Catching Ezra and What to Do

[Elphaba09]

For the last couple of nights, my husband and I have been trying to catch a feral-but-maybe-skittish-stray we have been calling Ezra now that we can take it to get spayed or neutered. When it first started coming around, I noticed it has rather short legs and walks with a sort of waddle. My husband calls it Stubz.

Since it is always dark when we see it, we assumed it was a dwarf. Yesterday afternoon, my neighbor told me that the "short" cat was under my porch, so I went out with a can of wet food for it and put it in our feral house on the porch. When it waddled up, I noticed that its front legs are rather bent and bowed. They are still short looking, but they are definitely bowed. Its back legs look just a little shorter than a normal cat. If it is not feral, we will see if it is chipped and keep it if it is not. I am worried that if it is an actual feral that it will not be able to live outside because it struggles to get around. It seems wrong to euthanize it, so I am trying to come up with ideas as to what I might be able to do to keep it safe if it is a feral.

We have a big yard with a few feral houses on the property; however, with its difficulty getting around, I am worried about coyotes and cars. We have few loose dogs around, so that is less of an issue, but still an issue.

If anyone has some ideas as to how to make Ezra safer if it is a feral, I would appreciate it.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I really can't help with any suggestions, as this cat is particularly vulnerable. Anything that you would set up for it to easily access could also be intruded upon by coyotes, dogs, cats, or other wildlife. How old do you think it is, and how skinny is it? And, if it has only been around a couple of days or so, it likely has been abandoned because of its disabilities. Are you a position to trap it and house it? If so, please do it. Ezra/Stubz needs some help. Glad you are looking out after this cat the best you can. Hope other members can offer you some ideas/suggestions. I just wanted to acknowledge your post and thank you for caring.

 

[Norachan]

If she's already coming up to you for food you're about half way there with getting her socialised enough to live indoors. Most of mine started off as totally untouchable, but they came round with time.

If she seems really unhappy indoors, even after weeks of trying, could you make her an enclosed catio that she could live in?

It can sometimes take a while with feral cats, but they usually appreciate the safety, comfort and regular food that comes with living indoors.

First thing is to get her trapped and seen by a vet, of course. Do you have a large crate or a spare room she could live in while you see how sociable she is?

 

[Elphaba09]

Hi. I really can't help with any suggestions, as this cat is particularly vulnerable. Anything that you would set up for it to easily access could also be intruded upon by coyotes, dogs, cats, or other wildlife. How old do you think it is, and how skinny is it? And, if it has only been around a couple of days or so, it likely has been abandoned because of its disabilities. Are you a position to trap it and house it? If so, please do it. Ezra/Stubz needs some help. Glad you are looking out after this cat the best you can. Hope other members can offer you some ideas/suggestions. I just wanted to acknowledge your post and thank you for caring.

I agree that it was likely abandoned due to its disability if it is not a feral, which I do not think it is. Poor baby!

It is hard to age because of the size; however, I would say its a young adult. It has been coming around for about a month, but there was no point catching it until I could safely take it to the vet. We have nine other cats in the house and an unfixed cat might disrupt things, not to mention other diseases and parasites. It was on the thin side to start, not skinny, just a bit too thin. It has gained weight over the last month because I have food at the ready and give it wet food every night. Other cats come to the porch. When they do, Ezra just sits back and watches them.

We can trap and house it, as we have a partially finished basement where we have always housed our other cats when we first caught/got them. We have a room that we use for fostering, but currently, my son has his stuff in there while he and his fiancee prepare to buy a house in the next couple of months. If it is not feral, we will work with acclimating it while in the basement. We have a door barrier that will let them see each other when the time comes.

 

[Elphaba09]

If she's already coming up to you for food you're about half way there with getting her socialised enough to live indoors. Most of mine started off as totally untouchable, but they came round with time.

If she seems really unhappy indoors, even after weeks of trying, could you make her an enclosed catio that she could live in?

It can sometimes take a while with feral cats, but they usually appreciate the safety, comfort and regular food that comes with living indoors.

First thing is to get her trapped and seen by a vet, of course. Do you have a large crate or a spare room she could live in while you see how sociable she is?

Most of mine started that way, too, so we are prepared, just in case. I just feel so bad for Ezra because it is hard for it to get around.

I have been speaking to my son and husband as to how we might make a catio or something like that. We are going to try again tomorrow night. I have my grandson tomorrow, so there is no way I can manage to go to the vet. I have a difficult enough time not falling while carrying just the carrier, let alone a 16 lbs baby in a car seat! Haha! We have a partially finished basement that we used for acclimating our other cats when we found/got them.

My son and his fiancee are about to buy a house and are taking two of the nine with them, so one more here will not make much of a difference. (They want to take a third one, but the reason they can take the two is that those particular two are very attached to my son and his fiancee So much so that Estella acts like a brat when my son is not home. When they are gone for a weekend, she "sacrifices" toilet paper rolls in front of their door. His fiancee loves Silas, though, and says that she is going to smuggle him out.)

 

[Norachan]

When they are gone for a weekend, she "sacrifices" toilet paper rolls in front of their door.

Oh Lord, talk about making a statement!

It sounds like you have a plan for Ezra already. I'm glad she found someone like you to watch out for her. Please keep us updated, I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes.

 

[fionasmom]

Having been in similar situations, I would go ahead with the plan that you have. It is a good first step, most humane and kind to Ezra, and if other issues arise you can evaluate at that point. For the most part, I have only owned former ferals with the exception of friendly strays who were obviously dumped by their owner. As I said someplace yesterday here, I have never even made it to the humane society to adopt a cat. You seem to be at least part way there with Ezra given the interest in food.

 

[Elphaba09]

Here is Ezra ignoring the trap that is about four feet to the left. (S)he had been sniffing around it and trying to get the food inside because I put his/her favorite wet food in it, but then walked in front of the window and looked at me. (S)he then went and sat by the step for twenty minutes. (S)he then hobbled off to under the porch. This is how it has been going since Thursday. Except, yesterday (s)he seemed to be breathing very heavily and had no interest in food. Around 3 am, (s)he disappeared from under the porch. (I had been checking every 40-60 minutes.) I unlatched the trap around 5 when I went to bed and reset it when I got up around 11:30.

I know that (s)he probably just went elsewhere for a bit; however, I just keep thinking about Linden, my feral that I became exceptionally attached to previously. He was an actual feral, not a stray like I believe Ezra to be. Linden disappeared for a few weeks and then came back, Two weeks later, he was hit by a car a couple of streets over. Linden was a healthy, fast cat who had been coming around for years. Ezra is not fast or as healthy looking. So, I have myself all worked up and feeling sick.

I know it can take forever to catch certain cats. I have trapped many for TNR, including Linden. This one has just been extra distressing, especially since I noticed his odd breathing yesterday.

This picture was taken through weatherproof plastic, a window, and a screen, so it is not the best quality. He looks normal size until he stands. His back legs look almost normal, but his front legs are so tiny and bowed.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Oh, how sad! I think you need to escalate your plans to trap Ezra, in light of the new breathing issue. Maybe a much larger crate you could rent/borrow - one that doesn't look so much like a cage? Ideally, it would open from both sides, so you could place a smaller cage/trap against the one side, in the hopes Ezra would move to that space?

 

[Elphaba09]

I am trying to figure out how to make a trap door for the house on the porch. The other option is to wait until (s)he is under the porch, somehow block off all exits but one that leads into the trap and then cover the trap. I just do not know how to do that without scaring him/her. Or what I would even us. I have no idea where I would rent a larger one, especially now, but we live at least twenty minutes from anywhere that might have one to rent. Even then, I have no idea who to call. All the shelters nearby are closed. I called my friends and fellow cat rescuers in the area. We all have the same basic size trap.

When (s)he was in the house, I was able to put my hand in about three/four inches away from her/him. You would think I could have caught her/him, but slow as (s)he is, I am slower and my disability makes it hard to bend and balance at the same time. I thought about sitting in front of the house and getting her/him that way, but then I would not be able to stand up. My husband was at work at the time, so I would have been sitting for several hours holding Ezra, who would not have been a happy cat.

I have been watching Youtube videos about trapping--many of them are distressing to me because they are not trapping to save cats--for alternative methods. I am half tempted to have my neighbor post something on Facebook for me to ask the local trap hunters if one could come and set up something other than the cage.

 

[Elphaba09]

This is the house. Does anyone have any ideas? There are three other regular ferals that come and a family of skunks that stop by occasionally, so I have to be mindful of that. Thankfully, the skunks are kind of use to me accidentally walking outside when they are there and do not spray me, but I think things might be different if a door catches them. In the trap, the smell would eventually dissipate. In the house, however, it would be a disaster.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I thought about sitting in front of the house and getting her/him that way, but then I would not be able to stand up. My husband was at work at the time, so I would have been sitting for several hours holding Ezra, who would not have been a happy cat.

What if you were to hide the trap under a cover near enough to you to be able to pull it toward you, and then grab him/her, pull the trap over to you, put Ezra into it, and then be able to stand up with Ezra in the trap and not on your lap? Might that work? Maybe your neighbor could help get Ezra into your basement - isn't that where you were planning on holding him/her?

I am half tempted to have my neighbor post something on Facebook for me to ask the local trap hunters if one could come and set up something other than the cage.

Don't just be tempted, do it!! See what they come up with - you don't have to go along with it if it turns out it doesn't work for you.

I hope other members that have been through similar situations come along soon and offer some better ideas than me!!!

 

[Elphaba09]

What if you were to hide the trap under a cover near enough to you to be able to pull it toward you, and then grab him/her, pull the trap over to you, put Ezra into it, and then be able to stand up with Ezra in the trap and not on your lap? Might that work? Maybe your neighbor could help get Ezra into your basement - isn't that where you were planning on holding him/her?

Don't just be tempted, do it!! See what they come up with - you don't have to go along with it if it turns out it doesn't work for you.

I hope other members that have been through similar situations come along soon and offer some better ideas than me!!!

Why did I not think of that yesterday! I mean, the trap is inches away from the house! Even if they could just help me get him/her into the house, I could put the trap in my room and get the other cats out until my husband or son came home. Oh my goodness, I am an idiot!

I will try to get a hold of my neighbor. I think she might be visiting her mom at the moment and would not want to interrupt on Mother's Day.

If I see my other neighbor, I might ask him if he has any cage or trap we could use. We do not talk, but we are not on unfriendly terms. He has a show dog, so maybe he has a spare cage?

I tried telling my cats to go under the porch and tell Ezra that inside is nice and warm and full of love, but none of them listened to me. They do not want to go outside, and they are always apprehensive about getting new brothers or sisters in the beginning!

I am about to go pick my grandson up from his dad because he has to work and my daughter is delayed at work. I have my son and his fiancee on Ezra watch. Honestly, I hope Ezra comes while they are watching because my son is faster, more agile, and can sneak up easier than I can. He claims he is opposed to another cat, but he has said that about the last three. Besides, they are moving soon and taking two of my cats. And, his fiancee is 100% for catching Ezra. He can deny her nothing, so I am pretty sure that if Ezra comes whilst I am gone that at the very least, a valiant attempt will be made to catch him.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Please keep us posted. With any luck when you return you will have poor little Ezra in your house!! Or, if not, members on this site will have responded with some other tricks you might be able to try.

 

[fionasmom]

These situations are all incredibly hard to deal with, especially when you have the worry of the cat's well being on top of the difficulty trapping.

It sounds as if you have a plan in place that might work with some help from others, so I would try that first. As for calling professional trappers/exterminators/pest control services, it is not a bad idea. Many won't do cats, some might. There is one here who will trap cats and take them to the shelter or give them to the person requesting the trapping. As you found with the videos, you also might get some people who are trapping for entirely different reasons which you will have to ignore as long as they can help you with Ezra.

 

[Elphaba09]

There may have been a sighting of Ezra! A few streets away, a woman said that she is pretty sure that she saw him/her two nights ago. She said that if it is not Ezra than there is another cat with short, bowed legs. She is keeping an eye out for him/her. I have a few offers to help me trap him/her, if it really is Ezra! If it is another stray with short, bowed legs, we plan on catching it, too.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Any news?

I am reading another thread about a condition that might apply to Ezra/Stubz - see link below. If it does, and depending on his age, there might not be much that can be done to straighten out his legs, but he can still live a good life as an indoor cat.
Kitten with Swimmer's Syndrome - anyone know an expert willing to consult via video?

 

[Elphaba09]

None yet, sadly.

It might be that, but Ezra's legs bow out and then curve back in more like this: