I've got an extra electrokennel pad coming soon (I ordered a few just in case). You can have that.
I also have some leftover FRONTLINE for fleas. One drop on the back of the neck fur once a month. I'll mail you that asap (send me your address again via email).
no subject
Date: 2007-11-26 01:02 am (UTC)if our cats wouldn't tear him to bits, i'd take him in. if we can find some good place to keep him warm and safe in the mean time, that will be idea.
i'm fine with taking him to the vet for a checkup... it's not much $$, and he's a nice kitty. he deserves it.
:)
no subject
Date: 2007-11-26 01:34 am (UTC)poor kitty :(
Date: 2007-11-26 12:17 am (UTC)Re: poor kitty :(
Date: 2007-11-26 12:22 am (UTC)ARL might have ideas/or fosters. They're very dedicated, and well known, so they tend to be booked up solid and can't take more, but it's worth checking.
Re: poor kitty :(
Date: 2007-11-26 12:27 am (UTC)Re: poor kitty :(
Date: 2007-11-26 12:59 am (UTC)i left voicemail with a whole bunch of places tonight. all of the shelters i called had voicemail messages saying that they had no space, which was not encouraging.
i was thinking about making a cat door in my garage door so that he could at least come and go from there. a nice warm enclosure inside there would be better than nothing.
Re: poor kitty :(
Date: 2007-11-26 01:32 am (UTC)*But just an outdoor shelter with pink insulation, straw and a kennel heating pad in a sheltered spot against the house will also keep him very comfy if you don't want to chop your garage door up. It's worked just fine for the feral living in my yard for 12 years now.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-26 05:03 am (UTC)Did I mention what good people you are? Seriously. It's nice to be reminded that there are people out there like you. :)
Try these guys
Date: 2007-11-26 05:15 pm (UTC)Re: Try these guys
Date: 2007-11-26 05:29 pm (UTC)Thanks!
"You don't think your two would habituate to him with time?"
No way. As it is, they have a hard time dealing with each other. :)
no subject
Date: 2007-11-26 06:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-26 09:50 pm (UTC)