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- Mar 17, 2012
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We have a cat that started coming around last September. He looked so thin, I started leaving food out for him. He soon took up residence under an MR2 we have covered in the backyard. I noticed that after about a month, he wasn't coming out from under the car. I peaked under and saw that he had a horrible neck injury. I was able to trap him in a humane trap after about two months of trying. He got out of it in about two minutes. As a side note, I have never owned cats before, and this was all new to me. I had never used traps before and think that one side of it was not set up properly. I am sick about that and fear that was my only chance and I blew it. I didn't see him for about a month and a half. Later, I learned that a neighbor had tried to trap him also, and he got out of her trap as well. I called the Friends of Feral Feline group and they suggested a drop trap. They brought it over but he will not go near it, or the other humane trap.
I was finally able to get a vet to give me some medication for his injury. I took a picture of the neck wound, and the vet thinks he either got caught in a fan belt or perhaps had an infected cat bite that abscessed. He has been on amoxicillan and prednisone now for a week, but I am not seeing any improvement yet. I am feeding the cat but he will not let me pet him or touch him. He is now staying under the car 24/7 and not even leaving to go to the bathroom. I am trying to keep it as clean as possible for him, but am at a loss as to what to do. The vet suggested a shot that would knock him out in about seven minutes, but there is no way I could ever get close enough to give him a shot, and if I could, I am afraid he could ditch me in seven minutes and I wouldn't know where he was passed out. I desperately need to get him to the vet but I don't know how to get him to leave the safety of under the car and get him in a trap. I have put salmon and tuna in the trap, and have trapped every other cat in the neighborhood, but he won't go near them. I am afraid if I don't get him to the vet soon to get that neck looked at, he is not going to make it. If anyone has any suggestions, I would SO appreciate it. Our animal control people have been no help at all, and I even called critter catchers just to see if they could help me trap him, but they said all they could do is set the trap. I am actually stunned that he has lasted this long. I never thought catching an injured cat could be so difficult. He is clearly not sensing my "I'm only trying to help you" vibe.
I was finally able to get a vet to give me some medication for his injury. I took a picture of the neck wound, and the vet thinks he either got caught in a fan belt or perhaps had an infected cat bite that abscessed. He has been on amoxicillan and prednisone now for a week, but I am not seeing any improvement yet. I am feeding the cat but he will not let me pet him or touch him. He is now staying under the car 24/7 and not even leaving to go to the bathroom. I am trying to keep it as clean as possible for him, but am at a loss as to what to do. The vet suggested a shot that would knock him out in about seven minutes, but there is no way I could ever get close enough to give him a shot, and if I could, I am afraid he could ditch me in seven minutes and I wouldn't know where he was passed out. I desperately need to get him to the vet but I don't know how to get him to leave the safety of under the car and get him in a trap. I have put salmon and tuna in the trap, and have trapped every other cat in the neighborhood, but he won't go near them. I am afraid if I don't get him to the vet soon to get that neck looked at, he is not going to make it. If anyone has any suggestions, I would SO appreciate it. Our animal control people have been no help at all, and I even called critter catchers just to see if they could help me trap him, but they said all they could do is set the trap. I am actually stunned that he has lasted this long. I never thought catching an injured cat could be so difficult. He is clearly not sensing my "I'm only trying to help you" vibe.