Posted on 10/23/2011 8:46:56 PM PDT by MacMattico
We have a fenced in yard and I let my dog out. Minutes later I heard barking like crazy and my dog was acting weird. I went out with a flashlight and he had a cat on it's back and the cat had scratched my dog below both eyes and he was bleeding, so there was definitely some fighting going on. My husband took the dog in and cleaned up his wounds and I went to check on the cat. We've never seen this cat in the neighborhood before and it's a huge cat. At first it just hissed at me but after a half an hour it calmed down and let me pet it's head. I had work gloves on because I didn't want to get bit. Soon it let me check all of it's legs, stomach, back, head, and it moved a few steps and laid back down. It doesn't seem to be in any pain and had only dog drool on it-- which is the only thing my dog ever gets on our own cat-- drool from playing with it-- never has he injured it. The cat seems to be in no pain and like I said I can feel no injuries. It's responsive to movement, has moved itself but only about 10 feet walking normally, and now just seems to lay there watching me. Could it just be in shock? Going to have kittens? I picked it up and put it in a blanket where it is now laying in a box on the front porch. I called the emergency vet and it's $150 just to see the cat, husband says I shouldn't "waste" the money because it's not in pain, has no collar, and what will happen will happen. It doesn't really look mangy but a little dirty from wrestling with my dog in the landscaping. It's acting friendlier to me then my own cat! But still just laying there....
Only by experience of over 35 cats in 33, almost 34 years married to an animal loving wife. Just been adopted by another with her two kittens. Mom is “Boots”, with kittens “Skooter”, and “Cooter”. Isolated for now as we are taming the lot for transport to Dr. for neuter/spey as soon as we can.
Been bitten seemingly a thousand times, usually in play, and no serious infections.
Just yesterday “Mr. Buddy” wanted in my lap, missed his mark, and ripped my arm open with his rear claws. Nothing serious there either from that end.
We keep a well stocked emergency First Aid chest with lots of Bactine, gauze bandages, band aids, Neosporin, etc.
The poster said she did NOT get bit.
As I said, I don't think any cat, Maine Coon or not, neighbor's cat or whatever, would just lay around the area where it had a traumatic fight with a dog. Any cat would be frightened and want to leave the area as quickly as possible.
This type of behavior is just not normal.
I hope it doesn't have rabies- as some have suggested. I would confine it in case it needs to be checked out for this. I would also take the dog to the vet for a checkup.
I guess it is possible that the cat would act like this if it is pregnant- but only if birth is imminent. It looks like you could tell if the cat is pregnant. Does it have a large stomach? Can you feel any 'lumps'?
Please let us know how this turns out.
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Never try to befriend a stray cat. The thing people do not think about is the cats reaction to outside stimuli. One person I know brought in a stray fed it, took care of it. It was purring, becoming comfortable in their home. She was petting it and one of her girls came through a door behind the cat, startling it and it bit my friend in the hand. I told her to immediately go to the ER.... she didnt. (She is quite prideful and didnt tell me till later of the infection and rounds and rounds of antibiotics and the scheduled surgery to remove bone before they finally knocked it out) All the good intentions and love in the world can not over come instincts in a cat. There is no way for someone to predict that a cat would attack if someone walked through a door. Nor would you want to have something in your house that is that disruptive to your families lifestyle. Rescue is noble but not at the cost of you or your childrens health.
I did try the wife thing, after 10 years of army and 3 tours, I left to be a civilian so she left me for another army guy, likes the uniform I suppose.
I’ve had bad experiences with some cats and my kids, but overall I actually don’t mind cats, I’ve even pet a couple in my day, I know... crazy heh.
I still have that army mentality of overkill I suppose. You’re right though, #6 works well for many applications. Truth be told, I have to learn to be more economical, money doesn’t grow on trees.
> We had a huge Siamese cat that killed a German Shepheard. My folks said the cat went to live on a ranch.
My mom had a little 7 pound female Siamese who got cornered on the porch by a 60 pound Doberman. The cat killed the Doberman then walked away without a scratch.
And then my own cat got bit in the back 4 weeks ago by another cat. 3 or 4 days later we were at the vet getting it treated for the resulting abscess.
Never can tell about critters.
Try this:
1 - Put picture against monitor, facing toward back
2 - Click ENTER three times
Somebody gave me a Siamese cat years ago. I took it outside to show my neighbor and acar drove by. The cat struggled, I held her tighter, and she chomped down on my hand. I held on as long as it could, but she eventually escaped my arms and ran away.
My hand became terribly infected and swollen (and painful). I went to the doctor and the doctor said that I'd better find that cat in case it had rabies. We spread the word in the neighborhood and drove around looking for her. Do you know how many cats sit under cars at night? Dozens in an urban neighborhood where the only parking is in the street. LOL.
We put food out in the driveway and left the garage door ajar. The next morning, I saw my old cat out there guarding the garage door -- behaving very strangely. Lo and behold, the Siamese cat was hiding in the back of the garage on top of a pile of lumber. My husband caught her and brought her in, where we isolated her in a small room.
I had her for 6 more years until she escaped when we were moving.
The biggest problem is that she bit me and incapacitated my hand while I was in the middle of making a hand tucked first Communion dress for my oldest daughter. That sewing project was painful and memorable.
The short answer is YES. Cat bites are highly infectious (as are human bites.)
I rescued a big black male feral cat. Declawed him,etc. My daughter named him PIB (Pain In Butt). He could do real damage with those back claws. Really didn't care much for humantity other than one vet and myself. He loved to play with me - came up with a dozen games to play around the house. Was always stealing my personal items and hiding them in his cache. In other worlds, I had to remove underwear and bras from the drawer and put them on my body immediately. If I laid them down anywhere they disappeared. Car keys had to be put away. As for cat scratches - soap and hot water with a nail brush will take care of most of them.
Sounds like you might have been adopted by a Maine Coon cat...cool.
More than likely an old tom cat. Old tom’s have crazy diseases. Will not hurt the dog but keep away from your cat!
Since it’s not ‘your cat’...instead of going to a vet, go to a shelter...they will help you at a fraction of the cost.....
That’s such bad advice. A stray cat can be someones long lost pet. ANY cat -stray, friendly, feral that is startled can bite...that goes for more dogs than cats.
Opps granny should read more carefully..
Thanks for all the great advise! Here’s the update:
Dog is fine; two very light scratches, cleaned up well, vet says just keep an eye on them he should be fine. The 75 pound big lug doesn’t even seem to understand what all the attention is about. I think he just wanted to play as there was only drool on the cat.
I think the cat was in a huge state of shock. I had him in the box all night with a blanket and he laid there on his side until about 6:00 am when he sat up and started to clean himself and eat and drink a little. (I say he but I never really checked.) He jumped out of the box and headed down the stairs like he knew where he was going. I followed him a few blocks but had to go back to get the kids up for school. After school, the kids road their bikes around looking for him and asked some neighbors but nobody knew who he belonged to. I’m hoping he was an indoor cat that got out, was in shock to have a big dog try to wrestle with him for “fun”, and when he came to his senses he went home.
Of course I got no sleep! And my cat is still mad at me because she knew every hour I went out to the front porch I was with another cat. I’m still getting “that look”!
My cat is a 10 yr. old female, half Siamese, half Persian, big girl; loves our dogs, but is a slasher if anything messes with her. We live in a wild area; so she wouldn’t have survived if she hadn’t been sort of - mean. Her sisters took more after the Siamese parent; they were more docile and feminine and didn’t survive long. Stuffy took more after the gray Persian parent, and is tough as nails. We have coyotes and bobcats who I am sure she has sent a message not to mess with her.
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