How To Catch A Sick Feral Cat That Wants To Be A More Social Cat

Misty's Guardian

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I have been trying to catch / trap a spayed feral cat that appears to have mange. I have posted about this a few weeks back. My question is: if I would be so lucky to grab her with my hands and put into a shelter cage, would I be risking my health if she bites me? Could she have rabbies? Or somethng worse?
 

FelisCatus

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I have been trying to catch / trap a spayed feral cat that appears to have mange. I have posted about this a few weeks back. My question is: if I would be so lucky to grab her with my hands and put into a shelter cage, would I be risking my health if she bites me? Could she have rabbies? Or somethng worse?
Hi there, most likely she doesn't have rabbies. She most likely does have a variety of things though; ticks, fleas, roundworms... the list goes on and on.

You should never pick up a feral cat you do not know with your hands (even with gloves).

Ask your local feral TNR (Trap Neuter Release) group to borrow one of their humane shelters. They might have you put down a deposit... or even help you catch them.

If you provide your location I can look up a group near you.
 

missy&spikesmom

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Yes, definitely use a humane trap to catch it. If you put a small section of a paper plate inside of it (Cut a large paper plate into 4 pieces like a pie) and put Tuna Fish on it inside the humane trap. Cover the trap with a towel and wait for the kitty to go inside. The door will snap shut behind the kitty, when it goes to eat the Tuna Fish. Do this in the evening, as depending on where you live, the sun may be too warm for it to sit in a trap-cage for long periods of time. Get the cat as soon as possible, to either the shelter or to the Vets to get it spayed and thank you for trying to do this, to make it's life so much better!!
 

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Hi Misty's Guardian !

Seeeesh! There must be hundreds of groups on that site previously referenced!

Try Googling exactly this: "cat rescue miami Florida".

That should narrow the field for you.

And, FelisCatus FelisCatus - this cat is spayed.......what's needed is not a TNR group - it's a rescue organization that can shelter, treat the mange and then evaluate for fostering/socialization/adoption OR release.....IF there's a known caretaker.

Keep us posted, Misty's Guardian.
.
 

FelisCatus

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Hi Misty's Guardian !

Seeeesh! There must be hundreds of groups on that site previously referenced!

Try Googling exactly this: "cat rescue miami Florida".

That should narrow the field for you.

And, FelisCatus FelisCatus - this cat is spayed.......what's needed is not a TNR group - it's a rescue organization that can shelter, treat the mange and then evaluate for fostering/socialization/adoption OR release.....IF there's a known caretaker.

Keep us posted, Misty's Guardian.
.
Yes I saw that they were spayed, I never said anything about getting them spayed?

A TNR group would have knowledge in capturing a stray cat and would most likely help out for free.

My mistake here would have been using the word feral instead of stray, but nitpicking peoples words really doesn’t help much (and makes them feel bad in the process), now does it? The important part is getting this kitty cat the help they need.
 

missy&spikesmom

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Oh sorry! That was I who mentioned getting her spayed. ....long day here, when I posted! But yes, if she gets trapped humanely and brought either to a Vet and/ or good, helpful Shelter who have the funds to help get this poor kitty healthy ( then, hopefully placed in a good home!), would be ideal!!
 

FriendofFerals

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I'm just north of Miami...and a month ago I caught a feral that had an abscessed leg from another cat's bite by playing a game with it. Now, I'd been trying to play with it for a while, with one of those felt ribbon on a stick toys, getting the cat to follow it. Then I got my cat carrier that opens on both ends and played the "peek-a-boo" game and dragged the ribbon/string through it several times until the cat had gone through the tunnel again and again. Then I just waited until he was in the middle and closed off both sides, and away we went. He had to be sedated because he turned into angry feral devil at the vet, but his leg was so bad he would have died if I hadn't caught him. While he was there he got all of his shots updated, and his ears cleaned, and a capstar up the butt along with an antibiotic shot. I thought when we got home and I let him out I'd never see him again but he showed up for his next meal on time and is doing well now. I wouldn't advise "grabbing" a feral. You'd be surprise how strong they are. If you can trap them humanely with food or play like I did, that's a better option.
 

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I've used bare hands to catch ferals....if they're under 5 weeks old :thumbsup:
Even friendly adult feral cats are still feral cats, and once grabbed and restrained will bring out some kind of fight we humans only dream of having. They make black belts look like Shirley Temple.
Remember their bone structure is much different and they can get into and through tiny spaces you wouldn't think a cat that size could, and if you get a "good hold" on an adult feral they can twist, maneuver, turn and do some bad damage to you in an instant.
The humane trap is the best way. The last thing you want is this cat to have a record if your state/ordinance law says that any animal that bites is for any reason is "vicious". If you grab the cat, get bitten, and have no proof of vaccination, the cat may be in hot water.
Disguise the hell out of that trap. Put it between buildings, under a bush, between hay bales, anything you can do to disguise it to the environment to make it hard to detect as a trap.
When the cat goes in and the trap shuts, the cat will probably freak and go from end to end, go upside down in a panic, just be quiet or talk soothing to them. Keep an old tarp or blanket on hand and toss it over the trap. Some cats relax a little if their world goes dark and they can't see what's happening.
 
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Misty's Guardian

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Thank you all for your advice and info. After trying to get the cat to go into a trap like she did back in the summer, after which she was spayed. I now have help from the local shelter to catch her and treat her. I had tried everything they suggested to catch her but this cat is pretty smart and avoids the trap. There appears to be at least 2 other cats around here with much worse cases of mange than the cat I have been trying to catch. The shelter person did trap one of those cats today and took him to get treated. He will be trying to catch the cat I have been trying to catch as well. My "subject" cat wants to be a social cat and I hope to help her to do that. Several weeks ago, after feeding her, she hit me on my hand with a claw, another time with just a touch of her paw (no claw extended), and one time just a nose bump. So I will stay positive and hope for the best.
 

FarmersWife24

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Thank you all for your advice and info. After trying to get the cat to go into a trap like she did back in the summer, after which she was spayed. I now have help from the local shelter to catch her and treat her. I had tried everything they suggested to catch her but this cat is pretty smart and avoids the trap. There appears to be at least 2 other cats around here with much worse cases of mange than the cat I have been trying to catch. The shelter person did trap one of those cats today and took him to get treated. He will be trying to catch the cat I have been trying to catch as well. My "subject" cat wants to be a social cat and I hope to help her to do that. Several weeks ago, after feeding her, she hit me on my hand with a claw, another time with just a touch of her paw (no claw extended), and one time just a nose bump. So I will stay positive and hope for the best.
Lucky is the human who gets a nose bump!
 
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