Trapped Half Blind Kitty

[krisrath11]

Hi everyone! For those who haven't seen my very very long thread help with pregnant kitty I've been trapping the cats in my neighborhood for over a year and getting everyone vetted and homes (yeah I've kept a few lol). Well, this time I was after a black who almost got hit but instead I caught another (imagine that).

This one (not sure on gender quite yet) is ear tipped so obviously fixed, but is pretty skinny and the kicker is... half blind. Well this one might have come from a few houses behind me and across the street cause it may be the one I have seen. If it is it lives outside all the time in a place that I believe has had the rest of these take yet intact kitties come from. So the question is really what do I do? I was going to go ask bit there's a fence around the property and I live where u don't open the gate to someone's house unless u know them.

The kitty is pretty skinny (probably has tape worm like the rest and fleas ect) so I'm care minimum keeping until I can get that taken care of, but what do i do? Typically everyone is intact and full of parasites so I post an ad on Craigslist for a found kitty that says if u want it back u pay the cost of the spay or neuter and nobody ever responds. Well, I can go the same approach in posting as a found as I would anyway, release (I hate to do that, as this kitty where is scared is NOT feral). I don't want anyone missing their kitty, but I also want the kitty to be well fed, vetted, warm and safe. I am so confused.

 

[surya]

I would not feel bad about keeping the kitty if that's what you want to do, since he is not being well cared for. I would put the cat's well being first.

 

[kittychick]

I want to dig into this and answer soon - - - - I'm under a deadline at the moment.....I'lll try to answer still tonight. Hopefully you won't be releasing tonight!?!?!?!?

 

[trudy1]

Keep him...if he were loved he’d be well cared for, like you intend to do

To me having a pet is an obligation and implies a bond between you and that animal...you agree to keep them safe, loved, warm and well fed. Their part? I thinks it’s that they agree to be safe, loved, warm and well fed! But in the end it’s really a matter of trust between you and that animal. An owner that neglects an animal fulfills none of the above.

 

[maggiedemi]

I would help him. You know you'll worry about him if you just release him. Take him to the vet and then just post the same notice that you did before, that they can have their cat back if they pay the vet bill.

 

[trudy1]

So how are things going with the new guy?

 

[krisrath11]

Sorry guys we had quite the day around here yesterday. Well, I've decided he's not going ANYWHERE! I took kitty to the vet and I'm appalled. Got the vet to agree to hold a check for the price for me til payday, and probably split it into 2 payments (thank God cause not even sure how much yet!). Poor guy has been verified blind by the vet now, and I pick him up today after he gets all of his back teeth removed! Get said it looked like he couldn't even close his mouth there was so much tartar built up, and the teeth were all loose. He was bleeding when he was poking around in there bcz his mouth is so bad. I told them to give dewormer, and shots while he's there so he can just come home. I'll have to take him this weekend to another place and get the combo test ($15 vs $50). Then he can start his real life indoors where he deserves. Probably won't be able to eat anything but hard food again, but at least he lives! I thought about maybe trying to let the guy know somehow that he's ok? I mean I will NOT give him back now, and illget him microchipped to prove he's mine but should I do that? He's likely been there quite sometime now, so maybe he just didn't know or no money or whatever? Maybe I'm just being worried for the guy cause I know I would freak. He's safe, that's all that matters really, I just want to do the right thing. Maybe I'll mail an anonymous letter to him describing all the trapped cats telling him they all have homes if they were his not to worry cause they are safe. Idk, just don't want to be a jerk person but I will always put kitty first. Poor guy makes number 10 for my personal stash now yikes! 3rd one that will have special needs and the #6 that was trapped or found in my yard needing a home and all the others spayed and neutered. Ugh, maybe this is the last 1!

 

[Norachan]

Good for you for rescuing him! A blind cat really wouldn't last long outside. One of my rescues had to have all of her teeth removed, but she's doing really well without them. She even manages a little bit of dry food now and again.

Personally I wouldn't say anything to your neighbours unless they put up Lost Cat posters. If they care enough to look for the cat then they'll care enough about him being somewhere safe now. Otherwise, I'd just keep quiet about him.

 

[maggiedemi]

Thank you for helping him!

 

[krisrath11]

I'm just glad he's finally off the street and will be safe, warm and fed. Hopefully he can eat some regular food but I'm not counting on it. It's going to have my whole house in an uproar bcz we don't feed wet food bcz of the diaper cats. Going to be quite the transition. I'll update again when I pick him up today.

This is him at the vet yesterday.

 

[maggiedemi]

You could give him canned food in a separate room or in his carrier. Did the vet say how old he is?

 

[surya]

I'm glad your helping the poor little kitty. I wouldn't say anything to the neighbor if it was me.

 

[krisrath11]

Yeah, I probably won't. It's not like I know him, and he's not feral so he should be noticed the kitty was like this. Luckily I put canned food in the trap cause he got to eat 1 good meal before he went to the vet. I bet he wasn't getting canned pate so he wasn't eating. He ate the whole can of that in the time he was trapped. When I pulled up home I saw him rolling around in the cage like he was happy so I assume he got full then for the first time in a long time (he could have been there 8 hrs as I leave the traps and check a few times a day). I haven't really gotten to talk to the vet again as it's one of those places that doesn't charge a lot so they are always FULL of people and try to be quick. I will be sure to ask an estimate on age tomorrow, I assume over 10 years with his teeth looking like that. I just hope there isn't more going on with the eye and the teeth, more medical complications like diabetes are quite possible. He never did poop while he was here so I guess that's probably from him lacking in food cause he was skinny. He's a fighter for sure cause he left and found that food and was eating all he could at a time. I'm glad I have him what he couldn't eat (sounds mean I know) cause he could've eaten enough of that one to hide his teeth until the infection killed him. Now I've got to give him a name. I was thinking waters after a guy I work with who is almost blind in 1 eye, fetty bcz the rapper is blind in 1 eye, or Ali after Muhammad Ali cause he's a fighter. Not really sure on any of them yet. Anybody have an idea for a good name?

 

[maggiedemi]

I'm glad he enjoyed his pate and seems happy. He sounds like a sweetheart. I like the name Ali. You could also call him Cassius or Clay, since that's Mohammed Ali's real name.

 

[krisrath11]

I did not know that! I like the name cassius but idk if I want to be yelling that lol. Definitely considering it though. I think he will be a very sweet kitty once he's pain free. He was scared and trying to make himself small but he never bit me or even tried. He hissed at me some, but I'm sure I would if I was him. Hopefully he realizes that he's safe and gets to feeling a bit better by the time i get him tomorrow. I will feed him his food in the other room as he will be caged still til this weekend when I get a combo test done anyway. He can always eat desperate if he needs.

 

[krisrath11]

Here's the link for the fundraiser for his medical expenses. If you guys could share it please use FaceBook!

Trapped A Half Blind Kitty. Please Help.

 

[maggiedemi]

If you name him Cassius, you can call him Cass for short.

 

[krisrath11]

O not a bad idea! Once I get him home tomorrow I'll try it out and make sure it fits him!

 

[krisrath11]

He's finally home! On an antibiotic but other than that he's good. I took some new pics of him

 

[trudy1]

So what was the total cost?

Looks like he was worth it...sweet guy.

Bless his heart...wonder what he’s thinking? Like wow, a cat could enjoy this!