We have a visitor!

[Caspers Human]

Yeah! The neutering is all but a given, provided he doesn't have a chip.

We can NOT afford to have an outside cat coming into Casper's domain spraying around! Not only would that be unfair to Casper (and might cause Casper to stop using the litter box) we don't want to pi$$ off the landlord by letting cats pi$$ ON everything in the house!

Besides, it's getting to be Kitten Season and we don't want to open THAT can of worms!

 

[Caspers Human]

Well... The deed is being done!

Eliott showed up today, JUST as I was calling the vet about refilling Casper's prescription. Casper's Girl-Human noticed that he had a cut on his ear that was bleeding so, as I was on the phone, I let them know we were going to bring Eliott in. They said, "Okay! Let's do it!"

We let Eliott in for a quick snack and closed the patio door behind him. Girl-Human went down to the basement and got the cat carrier and a pair of leather work gloves. I threw a towel over him and grabbed him. It took three tries to get him in the carrier and I got a scratch on my hand in the process but it's minor. Some antiseptic and a Band-Aid is all it needed.

I grabbed the cat by the scruff with one hand and by the butt with the other then rolled him up into a ball like a "Roly Poly Bug" and just stuffed him in. Getting him in was the easy part. KEEPING him in was the hard part! By the time I got my hands out to shut the door, he weasled through the opening and escaped. Girl-Human helped on the third try. She held the door while I stuffed the cat in. He was in the car less than five minutes later and we were off.

Eliott was pretty quiet for the whole trip. I put him in the back and put a towel over the carrier so he would stay calm. When I got to the vet, I put him in an out-of-the-way corner, facing the wall until the Vet-Tech could come and get him. He didn't fuss very much at all.

We're going to get his ear looked at and fixed up. The vet thinks it's just an abscess... fairly common in outdoor cats. They'll clean it up and give him some antibiotics.

After that, we're going to have Eliott checked for FIV and all the usual things. He's going to get his shots and a checkup.

If he doesn't have a chip, we're going to get him neutered and have a chip put in.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the chip will only cost about $30.00! Apparently, the county where I live occasionally gives subsidies to vets for chipping pets. When they told me that, I said, "Do it!"

Anyhow, Eliott will have to stay at the vet overnight. They'll call us in the morning and give us the report but we expect things to go relatively normally. Hopefully, this will be an "In-N-Out" job.

I'll let y'all know more when we find out.

Until then, fingers crossed!

 

[fionasmom]

Great news! Please keep us all posted on Eliott's progress.

 

[dahlia]

That is great that you got him in to the vet so quickly.

 

[Caspers Human]

Elliott is home!

He’s all fixed up. Vet says he was really good.
He got fixed, chipped, his ear cleaned up. De-flead. Got his shots.

We got a dog crate for him and he’ll stay inside for the next few days

Short for time…. More later!

 

[fionasmom]

 

[Caspers Human]

Okay! Elliot is in the house and is hunkered down, under a desk about three feet behind me, right now.
He's been quiet and hasn't made a fuss. He's behind closed doors in the spare bedroom.

The vet report came back all clean.

The vet says he's about one year old and he weighs in at 14 lb.

Test for FELV/FIV = negative. He got the FELV/FCRCP vaccination, plus a rabies shot.
His hurt ear has been cleaned up and he got a penicillin shot. We've got pills to give him and we can put them in his food.

He's also been snipped and chipped. (The vet checked for a chip didn't find one.)

The only less than optimal thing was that they found some ticks on him. They used Bravecto to get rid of them. I'm not worried about any reactions to the medicine. He stayed at the vet overnight. IF there were going to be any reactions, they should have happened by now.

The whole vet bill came in at a little over $350. The neutering cost $130 and all the other tests and medications cost about $30 each.
The only thing that made me flinch was the Bravecto. Sixty-six bucks for a teaspoon full of goop! Well, I guess we had to get rid of those ticks. Eh? Since he doesn't seem to be sensitive to flea meds, I'll see about getting something less expensive next time.

Since Elliot has been coming around since last August or September and the vet says he's about a year old, he must have been pretty young when he first showed up. What? Seven or eight months? That means he was just old enough to strike out on his own when we first saw him. Right? The way I figure, he didn't have a home...until now.

Anyhow, Elliot came out, jumped up on the window sill and surveyed the landscape for a while then he hopped down and groomed for a minute. Now, he's sitting on the floor, watching me type on the computer.

So far, all's well! We'll just have to wait and see how things go.

Oh! BTW: I'm still working on taking a better picture. I'll need to take one to put in his vet records, anyhow. I just have to wait until he's in the right spot so I can snap a good one.

 

[fionasmom]

You have done such a great thing for Elliot. He probably did not have a home until he was lucky enough to find you.

 

[Caspers Human]

Elliot has been good, all night long. No meowing or yowling. He hasn't torn up anything. He, pretty much, just stays in his hidey hole and comes out to survey the world from the window sill. He seems to be eating and drinking, okay.

The only problem is that he isn't house trained. We have a litter box for him. I went outside and dug up some dirt from the place where he's been middening and mixed it up with his litter box. About half and half, maybe a little less. He pooped in one corner of the room and he peed on a blanket but he hasn't used his box, yet.

We cleaned it up as well as we could and I did go out and get some Nature's Miracle. But, WOW! Does he STINK!

At first, I thought it was because he peed in the house but I'm starting to think that it's him.
He was in the car, yesterday, and the car smells, too. He was in the carrier for the whole ride, in the back of the car. (A Ford SUV.)
I don't think he peed inside the carrier but the car still smells! He hasn't been out of this room since he came inside so I'm certain he hasn't peed in some hidden place.

It's NOT Casper! I know what Casper smells like and this isn't his smell. Besides, Casper has never gone outside of his litter box except for one time when he was sick. Guaranteed Casper isn't peeing around the house.

My God! It's so bad the whole house smells! Last night, when I came home from work, I opened the front door and it felt like I had walked into a wall! It stinks so bad I'm starting to feel sick.

Besides peeing, can a cat really smell THAT bad?!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Did anyone at the vets mention his smell? If not, you might call them and ask. Could it be any meds that he is on? Food?

Re: the litter issue, I'd get some low sided cardboard box lids and fill them with nothing but outside soil/etc. - whatever you know he used out there, no litter at this point. Position them over the places he has gone and that you cleaned. If he pees or poops outside of them do what you can to collect some of it and place in the soil.

 

[cmshap]

My God! It's so bad the whole house smells!

This doesn't sound normal. I agree with the above comment... I'd ask your vet about it.

Can you possibly describe what he smells like? Cat urine has a pretty distinctive smell. If it's something else, it might help to describe it (if at all possible... I realize this might not be something you can put into words).

 

[Caspers Human]

It smells like cat pi$$! Strong and musky! Like a horse barn that hasn't been cleaned.

Nobody said anything at the vet. She's also a livestock veterinarian (horses and cows, etc.) so, maybe, they're just used to it.
We took Elliot there because he's homeless/feral and this particular vet is well known for being good at handling barn cats.
When we first took Casper there, she told us that she used to have an all-white cat that looked just like Casper!
I feel confident that she's a good vet and knows how to take care of cats. She's the one who spotted Casper's perineal hernia when nobody else could.

Anyhow, here's the list of drugs that were used for Elliot:

• Bravecto® (fluralaner)
• Enrofloxacin (antibiotic) (20 mg. pills 1/day)
• Penicillin (injection)
• FELV/FVRCP vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination. (3-yr version.)
• Whatever anesthetics/tranqulizers were needed for the castration surgery.

He's been eating plain, Purina Cat Chow kibble and Friskies canned food, just the same as Casper eats.

We cleaned up Elliot's messes with Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds and I recently got back from the pet store with a bottle of Nature's Miracle.

We did put his litter box over the spot where Elliot peed.

I'll change out the box for some fresh dirt from his midden spot. I knew the trick about using dirt but, from what I think you're telling me, you're supposed to mix the litter in more gradually.

I guess I rushed it. Eh?

 

[Avery]

When I brought two outside cats into my home a few years ago (one stray, one semi-feral) within a day or two, after trying dirt and leaves from their spots outside, I used Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter and it worked like a charm. One of my other cats was peeing inappropriately and when I switched to Cat Attract, it was like a magnet pulling her into the litter box! It is relatively expensive, but I have found it to be totally worth it!

 

[cmshap]

It smells like cat pi$$! Strong and musky! Like a horse barn that hasn't been cleaned.

Nobody said anything at the vet. She's also a livestock veterinarian (horses and cows, etc.) so, maybe, they're just used to it.

Your theory about the vet being a livestock vet and being used to smells is probably correct.

I recommend this video. I have watched several episodes of his where he goes into a home, and turns on a blacklight, and there is pee where owners had no idea.

One episode, the cat peed in the bathtub, where the owners showered every day. And the pee was still visible in the tub under a blacklight, despite soapy water running over it daily.

 

[Caspers Human]

Casper's Girl-Human told me, today, that she could notice an "animal smell" when Elliot would come around the back porch. In fact, she said, on a couple of occasions, she knew that he was nearby because of the smell, even before she could see him. She just didn't put two and two together until now.

Elliot is a rather large cat for his age. (14 lb. @ ≈12 mo.) He's a big boy and probably has a lot of hormones running through his system. Being an outside cat, he needs to compete in the cruel world and probably has higher than average hormone levels because of it.

I've got a hunch that Elliot is just a "smelly cat." (Cue music! ) Maybe his nickname should be "Smelliot!"

Hopefully, the smell will go away when his testosterone levels drop after the castration begins to take effect. IDK... just guessing.

I'm going to look into some Dr. Elsley's cat litter. I never really thought about it because I never tried it. Never had a cat that needed it. Up until now, all my cats either used the box, instinctively, or else learned within the first few times. I never had to spend much time house training a cat, before. It always just happened naturally. This is the first time I've had to actually work at it.

I've taken in outdoor cats, before, but they much younger. (≈4-6 mos.) Elliot is much older. It's probably going to take more time to house train him.

Our vet isn't one of those who has a fancy-schmancy clinic. It's appropriately decorated but rather Spartan. She isn't one of those who fusses over people's cats just for show. She's no-nonsense, she knows her $hit and cuts right down to brass tacks. More like an old-time farm vet. She says what she means and she means what she says. Some people might find that off-putting but it's the reason why we like her. That's why I supposed that she didn't notice. In her line of work, animals just smell.

Anyhow, Elliot is doing well. Earlier today, he sat under my computer desk, just a short distance away from my feet. I went outside, this afternoon, and saw him in the upstairs window, looking down at me. Now, he's back in his original hidey hole but he does come out and move around.

I haven't noticed any more accidents. We cleaned up the cat pee, opened every window in the house an burned some incense. The smell has started to go down to tolerable levels, even in the closed bedroom where the cat stays.

I got Elliot a cat toy while I was at the pet store, shopping for Nature's Miracle. At this early stage, I don't want to take any of Casper's things away to give to Elliot. I figure he needs to have HIS OWN toy to play with. I don't want to make Casper jealous by taking away his toys. Maybe later, when things settle, I can get a toy that they can share, scent-swapping fashion.

I tried to play with Elliot but he didn't respond. Either he's still too afraid or he hasn't learned to play with humans, yet.

He will if I have anything to say about it!

Ya' just gotta' give the cat his own time.

 

[cmshap]

I'm going to look into some Dr. Elsley's cat litter. I never really thought about it because I never tried it.

I can vouch for the brand, although I used a different type for a different purpose.

Dr. Elsey's Respiratory Relief was the only kind of litter that would not give my cat sneezing fits whenever he used the litter box (he had a nasty respiratory infection in the beginning of his life).

 

[Caspers Human]

Elliot played, this morning!

His toy is the wand type with a long, skinny piece of faux fur like a snake. He was lying in his hidey hole, under the desk, when I dragged it in front of him. He reached out and pawed it. The next pass, he grabbed it with both hands and the third time, he mouthed it.

The whole affair only lasted a minute or three but I think the important thing is that he played with a human.

Casper’s Girl-Human brought him some food and he let her pet him. She says that he leaned into it, too!

I haven’t noticed any more accidents but haven’t checked the box. I don’t want to flare him off it by messing around with it, just yet.

The smell seems to be going away. We’ll keep the windows open as much as possible and burn some more incense.

I guess Elliot is making good progress!

 

[fionasmom]

Do you think that the smell was residual hormones? Rikki was not fixed when I acquired him and was about a year old. He literally smelled up any room that he was in despite the fact that he used a litter box just fine. Neutering did end the odor rather quickly.

I have had ferals who had no idea what litter was use a doggy pad in a box, or even just a doggy pad temporarily for management of the situation. Does he appear to be picking his own place to pee? Only one feral ever did not adapt to litter, but she did adapt to the box with a pad in it.

You are making great progress with him. He must be so happy at how his life is changing.

 

[FeebysOwner]

All sounds very positive - including the smell dissipating!!! I am sure I don't need to tell you this but be careful of the incense you are using - especially if it is close to any of your cats!!

 

[Caspers Human]

The incense we use is Nag Champa. It’s made from sandalwood and plumeria flowers.
I don’t believe that this combination is especially toxic to cats except for the possibility of the smoke causing respiratory issues.

I am aware that we need to be careful of letting too much smoke build up around cats. In fact, the smoke bugs me if there is too much. For this reason, I only burn about a quarter of a stick at a time and always with the windows open. I’m not trying to fumigate the house. Only just enough to freshen the air while the house ventilates naturally.

The incense is burned downstairs, near the patio door. If I open the patio door, downstairs then open a window in the upstairs bedroom, a nice breeze flows through the house and everything clears out nicely with just a hint of incense. The cat is behind closed doors in the spare room where little to none of the scent can get through.

Casper has occasional bouts of feline asthma so we’ve always used it sparingly.

It’s just that the smell was getting so bad it made the entire house stink oppressively. Both, myself and Girl-Human, we’re starting to feel sick so we had to do something.

I’m pretty sure that Elliot has been using his box at least a couple of times since yesterday. I haven’t messed with it for fear of flaring him off it. The smell is going away so I’m hopeful that things will get better soon.

Do you think that the smell was residual hormones?

Yes, I think so. That and the smell of an unkempt cat.
I don't plan on giving him a bath unless there is obvious need. At this point, I don't think there is a need.

Maybe, after he gets acclimated, he'll get a sponge bath with just a wet cloth and some warm water but that's WAY down the road.

I'm hopeful that, after the hormones go down, the smell will, too.