[File this under “granny got side tracked”]
http://www.newfluwiki2.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1068
A wild cat has adopted me!
Hi all. I know nothing about cats, please help.
There’s this cat whom I have seen many times in the garden for the last two years, that used to beg for food, even though it seems fat, and I gave it the occasional scrap piece of meat in the garden, or some left over fish or sardines or tuna. It never approached the house until a few days ago, going around my legs but going away if I attempted to stroke it.
Till the night before last. It got attacked by another cat at the top of the main staircase and I left the door open. It came in, wandered about, went out. Last night it came in, and just stayed. I left the door open, left some tuna outside on the staircase. I thought it would go out again and didn’t think about it anymore. Well, it must have spent the night inside (or most of it) because it miawooed at my bedroom door to wake me up this morning. It hadn’t eaten the tuna. I gave it some food from some cat tin that was hidden in my preps just in case. Then I went out for my Sunday stroll, locked the door, and just came back - I’d locked it inside! It didn’t make any mess, and did not go out when I opened, did not eat the cat food.
It’s just sitting there on the carpet, looking at me intently, accepting some strokes behind the ears, pounding the carpet with its front paws, and follows me around everywhere when I get up.
I’ve been adopted, yes?
So what prep do I get this cat if it won’t eat tuna nor that tinned cat food? I don’t at all fancy having a cat box inside, I can’t really have the cat go elsewhere than the veranda because I’m allergic to cats and if I stroke it too much I’ll come down with asthma. But this cat looks old, its teeth don’t look in a good state. I haven’t tried to pick it up (not to scare him and because of the allergy), it looks in good health but I have no way of knowing if it’s vaccinated or carrying any illness. I can’t keep the house door open all the time to let it go out for its nature’s calls.
What should I do?
Let me be blind to wicked text, deaf to wicked words, mute to wicked comments.
You, my dear FrenchiGirl, have been adopted!!
Kitty found a saviour in you, and you now belong to her! Two, maybe three options here-—
1) Adopt her, keep her, and deal medically with your allergy (it could be the start of a wonderful relationship! I used to dislike cats, and now have 3!!);
2) Corral her into a box, turn her over to the local animal society and walk away (if she’s unadoptable she may be put down); or
3) Find a friend or neighbor who likes cats and is willing to adopt her.
We had somewhat the same scenario happen to us about 4 years ago in Connecticut. Someone had tossed a kitty out of a moving car, and he showed up on our doorstep about a week later, hungry and beat up. We already had 2 cats, so we fed him and put him in a seperate room from our other two. A couple of days later, we took him to the vet, had his right eye fixed, his broken tail bandaged, and his front right leg casted. We still have him to this day, and it almost seems like he still shows his thanks for rescuing him by greeting us at the door when we come home from work! I still think that he’s part canine!
[Several posts that agree “You have been adopted”.]
So, one more lodger...
Oh well, if it won’t go away, I guess I’ll keep it. Had forgotten I had some leftover chicken/lemon sauce and white wine in the fridge, “discovered” it wanting to prepare a spot’o’dinner, and gave it some, it ate the best part of it, the white breast meat! I was left with a thigh. It’s purring madly at my feet.
And I’ll get some dry food tomorrow as you suggested. Do I put her out when I go to work? I guess so, coz I can’t keep the door open and the windows are too high for a jump. The allergy is a problem, I have already been desensitized for a number of allergens, but it never worked with the cat allergen. Last time I had an asthma attack, I got it within 20 minutes of stroking a friend’s cat, and it left me ill for 7 weeks. I guess getting older makes me more resistant, since I haven’t yet sneezed. But still...
I couldn’t send it to a refuge, they’d put it down. As for friends wanting a cat, hmmm not sure I’d find one. If it could keep semi-feral, and not come inside the flat, just the veranda, and be out when I’m out, I can probably cope.
And then, what happens when TSHTF? So vast amounts of dry food to be cellared, ok, fine, that can be done, but how do I deal with the cat? Keep it inside at home - then comes the allergy problem again. And what about my cockatiels? At the moment the birds are in an outside aviary, but I will bring them in if TSHTF or if winter is too severe, and they are used to flying about and perch on my head...
Mojo, you’ve got a variety of birds and cats and dogs, yes? Can one stop a cat from wanting to catch a bird, or will I have to organize the outings very carefully? Gee, it does complicate my life this!
French shelters
Thinking aloud here.
French shelters are the “kill” sort. And anyhow, this cat has been feral but around my house for the last two years, so somehow it did manage to survive. If I start being ill again, I’d probably need to keep it out, feeding it outside. It can always sleep in the shack at the bottom of the garden. That’s probably less cruel than a shelter here. And it would solve the cockatiel problems inside - funny I’m not allergic to bird feathers! Could I still feed the cat outside and keep it around without risk to myself and my people if TSHTF? As was said, it would be great to have this cat around, even if not inside, no mice then (it’s probably why I don’t have any, come to think of it).
Thank you all. Now, it’s here 10.20 pm, I’ll go to bed. Will leave the door open for tonight, but will need to make sure it’s out before I go out to work tomorrow, and not lock it in inadvertently as I did today.
Still have a nice piece of chicken in sauce left for tomorrow morning... Good thing the wine was cooked and its alcohol evaporated, or I’d have a very tipsy cat to deal with, lol!
Mojo thanks
So I’m going to have to change my routines at some point. Sigh. Oh well. A cat door is not an option I don’t think, simply because the main entrance is a double-glazed glass sliding door through the veranda. Or perhaps, if I can find a decent professional???
And... I’ve just started sneezing... will keep the antihistamines by the bed if it gets too bad. Will tell you tomorrow if I’m wheezing like a chimney pipe!
Ninight you all.
Zeee Caaat!
Well, it was a long story, I wanted to give you news, but was so busy.
I found out the cat actually belonged to a neighbour. Not replying to its master’s call, he locked the house and went on holidays for a few days, leaving the cat out to fend for itself catching mice.
The thing is, the cat does not want to return to its owner full-time! I was given to understand that I corrupted it with the chicken in sauce, the cat will follow anyone that gives it chicken.
It also loves children and, before the owner came back, I had my three little nephews with me and some other guests and everyone just (over)-fed the cat... with chicken!
So now the cat spends half its time with us and some with its owner.
And since I do need a mice-catching cat, I wickedly feed it chicken... but in front of the neighbour, I say I don’t understand why the cat is so attached to my house (hihihihi). Funny how good looking this cat has become lately, it’s much fatter, it’s coat is shining.
Mmmm, if I feed it too much, will it still catch mice?
At any rate, the cockatiels are scared of him standing in front of the aviary, so I put an extra lock on the aviary door. I’m planning to put a sensor next to the aviary linked to a water shower, to teach the cat not to approach the birds - will try and get it done in some days.
The long and the short of this story is, I am going to have to learn how to dehydrate chicken, or else buy chicken tins ;D
FrenchieGirl, three words. Freeze dried Chicken!
If/when TSHTF, might be a good idea to keep the kitty inside for the duration. Many of the online websites offer freeze dried chicken, although expensive it is very good. Canned chicken also available here and not too expensive. Emergency Essentials and Survival Acres are two that I have used and been happy with. Bon Soir!
Experience has taught me that there are few conspiracies, but much incompetence