What To Do About A Semi-feral With Food Allergies

[lprad]

Our closest neighbors had a cat show up on their farm and have kittens.
All those kittens are still there, many years old and developed smart-sense from their Mother (all were TNR'ed).
When the kittens were 5-6 weeks old, we visited figuring they were old enough NOT to stress out the Mama cat. We sat in the stall, handled the kittens, cuddled them and at one point Mama (who was watching this) quietly walked up to me, sat about 4 inches from my leg and watched me. She wasn't aggressive, but had this attitude of "I'm watching you. I'm watching your every move with my kids, a-hole, and don't think for one second I won't shred your face if you make my kids cry." It was REALLY cool. The Mama cat and (grown) kittens are still around and whenever we visit we still see that Mom/baby pecking order. She still mothers them and would shred the skin of anyone who dared mess with her adult kids.
Cats are just so cool in this way.

Unfortunately CC, the kittens mother wanted nothing to do with them after she weened them. She gave them to me, she didn't want anything else to do with them. She was getting pretty nasty to all the other cats as well. She attacked my old lady GG and that was when I decided she had to go. Of course GG ain't no saint either, but she has been around the longest and has had a pretty rough time of it. I won't put up with fighting amongst them.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I hate to say this, but I'm not overly impressed with the rescue groups around. I've had dealings with them before and either can't get a response at all or they are weeks late and are no help at all. Last February, I had another stray calico show up and I was trying to figure out a way to get her fixed without the regular vet expense and someone to take her so she would be out of the weather. After a conversation with one of the people that I was actually able to get ahold of, where she spent 90% of the call telling me how wonderful she was for picking up a stray off the side of the road, she informed me that there was no way that she could or knew anyone who would take her. She would try to help me rehome any kittens she might have, but that was all. Unfortunately that cat and the kittens she had didn't survive the winter. And while I have a lot of the blame and still feel extremely bad about that situation, that woman and the rescue leagues around here have a lot to answer for.
The vets around here are next to no help either. I'd talked to three different vets about her when she first started showing signs of the skin problems, my regular vet and two others who work with the rescue leagues with spay and neutering. The two blew me off and my regular one said they would see her on an emergency basis but would not help without seeing her.

Man I hear you.
We took in a small dog that was supposed to be a male of a certain breed and brought home an intact female of another breed (intact...heats and all..seriously). We had no intentions of keeping this dog, only getting him/her (HER!) off death row and placed a call to a breed rescue. They called us back almost immediately, which was great until we mentioned we were suspicious she was a mix. The woman cut us off and informed us she and her group only rescued "purebreds"...when half of the dogs on her site showed obvious mixes and a few that seemed to have none of the breed listed in them at all.
Whatever.
We kept the dog. She was old and only lived another 20-24 months.
Good rescues do what they can and offer help no matter what, but crap ones exist just like crappy breeders exist that are out to make a buck and recognition with nothing else on their minds.
Sorry you had to deal with this.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Unfortunately CC, the kittens mother wanted nothing to do with them after she weened them. She gave them to me, she didn't want anything else to do with them. She was getting pretty nasty to all the other cats as well. She attacked my old lady GG and that was when I decided she had to go. Of course GG ain't no saint either, but she has been around the longest and has had a pretty rough time of it. I won't put up with fighting amongst them.

Me neither.
If you can't co-exist you're not staying, and as cruel as that sounds it keeps the peace and harmony for everyone.
I have a few girls here that get into it but no bloodshed, no injuries but they slap and scream and go crazy vocally. This I can live with. Bloodshed, no.
We've had dogs here that refuse to get along and they go elsewhere, rescues or new homes or whatever. I won't let our current pets be thrown into turmoil by a newcomer that only wants to cause trouble. It's not fair...

 

[lprad]

Man I hear you.
We took in a small dog that was supposed to be a male of a certain breed and brought home an intact female of another breed (intact...heats and all..seriously). We had no intentions of keeping this dog, only getting him/her (HER!) off death row and placed a call to a breed rescue. They called us back almost immediately, which was great until we mentioned we were suspicious she was a mix. The woman cut us off and informed us she and her group only rescued "purebreds"...when half of the dogs on her site showed obvious mixes and a few that seemed to have none of the breed listed in them at all.
Whatever.
We kept the dog. She was old and only lived another 20-24 months.
Good rescues do what they can and offer help no matter what, but crap ones exist just like crappy breeders exist that are out to make a buck and recognition with nothing else on their minds.
Sorry you had to deal with this.

Don't you just love people who are overly impressed with their own importance?

I know of a few people in the area that are like me, taking care of animals and having a hard time finding assistance with them. I don't know them personally or even their names. I've just talked to them in the pet food isles. Lately I've been thinking that if I can figure out a way to get in contact with them, then trying to get together and see if we can't work together outside of the bureaucracy around here. Just sharing ideas and stories would be great.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Don't you just love people who are overly impressed with their own importance?

I know of a few people in the area that are like me, taking care of animals and having a hard time finding assistance with them. I don't know them personally or even their names. I've just talked to them in the pet food isles. Lately I've been thinking that if I can figure out a way to get in contact with them, then trying to get together and see if we can't work together outside of the bureaucracy around here. Just sharing ideas and stories would be great.

Yes, if you can find a "rescue organization" that's small scale and has no real building (foster homes only) and employ volunteers with only the best of intentions, that would be ideal.
People like this don't like politics and aren't in for that bureaucracy and would probably be happy to help you and welcome you aboard.
Taking something like animal rescue and turning it into a game of politics and money and greed and (IMO, stupidity) defeats the purpose of rescuing anything because that idea stems from someone with lots of love in their heart. Then dorks come along and make it a money game and are super pissy about helping others that are basically doing the same thing. Sad fact but it happens so often..

 

[lprad]

Another update on Callie's skin problems. It's been three days since I changed her food. She's eating the Tractor supply 4health grain free food and seems very happy with it. The two spots she had reopened before I switched is scabbed over and almost completely gone. So she's not scratching anymore. I think I've found a solution for her problem with the help from the great people on this forum. Callie and I thank you.

 

[maggiedemi]

That's wonderful!