Strange happenings

[JMJimmy]

View media item 331708
3rd bed is a success.  And now Missy (longhaired kitty) has been inside 3 times today spending most of her time upstairs in the warmth.  She still tears out whenever there's a noise though so another freezing day with the door open for her. 

 

 

[kittyluv387]

Wow i hope theyre all fixed or will be soon! They look so nice and comfy.

 

[Norachan]

Hi @JMJimmy

Just catching up with this thread now. Wow, you've made some great progress. They all look very comfortable sleeping there. Yep, you need some more beds. You can never have too many cat beds. Is it possible to install a cat door for Missy so you don't have to freeze? You can get the long panel kind that fit into sliding doors or windows and don't damage the existing frames at all. My life has been so much easier ever since I got a cat door for my herd.

Has Junior been fixed? Un-neutered males often take off for a few days. How about Sissy, did you trap her so that she could be spayed? Even if she does have kittens somewhere it's better to get her spayed as soon as you can. The vet will be able to tell if she's feeding a litter and will do a flank spay, rather than a belly spay, so that she can keep on feeding them.

So you now have 5 visiting cats, is that correct? With that many it would be a good idea to try and work with some local TNR groups to get them all fixed and vaccinated. It can get very expensive trying to do it all by yourself.

Keep us updated. Lovely pictures!

 

[JMJimmy]

We're working out how to pay for it atm.  Things are insanely tight right now and we really don't want to start piling up CC debt.  The shelter we're getting it done at has advised us that they'd prefer to get their shots done first which means 2 appointments each, 3-4 weeks apart, then another 1-2 weeks before the surgery.

Junior - not fixed and he's definitely tomcating every night.  He usually comes home every morning to eat/sleep but I think those few days he just got caught out in a winter storm and hunkered down.  He's pretty small and not a lot of weight to him so it hit him pretty hard.  He slept so deeply upon returning almost nothing would wake him.

Mamma - We're getting the impression that she is fixed since Jr pays no attention to her and she's very much a homebody.  She's starting to act like a happy cat, playing around/being silly/etc.  The catnip trip she was on last night was something fierce and absolutely hilarious to watch! 

Sissy - Definitely not fixed, but again, Jr. doesn't pay much attention to her either, though more than he does with Mamma.  That combined with her unusual gate makes us think she's already prego.  She's currently beside me purring up a storm demanding to be pet while kneading thin air

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• JMJimmy
• Feb 27, 2016

Both are absolutely fearless, will come inside like they own the place.  None of the other cats like them; there's just something just off about their behaviour.  The other day the guy pictured above came by, sat in front of the door like he wanted inside while Mamma and Jr stood guard.  We always thought Jr. couldn't take care of himself... boy were we wrong.  He let out some yowls that scared Mamma away.  Longhaired Black Kitty just sat there waiting for me to open the door completely oblivious to his yowling.

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• JMJimmy
• Feb 27, 2016

I'm thinking I'll try to modify a MagicMesh screen door to fit in a window and give them access that way.  Not ideal but at $20 it's a LOT cheaper than what they want for plastic/vinyl cat doors.

In total there are 8 cats, our 3 adoptees, 5 strays/outdoor cats (including Missy) that come around, 3 of which have come inside multiple times.  Also, squirrels have come in.

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• JMJimmy
• Feb 27, 2016

 

[kittyluv387]

Squirrels too? What in the world...lol. you must br dr doolittle

 

[handsome kitty]

Are there any rescues in your area that could help you?  If you do not want to keep all the cats you could foster them for the rescue and depending on the rescue they provide food and medical care for the cats.

Have you seen this article?  You should also post the link to your GoFundMe on this thread as well.

 [article="29706"]When You Cant Afford A Veterinarian​[/article]  

 

[JMJimmy]

We've spoken with a few rescues, the majority of them do not take strays which seems counter intuitive.  They seem mostly focused on taking them before the end up on the street which apparently makes them easier to rehome.  They've all refered us to the local humane society shelter.  We've been putting off getting a pet for nearly 2 years because we knew we couldn't afford the vet costs.  These 4 landing in our laps has forced the issue upon us.  While the humane society is an option, it is no-kill, it is our last option.  Partly due to the way they've come into our lives, they chose us, and it's hard to give them up after such an act.  We've got insurance lined up for them so future vet care is taken care of (80% up to $1.5k each).  It's just the initial $640 which we can't cover due to them all showing up within a few weeks of each other.  

Thank you for the link, I read through it and there's not much we haven't considered.

 

[kittyluv387]

You dont have any shelters offering low cost spay and neuter programs near you? Itd be less than 600 for sure if you did...

 

[JMJimmy]

You dont have any shelters offering low cost spay and neuter programs near you? Itd be less than 600 for sure if you did...

The low cost option is $45+$45 for the two appointments to get vaccinated prior to surgery + $70 spay/neuter = $160 per cat.  4 cats = $640.  Our local vet wanted $140 per vaccination appointment, we didn't ask about the spay/neuter cost after hearing that price.

 

[kittyluv387]

Thats not very low cost. -.- my local shelter only requires rabies since its the law and i think you can get it done at the same time as surgery. Yours has too many rules. What a shame, since spay and neuter plus rabies is more urgent. And for the ones that used to be pets they might just need a booster. What the heck are they thinking. Their rules do not help with the goal of controlling population. And really, 3 visits just to get spay and neuter?? Many shelters spay and neuter at 2 months of age or when they are 2 pounds. Obviously before their 2nd set of shots.
Does anything else show up when you google low cost spay and neuter?? Can you tell us or pm me your general area? I think you need a place that doesnt require you to go through so many hoops just to get them fixed.

 

[JMJimmy]

I did a fair amount of research but if there's a cheaper safe option I'm all for it.  I'm in Toronto.  This is the least expensive I found:

THS - $160

SPCA - $169 (at high volume clinics)

BLAC - $158 male/$188 female

Which is very consistent with the fee for adopting a cat ($175) which is supposed to cover those basic costs.  Edit: I should clarify:  THS doesn't require that they be vaccinated before being spayed/neutered, they just recommend it because the cats are in close proximity with so many other cats & possible infection during the day they spend there (drop off 7am, pick up in the afternoon). 

 

[kittyluv387]

Ah youre in canada. Less choices that are low cost in other countries i guess. Please consider getting them all neutered first if you plan on caring for them. Its going to be waaaaay more expensive if someone has kittens. You can even set up a go fund me account for neuterings. Who knows maybe you'll get enough to cover a couple of cat neuterings righ off the bat. For jr and missy maybe? Or all the girls? They all need to get fixed asap. Vaccinations can come later.

 

[JMJimmy]

Everything seems to be more expensive here

The GoFundMe hail mary is where we're at right now - http://www.thecatsite.com/t/315086/a-surprise-family-the-hard-part

 

[Norachan]

I know how you feel. You should take a look at vet costs in Japan.

I think it would be much better to spay/neuter first and vaccinate later. If one of the females is pregnant you could spay-abort now so you don't have have to worry about kittens too. Not a nice thing to have to consider, I know, but if shelters are full it might be the best option.

 

[kittyluv387]

yes spay abort is sad but its lesser of the two evils if theres no place for them to go and theres no money to take care of a million kittens.

 

[JMJimmy]

A quick update:

Sissy is all house cat now.  Her transformation is absolutely incredible.  From running at the mere sight of any human to laying at my feet demanding pets in less than 2 weeks.  Her only issue so far is that she likes to lay down in the litter box for some strange reason.  At least it helps us make sure we clean it every day!   Her this morning beside my pasty white foot:

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• JMJimmy
• Feb 28, 2016

Missy is coming along, back every morning at 7am, she comes in readily but is still afraid of us.  She'll wander all over the apartment, upstairs as well.  Eats, drinks, sleeps, grooms, even uses the litter box and then heads out, only to come back in a few hours to repeat the process.  At this rate she might take an extra week to come around fully but is well on her way.  I finally managed to get a better picture off her

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• JMJimmy
• Feb 28, 2016

Mamma seems to have FHS and while a cranky broad seems like she's been here her entire life.  She still doesn't like me but will accept pets begrudgingly and never has a problem accepting treats from me

Jr. really needs to get fixed soon, his tomcating is going to get him hurt again.  He has a large scar on his chest from a fight sometime before he arrived with us but the inflammation has gone down and the hair is regrowing.  He went after Longhaired Black Kitty who is probably double his size.  Luckily no fight but he seems willing to take on anything.

We've discovered they all love dairy; especially my lactose free milk.  At least they aren't like my sister's old cat who was obsessed with banana peels.

 

[stewball]

These cats are sending us on a bit of a roller-coaster. 

Junior (2nd tabby) has been missing for 3 days now, he went on patrol 2 nights ago and never returned.  We're hoping he just hunkered down due to the storm but we're worried someone scooped him up as he's very friendly and most of the other cats have found their way back at one point or another.  Edit: Right as I'm finishing up typing this, the little stinker shows up at the door!  yay!

Sissy (black cat) made her displeasure at being trapped known by spraying a dozen different surfaces on her second night with us.  (Protip: expensive cat urine cleaner isn't needed - standard toilet bowl cleaner cut with water does the trick)  After that I had to let her out as she was clearly stressed.  A couple days later she was back though.  We eventually had a breakthrough with her where Alpha Kitty (as my better half is now known) tricked her into receiving pets by covering her hand in catnip.  What a mistake - not because it scared her off but because now she won't leave us alone!  She's constantly wanting to be pet now!  She no longer cowers under the "sauna", no longer runs away from us, and we can let her out and she comes back within a few hours.  Adoption successful I think, though I'm pretty sure she's pregnant - her midsection is a little too wide.  She's super happy now - currently playing with her tail.

Mamma (boss kitty) is a mixed bag.  She absolutely adores Alpha Kitty, follows her around/sleeps on the bed with her, but still fears me (likely due to the carrier incident) so runs downstairs when I head up to bed and is generally standoffish.  She's been really dominant/territorial/food aggressive though, especially with longhaired kitty, who continues to come in but freaks out so easily.  I honestly think Mamma is just correcting bad behaviour but it resulted in a cat fight already.  The fight was my fault though, longhaired kitty wanted in from a really bad storm and I forced her to walk by me so I could close the door behind her.  As soon as I did she freaked and that's when mamma came charging in.  Mamma has also decided that we do not like shorteared kitty, longhaired black kitty, and the white tabby cats that come around regularly.

We need a 3rd bed!

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• JMJimmy
• Feb 25, 2016

Such a pretty picture.

 

[stewball]

What a lovely shiny coat sissy has. Does she go out at all now? It's very common for cats to lie in their litter boxes. I,not being a professional but just a mum, think it's a place of security, peace or something like that. I may be completely wrong but that's how I feel when any of the cats I've had did that.
Missie is beautiful. Let's just hope she turns herself into a house cat soon.
JR certainly does need to be done quickly. Maybe before inoculations. If he's a 'man about town', he could get hurt or catch feline aids from whoever he's fighting with.
Mamma is mamma with her own personality. She's showing you that although she's not mad about you, she will allow herself to accept goodies from you, just don't get too cheeky. That's her talking, not me.
You have a lovely kitty family.
Enjoy.

 

[JMJimmy]

All the cats still go out, Sissy included.  In our trial and error we've learned they get anxious if we try to keep them in.  Stress spraying, less receptive to pets, quicker to take offence between each other, etc.  Mamma stays home the most, at most 1-2 hours a day outside;  Sissy likes to spend the night outside but is home all day & if we want her to stay inside for longer we just need to pet her and she forgets all about going out for a while.  Junior is all hormones right now, he comes back every day or every other day around 6-7am, sleeps & eats for 10 hours before the hormones kick in and off he goes again.  Missy is here for 4-6 hours a day now in 1 hour increments, 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm, 11pm, 3am like clockwork.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I have been laughing so hard.  I'm sorry, but your bewildered catapult trip into catparenthood is just too too funny!  Now, that said, I did stop by your GoFundMe page.  Seems you have four cats.  For GOODNESS SAKE...do NOT install a cat flap!  You'll have 33 of them wandering around the place!