- Joined
- Dec 1, 2018
- Messages
- 21
- Purraise
- 36
Hello, everyone!
As you might be able to tell, I am a new user. I've been looking around to speak with some folks who have lots of experience handling cats, particularly feral ones as recently my porch has become home to four young cats.
Below, I will share my history with these feral cats and afterwards my questions and concerns. Please forgive me for any uneducated decision or attitude I have, as this is honestly my first real experience with cats and especially with them being feral.
I do apologize for the length of the post, and you are free to skim through the story section just to where the interactions last Thanksgiving began.
Begin History
A few months ago in the summer, I had the pleasure of coming into contact with a female feral cat that decided to visit me on my property. She always kept a reasonable distance, at least six feet, though there were a few occasions where she'd come near me and let me pet her, usually when I was sitting in a lawn chair. I fed her off and on for a few weeks, and she looked reasonably healthy.
One day, I noticed weird noise that sounded a bit like chirping coming from a box nearby. I thought there was some bird that had made a nest in the box, but it turned out to be a litter of kittens! Apparently that cat was a pregnant mama, and I hadn't noticed. Well, one day when the mama wasn't around, I decided to go investigate the box and there was a hole, and I had a bunch of these cute kittens come out and investigate this strange looking human! A few of them were friendly, and a couple didn't come anywhere near me.
Well, as lovely as that event was, I noticed the next day that the kittens has completely disappeared! I didn't see the mother for a long time after that, only once after actually. I guess she didn't like me getting near them, though I don't recall handling them.
First Contact
Anyway, the point of this all is that last Thursday on Thanksgiving, approximately three to five months later, I see four small cats on my porch! I can only assume they were part of that litter I had once witnessed, as the colors seem to match up (two orange, one grey/white, one Calico).
I have never had the opportunity to play with or handle cats like this in my life, so excitedly (and somewhat foolishly), I went outside in forty degree weather, barefoot and without any real protective clothing, just to play with them. Strangely enough, they would let me pet and handle them without issue, and of course I only attempted this if they felt comfortable first. I did this for about two days. They generally let me pet them and love to run in and out from between my legs, often rubbing against me. Some exposure their bellies so I could pet them there. They also have a tendency to nibble at my toes and fingers, which causes a concern that I will now get into.
On Sunday, one of them scratched me on the finger, and I have other scratches on my arm and finger which may or may not be related to them. I didn't think anything of it at the time until I was told by a family member that I should watch out for potential diseases. I don't recall washing my hands all that well either. It wasn't until tomorrow that I realized there is a chance that the cats may be contagious with rabies, and over the last week this has greatly worried me both for my sake and the cats.
As a result, I've largely limited contact with them, which breaks my heart because they are and were so lovely, but it just scares me too much. Perhaps irrationally so, which is why I'm here to ask about the cats, their health, and what I can and should do.
End Story
As I mentioned I was scratched, I wanted to know what risk, if any, there might be of these cats having been contagious with rabies. None of my exposures have drawn blood, but my research has shown that non-bite and non-bloody exposures can still be dangerous. Rabies isn't very common in my area at all, and most "experts" with whom I've spoken do not seem to be very knowledgeable in the subject or about cats in general. I have read online that otherwise healthy cats can still be contagious for a period, though the length of that period is never very consistent.
I am aware of the ten day observation period, and tomorrow evening will mark that point since Thanksgiving, but I am concerned that my observations haven't been close enough For one, I have not been able to confine them, so they are still exposed to the wild and out of my sight for the majority of the day. I can say that when I do see them, generally when I tap the window to have them rush towards the porch, they look health, active, and overall fine. The Calico is often absent as the most distant or skittish of the bunch, which may or may not have been caused by my dog's incessant barking.
My plan is to keep them for at least another week doing this sort of amateurish observation, though I still worry about missing potential warning signs due to the lack of confinement and security.
Though in an ideal circumstance I would love to own these cats, I'm afraid it's not an option given my current living situation. I do want to do what I can to find them a place that will take care of them and not dump them off with animal control that will almost certainly have them euthanized.
With all this being said:
Question Shortlist
I do apologize for the long winded post, especially as it is my first contribution here. I simply do not know that much about cats, and oftentimes my fears overwhelm me.
Thank you for your time and any help you can provide!
As you might be able to tell, I am a new user. I've been looking around to speak with some folks who have lots of experience handling cats, particularly feral ones as recently my porch has become home to four young cats.
Below, I will share my history with these feral cats and afterwards my questions and concerns. Please forgive me for any uneducated decision or attitude I have, as this is honestly my first real experience with cats and especially with them being feral.
I do apologize for the length of the post, and you are free to skim through the story section just to where the interactions last Thanksgiving began.
Begin History
A few months ago in the summer, I had the pleasure of coming into contact with a female feral cat that decided to visit me on my property. She always kept a reasonable distance, at least six feet, though there were a few occasions where she'd come near me and let me pet her, usually when I was sitting in a lawn chair. I fed her off and on for a few weeks, and she looked reasonably healthy.
One day, I noticed weird noise that sounded a bit like chirping coming from a box nearby. I thought there was some bird that had made a nest in the box, but it turned out to be a litter of kittens! Apparently that cat was a pregnant mama, and I hadn't noticed. Well, one day when the mama wasn't around, I decided to go investigate the box and there was a hole, and I had a bunch of these cute kittens come out and investigate this strange looking human! A few of them were friendly, and a couple didn't come anywhere near me.
Well, as lovely as that event was, I noticed the next day that the kittens has completely disappeared! I didn't see the mother for a long time after that, only once after actually. I guess she didn't like me getting near them, though I don't recall handling them.
First Contact
Anyway, the point of this all is that last Thursday on Thanksgiving, approximately three to five months later, I see four small cats on my porch! I can only assume they were part of that litter I had once witnessed, as the colors seem to match up (two orange, one grey/white, one Calico).
I have never had the opportunity to play with or handle cats like this in my life, so excitedly (and somewhat foolishly), I went outside in forty degree weather, barefoot and without any real protective clothing, just to play with them. Strangely enough, they would let me pet and handle them without issue, and of course I only attempted this if they felt comfortable first. I did this for about two days. They generally let me pet them and love to run in and out from between my legs, often rubbing against me. Some exposure their bellies so I could pet them there. They also have a tendency to nibble at my toes and fingers, which causes a concern that I will now get into.
On Sunday, one of them scratched me on the finger, and I have other scratches on my arm and finger which may or may not be related to them. I didn't think anything of it at the time until I was told by a family member that I should watch out for potential diseases. I don't recall washing my hands all that well either. It wasn't until tomorrow that I realized there is a chance that the cats may be contagious with rabies, and over the last week this has greatly worried me both for my sake and the cats.
As a result, I've largely limited contact with them, which breaks my heart because they are and were so lovely, but it just scares me too much. Perhaps irrationally so, which is why I'm here to ask about the cats, their health, and what I can and should do.
End Story
As I mentioned I was scratched, I wanted to know what risk, if any, there might be of these cats having been contagious with rabies. None of my exposures have drawn blood, but my research has shown that non-bite and non-bloody exposures can still be dangerous. Rabies isn't very common in my area at all, and most "experts" with whom I've spoken do not seem to be very knowledgeable in the subject or about cats in general. I have read online that otherwise healthy cats can still be contagious for a period, though the length of that period is never very consistent.
I am aware of the ten day observation period, and tomorrow evening will mark that point since Thanksgiving, but I am concerned that my observations haven't been close enough For one, I have not been able to confine them, so they are still exposed to the wild and out of my sight for the majority of the day. I can say that when I do see them, generally when I tap the window to have them rush towards the porch, they look health, active, and overall fine. The Calico is often absent as the most distant or skittish of the bunch, which may or may not have been caused by my dog's incessant barking.
My plan is to keep them for at least another week doing this sort of amateurish observation, though I still worry about missing potential warning signs due to the lack of confinement and security.
Though in an ideal circumstance I would love to own these cats, I'm afraid it's not an option given my current living situation. I do want to do what I can to find them a place that will take care of them and not dump them off with animal control that will almost certainly have them euthanized.
With all this being said:
Question Shortlist
- What sort of signs should I be aware of when determining if the cats might show signs of rabies? Are scratches and licks really cause for concern? Is my lackluster observation satisfactory enough? Will having witnessed them for 10-16 days be enough to determine that they are (and subsequently I am) okay?
- Is the behavior of these cats normal? Most sources for feral cats I see state that they are generally adverse to humans. If this is abnormal, is it a cause for concern or indicative of potential sickness?
- What sort of procedures should I follow to ensure these cats are safely removed and cared for afterwards? Is there something I should specifically ask for with shelters or rescues around here? I've seen "TNR" thrown around online, but searches specific to my area do not seem to show anything.
I do apologize for the long winded post, especially as it is my first contribution here. I simply do not know that much about cats, and oftentimes my fears overwhelm me.
Thank you for your time and any help you can provide!