Just Rescued 2 Ferals... Questions

Avery

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Yay!! It sounds like things are going really well! Wow, one week is up already! Although for you, it might have seemed like it was going very slowly!

I know what you mean about not being able to get a good look at T's incision. I keep trying to see if Ruby is still nibbling at the two sore spots I saw, one inside a back leg and one inside a front leg right near her body. She won't let me touch her and so I have to get tricky! I've been waving a toy around (Cat Dancer) and she rolls around on the perch and grabs at it with her front paws and I try to be very quick and in the exact right position to see the underside of her right front leg! Not easy! I think the front leg is OK now, but it is hard to get a good look.

I'm so happy for you and for these two kitties. When you read back over your postings, you can see how far you all have come!
 
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KrisinOhio

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Thanks Avery Avery ! I do feel like a contortionist trying to look at this cat! I hope Ruby is healing and you get to the bottom of her issues. And shadowsrescue shadowsrescue - how is Cisco? I am so glad to have found this forum, I know that I can voice my concerns/worries and people will understand! I'm also glad I kept this thread going, I do enjoy going back to the beginning! Also - when I first brought my cats inside I kept reading the full threads of people who did the same thing. It was so informative!

I can't wait for the next week to pass, the cat trees will be up again and we can get back to some sort of normalcy! T is in a really good mood - amazingly still letting me pet her. I am just trying to keep the zoomies at a minimum! (Then my DH gets his knee replaced the first week of June! That's why this spay had to happen now, I can only worry and obsess over one patient at a time!)
 

shadowsrescue

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Hi Avery Avery and KrisinOhio KrisinOhio ! I remember well trying to get a look at wounds with my feral boys. I used to sit inside when they were on my deck and use my binoculars to get a look. I hope that Ruby will be ok. Are you going ahead with the food sensitivity test?

T sounds like she is healing so well. Each day will get harder and harder to keep her down, but one week is over! I am so happy that she is allowing you to pet her. I guess going into heat has it's advantages!

Oh your poor DH having knee replacement. I cannot imagine. You will certainly have another patient on your hand. You may find the spay easier!

Cisco is doing great! He is urinating well and the diarrhea is gone! I needed to get a urine sample from him and he ended up peeing in the cat carrier on the way to the vet. Ugh. I knew when I was half where there and I smelled pee. My vet feels it's ok to to just watch and wait.

My son is coming home next weekend and bringing the 2 kittens. I am so excited to see them again. They will have to be confined upstairs as I doubt any of my 6 will be excited to see them! My son's first cat, Jake turned 11 today. I never thought 11 years ago that I would have 6 cats!!

Keep us posted on T and MK!
 

Avery

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KrisinOhio KrisinOhio and shadowsrescue shadowsrescue - I'm glad to hear good news all around! Well, except for the knee replacement. Yikes! My officemate had both knees replaced at the same time last year and did very well. She said you need to stay ahead of the pain by taking your meds and you need to be motivated afterwards to do the PT. I hope all goes well and your DH is a good patient!

I'm glad Cisco is doing so well. Such a relief. And kittens coming to visit! What fun! (I'm sure you will also be happy to see your son!!) I think of you with six cats when I am scooping litter boxes every single second for just four cats. I can't believe how much pee and poop these little guys generate!

My vet strongly recommends that I try Ruby on a limited protein diet to see if it stops her over-grooming and nibbling at herself. She suggested that I try Hills Z/D, a prescription food that comes in canned, dry, and treats, and she gave me some samples. I have given Ruby small amounts of all three and she seems to like them pretty well, even eating the treats instead of Temptations treats which I have heard called kitty crack! As soon as she is finished with the antibiotic for her sores, I will start increasing the amount of the Hills. You have to try the diet for eight weeks! I feel bad that she will have such a limited, boring diet, but if she'll eat it and it works, it will be worth it.
 

shadowsrescue

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Avery Avery did you happen to try any of the LI diets you can purchase at stores or online? I use Merrick Limited Ingredients for my 3 feral boys. One has a very sensitive stomach. I think I have it figured out that it might be rice. It's not cheap food either, but probably cheaper than prescription and much better quality too. They also see a dry. I don't feed much dry, but I do use Natures Balance Limited Ingredient Salmon. With the Merrick, there is Turkey, Chicken, Salmon, Duck and maybe others. My 3 eat the Turkey, Chicken and Salmon.

There used to be an old commercial from Dunkin Donuts, where the man was baker was constantly getting up to make the donuts. He would say "Time to make the donuts. I made the donuts ". That is how I feel about cleaning litter boxes. I usually scoop 3x a day. Right now I have 9 boxes. I did have 10, but recently took one away. I would love to get the numbers lower, but with so many cats I don't want to create any issues.

I hope T and MK did well last night. You are getting closer and closer.
 

Avery

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shadowsrescue shadowsrescue - I was going to try one of the commercial diets and my vet did mention Merrick, but she said that if I spend 8 weeks trying that and it doesn't make a difference, I would need to try one of the prescription diets like Hills Z/D. Since they are made with hydrolyzed protein it somehow makes a difference. (She explained what this all means, but I didn't quite get it!) She supports whichever way I decide to go, but I thought maybe I should go right to the Hills Z/D. Ruby likes their treats and has eaten a small amount of the canned and dry, although the canned is like glue and doesn't look very appetizing!

OK, enough about Ruby! KrisinOhio KrisinOhio - how are things going today? Is T still letting you pet her? And as you said, this forum IS a great place to get ideas and ask questions of people (like shadowsrescue!) who have so much more experience and are willing to share it. In my area, we do have a feral cat organization, which is wonderful, but they don't advocate bringing feral or semi-feral cats indoors so I really needed help and support when I decided to do just that.
 
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KrisinOhio

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Hi! shadowsrescue shadowsrescue - I am so happy that Cisco is doing so well, and that you will get to see your son & the kittens! What fun!

Avery Avery - I hope the LI diet does the trick for your Ruby. Working on food is next on my list. T is super finicky, it is a constant struggle getting food in her. I have yet to find a wet food that she will eat. It's Nutro kitten kibble, baby food and boiled chicken so far. She also likes to take a couple of bites, take a walk around, take a couple more.... MK eats most anything, but has shown a preference for pate over chunks. I've been giving her Merrick.

They have been good today - they were out last night, went in their room for breakfast and while I was at work. I'm off tomorrow, 3 day weekend, so they'll have more time out. T seems to have no issues. So far so good!!
 
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KrisinOhio

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20190517_075435.jpg
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So this is happening... Tortellini, the wild hissing feral kitten who came in with her loving mama Miss Kitty, is asking for pets! I just wanted to post this to show it IS possible and so worth all the worries, doubts and anxiety!!
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And Miss Kitty, lounging...
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shadowsrescue

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Those are fantastic pictures. I didn't know that MK was all black. She is beautiful. She looks so much like my Stellar, but he's an all black male.

You are well on your way to all being wonderful with these kitties! I am so excited for you!
 

Avery

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Awww, they are beautiful cats! So nice to see Tortellini getting pets! So sweet. All your hard work is paying off!
 
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KrisinOhio

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Good morning, it's almost July! Since it has been a while since I posted to this thread I wanted to add an update. Last week was 8 months since our 2 girls came inside. What a ride! This morning both kitties came up to the bedroom to let me know that their breakfast was late! Miss Kitty is a frequent visitor while we are sleeping, sometimes jumping on the bed to nap with us. Tortellini has become very sweet and loving. She loves pets! Neither are lap cats though, and we cannot pick them up. They have gradually been given the run of most of the house, 24 x 7.

I know that there will continue to be ups and downs and backslides - that is inevitable. We'll take it 1 day at a time and get through whatever comes our way.

I wanted to add this update for anyone who is going through the long process of taming a stray/feral to be an inside house cat. It can be done, my girls are living proof. (So many times these threads just stop abruptly and I always wonder, what happened?)

This site, and its members, were my saviors! I learned so much by reading the threads, and the advice from the members were invaluable (here's to you shadowsrescue shadowsrescue and Avery Avery !).

My advice to anyone going through this situation (or thinking about it) is to read, read, read and listen to the experts advice - they know what they are talking about! I will continue to post updates for those interested and to offer whatever support I can.

Here's a recent picture of the girls ...

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FarmersWife24

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I'm so happy for your success, and those cats are adorable! It was just one year ago that I took in my first ferals -- a litter of kittens born of our resident feral cat, Bella. She had been "brought" to our farm by another feral who frequently visited us and then one day just suddenly died. I had never had a cat before all of this and considered myself a "dog person." Those kittens stole my heart and after socializing them, I felt like I could do anything. But there's nothing that can feel more defeating at times than trying to socialize an adult feral -- or one that people claim is beyond the "kitten age" of socializing. It seems like such a long and difficult process sometimes but when I look back on my experience I can now say, "That wasn't bad at all, and it really didn't take that long." I'm so glad you posted your encouraging message of sticking with it because it CAN be done even if a cat is older. My Thackery Binx has now been with me for 5 months and you would never know he was a feral. Sure, he's got his quirks like all cats -- is afraid of new people, especially males, and is not a fan of being picked up and held by anybody except my daughter -- but he's a snuggler, a talker, and a purring machine. I'm so glad I took a chance and brought him in.
 

catsknowme

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:clapcat: That is an awesome update! Thank you remembering us - I, too, often wonder "what happened?" when Original Posters go "dark". As communities become more enlightened and spay/neuter their pets, opportunities for ferals will increase and your shining example of "it can be done" will encourage and inspire others. :thumbsup:
 

Avery

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I love these wonderful success stories! Yours was truly an inspiration to me as I struggled with questions of my own about bringing a stray and semi-feral cat inside. Keep up the great work and I won't be surprised if you have a lap cat before the snow flies!

Great idea to update the thread... I am going to add something to mine over the next day or two as well. Knowing there are happy endings is truly important to those just starting this journey. Thank you for reminding me!
 
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