Is it too late for this feral cat?

Question

I really want to get this cat help, but he has alot of problems on the outside. He/she is now used to me going outside and putting food out and water. But it has open, huge sores behind its ears. It was rubbing its ears against our window and left blood chunks. its bad. it hurts and has a hard time breathing. I really want to help it but there is no alley cat allies in my area. This poor cat has been through enough and it needs help. I am scared to catch it because I don't want the poor thing to have a panic attack and die on me. I've taken in kittens and still have two of them. but this is a grown cat with visible problems. If you have any advice on how to catch and not cause any harm please let me know. I'm really freaked out about this because of the blood on the door. He was trying to mark us and my heart hurts every time I see it.

Answer 1

It sounds like ear mites is what's hurting its ears. The exact same thing happened to us. There was a cat hanging out by our house, looked like it had fleas or something (always scratching). The fur behind its ears was gone and it was bloody. We kind of just wanted it to stop coming around because we didn't want our cats to get it, and our cats wanted to seriously kill it (they got into more than one fight). We eventually decided to get it to our shelter,but it only showed up after the shelter closed, and my dad didn't see any way to keep it overnight without our cat managing to corner it at some point.

Well, we got lucky. One day he showed up about half an hour before the shelter would close (it takes that amount of time to get there). We caught him, got him into a carrier, and got him to the shelter (which I started volunteering at a couple weeks later). The cat was in quarantine for a couple months, was treated for ear mites and dehydration (though we had been feeding it and giving it water for a couple weeks now). When he finally came out into the adoption area (where I was finally able to see him again), he looked great.

Thankfully, this has a happy ending, and I saw him adopted by a very loving looking couple.

So... after reading all this, I do in fact have some advice. I approached the cat slowly, he didn't have a problem letting me pet him, we did have to wrestle him into the carrier and he cried all the way to the shelter, but if you've ever tried to take a cat to a vet, you probably know that's normal. Wear long sleeves and gloves would be my advise too. My aunt spent a couple days in the hospital from an infected feral cat bite.

Answer 2

Great question. I have been feeding ferals for years. At present, I am not feeding many, because most of the ones I have not been able to humanely trap and bring to the local shelter, if the cats seem somewhat friendly, or to a feral rescue group that places them in approved barn homes, if the cats appear unrehabilitatable, have been eaten by hungry coyotes. I do have several nice houses, filled with hay and waterproof, that the cats can sleep in if the coyotes do not get them en route. I also have several pet cats which were formerly completely feral, and one that still is. I wish I could get a donkey or something to keep the coyotes away, but such animals are not allowed where I live. I harbor no animosity toward the coyotes, by the way. Much like Mickey Rourke's character in Barfly, I just feel better when they are not around-even though, unlike his character, I am talking about dogs rather than cops! With the severe winter we are having, though, the dogs are desperate for whatever food they can get. I am praying for an early spring. All of my rescued ferals-the ones I kept-are indoor-only cats. They all seem to have adjusted to life indoors, even the wild one. Also, for whatever reason, my cats all get along pretty well for the most part, even though a number of them are neutered toms.

Answer 3

Go to a local feed store and rent a live-animal trap. You can catch the cat alive. If it dies out of panic, it would be a mercy on that cat. It needs to either be treated for it's wounds and illnesses or be put down.

If you can't find a feed store or live animal trap, call the local humane society. If there is not a local one, call the city animal control... it is highly likely that the city pound will put the cat to sleep... but if the cat is in as bad of shape as you say, then again, I must say that a peaceful death would be a mercy.

Here are some feral cat rescue groups; maybe one of them can offer you more options. That poor kitty needs your help. Please do not give up until you've arrived at a solution for him.
http://amby.com/cat_site/feral.html This one has a trapping suggestions

http://www.feral-paws-rescue.com/index.htm

http://www.kittico.org/feralcatresources.html

http://www.savesamoa.org/html/rescue.html

http://www.feralcatfoundation.org/

http://www.alleycat.org/

http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/resourcelibrary/feralindex.cfm

Good luck to you and thank you for caring!

Answer 4

Buy or borrow a humane trap. You lure the cat inside it with a can of yummy cat food. The cat steps on a lever and the trap shuts. Will not hurt or injure the cat at all. Then you can take the cat to the nearest vet while he is still inside the trap (its like a cage). He'll probably be sedated in order for them to be able to treat his ears properly. The vet may also give him some antibiotics. Them while he is sedated. put him in a large - very large pet carrier (like one of those plastic dog kennels) so you can look after him while he is gettin better and still keep him apart from your other healthy cats. I mean, you need to keep him separate from them becuase he hasn't had his shots yet and you don't know if he has anything contagious. Antibiotics, a good quality diet and the cat has a fighting chance to bounce back. I suspect he may have had his ears mangled in a cat fight.

Bless your kind heart :)

Answer 5

Your local animal shelter might be able to rent you a cat trap for a small fee. It's basically a large box or cage type device that you can place food in and it will capture the cat without hurting it and then you can get it some help.

Now I know you're concerned about stressing out the poor critter but it's at much more risk if those wounds are infected or if it stays untreated for it's other problems.

You have a good heart. Kudos to you for helping this cat with food and clean water.

Answer 6

You may have a place around town that sells humane cat traps. Check around at the feed stores and similar places. In my town of about 60,000 I can think of a few different places that sell them. They're the same traps that Animal Control Officers use to catch cats without hurting them. Just put some yummies inside and it shuts when they enter. Then you can transport the kitty to the vet or wherever if you wish. Or if that's too expensive (I think they're about $60) you could try throwing a large blanket over it, wearing gloves, and then putting it in a cat carrier. Yes, if you do nothing the cat will most definitely die soon. But at least she/he had someone to love and feed it. Just remember that, okay? Her life was better because of you. Trust me.

Answer 7

If there is an animal shelter or humane society near you, call them and ask if you can borrow a humane trap from them...that is one of those traps that you bait with food...once kitty gets in it can't get back out...but you'll have to check it at least twice an hour..you don't want the cat to be in the trap for a long period of time.

If there isn't an animal shelter or humane society near you, call you Vet and see if they have a humane trap you can borrow...also ask if they know of any TNR groups that you could contact that may have a trap or that will come and trap the cat.

If you can get a trap, bait it with warm deboned chicken, tuna or salmon.
Don't try to catch the cat without a trap, I know you want to help and bless you for wanting to...but you don't have any idea what this poor feral baby might be carrying.

Good luck, and bless you for trying to help.

Answer 8

just catch the cat i doubt the outcome will be worse than what u say it is on the outside of his body and i doubt he'd have an panic attack never heard of animals doing that. mights wel take the chance and over time he will get use to u. but once u catch dont let him loose outside cuz cats have an habit or getting in sticky situations cuzing harm to themselves or if u do eventually he might get hit by a car liek alot them do

Answer 9

It's impossible to say what the sores are without examination. They might be a bacterial infection, or unhealed animal bites. It could have any number of infectious diseases that would be dangerous to other cats, so I wouldn't go bringing it indoors unless it was confined to a cat carrier and taken to a shelter, if you even have any shelters that would provide medical care instead of killing it.

Answer 10

Phone your nearest pet rescue society that has a policy of not putting animals down but has caring policies. They will have experienced handlers plus they will get him the veterinary care that he deserves.

If you are in the US, try this number, either they might be able to help or at least give you a contact in your area:

Alley Cat Allies
7920 Norfolk Avenue
Suite 600
Bethesda, MD 20814-2525

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Good luck. The poor cat deserves it and you deserve the peace of mind to know that he will get some caring treatment.
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http://www.alleycat.org/contact.html
There are some regional centre contacts that you might be able to get hold of through browsing this page and outlinking but I would try the above telephone number first:
http://www.alleycat.org/events.html