Feral Cat With Huge Mats

[adriennes]

So, a bit of background.... When we moved into our house, there was a pregnant feral cat on the property. She had her kittens, and the family started hanging around our place. Then the mom (Aggie) got pregnant again. I contacted a local shelter, and they suggested that the cats enter the TNR program. The cats were all successfully trapped and spayed/neutered, with the exception of Aggie, who I agreed to foster until the kittens were born. She had to remain caged, because she was terrified and very aggressive. Once night, she somehow squeezed through the bars of the cage and escaped into the basement. This put her into premature labour, and none of the kittens survived. I can't even describe how devastated I was for her, and the guilt I felt! Afterwards, she was also spayed, and returned outside, but she harbours a very deep resentment towards me. (Understandably).

Fast forward one year. The four cats (Aggie, Frankie, Rusty, and Ghost) stay around our property for the most part. I feed them, de-worm them, have built shelters for them, and spend as much time with them as they'll let me. We've progressed to the point that I can pat Ghost and Frankie while they're eating. (Otherwise they keep their distance). I love these cats like I love my four indoor cats, and do as best I can to keep them safe, warm, and well-fed.

Aggie is apparently part Maine Coon, according to the vet. She has incredibly thick and long fur. I noticed the other day that she's losing her winter fur, which has allowed me to see what lies underneath. And it's heartbreaking. All along her back, her sides, around her ears.... it's all huge mats. Some of it is actually hanging there in chunks. I was able to touch her the other day (although I got hissed at and slapped), and it's just lumps EVERYWHERE. The discomfort has got to be incredible. As much as I wanted to avoid the stress of trapping her and putting her through all that again - and risking destroying the tentative bond we're developing - I tried. And she's not having any of it. There's no WAY she'll go near any sort of trap, no matter how well disguised it is, and how tempting the treats are. (Which our trapper from the shelter warned me about - he said it would be near impossible to make her fall for that again). So I'm stuck. How do I help a cat that refuses to fall for a trap, and who won't really let me touch her? Those mats look so painful. Any suggestions?

 

[ondine]

Thank you so much for all you've done for this little family. Many people would not have bothered, so blessings on you!

Mats are very painful - and dangerous. They will eventually tear into her skin and she'll get infected. There was a cat in our old neighborhood that we were completely unaware of who died from infected mats. It was a slow, painful death.

Some solutions come to mind. Have you tried a drop trap? It is basically a wire box up on a stick. When the cat goes under to eat, you pull the stick and she's trapped. They are pricey, so you might look around for one to borrow.

You can also modify a large dog crate as a trap. Tie a length of twine to the door, loop it through the top of the crate and walk away with the other end to a good hiding spot. Put the plate of food at the back of the crate and wait until she goes in. Pull the twine and close the door slowly. It works best if you have a cohort to run and secure the door.

If none of these is feasible, talk to your vet about possible tranquilizers you can use. I'm pretty sure they won't sure a tranq gun, as she will run off once she feels the dart and you might not find her. But there might be something the vet can give you to put in her food.

Good luck. Keep us posted!

 

[shadowsrescue]

Thank you so much for caring for her. This may be an ongoing problem for her. Have you tried a drop trap? If you are able to catch her again I would suggest trying to make her an inside only cat. This takes lots of time and patience but it can be done. I have brought two inside to socialize. Both over the age of 3.

If you do catch her and get the mats taken care of and then release her again this problem will just persist.

 

[adriennes]

Thanks for the responses! Yes, a drop trap was how we finally caught her the first time. She wouldn't go near the other traps. But now she won't go near anything. Even covered with a blanket, loaded with fish, bacon, and treats inside. It's almost like she's scared of enclosed places. She always has to be out in the open. She won't even sleep in the shelters on the coldest nights - she sits on top. I finally put them in our shed, so at least she's out of the wind and snow/rain when she sits on top!

I never thought about putting something in her food. I'll ask the vet about that. Even if the other ferals got into it, they could probably do with a grooming as well.

I would definitely consider keeping her inside, but I have four other cats, a dog, and two kids - and Aggie can be quite aggressive. And she's the mom of the others, and I'd feel horrible about taking her away. They're all very social together. I'd eventually like to get to the point where she trusts me enough to occasionally groom her and keep the knots at bay.