Some advice for this wounded feral

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katzspirit

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More great great posts.

Jcatbird...that is a most amazing story. It makes me feel like this is a walk in the park, which comparatively it certainly is. Thank you for sharing.

I called the vet this afternoon and decided to err on the side of caution and take Whitey to the vet. I’m here now waiting for the dr. No sense in having this guy any more uncomfortable that need be. That’s what drs are for. And will discuss other tests, deworming meds, etc...but priority is to deal w possible uti...

I’ll give an update tomorrow to let everyone know if their knowledge and intuition is correct. Which hopefully they can determine tonight...
 

tnrmakessense

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Hello to all. This is just such an excellent site and just phenomenal comments and suggestions. It greatly helps me (and hopefully Whitey) each day.

In answering the questions, the vet said he did not need a follow up after the quarantine and I’ll have to check to see if he received any other shots.

At this point, if the need arose, getting him to the vet would be simple because he spends his time in my presence inside the carrier. Just s close of the door and we would be off.

I’ll still wait to let me explore more. I think the next step is to remove a piece of plywood that would expose the other side of the basement. I may wait a couple more weeks for that.

I have noticed that if there is a blanket or towel on the floor he pees on that. He also peed on a catnip toy. Otherwise there hasn’t been spraying. I think I’d neuter him before he has the opportunity to turn the rest of the house into a big litter box.

I’d never reach in his carrier as I’d consider that an invasion and I dont want to get scratched or bitten which would of course harm me but also possibly jeopardize him. Before entering the basement, I tap My nails on the door as a knock so he knows I’m coming. It’s his area. I do Try to respect him. I dont View him as just an animal or pet. We are all equals.

I appreciate the compliment on my femininity. I do Think a lot of males are very macho. Even though some females don’t like cats, males tend to be more outward w that. Many many years ago, I took In a stray that was very friendly. He was a male also. But typically I attract more females than anything, human or animals. Most males don’t click w me. But overall, I love all animals and nature and try to respect every aspect of it. We are all part of the same whole in my opinion.

I may wait a bit longer to introduce any other presence. I would like him to be more comfortable, in general, first before making more changes.

Last night was the first time I warmed food and placed it and some dry near his carrier. I then retreated to the farthest point, and kept talking to him so he knew I was still there. He waited me out. But I will try again tonight. This will be the first full 24 hrs without free feeding. Of course updates will follow.

I’m really appreciative of all the posts. It sounds like this guy has had some domestication in the past and has been outside for quite some time which maybe put him into feral mode but maybe there is still parts of his brain that will turn back on and socialize a bit more at some point. Like anything in life, it’s a journey.

Though I do appreciate all of your kind words, I dont think I saved his life or that I’m anything great for taking him in. It’s a standard in life. Offer help when needed. Life is a matter of perspective. What if one day he wakes me up or steps in to save my life? Directly. Then who would be the one in debt? Quite often I’ve found that when trying to put something back into life, I end up getting more out than what I put in. Which is never my motivation. So I’m not so quick to boost my ego and think I’m doing “good.” I’m doing what I should be doing. Just like brushing my teeth. I dont pat myself on the back for that either.

Though this is difficult and consumes what little free time I have, I’m very grateful that this boy is either not feral or unusually so. I feel like my hands are very full already.

I’m also glad to hear how many wonderful people are out there, caring for so many animals.

Lastly, I named him Whitey because of his color. Because there is a gray squirrel around with a lot of dark fur on his underside which is unusual and I call him Blackie. And because I live in the Boston area. And during the weeks of trying to trap him, this guy evaded authorities for quite some time. Like the real life example, when finally caught, whitey had a lot of white fur on his face.

I’d love to hear more comments on anyone’s thoughts or stories and if what I wrote About him peeing on towels or blankets on the floor is examples of spraying.

I cant post without saying thank you again. All of you are greatly appreciated!
(These pics are from the first week- not many photo ops when he’s in the carrier)
For some ferals newly brought in, everything is foreign. Rugs, tile, cat litter, ceilings.... you name it. If he needs to pee on towels, just stock up on Goodwill/garage sale tiles. You can also try cardboard and newspaper. I have one former feral with a head injury that prefers cardboard on the floor. And cardboard really neutralizes the pee smell. As far as spraying - that's more a vertical thing. There's no mistaking the yellow droplets on the wall or the godawful smell if they've hit the toaster, I don't realize it, and plug it in.
 

tnrmakessense

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For some ferals newly brought in, everything is foreign. Rugs, tile, cat litter, ceilings.... you name it. If he needs to pee on towels, just stock up on Goodwill/garage sale tiles. You can also try cardboard and newspaper. I have one former feral with a head injury that prefers cardboard on the floor. And cardboard really neutralizes the pee smell. As far as spraying - that's more a vertical thing. There's no mistaking the yellow droplets on the wall or the godawful smell if they've hit the toaster, I don't realize it, and plug it in.
Sorry- I meant Goodwill towels, not tiles.
 
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An update w a big yawn...the vet visit was a 4 1/2 hour ordeal. I didnt Sleep 4 1/2 hrs last night...

They are testing for uti...should have results in the next day or so...

The vet was concerning that his wounds still look raw and haven’t healed much. They are concerned there is another issue w his skin going on but I know For certain his is scratching his scabs off and making the wounds raw again. They think there should have been more healing by now, even if he scratches.

I know there have been a couple posts (sorry I forget who by now) talking about how long it can take for wounds to heal. I’m not sure if the vet is just playing to her normal outlook as an emergency room vet or she had a legitimate point.

They gave him another shot of long acting antibiotics. They said wait 4 weeks to see how he looks. Though vet visits are pricey, they are also full of stress and fear for him.

All of you have provided such a haven for me. Hoping anyone will comment on their experience w wounds. Every time I think there’s some progress, it seems like there’s something else.

With great appreciation for everyone on this site...
 

Furballsmom

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I’m not sure if the vet is just playing to her normal outlook as an emergency room vet or she had a legitimate point.
Other than the antibiotic, did the vet have any advice?

they are also full of stress and fear for him.
When you have to go in again, maybe ask the vet if there's any calming product they suggest.

Hang in there, I'm sending you and him lots of healing thoughts!!
 
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katzspirit

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They didn’t have any advice. They admit it’s difficult w a feral cat that isn’t ok w contact yet and is still afraid.

They did say maybe to consider medication that might tame him a bit and help w the peeing, if in fact that only turns out to be behavioral...plenty of fun
 

Furballsmom

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There might be something in this list;

Only Natural Pet has a calming product called Just Relax Calming spray with essential oil (catnip oil).

There's this one, be sure and scroll all the way down the page;
Bach Flower Remedies - Rescue Remedy Pets Dogs Cats Horses Birds

Also, there is ThunderWunders calming chews, Naturevet Hemp, HomeoPet Anxiety Relief, Head to Tail Calming, Relaxivet Quiet Moments Cat treats, GNC Calming formula, and there is Calm-o-mile, Natures Miracle calming spray, Vetri-Science's Composure is another item to look at, Pet Remedy - UK (it has valerian) is yet another, as is Essential Pet Pet-eze, Pet Organics No Stress, Only Natural Pet (brand and website) has other calming products, Pet Naturals also has one I believe, and there are others.

Lambert Vet Supply is a website to look at, and of course chewy, also there's Petwishpros, animaleo, 1-800-petmeds, Petco and PetSmart, and other pet stores.

There is also a product called a lickimat which could be helpful, as cats can be calmed by the process of licking. The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats

This post talks about some other products;
Calming Treats For A Very Picky Cat
 

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They are testing for uti...should have results in the next day or so...
Did they manage to get a urine sample? If they can get any pee it's usually easy enough to do a litmus test, to check the ph of the urine. Fingers crossed the test results are OK.

:crossfingers:

They gave him another shot of long acting antibiotics. They said wait 4 weeks to see how he looks.
If he does have a bacterial UTI the antibiotics should help that too. As he's been outside for a while there is a good chance he has FIV, which may be slowing down the healing. If you get him blood tested in the future and it turns out he is FIV+ don't panic! FIV is not a death sentence. It's fairly straight forward to manage the condition and FIV+ cats can lead long, healthy lives.

If I were in your position I'd wait until he has healed a bit, then get him neutered and get all his blood tests and vaccinations done while he's still sedated from his neuter. (Fairly standard way of treating feral cats.) If he is FIV+ you need to make sure he gets the killed form of the vaccine, so it doesn't over tax his immune system.

As far as something to calm him down goes I've had a lot of good results with Zylkene.

Zylkene® | Vetoquinol USA

It's a powder you add to their canned food, safe for long term use.
 
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katzspirit

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Thank you to all once again. Genuinely, as a collective, this site seems to have more info than the animal hospital.

Furballsmom - thank u for all the product info. I will Look at that info more closely later today.

Norachan - they did get a urine sample that they are testing. Hopefully I’ll get results later this week.

Great advice w respect to the rest of the tests/neutering. I had tried to discuss other testing w them, but both visits had been so long and drawn out.

Whitey is an interesting fellow. For the first time in a couple weeks, I found him at the top of the stairs when I got home yesterday. I tried to put food down in front of him but that scared him - he ran down and dove into the carrier. There’s a couple towels inside now and he has a little nest for himself.
 

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katzspirit

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Hello all. Sorry for the delay. Just a busy few days.

So...

Whitey does not have a UTI. The tests were negative. The vet said the peeing could be explained by possible stress or behavioral. I have put down a puppy pad. He has used that 3 times in a week. It’s not everyday that he pees outside the box. I’m trying to take notice if it helps if I spend more time w him. I’m also going to try to put a camera in the basement so I can get a better sense of his activity when I’m not there. A couple of recent days he’s had no interest in wet cat food but I’ve been trying to find healthier brands and maybe the change isn’t welcome. I tried switching the dry kibble to Stella and chewy brand but he did not seem fond of that.

Hopefully the camera clues me in a little bit.

He seems to be more comfortable in his carrier w a couple of towels inside. I had a towel covering the top since I first brought him home. A few days ago he pulled the towel off (I’m assuming) but no pee was on it
 

tnrmakessense

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Hello all. Sorry for the delay. Just a busy few days.

So...

Whitey does not have a UTI. The tests were negative. The vet said the peeing could be explained by possible stress or behavioral. I have put down a puppy pad. He has used that 3 times in a week. It’s not everyday that he pees outside the box. I’m trying to take notice if it helps if I spend more time w him. I’m also going to try to put a camera in the basement so I can get a better sense of his activity when I’m not there. A couple of recent days he’s had no interest in wet cat food but I’ve been trying to find healthier brands and maybe the change isn’t welcome. I tried switching the dry kibble to Stella and chewy brand but he did not seem fond of that.

Hopefully the camera clues me in a little bit.

He seems to be more comfortable in his carrier w a couple of towels inside. I had a towel covering the top since I first brought him home. A few days ago he pulled the towel off (I’m assuming) but no pee was on it
The camera is a great idea.

Not to complicate your situation further, but I had a cat test negative for a UTI while she was passing pure blood. When I finally insisted on surgery, they found a huge pokey stone in her. So I take all urine test results with a grain of salt.

If it is a UTI, as someone whose battled them for decades, the most important thing is to try to get more water in to her.If she insists on dry food, maybe try soaking some in water and offering it with the dry kibble. I'd set out a whole buffet and then watch on video to see what he likes.

It just takes time. You and Whitney will figure it out. Kudos to you for all your caring.
 

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Hello all. Sorry for the delay. Just a busy few days.

So...

Whitey does not have a UTI. The tests were negative. The vet said the peeing could be explained by possible stress or behavioral. I have put down a puppy pad. He has used that 3 times in a week. It’s not everyday that he pees outside the box. I’m trying to take notice if it helps if I spend more time w him. I’m also going to try to put a camera in the basement so I can get a better sense of his activity when I’m not there. A couple of recent days he’s had no interest in wet cat food but I’ve been trying to find healthier brands and maybe the change isn’t welcome. I tried switching the dry kibble to Stella and chewy brand but he did not seem fond of that.

Hopefully the camera clues me in a little bit.

He seems to be more comfortable in his carrier w a couple of towels inside. I had a towel covering the top since I first brought him home. A few days ago he pulled the towel off (I’m assuming) but no pee was on it
I think time will heal him eventually. Wee pads are great for cats that pee due to urinary tract issues and or behavior issues. I had them all over for Syb in stainless pans. Someone had trained her to pee on paper and she never peed in a box. I think he will stop when he is neutered and feeling better. A cam is great, you can keep an eye on him without him getting nervous. The blink cams have a new feature where you get a live view and you can press a button to talk to your cats. I did that with my outdoor guys from a doc appointment and they were listening to me trying to figure out where I was. My cats never liked most of the healthy canned foods but now the currents love my home cooked food. And Quinn loves fussie cat too.
 

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Thanks for the update. I'm glad there's no sign of a UTI.

Just a thought, some cats like one litter box to pee in and another one for poop. Does he have two boxes? That might help.

A camera is a great idea. I try and give my cats healthy canned food as much as I can, but they're all dry food junkies. Sometimes if you crush some of their favourite dry food and sprinkle it on top of the canned it encourages them to eat. Outdoor cats eat a lot more than indoor cats, maybe his more sedentary life style just means he doesn't need as much to eat?
 
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Thanks again for the replies. Incredibly helpful. Genuinely I’m appreciative.

I do have 2 litter boxes for him. Mostly he does pee in one and poop in another. He will only poop once in one box. And usually in one corner.

As far as food, you may be right. He may be catching up on nutrition. I’m not sure if I’m wrong but for now, I dont want to limit him in way of food. Especially while he is healing. So I keep dry food and water out. And bring him wet at night. He used too key in on wet food but it used to be the friskies or some generic brand and now I’m trying healthier ones so maybe he will adjust to the new tastes. He’s been eating the generic stuff for a long time outside. Like everything, hopefully in time, he will adjust.

As far as uti, he seems to drink a good amount of water. I have no idea what’s normal but I’d guess about 8 oz a day, give or take. I think when the heat is on and it’s warmer, he drinks a bit more.

I thought we were on a good trend w no outside the box peeing. But I got home today to find that he peed on a pad and also on the floor. I had a talk w him about where to pee and not to pee. I’m not sure if he understands or cares. Perhaps the camera will show me more. I’m going to try to set it up tonight.

I do have another camera i can access by WiFi but I used It a couple times in the past and I think it was making some kind of beeping noise on motion detection and i need to figure out if possible to keep it silent. Then I can look in on him during the day to see.
 
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The camera shows that he spends most of the time outside the carrier, on the top of the stairs that lead down to the basement. It’s prob the warmest and darkest spot.

He takes several naps (I’m guessing) and comes down for food and water and litter boxes. He did scratch his wounds but just a couple of times. He tries licking them a couple of times. He can’t quite reach due to their location.

The light switch is a WiFi and I can control w my phone. I believe when I turned up the lights, he went back into the carrier. I think He thinks that signals me coming home. So I’ll just leave them low till I get home. I always tap on the door as a knock before I go down.

Last night was the first time he didn’t look directly at me the whole time i was down there w him. And I think, maybe, just slightly he’s scratching less.

Usually before going to bed I do the same routine of cleaning his boxes, etc and I turn the lights down and then go to bed. That kinda tells him i won’t bother him anymore. Last night he came out of the carrier on my way up the stairs and then scared himself and went back into the carrier frantically. I thought Maybe there was some pee on the floor after that.

I’m hoping to find a solution to the peeing issue. Otherwise I think he’s doing ok. Slow process all around...I’m not known for my patience but I’ve certainly only showed him patience. I think This Sunday will be 5 weeks...
 
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