Thanks.
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First Trap, Afraid Of Doing Wrong Thing
- Thread starter GinaN
- Start Date
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #43
She's been moving though...her bowl is outside the carrier so she needs to get up to reach it, even though she can kind of reach it from within the carrier.
I just filled the litter box with soil and she seemed to sniff the air when I went in with it.
It smells in there but I had put my own cat's poop in the litter box. I am pretty sure I don't see new poop, and I don't think I smell urine.
I'll wait an hour or two and see if more soil does the trick.
If not I will have to take her. I don't want anything to happen to her.
Please keep your fingers crossed that she goes.
I just filled the litter box with soil and she seemed to sniff the air when I went in with it.
It smells in there but I had put my own cat's poop in the litter box. I am pretty sure I don't see new poop, and I don't think I smell urine.
I'll wait an hour or two and see if more soil does the trick.
If not I will have to take her. I don't want anything to happen to her.
Please keep your fingers crossed that she goes.
I think you should remove your cat's poop from the box.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #45
OK Ill try that
Yes. The scent of another cat might be scaring her.
If you put any bedding in there, she probably would have pee'd on that. If she were having diarrhea you might not see any solid stools. Or there might be a clump of poo hidden in there underneath the litterbox or something.
Cats can hold their urine and poop for a few days when stressed. Not urinating is more serious than not pooping. Are you certain she hasn't peed while in the trap or somewhere in the carrier or towel? Can you sniff around carefully? The constipation can be resolved by giving half a teaspoon of Miralax in her food twice a day. Since she was given a shot of convenia at the vet she probably does not have a urinary tract infection, but if she really hasn't peed in a few days she does need a vet visit.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #49
Thank you all for your help and advice I really appreciate it.
msaimee
when I first had her in the trap the newspaper did appear darker but it didn't feel wet to me when I took it out. Then again she had been in that newspaper maybe since overnight. I should have asked the clinic when they had changed it. I didn't think it would become so crucial. And I never thought to ask at the clinic whether she had peed overnight. Lesson learned.
I *think* she peed. It doesn't smell like I'm expecting cat urine to smell though. But I can't see the soil having caused that it's not that moist.
msaimee
when I first had her in the trap the newspaper did appear darker but it didn't feel wet to me when I took it out. Then again she had been in that newspaper maybe since overnight. I should have asked the clinic when they had changed it. I didn't think it would become so crucial. And I never thought to ask at the clinic whether she had peed overnight. Lesson learned. I *think* she peed. It doesn't smell like I'm expecting cat urine to smell though. But I can't see the soil having caused that it's not that moist.
It appears from the picture that the cat may have peed.
Does she continue to empty her dry and wet food bowls?
Does she continue to empty her dry and wet food bowls?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #51
Yes, she does empty both bowls
Sarthur2
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She darts back into the carrier if I happen to come in when her neck is sticking out eating.
I just sat in there with her for about 20 minutes reading to her. I made no eye contact whatsover. I came in, sat on the floor (she's on top of the bathtub so I was lower than her), make sure she could see me.
Every once in a while I would look to the left as if I was looking at something so I could observe her out of the corner of my eye.
At one point she had laid her head down and seemed to be sleeping.
This is all with all the doors open - carrier and cage.
She did not pee again though and I don't think she pooped even though I can smell something in there. So I'm not sure if that one time peeing is progress enough. I did put a little sprinkle of Miralax late last night and this morning, and I continue to put a few drops of olive oil in the food.
Sarthur2
.She darts back into the carrier if I happen to come in when her neck is sticking out eating.
I just sat in there with her for about 20 minutes reading to her. I made no eye contact whatsover. I came in, sat on the floor (she's on top of the bathtub so I was lower than her), make sure she could see me.
Every once in a while I would look to the left as if I was looking at something so I could observe her out of the corner of my eye.
At one point she had laid her head down and seemed to be sleeping.
This is all with all the doors open - carrier and cage.
She did not pee again though and I don't think she pooped even though I can smell something in there. So I'm not sure if that one time peeing is progress enough. I did put a little sprinkle of Miralax late last night and this morning, and I continue to put a few drops of olive oil in the food.
See what happens today. Her system should begin to normalize now.
Sounds like you are making great progress with this girl. Thank you for tending her!
What are your plans long term? You mentioned that you told ACC she would be released. I was looking for results of testing for FeV / FeLV, and do not see it. You don't want to have her mix with your cats until you have those test results. However, when you advise that a feral will be released, most vets will do this test before they spay; typically a positive test on either means the cat is not to be released, as the disease will just spread to the rest of the colony. So I am puzzled that I didn't see the test mentioned.
As for the peeing and pooping, she was spayed Wed, came home Thurs, and I think she did not start eating until Fri or Sat. So all is fine. Their bodies are completely empty after the surgery, and it takes time for waste to build up and get pushed out. So I think you are good thus far.
What are your plans long term? You mentioned that you told ACC she would be released. I was looking for results of testing for FeV / FeLV, and do not see it. You don't want to have her mix with your cats until you have those test results. However, when you advise that a feral will be released, most vets will do this test before they spay; typically a positive test on either means the cat is not to be released, as the disease will just spread to the rest of the colony. So I am puzzled that I didn't see the test mentioned.
As for the peeing and pooping, she was spayed Wed, came home Thurs, and I think she did not start eating until Fri or Sat. So all is fine. Their bodies are completely empty after the surgery, and it takes time for waste to build up and get pushed out. So I think you are good thus far.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #54
Thank you.
I will not be able to feel happy until she's peeing and pooping normally, so I can't even allow myself the pleasure of seeing the progress because in the back of my mind I am not 100% positive everything is OK.
I *do* feel a sense of comfort knowing I have vet open today that I can see in the afternoon. I hate the idea of putting her through going to see a vet when she is just now starting to relax but I'm just going to have to take a deep breath if that's what I need to do.
I have not gotten an answer on whether they test for FeLV/FIV. I'll get an answer though. I wonder if they give you the option to pay for the test, because I can't imagine not knowing the status of a cat, whether they're released or not. I would want to know everything about each cat, if possible.
I started doing some research and in various articles I read that most (or maybe all) of places do *not* routinely test for FeLV/FIV, for several reasons, but it seems that the top reason is that the focus is on mass sterilization.
Neighborhood Cats | How to TNR | FIV/FeLV Testing
Should feral cats be tested for retroviruses (FIV, FELV) at TNR events? - UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program
Testing for FeLV/FIV
This cat thus far appears to be very docile, and I am hoping that she will be adoptable eventually, rather than being released. 
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #56
YES YES YES YES YESThis cat thus far appears to be very docile, and I am hoping that she will be adoptable eventually, rather than being released.
Keep doing what you're doing, sitting and reading to her, or just sitting quietly with the kennel and cage doors open. Does she have any toys in there?
I brought home a 4 month old TNR kitten in February and put her in my master bathroom. I spent 10-15 minutes of every hour I was home and not sleeping sitting on the floor. It took her a few days to get the idea of "playing", but once she got the hang of "toys", it seems to distract her from the anxiety and fear.
Also, you might set a radio at low volume on talk radio or soothing classical music 24 hours so she hears human voices.
I brought home a 4 month old TNR kitten in February and put her in my master bathroom. I spent 10-15 minutes of every hour I was home and not sleeping sitting on the floor. It took her a few days to get the idea of "playing", but once she got the hang of "toys", it seems to distract her from the anxiety and fear.
Also, you might set a radio at low volume on talk radio or soothing classical music 24 hours so she hears human voices.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #58
I put a ball in there and a toilet paper cardboard thing but she just looks at it.
I do have these pretzel things that are great for chewing but they are laced with catnip and I am not sure if that's a good idea. I'll look to see if I have anything that doesn't have catnip.
(I hate that everything is laced with catnip. Companies should let the cat owner decide if they want to use catnip.)
I think I have one of those solar powered radios. I'll put it on low volume for her.
Thanks
orange&white
ETA by the way I read your whole thread yesterday about Kit-Kit. She's so lucky to have you.
I do have these pretzel things that are great for chewing but they are laced with catnip and I am not sure if that's a good idea. I'll look to see if I have anything that doesn't have catnip.
(I hate that everything is laced with catnip. Companies should let the cat owner decide if they want to use catnip.)
I think I have one of those solar powered radios. I'll put it on low volume for her.
Thanks
orange&white
ETA by the way I read your whole thread yesterday about Kit-Kit. She's so lucky to have you.
It might help to plug in a Felliway diffuser. The pheromones seem to relax the cats.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #60
Yup. Done. I plugged it in this morning.
That's why I'm afraid the catnip would cancel out any relaxing stuff...
