My husband went to get some dinner earlier this evening and while he was there he spotted a cat that seemed injured. He went to it and was actually able to get pretty close by tossing some of our food, but not close enough to do anything meaningful. He left and came home and told me about it... it was going to be cold tonight...
We couldn't stop thinking about him/her (still not sure what it is). So after we ate we gathered up some meager supplies... a collapsible carrier, a blanket and a can of tuna. We drove around for about 20 minutes before we found them again, behind the place he was before. We sat and tossed him tuna for nearly an hour, the closest he would come was 4ft or so. We set up the carrier and made a line up tuna all the way to the back, where we sat the bowl, and eventually, he slowly inched his way back. Once he was all the way in, we flipped it up and got them in the car. There was actually MUCH less flailing and meowing then I expected, and they don't seem nearly as scared as I would expect of a "true feral" cat.
Once we got home we took him to our guest room (aka our dogs room) and let him out in there. Put down a litter box, water, food, and a cardboard box with a towel in it. Right now they've just stuffed themselves sadly in a corner behind a pillow and hasn't come out. His front right leg/foot is obviously injured, he is limping and when they were sitting a few times it was just curled under. I am worried it is an old injury that has healed wrong, as there is no visible sore that I can see, but it is certainly bothering them a lot. The plan right now is to go to the vet Monday, tomorrow would be an emergency fee and our funds can't even afford a regular fee but we're going anyway... of course, if he seems worse tomorrow we'll go.
Is there anything else I should do? Should we stay out of the room, or try to encourage them at all ? I have only ever dealt with stray dogs that just want you to cuddle immediately.
Only two pictures for now - the one hubby sent me, you can sort of see the paw being held weird, and then once he was in the room, before hiding.
I'm sort of in a "okay...I didn't expect that to work, WHAT NOW" mode!!
We couldn't stop thinking about him/her (still not sure what it is). So after we ate we gathered up some meager supplies... a collapsible carrier, a blanket and a can of tuna. We drove around for about 20 minutes before we found them again, behind the place he was before. We sat and tossed him tuna for nearly an hour, the closest he would come was 4ft or so. We set up the carrier and made a line up tuna all the way to the back, where we sat the bowl, and eventually, he slowly inched his way back. Once he was all the way in, we flipped it up and got them in the car. There was actually MUCH less flailing and meowing then I expected, and they don't seem nearly as scared as I would expect of a "true feral" cat.
Once we got home we took him to our guest room (aka our dogs room) and let him out in there. Put down a litter box, water, food, and a cardboard box with a towel in it. Right now they've just stuffed themselves sadly in a corner behind a pillow and hasn't come out. His front right leg/foot is obviously injured, he is limping and when they were sitting a few times it was just curled under. I am worried it is an old injury that has healed wrong, as there is no visible sore that I can see, but it is certainly bothering them a lot. The plan right now is to go to the vet Monday, tomorrow would be an emergency fee and our funds can't even afford a regular fee but we're going anyway... of course, if he seems worse tomorrow we'll go.
Is there anything else I should do? Should we stay out of the room, or try to encourage them at all ? I have only ever dealt with stray dogs that just want you to cuddle immediately.
Only two pictures for now - the one hubby sent me, you can sort of see the paw being held weird, and then once he was in the room, before hiding.
I'm sort of in a "okay...I didn't expect that to work, WHAT NOW" mode!!