Tnr Feral Cat, Need Some Advice.

mlaumuse

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Is it normal for a feral cat to meow so much after being caught in a humane trap? I am taking her to be spayed tomorrow so I have to keep her over night but she won't stop meowing and its making me really anxious. I've read that ferals don't normally meow. I know this one is a feral because I have been caring for her since she had blue eyes (basically kitten). At the time her mom was also feral and would not let me near her. By the time mom left all the kittens had green eyes and were afraid of me. My yard is also full of junk that my parent aacauired over the years so hiding has always been a problem. I found her last August so it has been awhile and I am their only caregiver. She has only recently allowed me to approach her while she was eating and I've managed to pet her once.
Should I be worried that she's hurt herself? Everytime I go to check on her she will meow for at least 20 minutes after and its just so sad to hear. She's also hissing and lashing out. I still haven't caught the brother and I'm sure I won't because he is even more skittish than her and is now afraid of the trap. Does anyone have any advice on how to transport? This is my first time doing TNR. how can I get the brother in the other trap? I'm using canned makeral as suggested but I think he is too afraid. As a disclaimer: this is not a feral colony and I don't want it to become one. Just two cats that were abandoned by their mother so Im not sure behavior is the same or not. Please respond with any advice.
 

tabbytom

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Hello mlaumuse, thank you for trapping her and getting her spayed.

Drape a blanket over her cage now and during transportation. This will calm her down as she cannot see the outside.

To get the brother in, I presume you are using a humane trap, place tuna or Mackerel at the entrance of trap and some in between and some at the end of the trap.

You can leave a blanket on top of cage but don't cover the back of the cage so that he won't see it as a dead end and will not enter cage.

After the brother is trapped, do the same, cover with blanket and also during transportation to keep him calm.

Please let us know the outcome of the it all.
 
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mlaumuse

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Yeah I put a blanket over her cage. She seems to have stopped meowing for now. She meowed for about 1.5 hours the last time I went out. Which is strange because I never hear her meow at all. The brother is not even going anywhere near the food or cage. Is it possible he is traumatized because his sister got trapped? Are they able to learn from anothers mistake? I didn't think that was possible... I've moved her from the trap site to a more secure location, but he is checking on her there. I didn't feed them this morning so I know he's got to be hungry. How long should I leave the cage there? Should I leave it overnight? I was told they are supposed to fast 12 hours prior to surgery. The brother is already so weary of me. He hisses all the time and runs everytime I go near. I'm afraid I will never catch him now that he's seen this.
 
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mlaumuse

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Just wanted to update, I've caught the brother finally! Thanks for the help!
 
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mlaumuse

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Just out of curiosity, does anyone know why they are making crying baby sounds in their cages? Are they talking to each other? Or me? I've never heard them do it before; it's quite eerie...
 

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Just out of curiosity, does anyone know why they are making crying baby sounds in their cages? Are they talking to each other? Or me? I've never heard them do it before; it's quite eerie...
They might be communicating with each other as in looking for each other. I'm just guessing.

Maybe @redtoprescue can shed some light and advise you more on the cries.

@red top rescue
 

shadowsrescue

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They might be communicating with each other, but some cats when they get into an enclosed space with no way out are just very vocal. I have trapped many and some are quiet as a mouse and others just howl and yowl and meowing.

Usually they are nice and quiet when they come home since they are still slightly sedated (that is if you are bringing them back home tonight after spay/neuter).

Thank you for caring for them and doing the best thing for them (TNR).
 
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mlaumuse

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Ok so I just got them back. The girl was 8 weeks pregnant with 8 babies and had them all taken out of her so she basically underwent extensive surgery :( she also had what they called cage fright and thrashed around inside. Her head is all ripped up and she is missing so much fur there! The brother was healthy they said and shouldn't have any complications. I was told to try to keep them in as long as possible but if the girl starts thrashing again to let her out. She wasn't really thrashing when she was home with me prior just crying. They are still a little loopy right now so at least they are resting

I just want to know on average how long will it take her wound to heal? She had a larger than usual incision and I read that the girls can sometimes have their intestines spill out if the stitches open?! I am so concerned because I am supposed to keep her in there longer but they told me she is afraid of the cage. Does anyone have prior experience with something similar? If she is thrashing should I just move her into a larger dog crate? I have a few of those.
 

tabbytom

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Oh dear, hope that she is no longer that stress now that she's home. You mentioned that the babies were taken out during the surgery, meaning that they did not survive?

As long as she does not lick her incision and make sure the incision is clean and dry. Watch for bleeding and pus which is likely an infection if you see pus and also if stitches are not holding well. If any of this occur, please bring her in immediately.
If all goes well, she should recover within 2 weeks at most 3 weeks top. Did the vet gave you pain killers to take home? If yes, and if you feel that she's in pain, administer that to her to relieve her pain.

Best is keep her calm and if you think she's better in the large dog crate and safer for her, move her in and place some thick towels inside so can rest on them comfortably.

After the anesthesia wears off in a day or two, is the time to be more vigilant. Make sure all wounds are dry and clean. Keep her calm by approaching her slowly and talking to her softly. Make her gain confidence in you. Less stress means faster healing.

Please keep us posted.
 

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Is there any way to safely move her to a cage that would have more room? You do not want her to escape so if you do try this be sure that the room is cat proofed. I have used a large dog cage. You would then need to place a small litter pan on one end and food on the other. Puppy pee pads also come in handy. Be sure the trap/carrier or cage is covered at all times.

I would not release her for a few days unless she is thrashing terribly. Place her in a safe place and try to play calming music for her. Limit the amount of time you visit as it might be upsetting. She will need some food/water by tomorrow though.

Try your best to stay calm. Use a very soft voice when speaking to her.

I am so happy that you rescued her. She may be a bit sad by losing her babies, but you did the right thing. Eight more babies would have been just awful.

The male can be released tomorrow morning. They heal very quickly. Just be sure to have some food/water ready for his return.

Thank you again for caring for these sweet ones.
 
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mlaumuse

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She essentially had the babies aborted in addition to getting spayed :( She really looks all beat up right now... I took her to a clinic reserved by the feral cat coalition. She is laying on her tummy in a crouched position and looks very groggy still. Her eyes are all weird foggy and look watery or like something's in there? and her tongue is out slightly (dark pink in color). How do I check the incision site? She never turns over for me... She has only begun trusting me a little these past days but I don't think I am calming to her though. She is very wild. I'm afraid that if I move her into a large crate designed for dogs it will be difficult to get her back into the humane trap (a requirement for the clinic) should I have to bring her back in. I think I will try to keep her in the little cage til at least Friday (I work all day saturday) and put her in the dog crate at that time regardless if she is healing nicely just to be safe. I just got a 48in dog crate as I was planning on using it as an extension to the cat house I have been keeping a stray mom cat and her kittens in so I may have to use it for this girl instead. Is there anything else I should be watching for? How long will she be sedated? Do they use different amounts of anesthesia for pregnant cats because the boy seems to be recovering already but (eyes normal) she looks a little groggy still. I picked her up at 1:30 pm today. Its now about 4 pm where I'm at.
 
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mlaumuse

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No I did not get painkillers. I used a free TNR service provided by the feral cat coalition. Even so I'm not sure I would even be able to administer it. She does not really like being touched even before capture.
 

tabbytom

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Leave her to rest over the anesthesia and the episode at the vet. I think it's too much for her now and all she need is peace and quiet rest.

The amount of anesthesia used for the boy is very much different from the sister as the sister went through a much more complicated surgery than the boy. So that's why the boy is up and about already as though nothing much has happened to him.

Just observe the sister and let her come around herself which I think she'll be good in a day or two. It's just a few hours after you've gotten her back from the vet.

Just make sure nothing unusual happens to the surgery site.
 

shadowsrescue

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The anesthesia usually wears off over night. Males require very little anesthesia as their procedure is literally 10 minutes! Hers is much more intensive so she must have had more anesthesia. My tomorrow morning she should be more alert.

I used to take a coffee filter and place some wet food on it. I would then slip it through the bars of the trap so that there was food available if they wanted it. Most of my TNR cats did not eat over night so don't be alarmed.

You can most likely release the male tomorrow morning. Just be sure to have food for him in case he returns later. Many will stay away for a few days. I have had some return within a few hours of release and others that took days to week to even months to return. It just depends on the cats reaction

The female should be ok by Friday to release. Just allow her to rest and be sure she has something to eat, but don't be alarmed if she chooses not to eat. Sometimes the stress is just too much.
 
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mlaumuse

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Ok I will be providing food at around 7 or 8 if they are alert. The boy is already making those baby sounds again so I think he is gonna be fine.
She is closing her eyes and falling asleep a bit is that alright? I just want to make sure she will wake up. She looks very tired as she should be, but I don't know anything about this. Thank you guys for all your help. Its greatly appreciated.
 

tabbytom

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She is stressed out and on top of that she is still groggy from the anesthesia. Let her rest. Just keep her comfortable and just keep an eye on her.
 
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mlaumuse

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She's very calm. I think she may just be really tired. Neither one of them are rustling in the cage. I am keeping the brother in as long as possible even though he seems set to be released because I have their cages next to each other and I think he calms her a bit. They both haven't touched their food or water though.
 

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That's a good report. I'm happy to hear she is calm. :) I have a question for you.

What are your doing about kitty litter? I dropped off a feral last Friday for TNR, and will be picking her up in about 8 weeks. I'm sure they'll want me to hold her at least one night. There's no room in a humane trap for litter, so I can't imagine how to hold her and let her pee/poop.

Did you move your cats to larger dog kennels, or are they still in the humane traps? Don't mean to hijack your thread, but I'll be in the same boat in a few weeks and trying to plan ahead.
 
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