Oh Man Boarding Ferals Impossible?

[marmoset]

Ok. I have two impossible to handle cats that have come off the street within the last year. Both were pregnant TnRs that were never R'd for different reasons. One is handleable (as long as we don't pick her up!!!!!!!) by me and my husband but is fractious and only handleable under sedation by anyone else. The other one is still feral and very very new to the home but we have to move all our cats out for 6 hours because we have the beginnings of a flea problem. Instead of waiting until it's a full-blown infestation we want to have an exterminator out but we can't find someone to hold the cats without sedation for an exam. They were examined under sedation for their spays. At the same time we did blood work, inoculations- we did the works! We do all the testing that should be done for a pet cat on all our TnRs because we don't want to release cats back if they have medical issues.

The second cat has not had a fecal because historically every TnR we do tests positive for worms and she's going through her panacur treatment right now. I figure with fleas the panacur will need to be repeated since fleas carry worms. So she is not going to have a negative test result anyway- this is why the mobile vet we use for the ferals does not bother testing fecals until after initial deworming. We have a history and every cat in the area we trap in has worms. It's a given. It's just a waste of money to test considering how safe and economical panacur is.

My regular veterinary office staff that we use for our original indoor cats insists on sedating the two wild ones for an exam and testing before boarding. The vet who took care of them was a mobile vet that our shelter uses. This is the third time I'm having her resend all the medical records to our main vet and apparently the second time they've "lost" the records.

I need ideas fast. This is almost an S.O.S cat post. I want to have the exterminator out next week as I have someone who can take some of our six cats only during the last week of November only (she will be boarding dogs all December) for the spraying but she's only got two holding areas and we need 4 since the two most recent ones would need their own space.

Does anyone have any ideas? Has anyone needed to board ferals and if so where did they go? I'm really quite a bit desperate.

 

[Furballsmom]

Holy schamoley!
I don't know but am hoping someone here does...hang in there!

 

[marmoset]

i hope so too. These cats aren't going back out and I'm not going to get the house treated if they have no where to go. DH seems to be allergic to flea bites (not anaphylaxis but exaggerated immune response) so he's really suffering. Not sure how this will play out. He doesn't want them to go back out either so it's not even on the table but we are stuck. Really stuck and it's not even money that is holding things back for once (though tbh we don't want to have to pay to retest them- that would hurt right before the holidays when we've already had a flood and have to pay an exterminator and we have two more cats out there needing to be TnR'd- it's just not a good time). We just really don't want to sedate the cats or spare the time it would take for all the testing and results. They already need to be sedated each time we vaccinate them. So that's quite a lot of episodes of sedation for cats that are still young. My old vet used to say that each time a cat was put under it took off a year of life. I don't know if that's still true but the thought won't leave my mind. IMO my cats can't live long-enough. My first lived to 25 and it was still awful losing him. I was just 27.

 

[Furballsmom]

Me too on the long life part !
Would you consider diatomaceous earth or, I've even read here that salt can kill fleas in the house areas, you just vacuum it up...

 

[Willowy]

For only 6 hours? Can you put them in carriers in your car? Run the heat every hour for a few minutes, if it's cold out. Put towels over their carriers to hold the heat in. Thye sure won't be happy about it but they'll survive. And everyone will be happier with the fleas gone!

 

[jcat]

Could you get them in a large dog carrier that they could stay in at a friend's, relative's or neighbor's house or even garage if they're worried about fleas? Surely the could stay in a dog carrier for part of one day?

 

[msaimee]

I don't know how feasible this would be for you, but this is what I would do if I were in your situation. I would confine all of the Cats to one room. I would open the windows at least a bit to make sure there is fresh air, and stuff towels underneath the door. I would have the rest of the house fumigated except for that one room. Then I would have the exterminators return either later that day or the next day to do that one room. Is this a possibility for you? Can you work something out with the Exterminator? I would not board them in a boarding facility. If I had to move them out of the house, I would get them into pet carriers and store them either in my car as someone else suggested, or in your garage or attic or basement or a friend's house. I think they would totally freak out if they were in an unfamiliar boarding facility, though that would still be a better option than releasing them back outside. If we are talking about 6 to 24 hours, that is doable to confine them to a room in your house or someone else's house.

 

[walli]

6 hours is not a long time, I agree I would keep them in the car if you can't find anything else to do, they will be fine for 6 hours
Just make sure everybody gets flea treatment, there may be residual fleas
that may take time to die off.

 

[marmoset]

It's been a very long exhausting day but one of the people who works my shift at the shelter boards dogs and has no dogs right now so she is going to keep all 6 cats and the lizard. When I called to schedule the appointment they wanted to do it tomorrow morning! So I talked to our friend and got her to do all of this the day before Thanksgiving! It wouldn't have been possible to board at the vet. We got two cats over already-those are the easy ones. So we just have 2 more friendly ones and the two new wild ones. Both of them might have to just sit in carriers for the whole time. It'd be hard to release them and get them back for transport.

I would worry about keeping them in the car because we aren't sure where we are going for that time-frame but if I had to do this again I think the car could work if we had planned to park it at a friends' home. This all just happened faster than I thought possible!

I'm so glad for the animal lovers out there. Finding someone to take in 6 cats that might have fleas is pretty incredible. I really hope I don't bring her fleas!

 

[Willowy]

Can you get some Capstar? Walmart has it. That should keep them from toting fleas all over with them, or bringing fleas back to your treated house.

 

[walli]

Don't worry about keeping cats crated, I had to leave Walli in her crate for 3 days when we got fumigated for termites, it was a big crate but there was no way we were going to get her back in there without trauma. She is very Feral

 

[marmoset]

Can you get some Capstar? Walmart has it. That should keep them from toting fleas all over with them, or bringing fleas back to your treated house.

I do keep Capstar on hand (but didn’t know Walmart carried it so that is awesome) but when I spoke to my vet they said it was ok to give before the revolution or oral comfortis but not after, as the two drugs work similarly so I’d begiving them an overdose.

That didn’t make much sense to me. I thought capstar was fairly benign.

One of the ferals ate only half the food with the oral pill so there’s no way to know how much she got of it. The pill smells like mothballs and they are a good sized tablet. She was not enthused.

Don't worry about keeping cats crated, I had to leave Walli in her crate for 3 days when we got fumigated for termites, it was a big crate but there was no way we were going to get her back in there without trauma. She is very Feral

That makes me feel a lot better. They are having it rough without a litter box. One is in a trucatch- we were up til almost 5 trying to get her into a dog crate or carrier where she could have space but no go. I really hope she doesn’t backslide into complete feral mode. I knew she didn’t like it when the vet tried to towel her but I was so desperate that I tried it and she was absolutely terrified. It failed miserably too.

 

[Kflowers]

Glad your friend had the room. This isn't for the cats or logistics, but I've occasionally had as many as 100 flea bites, so a little itch experience. I don't know if it would help your husband, but if he's itching from it baby oil, or mineral oil. Just sop it on and let it soak in. It also helps with mosquito bites, any itching. Wish I'd read this sooner, but I was a little afraid to, sorry, I should know better.

 

[marmoset]

We'll add mineral oil to our grocery list. If it works we will go through a lot of it this spring! Baby oil sounds a little less "manly" but I bet he'd try it he's so itchy. He's on prednisone now for the allergic response. He won't be on it too much longer and it really hasn't helped meanwhile I don't feel very itchy after being bitten. I know I've had my share of bites but I don't blow up from it. We haven't seen any fleas since the exterminator came. Of course we realize that the adults were probably a small percentage of what is laying in wait Still, I'm really hoping the worst is over and now it'll be all down to keeping them treated and vaccuming.

Our one newest feral didn't take all her oral tablet though. So nothing is perfect I guess. She's happy to be back in our home though.

 

[Kflowers]

hehehe, don't tell him, baby oil is mineral oil with fragrance in it.

Now that the exterminator has the flea population down, you'll need to keep up. (I know sigh, the blasted things just keep reproducing.) Here's what I did before there were relatively safe topicals for cats and only the terrifying-not-going-to-put-that on my cat collars.

I used Adams flea spray (can I mention a brand name?) on the carpets and behind things. It's got the least amount of chemicals in it. I think it works by the alcohol dehydrating the fleas, not sure. I don't suggest spraying the cats, unless you really enjoy cleaning pee off your sofa. It's easy to aim behind appliances, though try not to spray the electrical outlets. You'll need to vacuum the day after you spray with it. Spray vacuum, repeat every in pattern for about a month. I did get rid of the fleas and that was in a house with a dirt basement.

You can use a light vacuum rather than you heavy one.

 

[Kflowers]

Our one newest feral didn't take all her oral tablet though. So nothing is perfect I guess. She's happy to be back in our home though.

I wouldn't worry about that. Most of the flea meds contain a lot more than the cat needs for the amount of time they cover. (and that's for another thread.) If it works at all, she should be flea free.

 

[marmoset]

hehehe, don't tell him, baby oil is mineral oil with fragrance in it.

I used Adams flea spray (can I mention a brand name?) on the carpets and behind things. It's got the least amount of chemicals in it. I think it works by the alcohol dehydrating the fleas, not sure. I don't suggest spraying the cats, unless you really enjoy cleaning pee off your sofa. It's easy to aim behind appliances, though try not to spray the electrical outlets. You'll need to vacuum the day after you spray with it. Spray vacuum, repeat every in pattern for about a month. I did get rid of the fleas and that was in a house with a dirt basement.

You can use a light vacuum rather than you heavy one.

lol so much to respond to. With my husband (who was the whole reason why I got into cats) pitches matter. He's got this notion that men don't need "product" so I'll call it mineral oil

We already have a cat that pees on the sofa so our sofa is covered in a very expensive specialty blanket (actually two that overlap) to avoid urine sinking into the couch..again but no, we get really nervous about products. I actually use very little chemicals in the home which could surprise people because things look and feel clean but really it's all vinegar and water or dilute bleach and water in spray bottles. So looking at the copious amounts of sprays and powders for fleas at the pet store was overwhelming.

I'm hoping that getting the exterminator in and doing a lot of vacuuming will take care of it. The main infested area was the master bed where all the cats congregate and sleep but we had the whole house treated- even the basement because we found a live flea in the laundry dryer lint trap.

[QUOTE="marmoset, post: 4777797, member: 83945

Most of the flea meds contain a lot more than the cat needs for the amount of time they cover. (and that's for another thread.) If it works at all, she should be flea free.

This is good to know! I really don't know much about products and fleas beyond the fact that I've been lucky using Capstar for the last few years. This is my first time using a product other than Capstar or topical revolution. My vet (not the one I use the most but our regular stationary vet seemed to want us to redose with another 1/2 tablet but they also seemed concerned about overdose. I think it'd be really hard to know how much of a dose she got so I don't even want to give another 1/2 tablet. I don't want to counteract what we've already done to remove the fleas but I don't want to risk toxicity either.

 

[Kflowers]

I personally would think you've got a enough product going there. We use Advantage, being old fashion as it were. My cleaners are: water, baking soda, white vinegar, dish washing detergent, Arm & Hammer unscented laundry detergent, and black coffee. I do not believe in better living through chemistry.

I used the Adam's Flea spray after I almost lost my soul cat to flea created anemia. Nasty little vampires. (you don't have to cook liver for kits, they make a liver tonic for them. Probably the same icky stuff we had to take as kids.)

 

[Freedom]

I'm here late, seems you got the task done; good job!

Re the sofa. I bought a waterproof full size bed fitted mattress cover and put that on my sofa, then put my sofa cover over that. The sofa itself never got wet once I did this. And I ended up with 2, so I could have one in the wash and still have to sofa protected. Not expensive, and available on Amazon, at WalMart and such.

 

[walli]

look into organic food grade diatomaceous earth, if you still see fleas.
it kills fleas, it dehydrates them, you can sprinkle it on bedding etc..
research it tho, it is a very fine dust that you don't want to breath in too much of.
need a mask when sprinkling it, we put it in Wallis room when she first came in.
make sure it is food grade and organic, not hard to find if you need it.
you will need to use a shop vac or an old vac if needing to vacuum it up.
it can hurt the filters on some new type vacuums