Reaching The Panicky Stage - To Vet Or Not Our Tnr Feral?

[kittychick]

I'm at a loss as to what to do - - and I know emotion is playing a big part in it. So I'm reaching out to the wonderful people here to ask for advice on how to handle a TNR'd feral that's definitely not feeling well.

Short version: years ago hubby and I discovered our neighborhood had a large feral colony several streets away. We started TNRing, socializing and finding homes for the babies we find (and adults too when possible).

Four decided our yard/garage is the place to be (I'm sure the soft & hard food, plus treats twice a day help - - as do the heated houses in the garage, and all the love they'll let us give). Crosby (app. 5 yrs old, TNR'd 3 years ago) is the alpha male. He's become pretty friendly with me - and my husband - if food's involved. Crosby greets me every time I walk outside. I can walk up and pet him at any time, he takes treats from my hand, I can brush him at times, and occasionally I can even pick him up (but not for long). So - he's come a LONG way from very feral to where he is now --- but I'm afraid we're at a point where we risk screwing up his trust (and HOW we do it) since we love him dearly - but we don't want to play games with his help! Hence my dilemma.

He ate heartily Monday & came out for late night treats. Tuesday AM hubby fed, & said "Crosby just sniffed the food and went back to bed." Probably the first soft food meal he's missed since he started hanging with us! Hard's out at all times - so he could have eaten some of that - but never saw that (we work from home, so we usually can see when they go to the hard food bowl). Tuesday evening he came out, let me pet him, ate just 2 or 3 bites and went back to bed. This a.m. (weds) he came out of his bed again, but seemed to be moving a bit slowly, glanced at the food and returned to bed again. I took his favorite over to him- warmed, cooked chicken - & he would't even sniff it. This afternoon I noticed he didn't seem to be grooming like normal (he's normally a fastidious, shiny black boy with a pristine coat). He let me sit with him and pet him for quite a while - but no interest in food or treats. I checked him for dehydration - he's not dehydrated. I ran my hands basically all over him (until he'd had it!) but no bumps, wounds, or painful spots. Tonight he trotted out to eat so my hopes were high - - but he licked the soft food once, and walked back to bed. Again I petted him, and again his joints moved fine, and he didn't feel hot, dehydrated, or in pain.

Our vet will happily let us bring him in - - she'll anesthetize (w/an anesthesia box) if she feels things are getting too stressful for him. But obviously we're worried about a few things. I do believe he'll eventually "get over" being grabbed, taken in there, etc. - but I know it will set back a ways the relationship we've worked SO hard to build. And an even bigger problem - how to even get him in a carrier? He was a BIG trap avoider - very smart. So a trap is kind of out. Normally I can get him to walk into a carrier for chicken or ham, but right now I can't believe any food is going to get him to go in. We did think about giving him half of one of the appetite stimulant pills we have for another of our cats - - it at least might make him hungry enough that he'd go into a carrier for food! ?!?!

Soooooo.....how much longer do we wait and see if this blows over, esp since at the moment he's not dehydrated? It seems like doing it too soon could cause so much harm trust-wise for perhaps nothing. Any other suggestion for getting him into a carrier if he's avoiding food? If we can't get him into a carrier - - it's all moot anyway!

We SOOOOO appreciate any thoughts and suggestions. Thanks so much in advance. Funny how easy it is to give advice when it's not one of yours.

 

[tabbytom]

So sorry to hear that Crosby is under the weather. If he allows you to pet him and run your fingers along his body, it should be quite easy to faster grab him and put him in a top loader carrier.

Avoiding food and not eating is dangerous for them. Please read these articles:- Why Has My Cat Stopped Eating And Is It Dangerous?
Liver Disease In Cats

I hope he’s ok and please do bring him in to the vet for a check. Sending for Crosby and for you.

Please keep us posted.

 

[di and bob]

It might take a while, but he will forgive you. We just had a stray act like that, the vet gave him an antibiotic injection and a shot of prednisone and he was much better the next day.If you can't get him to eat, try a can of tuna, anything to entice him, I would put the carrier with a nice blanket in front of his bed and see if he will get curious enough to go in it. I hope everything gets better, it's always a worry when one is sick. All the luck!

 

[maggiedemi]

Antibiotics might help. I don't worry about my cats hating me, there are just some things that need to be done like vet, medications, flea and worm treatments. They don't like it, but I don't think they hold a grudge. If he lets you pet him, do you think you could wear thick gloves and maybe grab him with a blanket, with his claws facing away from you?

 

[shadowsrescue]

One of my feral boys was attacked by a neighborhood cat. My feral was hiding under my deck and I could not get to him. He wouldn't eat or come out for days. I too was panicked. I tried so many foods. I finally got tuna in water and just poured the tuna water with a few flecks of tuna in it for him. On the 3rd day he came out for the tuna water and lapped it all up. I was able to gradually get him to get more by adding lots of the tuna water.

Since you can pet him, you might be able to get a towel/blanket over him and then into a carrier. Yes, he will not be happy and he may be upset with you for awhile, but if he has eaten next to nothing for that many days, it is not a good thing. Use your best judgement. I know with feral cats you have to pick your poison.

You are in my thoughts and lots of energy being sent your way.

 

[foxxycat]

He probably wouldn't mind being put in a carrier. Wear a ratty old winter coat and some thick welding gloves, get the carrier turned with opening facing the sky= grab him and drop him in while your hubs closes the door. yeah he might hiss and bite but you will have protective gear on.

The sniffing food is classic nausea. What it's from is anyone's guess. Take that boy to the vet.

Have them check him for blockages in colon/bladder and blood work. Could be mouth issues? Could be a virus, could be ?? But they can give him sub fluids, Cerenia for nausea, Convenia injection jab or other antibiotic- and give him an appetite stimulant-one of them lasts 48 to 72 hours so you won't have to do it-but I often stress cutting dose in half if cat is dehydrated-which if he's not eating wet food-then less is more with medication in my experience when it comes to appetite stimulants.

And thank you for taking the time to care for these guys. So glad people in the world like you guys who pay attention to eating and mood-he will thank you later when he's feelign better..poor baby.

 

[trudy1]

I echo the vet thing. I’ve veted some of my tnr colony babies more than once. Did they like it? No Do they get over it? Yes
Remember going without food for prolonged periods can cause more problems. Some ugly things have to be done to keep them healthy like vets, pouring peroxide on owies, etc.

If mine would let me pick them up, even for a few seconds with stiff front legs and all the other gyrations then I could always drop them in an open carrier as described above....it works. Try scruffing him....grabbing him by the back of the neck like a momma carries her kittens. I think there are videos on how to do this.

It’s great in my view that you’re going the extra mile besides just fixing and feeding them.

 

[shadowsrescue]

kittychick How is Crosby? Any updates?

 

[msaimee]

Sorry I'm late to this thread. How is he doing? It would be very difficult to get antibiotics into him if he's not eating, so Fish Mox won't even help. It sounds like he might have a tooth infection or urinary tract infection, both are very painful conditions and result in loss of appetite. If you haven't gotten him to a vet yet, that should be the priority. Don't worry about him losing trust in you or being upset with you. Right now something is medically wrong with him and he may be in pain or in a life threatening situation. I hope you can get him help as soon as possible. Let us know how he is.

 

[kittychick]

I'm SO sorry I haven't answered any of these VERY kind, helpful responses that you all (many of my favorite members too! made me feel better just reading notes from all of you) took time to give me!!!!!! I was SO panicked. It's so funny that I can give anyone advice, can grab any cat at the shelter and do whatever's necessary - - but suddenly when it's MY ball of Crosby fluff all logic (especially the "he'll hate me forever!" stuff) goes out the window!!!!!! I probably should have added to - for everyone suggesting "put on a coat and gloves and shove" - our "little feral Crosby" who arrived 3 years ago is now a good 15 pound ball of fluff AND fat AND muscle! And we were worried he'd take after his sister - Flick - that we brought in 4 years ago and weighs barely 6 pounds and is the sweetest thing EVER - and yet the feral part of her brain kicks into high gear when you go to put her in a carrier. Last year she grabbed a chicken bone off a plate when I turned around for a second - - -and then dislocated her jaw trying to swallow the bone before we could get it from her - - scared the living crap out of both of us! The only way we could get her in a carrier - hubby put on welder's gloves AND another pair of leather gloves under those, a sweater, and two (yes two) coats, and scruffed her hard - - - she STILL gave him the deepest gashes I've ever seen! He STILL has scars a year later!

Anyway - I hadn't answered back because right after we discovered Crosby's issue, and I came up here to write my question - just as I was finishing it - - - our oldest indoor guy, Jo, who suffers from something very similar to megacolon, staggered out of the bedroom and collapsed. I palpated him - knowing what it likely was - and could feel the mass in his colon (he'd been great for a full year - so we thought we had the medications worked out so we wouldn't have to go through that again - I guess never say never!!). So that became even more of an emergency! We rushed Jo to the vet - he stayed overnight, and 2 enemas and a round of anesthesia and "manual unplugging" later, he came home like nothing ever happened.

I went out to check Crosby first moment I could (very late evening) - he got up and stretched, and came over to me (still seeming a little wobbly), again acted interested in food, but just licked a bit of the tuna juice I'd added to his regular soft food. He looked even a bit more raggedy - definitely hadn't been grooming. I checked again for dehydration - still not dehydrated even slightly - but we'd talked again to the vet when we pick up Jo - and she said to check his gums as a double check for dehydration and for any signs of poisoning. Again - nothing. So by now it was middle of the night. We debated and debated (I SOOOO wish money was NEVER an issue in any of this kind of thing!) - but we decided if he still looked that way in the morning - damn the possible fingers he might take off of us or the giant scars he might inflict - we'd take him over before they opened (the vet had said don't even make an appointment - just get there when they opened and she'd rush him in). So in the morning we suited up (well, hubby did - I just wore two pairs of thick leather gloves) - go outside and sneak the carrier near his sleeping spot. And I swear it's like the other cats heard us talking -- - he casually sat up, stretched, came over - - completely groomed and shiny, head butted me, chatted us up like "where's the food? well?" He ate like he hadn't eaten in days (well, I guess he hadn't) - - I finally took it away so he wouldn't gorge himself, and brought more out later. Hubby and I both cried with relief! I swear - if my husband hadn't seen the way he was the days before - no one would have believed me that he'd seemed so sick. The vet called us to check on Jo and to ask about Crosby - - she said she really betted that he got into a small amount of poison - even a poisonous plant - - and it had worked it's way out of his system since he'd continued to drink water through it all. And then this morning - - - I think I might have found the culprit. A used (and soaked with floor cleaner) Swiffer Wet Jet pad must have fallen out of the garbage and played with - -because I found it with teeth marks in it and chunks ripped out of it behind the area Crosby sleeps. He loves to carry leaves, paper, fabric, you name it - and then toss them in the air. So I bet he grabbed it, gnawed on it, and ingested the floor cleaner. I called the vet back - and she said it was very likely that was it. So from now on - everything's getting double bagged!!!!!

So - - as always with me - - not that long of a story MADE very long by me. Thank you again SO much for your concern, well wishes, and suggestions (I'm sure I'll still end up needing to get him into a carrier at some point - - so I'll use this page as my "go to!"). You're ALL the best!!!!

(And Crosby says thanks too)

 

[tabbytom]

Well, kittychick , thank goodness that both Crosby and Jo are doing well from both episode. It’s a relief to hear that they are ok now

Yea, double bag stuffs and keep it out or reach.

Send our love and hugs to both Crosby and Jo and Crosby looks so handsome in that pose

 

[msaimee]

Glad to hear Crosby is better Try to relax and enjoy your weekend

 

[kittychick]

Thanks msaimee and tabbytom !!!!! I tell you - - that was a harrowing week. I literally slept until 2:00 this afternoon! Crosby is one gorgeous fella -- and he knows it. It was hard watching him walk without his normal "strut!"

And I was showing my hubby the Swiffer pad culprit - - he asked me how it even got out of the trash can (since the large outdoor can is two steps from our back door, and we would have literally had to step over it if it fell out. So we both did a bit of detective work (in other words - we pulled the trash bags out of the giant garbage cans the city provides). The bag that had contained the Swiffer pads had been ripped open by raccoons!!!! We've got them all over in our neighborhood --and we learned last summer (when our next door neighbor looked out her window and saw a momma coon and 3 babies popping out of our garbage bin!) that our very heavy can lids are still no match for a hungry raccoon! We think they drug some things out of the trash can (we found several food containers from that particular bag behind the can out of our sight!)....and that Crosby picked up the Swiffer thinking it was a new toy. So today hubby went and out and bought bungee cords for both of our garbage cans - - - - I don't want to go through that EVER again!

Again - thanks SO much for the well wishes and advice -- I never thought I could care so much about a group of people I've never met

Jo (on the right) says thanks for the happy thoughts.....as he relaxes post "violating vet visit" with his buddy Bowie (my avatar). And I'm off to pass out on the couch - - -thanks SO much again!!!!

 

[shadowsrescue]

Thank you so much for the update. I am so happy that Crosby is better. Poor Jo. I am glad he is better too. So wonderful that you caught his symptoms right away.

 

[tabbytom]

Thanks msaimee and tabbytom !!!!! I tell you - - that was a harrowing week. I literally slept until 2:00 this afternoon! Crosby is one gorgeous fella -- and he knows it. It was hard watching him walk without his normal "strut!"

And I was showing my hubby the Swiffer pad culprit - - he asked me how it even got out of the trash can (since the large outdoor can is two steps from our back door, and we would have literally had to step over it if it fell out. So we both did a bit of detective work (in other words - we pulled the trash bags out of the giant garbage cans the city provides). The bag that had contained the Swiffer pads had been ripped open by raccoons!!!! We've got them all over in our neighborhood --and we learned last summer (when our next door neighbor looked out her window and saw a momma coon and 3 babies popping out of our garbage bin!) that our very heavy can lids are still no match for a hungry raccoon! We think they drug some things out of the trash can (we found several food containers from that particular bag behind the can out of our sight!)....and that Crosby picked up the Swiffer thinking it was a new toy. So today hubby went and out and bought bungee cords for both of our garbage cans - - - - I don't want to go through that EVER again!

Again - thanks SO much for the well wishes and advice -- I never thought I could care so much about a group of people I've never met

Jo (on the right) says thanks for the happy thoughts.....as he relaxes post "violating vet visit" with his buddy Bowie (my avatar). And I'm off to pass out on the couch - - -thanks SO much again!!!!

I heard that raccoons are very strong creatures and they can lift heavy garbage can lids

Jo and Bowie are so lovely!

 

[trudy1]

Great news...well that’s one of the many older posts that I can check off....so glad all is well....see mom, all that worry and there lays Crosby saying “I really don’t see what all the fuss was about!”.

 

[kittychick]

Thanks guys! And trudy1 ----truer words were never spoken! It's so sweet to think you remembered our struggles with Jo's colon ----so unbelievable (knock on wood!) that it had been a year since his last issue with it! And thanks tabbytom ----I do think Bowie and Jo are gorgeous (I'm sure I'm a tad biased though). And yup - - I think our coons have superhuman strength gained by eating cat food when we forget to bring it in.

Funny bit about Crosby from last night - - we had HORRENDOUS winds late last night and at 2 am I heard our VERY heavy deck table/umbrella start to blow across the deck. It was so windy, rainy, sleety and cold - but I ran outside to grab it - - and who heard me come outside? Crosby! Came shooting out of the little door in the garage and running through the sleety rainy crud and right up to me, chastising me that I was outside but had obviously forgotten to feed him or bring him a treat! I'm thinking his appetite is back.

Again - - thanks SO much for everyone's concern (especially all my favs that I respect so much - means alot!).

 

[tabbytom]

Yea, Crosby cared for you too kittychick . He rushed and said, ‘Hey mummy, whatcha doing out here in this weather? Hurry, get inside before you catch a cold and once in, feed me!’

 

[kittychick]

tabbytom ...think you nailed that one! Or at least I like to hope he was thinking at least a teeny weeny bit about me and not 100% about the food.

However if you look at top photo from a few years ago of Crosby (with his grey brother, Cody) "before" being TNR'd by us and enjoying the subsequent daily banquets they began receiving, you'll notice that food is certainly quite high on his priority list! (I still like to think of him as just "big boned.")

 

[tabbytom]

tabbytom ...think you nailed that one! Or at least I like to hope he was thinking at least a teeny weeny bit about me and not 100% about the food.

However if you look at top photo from a few years ago of Crosby (with his grey brother, Cody) "before" being TNR'd by us and enjoying the subsequent daily banquets they began receiving, you'll notice that food is certainly quite high on his priority list! (I still like to think of him as just "big boned.")

Yep, he does looked like he’s on the big boned side