View Full Version : Cat Rescue!!! Help!!
I just found a stray kitty. It's about 6 months old, gender undetermined (I cant get hold of it), fluffy gray, short or medium hair, with claws. Obvious pet since it's very trusting, very clean so owner must be close, but how the hell do I find them? Meows a lot so I'm uncertain if it's in distress or not. Was pretty hungry, and seems to have fixated on me since I invited it in.
I can't afford to keep it :(
But I cant let her die outside starving and cold.
Needs advice!
Innis Cabal
2010-11-27, 09:00 PM
Take it to an animal shelter. It may have a tracking chip so...might as well take it to people who can take care of it.
Haruki-kun
2010-11-27, 09:01 PM
Put up "found kitty" posters?
EDIT: Or yeah, animal shelter.
CoffeeIncluded
2010-11-27, 09:02 PM
WAIT! If you take the cat to a shelter, make sure that the shelter, if it's not a no-kill, won't put it down if nobody claims it.
I'd put up flyers or something first.
Dr.Epic
2010-11-27, 09:02 PM
Put up posters. If no one claims the thing in a week or two, consider a shelter. That may seem cruel, but like you said, you don't have the money to take care of the little guy so give it to people who can.
Ranger Mattos
2010-11-27, 10:13 PM
I would definitely put up some posters, and then go to the animal shelter. Make sure that in the photo, you capture as much of the kitty as possible, so it could be identified better.
Savannah
2010-11-28, 12:49 AM
Three possible locations for identification: Collar, tattoo, or microchip. I assume that there's no collar, or you would have checked it. Tattoo is unlikely, but could be found on the inner ear or inner thigh if there is one. The most likely identification you're going to find is a microchip. For that, a vet or a shelter should be have the scanners to read it.
Fliers are a really good idea. I'd put up a bunch and not just around your house; it might have traveled a ways. Put lost pet ads anywhere you can - newspapers if they run them for free, craigslist, and so on.
Contact your local shelter, even if you decide to keep the cat at your house. My shelter keeps lists of all the people who report they found a pet for anyone who comes in looking for a pet to look through.
Cats are hard to return to their owners. The cat may even have been dumped. If you can't find the owner, figure out what shelters around you will take cats so that it has a chance of being adopted by someone who is able to keep it.
If you have it in your house, do try to keep it away from any other cats of yours, as you don't know if it's sick.
Serpentine
2010-11-28, 12:57 AM
What everyone else said, and also it might be worth just doing a knock around at your neighbours' houses. The owner might be right nearby, or someone might've seen it before or have heard of someone looking for a cat.
It has no collar, found a no kill shelter available that I can contact. While I was gone at gaming it did it's business on the rug, and mom says she set it outside to finish and it ran away. But before where it was loving and just rushed right over to me, it's scared to death of people now.
I am to put it mildly, angry beyond reason.
Serpentine
2010-11-28, 01:05 AM
Awww. Well, look around, and leave out some food and water for it.
I left some food. All the water outside is ice right now. The cat meows like it's scared or hurt and wont let anyone come near. I'd always had suspicions my mother might be a sociopath, and I'm beginning to wonder if this confirms them.
Serpentine
2010-11-28, 01:29 AM
Just be patient. Consider putting a nice warm box out there, along with food, and just leave it alone for a while.
KenderWizard
2010-11-28, 07:31 AM
Probably she's just a little freaked out, if she was friendly before, she'll relax again. While you're waiting for her to come back over to you, prepare a space for her so this doesn't happen again, until you can pass her on: somewhere she can eat, sleep and do her business inside, out of your mother's way. We kept the sleeping and pooping area for my friendly stray grey kitten in the utility room so my mom didn't have to deal with him too much.
Serpentine
2010-11-28, 07:33 AM
When it comes to toilet training a cat, I always plonk it in the litter, dig its little paws in, and let it go. They always know that's where they have to go after that (although they may ignore it... :smallannoyed:).
CoffeeIncluded
2010-11-28, 09:18 AM
Yeah, cats learn how to use the litter tray pretty quickly. Try putting everything in the bathroom.
Lillith
2010-11-28, 09:33 AM
I've had a stray cat for a while who was shy and didn't want to come near. What me and my mom did was the following:
1. Get a paper/plastic box, preferable with a lit or something so you have an 'entrance' and a room that is out of direct wind and rain. This way it will be dry inside and better temperature if the wind doesn't blow in.
2. Grab some pillows to make the ground soft and use a couple of towels to lie them over the pillow so the cat can wrap itself in them. If you don't have a pillow, use more towels so it can make a 'nest' so to speak.
3. Put some food inside the house, like the dry kind, so the cat will be lured inside and the place doesn't get dirty. Other food put it near the entrance so it will smell it.
4. Make sure this place and food is where the cat can see it, but isn't some busy spot where a lot of people cross by.
Good luck, try to make pictures of it though and like Serpentine said, knock on doors and ask around. If someone says yes, they lost a kitten, ask them to identify it. I hate to say it but some sadistic people tend to lie to get a free pet and do horrid things with it. So the best way to ask around is pretty much 'did you lose a cat/kitten?' 'really? what did it look like?' 'did it have... [insert random trait to see if they're lying]' 'does it look like this? [show picture]'.
Good luck.
Asta Kask
2010-11-28, 09:54 AM
Alternative plan:
Don't put food out there - she'll not go away now that she knows there's food out there. Instead, wait a few hours and then try to catch her using food as bait.
What do you think?
Serpentine
2010-11-28, 09:56 AM
Unnecessary and too likely to scare it off.
Kity popped back up at 6am. Is sleeping quietly right now. Now I just have to find owners. I'd love adopting myself, but I may be losing job again, and the money from the job I just got hasnt come in yet.
KenderWizard
2010-11-28, 12:58 PM
Good luck! I hope you find someone for her.
OracleofWuffing
2010-11-28, 01:37 PM
It might be worthwhile to check your yellow pages for local vets, and see if they might remember such a kitten. If it was somebody's pet, it is possible that the owner had a once-over checkup to make sure everything was healthy. Granted, they probably see a lot of kittens so you might have to take a picture down to them for ease of communication, but it's better than nothing.
:smalleek: Also, don't forget that if you don't take pictures of a young cat and upload them to the internet, the cat's life will seriously be put in jeopardy.
(No, not seriously. It's a joke to try to encourage more cute pictures on the internet.)
E: Also, for when you do take pictures for flyers or whatever reason, you probably want to avoid using a flash if possible.
Mr. Moon
2010-11-28, 01:43 PM
To keep it from dirtying the carpet again, consider locking it up in a room with a litterbox/some newspaper laid down. This seems cruel, but it's actually the best way to get a cat used to it's new house. I know you aren't keeping it, but it should keep this from being a repeat incident.
Good luck finding it's owner.
Relevant Pics
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc70/bhutastan/Cats/lilshivers.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc70/bhutastan/Cats/lilshivers2.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc70/bhutastan/Cats/lilshivers3.jpg
She refuses to do her business anywhere except the carpet. Advice?
Lillith
2010-11-28, 06:49 PM
If it's a specific spot on the carpet, try aluminum paper. You know, that silver crunchy kind. Cats are supposed to hate it and shouldn't go near it if it's lying on the floor.
Eadin
2010-11-28, 06:51 PM
cover the carpet with newspaper
mucat
2010-11-28, 06:56 PM
You've given her a litter box, I assume, and set her in it to notice the key point that "Hey! It's sandy!"
Every cat I've ever owned has then immediately made the connection, "This is a good place to pee." If she won't, you might try having both a covered and an uncovered box onhand; cats cary in which one they find less stressful.
When a cat knows what a litter box is, but won't use it, it's usually due to stress and/or a medical problem. (If they've got a bladder infection or stones in their bladder, they seem to associate the pain with the litter box, and rather heartrendingly try to escape the pain by peeing elsewhere.) For this kitty, it sounds more like generalized stress; she might switch to the litter box as she calms down.
Until then, mabe you can keep her in a room where the carpet doesn't matter? (You could also probably grab a large rug quite cheaply from Craig's List, a flea market, or a Goodwill or similar store, and put that on the floor in the cat's room. Even a painting drop cloth from the hardward store might work.)
I'm glad the kitty isn't hiding from you anymore, and I hope everything turns out well. (If you still think someone in your house abused it before, you might casually mention that you have a webcam set up to catch the cat's cute antics...they can't very well ask "where is the webcam and how does it work, so I can disable it?") :smallfrown:
CoffeeIncluded
2010-11-28, 06:58 PM
Also, you should probably use some sort of cleaner to get rid of the scent of the cat's pee from where it went on the carpet. Here's hoping everything works out.
mucat
2010-11-28, 07:03 PM
If it's a specific spot on the carpet, try aluminum paper. You know, that silver crunchy kind. Cats are supposed to hate it and shouldn't go near it if it's lying on the floor.
I have a defective cat, then. He thinks aluminum foil is the best stuff EVER! :smallsmile:
Mr. Moon
2010-11-28, 07:15 PM
She refuses to do her business anywhere except the carpet. Advice?
Once again:
To keep it from dirtying the carpet again, consider locking it up in a room with a litterbox/some newspaper laid down.
Edit: My family uses the downstairs bathroom, which has a cupboard with towels and a blanket for new cats to curl up in to stay warm and comfy. Lots of places to perch on, and a sink, which we fill with water. And, most importantly, a litterbox. After a few days, that generally gets the idea of "this is where I pee" into a new cat's noggin pretty well.
We've tried locking kitty in the bathroom with food and water and a litter box but when we do it goes crazy meowing and ripping at the door.
OracleofWuffing
2010-11-28, 08:34 PM
Also, you should probably use some sort of cleaner to get rid of the scent of the cat's pee from where it went on the carpet. Here's hoping everything works out.
From what I've read, one needs to use specific cleaners like Nature's Miracle or Anti-Icky-Poo. Ordinary cleaners will mask the scent to human nose, but felines will still smell it... They also have a tendency to do their business in the same area repeatedly.
That said, have both incidents been in approximately the same area? You might try moving the litter box there. It may help, if the cat's willing to let you do this, to rake a cat paw in the litter box a few time to make sure it feels that the box has diggable properties.
It's worth stating that I'm not a vet or anything close to that. These could be signs of a cat not being trained yet, or maybe it's just stressed because it's in a new and strange environment, or there could be health complications going on.
Ive tried raking her paws in teh litter and she just looks confused. She's urinated on the rug twice, but she hasn't defecated in something like 15 hours or more. Good thing I'm taking kitty to the vet tomorrow for possible identification anyway. What worries me though is what to do if it needs something. I have no money. I'm not even sure I could afford to have kitty put to sleep if it's necessary :(
CoffeeIncluded
2010-11-28, 10:04 PM
Ive tried raking her paws in teh litter and she just looks confused. She's urinated on the rug twice, but she hasn't defecated in something like 15 hours or more. Good thing I'm taking kitty to the vet tomorrow for possible identification anyway. What worries me though is what to do if it needs something. I have no money. I'm not even sure I could afford to have kitty put to sleep if it's necessary :(
Hm...It is possible that the vet may find a home for the kitten. I interned at a vet over the summer and one of the workers found five stray kittens in her backyard and the whole hospital raised the five kittens and then found homes for them.
turkishproverb
2010-11-28, 10:05 PM
Your vet is awesome.
Alas I was not able to find kitty a home at first. At the last moment a vet down the road from me decided to keep him and adopt him out when I brought him in to be put to sleep after I ran out of other options. Apparently all the local animal rescue places are full due to time of year and the economy, so no one would take him, and I couldn't find anyone nearby who admitted to having lost a cat. The Humane Society actually told me to turn him loose again because being a cat he'd adapt and find food easily enough. I'm not sure how he's supposed to do that in the dead of winter, especially since he's obviously been around humans his entire existence. He lets strangers pick him up.
Ranger Mattos
2010-11-29, 06:02 PM
Alas I was not able to find kitty a home at first. At the last moment a vet down the road from me decided to keep him and adopt him out when I brought him in to be put to sleep after I ran out of other options. Apparently all the local animal rescue places are full due to time of year and the economy, so no one would take him, and I couldn't find anyone nearby who admitted to having lost a cat. The Humane Society actually told me to turn him loose again because being a cat he'd adapt and find food easily enough. I'm not sure how he's supposed to do that in the dead of winter, especially since he's obviously been around humans his entire existence. He lets strangers pick him up.
That's a little confusing to me... did the vet actually adopt him? If so, YAY! If not, I hope the little kitty survives.
The vets have kept him for now and are attempting to adopt him out. If they can't at a certain point hopefully a member of the staff will take him before he is euthanized. I hated doing it, but it was the little kitties best shot :(
Ranger Mattos
2010-11-29, 07:27 PM
Well, just got to have hope then.
Katana_Geldar
2010-11-29, 09:00 PM
The Humane Society actually told me to turn him loose again because being a cat he'd adapt and find food easily enough. I'm not sure how he's supposed to do that in the dead of winter, especially since he's obviously been around humans his entire existence. He lets strangers pick him up.
Um, this is the Humane Society? Cats by themselves can:
* Kill native birds and small animals
* Get hit by cars
* Pick up nasty bugs and parasites
* Be picked on and beaten up by other cats
Glad you decided not to do this.
CoffeeIncluded
2010-11-29, 09:02 PM
...Wait. Humane society? That's a terrible idea. It's just asking for the cat to get hurt or killed.
Serpentine
2010-11-29, 09:31 PM
Um, this is the Humane Society? Cats by themselves can:
* Kill native birds and small animals
* Get hit by cars
* Pick up nasty bugs and parasites
* Be picked on and beaten up by other cats
Glad you decided not to do this.To be fair, I think the first bit at least is not as big a deal elsewhere as it is in Australia.
Katana_Geldar
2010-11-29, 09:35 PM
Well, the last three are pretty bad anyway.
mucat
2010-11-29, 09:43 PM
Well, the last three are pretty bad anyway.
Yeah, but remember, the Humane Society wasn't saying "it's good to release stray cats." They were saying "if the only two options left to you are euthanising the cat or turning it loose it, then release it."
And even then, it probably wasn't Human Society policy being described, but the thoughts of one volunteer there. I can easily imagine a well-intentioned animal lover wanting to do everything possible to give the cat a chance at life.
Katana_Geldar
2010-11-29, 09:51 PM
Just without thinking through the consequences.
True. Thank goodness the vet adopted kitty. It was prolly the crestfallen expression on my face as I brought him in.
CoffeeIncluded
2010-11-29, 10:22 PM
He adopted the kitten? That's great!
Katana_Geldar
2010-11-29, 10:43 PM
Yay! I love happy endings!
Ranger Mattos
2010-11-29, 10:52 PM
So the kitten was adopted? This is confirmed?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PwYuEH33sYk/TMWhAq9HN4I/AAAAAAAAA2A/0OHP3CsaEsU/s1600/woohoo1.jpg
Skeppio
2010-11-29, 10:57 PM
True. Thank goodness the vet adopted kitty. It was prolly the crestfallen expression on my face as I brought him in.
That's awesome news! :smallbiggrin:
I can now collapse in relief. I have spent most of the day feeling pretty bad.
mucat
2010-11-29, 11:47 PM
Bhu, it was great of you to spend the time and energy to find the kitty a home! Congratulations on a job well done, and make sure to spread word of the Vet's good deed. (If it's a small town, the local paper might print a letter of thanks to the vet; free publicity for him/her!)
If the vet really is adopting the cat (rather than fostering him while looking for a permanent home) then maybe he'll become an office mascot. Then you can say hi to the cat when you take pets there in the future. :smallsmile:
Blue Ghost
2010-11-29, 11:59 PM
*hug*
Well done, Bhu!
Lillith
2010-11-30, 02:37 AM
Great news and good job Bhu. It's a relief to hear the kitty got a home. :smallbiggrin:
Asta Kask
2010-11-30, 03:23 AM
All's well that ends in farewell. Well done Bhu.
SO why do I still feel guilty?
Asta Kask
2010-11-30, 12:30 PM
Because you felt it was your responsibility, and someone took it all away without you earning it. Except that it wasn't your responsibility, and you did earn it. :smallsmile:
KenderWizard
2010-11-30, 03:02 PM
You should feel good - you gave that kitten a chance at life that it wouldn't otherwise have had! You did a really good thing! :smallsmile:
Evil DM Mark3
2010-11-30, 03:24 PM
You feel guilty because you took the wellbeing of the cat onto yourself and failed in your primary goal of reuniting it with its family. You settled on a less perfect solution, a new family. This is not what you had hoped, although it is still a very good solution. Well done Bhu. I use my non-existant authority to dub the Sir Bhu, Friend to Felines.
Mr. Moon
2010-11-30, 03:35 PM
This is excelent! =D
Great work on getting the kitty adopted, Bhu. That's a great thing you did. =3
Thanks guys. I certainly don't feel like much of a friend to the poor kitty though. He trusted me, and I'm pretty sure he'd assumed I adopted him, and then came the day of the many rides in a carrier with him howling all the way.
I fear I may have made him less trusting and difficult to accept people.
Serpentine
2010-12-01, 02:27 AM
Naaaah. My cat despises going in the car, growling and meowing for help the whole way and then scratching me up something rotten once we get there. But he's still mah ickle smoochy-woochy liddle baby mommy's boy :smallwink:
So yeah. I don't know why you feel guilty :smallconfused: You found a cat. You came to the reasonable conclusion that you couldn't keep it yourself. You looked for its owner, then you looked for another owner, and then you found a new owner. This is good! I'm sure she'll be fine :smallsmile:
mucat
2010-12-01, 02:42 AM
Thanks guys. I certainly don't feel like much of a friend to the poor kitty though. He trusted me, and I'm pretty sure he'd assumed I adopted him, and then came the day of the many rides in a carrier with him howling all the way.
I fear I may have made him less trusting and difficult to accept people.
The howling is just standard cat procedure. Cats say that riding in the car will kill them, but I've never seen one show lasting signs of trauma over it. (I always assume my cat is angry because I won't let him drive.)
He trusted you to do right by him, and that's exactly what you did. I know it's sad to bond with an animal and then not be able to keep it, but you did a great thing by finding him a lasting home. He's lucky he chose your door to meow at.
Lillith
2010-12-01, 07:02 AM
It's not uncommon that cats will howl like mad when inside a carrier and in a car. I used to have a cat who'd pee all over herself every time we took her in the carrier. Our oldest one has starting to do that too, together with the soft whimpering meows he lets out. Then again I also have a cat who doesn't do or say anything in a carrier, but we're convinced that's because she's in such a state of shock and horror that she can't move or say anything to begin with. So yeah, it's really common, don't feel guilty about that. You did a good job.
Evil DM Mark3
2010-12-01, 07:09 AM
I fear I may have made him less trusting and difficult to accept people.
People have food. Cats like food. It takes more than a few hours in a carrier to overcome this simple equation.
Asta Kask
2010-12-01, 07:57 AM
Naaaah. My cat despises going in the car, growling and meowing for help the whole way and then scratching me up something rotten once we get there. But he's still mah ickle smoochy-woochy liddle baby mommy's boy :smallwink:
My mother's youngest cat loves car rides. He'll even come up to the car and ask for them. Not long, mind you. 5-10 minutes is the perfect length, and he can lie in the backseat window and be Lord of all He Surveys.
Crazy cat.
Abies
2010-12-01, 09:57 AM
SO why do I still feel guilty?
Perhaps because you feel or know deep down that the vet offering to adopt the cat him/herself at the very visit you had brought him in to put him down is all just a little too convenient?
Its not outside the realm of possibility that the vet just euthanized the cat after you left and ate the cost himself in order to let you feel better. Actually, I'm sad to say that is probably the most likely scenario.
I'm sorry if that's a bit cynical. All you need to know to feel good about yourself in this situation is that you took it upon yourself to protect and care for a living thing to the best of your ability. Your abiltiy to do so was limited by your resources and situations beyond your control. Still you did everything you could to protect a life. That alone is commendable.
Serpentine
2010-12-01, 10:00 AM
Honestly, I find that very hard to believe :confused:
And, to boot, incredibly unnecessary to suggest :smallannoyed:
Quincunx
2010-12-01, 10:28 AM
There's nothing unnecessary about talking about the unpleasant alternative. This isn't the Depression Thread. We do not hold our tongues here out of fear of aching feelings. That being said, it's also the least likely option. The veterinarian has more contacts among pet owners and minor charities than almost anyone else you could have asked, and many more chances to place a kitty that's already accustomed to people.
The feeling of guilt is because you don't know for certain about the cat's happy ending, which stems from giving up your stake in making it turn out well. When we had to give up our cats, even though we met the family who were taking them in and saw how well the cats and family got along, we couldn't relax until the new owners sent to us some pictures of the boys in their new territory (they got to be indoor/outdoor cats even, something a certain escapee was always desirous of being :smallcool:).
Serpentine
2010-12-01, 10:31 AM
Please explain to me what was necessary about it.
That said, Bhu, if you are still worrying about the cat, I'm sure the vet wouldn't mind you stopping by to ask what happened with it and/or how it's doing.
mucat
2010-12-01, 10:44 AM
Perhaps because you feel or know deep down that the vet offering to adopt the cat him/herself at the very visit you had brought him in to put him down is all just a little too convenient?
Its not outside the realm of possibility that the vet just euthanized the cat after you left and ate the cost himself in order to let you feel better. Actually, I'm sad to say that is probably the most likely scenario.
I'm sorry if that's a bit cynical. All you need to know to feel good about yourself in this situation is that you took it upon yourself to protect and care for a living thing to the best of your ability. Your abiltiy to do so was limited by your resources and situations beyond your control. Still you did everything you could to protect a life. That alone is commendable.
I'm in the "very hard to believe, and rude to suggest" camp on this. Vets are not in the business of lying about unpleasant truths, or they wouldn't stay in business long. If a vet euthanized a cat and lied about it, his/her staff would know about it, and all it would take is one of them talking in public -- either because they disagree with the deception, or because they're mad over some later, unrelated dispute -- to seriously harm the vet's reputation.
It's not unimaginable for a vet to behave this way -- not everyone has the stomach for their job -- but to call it "the most likely scenario" is absurd. To argue for it to someone you know is already felling conflicted about the whole thing would be tactless in real life, and is equally so on the internet.
Not too mention, I doubt a vet would eat the cost of euthanizing an animal to keep someone from being depressed. Seeing as that would happen EVERY time then.
bluewind95
2010-12-01, 12:26 PM
Okay, yeah. That whole suggestion of "vet probably just killed the cat after you left" thing is... cruel. CAN a vet do that? Probably. However... in my experience, vets want the animals to LIVE. That's why they become vets in the first place. They're not just going to kill perfectly healthy animals.
What I would find more likely is that the vet may only temporarily adopt the cat, giving it away to a better home when one becomes available. However, with such a sweet little kitty, I wouldn't be surprised if the vet just keeps him. That's kind of how my current cat (about 9 years old now!) stayed at home. We weren't really ready for cats. My mom didn't WANT cats. The cat isn't even sweet: she's pretty wild. And yet there was the bond. The cat cuddles up to my mom's shoulders and purrs, for example. There's just a special bond. Sometimes it's not what one expected. But it's there. Maybe it was there for the vet, too, and despite initially keeping him to find him another home, the cat will just stay there.
CoffeeIncluded
2010-12-02, 06:43 AM
That's pretty unethical and I don't think he'd do that. (Well, I CERTAINLY wouldn't)
KenderWizard
2010-12-02, 06:58 PM
I also find it very unlikely the vet would do that. People become vets because they want to help animals, and most of them will go far out of their way to prevent a healthy young animal from being put down. While suggesting the cynical worst-case scenario is often sensible, in a case when the decision has already been made there's nothing being pessimistic about the kitten's chances can achieve except to make Bhu feel bad, so I also think saying that was tactless.
As for the kitten losing trust due to a car journey, remember he recovered pretty quick after the rug incident with your mother, Bhu. I'm sure he'll bounce back again if he did get a bit anxious from the carrier. :smallsmile:
He was more than a bit anxious. The carrier was cardboard, and he was clawing it so hard he nearly knocked himself off the vets desk.
Don't knock ABies too hard. I'm a paranoid cynic too, and something of the sort had already long occured to me before posting here.
mucat
2010-12-02, 10:21 PM
He was more than a bit anxious. The carrier was cardboard, and he was clawing it so hard he nearly knocked himself off the vets desk.
Still standard cat procedure. Did he also spend the car ride doing those weird scary hollow meows like he was a demon ghost cat trapped at the bottom of a well for a thousand years?
Don't knock ABies too hard. I'm a paranoid cynic too, and something of the sort had already long occured to me before posting here.
In that case, I'm glad he brought it up, just because it gave us a chance to say it's really unlikely that the vet would lie to you. I'm not claiming that there's no vet, anywhere, who lies about euthanizing animals...but most wouldn't. Telling people things they don't want to hear is part of their job...and if they get caught in a lie, it could severely impact their reputation.
Still standard cat procedure. Did he also spend the car ride doing those weird scary hollow meows like he was a demon ghost cat trapped at the bottom of a well for a thousand years?
No at first they were loud protests, and then they just kept getting lower and lower until it sounded kind of like weeping. And then they stopped until I set him down on the table and he went nuts and started attacking the box. I'm thinking he may have been abandoned at the apartments.
Serpentine
2010-12-03, 02:06 AM
Ruly truly honestly Bhu, that really is just standard cat travel-freakout behaviour. If the cat's traumatised by that, then it was very damaged long before you came into contact with it. My cat stinks of fear when I take him anywhere, and he's hardly mental at all.
Lillith
2010-12-03, 10:27 AM
He was more than a bit anxious. The carrier was cardboard, and he was clawing it so hard he nearly knocked himself off the vets desk.
Don't knock ABies too hard. I'm a paranoid cynic too, and something of the sort had already long occured to me before posting here.
Cats can be pretty resilient from my experience. Our youngest seems to bounce away nasty experiences within a second. I remember her attacking one of the other cats and actually trying to hurt her. So I picked the little attack cat up by her neck (like mommy cats would do) and yelled at her loudly. When I put her down she was already rubbing her butt against my legs like nothing happened, then again she might just have been ignoring me while I was yelling at her. Anyways, don't underestimate a cats ability to bounce back.
Also if you're afraid that something happened to the kitty, then go back to the vet. Just say something like that you want to see how the cat has been holding up and if you can see it?
Asta Kask
2010-12-03, 10:31 AM
Cats are massive crybabies. Not like cavies who seem fine until they suddenly keel over.
mucat
2010-12-03, 10:33 AM
I remember attacking one of the other cats and actually trying to hurt her.
I think you wanted that sentence to read "I remember her attacking..."
(Ya scared me for a second till I figured it out! :smallwink:)
Lillith
2010-12-03, 01:41 PM
I think you wanted that sentence to read "I remember her attacking..."
(Ya scared me for a second till I figured it out! :smallwink:)
<.< *whistles* Nah you're right. Sadly youngest cat has a nasty habit to not know her place in the hierarchy. On a good note the boss cat does know and doesn't shun to remind her, with force, and teeth. Sadly the middle cat is a cowardly crybaby. She barely fights back and instead screams when our miniature Napoleon takes out her frustration on her. (They're both female)
Asta Kask
2010-12-03, 01:55 PM
<.< *whistles* Nah you're right. Sadly youngest cat has a nasty habit to not know her place in the hierarchy. On a good note the boss cat does know and doesn't shun to remind her, with force, and teeth. Sadly the middle cat is a cowardly crybaby. She barely fights back and instead screams when our miniature Napoleon takes out her frustration on her. (They're both female)
Wouldn't that make her a Boadicea rather than a Napoleon?
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