Feral With A Badly Cut Ear

[orange&white]

I know it's ridiculous . . . but I just feel totally defeated. This particular feral is one of my favorites and I can't seem to help him, no matter how hard I try. It's beyond upsetting.

You're doing everything you can do for him and more than anyone else is doing. The antibiotics should keep his ear from getting infected, and you can continue to try to trap him for neuter. There's not much else you can do but keep trying. What you are already doing makes you a very special, caring person.

 

[jcat]

How about a sturdy spoon net (fishing net on a frame with a long pole) from a sporting goods store? When we can't get ferals with a trap, we usually work in pairs - one person works the spoon net, and the other pounces on it to hold it down and then forces the cat into a big drawstring bag that you can put directly in a carrier. We wear falconer's gloves and safety goggles. It's not easy, but generally works if you can get within a few feet while the cat is eating. The net could "innocently" stand around within easy reach of the food for a day or two beforehand.

 

[orange&white]

jcat has a great idea! I would never have thought of a net.

 

[surya]

There was a cat at my apartment with mange that would not go into a trap, so I borrowed a big dog carrier and put a bunch of food in it. I let all the cats go in and eat. When the cat I wanted to catch went in, I snuck up and shut the door.

 

[lavishsqualor]

Jcat, your idea was so brilliant! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I went to a sporting goods store this morning and purchased a fishing net then drove to the property where this poor cat is living. I looked everywhere but couldn't find him. I was there all day and even into the night and never caught sight of him. BUT I know that I will soon, and I feel that once I do I can catch him using the net. Your idea was truly inspired and something I would have never thought of. I'm going back tomorrow so hopefully I'll catch him then. You have helped save this poor cat, Jcat, and I am so grateful to you.

Thank you to everyone who responded and gave me advice. I can't tell you how much its appreciated.

 

[jcat]

It's the current head of our local humane association who deserves the appreciation; she's dedicated to helping feral cats and has all sorts of tricks and tools to catch them. I really, really hope this works for you and wish you tons of luck catching this poor guy and getting him treated. Please be careful of your eyes!

If the worst comes to the worst and you can't transfer him to a carrier without him escaping, you might have to tie off the net, wrap a blanket around it and get him to the vet that way. It's a horrible thing to have to do to him, but this might call for desperate measures.

 

[orange&white]

lavishsqualor, Do you have someone who can help you execute this method? Sounds like it may be a 2-person job. I'd offer to help, if it weren't such a long drive from Texas...to anywhere else.

 

[lavishsqualor]

That's so kind of you, orange&white but if I can find him I don't think it's going to be that bad. If I'd had this blasted net last week I would have caught him for sure!

I hung out on the property again today looking for him and never even caught a glimpse. The h2o2 I drenched him in probably stung like the devil so now he's wary of me.

On the drive home I was thinking about offering a reward if a resident is able to successfully trap him. I work as a regional manager for a large property management firm in Orlando and this is one of my properties. I spoke to the property manager today and mentioned it. I'd offer, say, one hundred bucks off someone's rent. The thing is, I don't want anyone to hurt him while trying to catch him. People can be overzealous when there's money involved.

It's a two hour drive each way so it's getting tough. I'm going to call and talk to the maintenance men on the property tomorrow. They may be able to devise something, especially if I offer them a financial incentive.

Thank you so much, orange&white, and everyone else who's contributed on this thread. It means a great deal to me.

I AM GOING TO CATCH THIS CAT!

 

[surya]

That's so kind of you, orange&white but if I can find him I don't think it's going to be that bad. If I'd had this blasted net last week I would have caught him for sure!

I hung out on the property again today looking for him and never even caught a glimpse. The h2o2 I drenched him in probably stung like the devil so now he's wary of me.

On the drive home I was thinking about offering a reward if a resident is able to successfully trap him. I work as a regional manager for a large property management firm in Orlando and this is one of my properties. I spoke to the property manager today and mentioned it. I'd offer, say, one hundred bucks off someone's rent. The thing is, I don't want anyone to hurt him while trying to catch him. People can be overzealous when there's money involved.

It's a two hour drive each way so it's getting tough. I'm going to call and talk to the maintenance men on the property tomorrow. They may be able to devise something, especially if I offer them a financial incentive.

Thank you so much, orange&white, and everyone else who's contributed on this thread. It means a great deal to me.

I AM GOING TO CATCH THIS CAT!

It might back fire on you if people start chasing her around who don't know what they are doing. She may become even harder to catch. I think you just need to give her a week before you try again so she forgets about the h2o2 incident. They do forget. Better to give her yummy treats and make friends with her again.

 

[orange&white]

H2O2 shouldn't burn or sting. The effervescent sound of the foamy and bubbling probably freaked him out a bit, but it surely didn't hurt. The failed blanket attempts have made him wary, I suspect.

I would want to be there in person when the kitty is finally trapped, but enlisting the assistance of a maintenance man or volunteer cat-loving tenant is not a bad idea. Perhaps jcat can go into more detail on how two people coordinate the trapping with a net and getting the cat in a bag, then the carrier. Maybe you could do a phone consult with jcat's director of the humane society for tips.

Of course, you don't want a tenant or employee (or you!) to get injured. You said the cat already gave you a good scratch to the face. Safety first.

 

[surya]

That makes sense Orange&White. When I was worried about an injured stray, somebody told me that these stray cats that make it to adulthood have very strong immune systems, which has allowed them to survive as long as they have, while many others have not. So even though it looks like a very nasty cut, it may be OK. I do think you will catch her with patience. I pray before I go out trapping, it seems to calm me down when I get impatient.

 

[jcat]

Perhaps jcat can go into more detail on how two people coordinate the trapping with a net and getting the cat in a bag, then the carrier. Maybe you could do a phone consult with jcat's director of the humane society for tips.

I'm not sure whether her English would be up to that (we're in Germany)! The tricky part is getting the bag underneath and around the hoop of the net while it's pressed to the ground without the cat escaping. That's why you really need a second person. The cat will usually go into the bag by itself just to get away from you. You quickly pull the drawstrings, put the bag in the carrier, reach in and loosen the strings a bit, if possible, then close the carrier. If you're really lucky, it'll be one of those ferals that freezes when caught. Last year we had one manage to escape the net and literally sail over my head when I tried to corner her (I'm 5'6", so that was an impressive feat).

 

[lavishsqualor]

WE CAUGHT HIM! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!

It was embarrassing how easy it was with the net.

He screamed bloody murder all the way back to Orlando. No matter what I did he just wouldn't quieten down. The poor cat was totally horse by the time we got to my vet's office.

She's going to give him the once over and then hopefully neuter him and take care of his injured ear. I didn't realize how emaciated this poor cat actually was until I picked him up in the net. He's nothing but a bag of bones.

When I took over this property as regional and the residents told me about how someone had poured hot grease on this cat . . . well, my heart just went out to him. The residents said he laid under a bush for weeks crying and that you could smell burned hair and flesh every time you walked by. This is a low income property so no one had any money to help him but they did what they could by feeding him. I've tried numerous times to trap him since then but like I said earlier he's very trap savvy.

My vet said he is probably close to fifteen years old. My goal is to buff him up and then relocate him to my house. I don't know that I'd ever be able to put him inside the house but I could try. I can't imagine the pain and suffering this animal has gone through and I'd like him to live out the remainder of his life in comfort and security.

Thank you to everyone who contributed on this thread! I'll update with a few photos once I get him back from the vet tomorrow.

 

[LotsOfFur]

OMG
I've been watching this thread and am so happy you got him! Your love,compassion and commitment is commendable!!!!!

 

[surya]

Thank you for helping the poor little guy.

 

[orange&white]

Well now. That news just made my day.



So happy for you and the kitty. Quite remarkable!!!

 

[jcat]

That's great news! That poor cat has been through so much; giving him a real home, even as an outdoor cat, is an act of love. Please keep us updated on him.

 

[Geoffrey]

I am a human doctor, not a vet, but the first photo looks much worse than it is because the hydrogen peroxide has been foaming after contact with serum and perhaps blood. The second photo is difficult to interpret, as they usually are, but the cut doesn't seem to be very bad. I suggest that hydrogen peroxide is a good treatment, assuming that you can get it on him.

Antibiotics are only of value if the organisms causing infection are sensitive to the antibiotic. They will be useless if they are not sensitive - but you can't tell without a swab! Whatever there does not seem to be any pus and the wound does not appear to be infected from what I can see of the second photo.

I can't advise on catching him - I have long scratches on the back of my hands from giving my own non-feral cat, Sukie, anti-flea treatment on the back of her neck!!!
With the best of luck,
Geoffrey

 

[Norachan]

I'm so glad you caught him!

One of the feral tom cats I took in had a very similar injury. I think it's quite a common place for cats to get slashed when they fight each other. It looked horrible, but the vet gave him an injection of antibiotics and cleaned it up and it eventually healed.

Please keep us updated on this guys progress. He's had such a tough life, he really deserves a break.

 

[RLG]

I'm hoping the best for you. I understand the heartbreak. Try not to beat yourself up cuz you're doing your best and no reason to get down on yourself. When I do that it makes my worry worse and it makes me less useful (that's me). I care n hate to see animals suffer. Mother Nature sucks sometimes