Community› Wedding Discussion Boards› Wedding Etiquette Forum
Wedding Etiquette Forum
New Discussion

NWR: Injured kitty question

housewifehobbiesthousewifehobbiest
100 Comments First Anniversary
in Wedding Etiquette Forum
I'm not sure if anyone can help with this, but its worth a try.

FI and I have 5 feral kitties in the backyard.  We started with one starving mama 2 years ago who had 2 kittens, and last spring one of those kittens had 3.  Mama's gone, but her kittens and grandkittens remain.  We had a catch & release team neuter them this past fall, don't worry.

One of the older cats, we call him Boomer, hobbled up to the door this morning for breakfast  on three legs.  He wouldn't put any weight at all on his front paw.  They're full on feral cats, so there's no way we could catch him to look at it, and even if we could a vet probably wouldn't go near him.  He was a little tiger when the catch & release team got him!

I have no idea if its a cut or a crush injury or a bite or something else.  Is there anything I can do for him?  I'm really limited to watching and putting things in his food.  I feel really bad for my poor kittyCry
imageMy Housewife Hobby
Report Reply to Post

Re: NWR: Injured kitty question

  • rlavachrlavach member
    1000 Comments Second Anniversary 5 Love Its
    That's hard. This has happened to me also. It's really painful to watch them limp around, but unless you can catch them, what can you do? You can try to get one of those traps with the closing doors, but I'd be afraid that once the cat is trapped, they'd go totally nuts in there & bash themselves around, hurting themselves more. Perhaps call the same catch & release team to see if they have any suggestions. 

    The one time my feral cat was injured quite badly, she didn't have the energy to run away from me & I was able to catch her quite easily. 

    Image and video hosting by TinyPicVisit The Knot! Anniversary

    My Bio

    Report Reply
  • specialk84specialk84
    2500 Comments
    I would try calling your vet's office or animal control. Maybe they can give you some advice.
    Report Reply
  • dubirddubird
    100 Comments
    If he's that feral, there's proballly not anything you can do.  You can try a live trap, though getting him out will probally hurt him more.  The only real thing I can suggest is do your best to keep an eye on him, and if he lays down somewhere and refuses to move, you might be able to get up to him and check him out.  Maybe call the local humane society and ask them?
    image

    Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength, and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend. - Andrew Futral

    Report Reply
  • specialk84specialk84
    2500 Comments
    I'd also be really hesitant to try to grab it and check it out. If it's in pain, it's probably scared and likely to bite.

    In elementary school, my brother tried to pet a feral cat and was bitten. Within a few hours, his hand had massive swelling, and he had red streaks traveling up his arm. He was in the hospital for two weeks.
    Report Reply
  • lbarr088lbarr088
    2500 Comments Second Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Animal control/local vet is wise advice.  
    Report Reply
  • housewifehobbiesthousewifehobbiest
    100 Comments First Anniversary
    I'm honestly afraid that if I call animal control they'll catch the cats and then put them down since they aren't adoptable.  I looked through some other websites earlier trying to figure out what to do, and I read some real horror stories.  I would be inconsolable if I accidentally got my ferals killed.  I am contacting the Catch & Release program I used before, hopefully they have a suggestion.

    I'm playing with the idea of trying to get antibiotics to him with some wet food if it doesn't seem to be getting better.  But I don't know how to get them or if it would even be a good idea.
    imageMy Housewife Hobby
    Report Reply
  • aragx6aragx6 member
    2500 Comments 5 Love Its Combo Breaker
    edited February 2012
    ^That was exactly my thought with calling Animal Control. That's exactly what they'd do in my city. The humane society seems like a much better option.
    Lizzie
    Report Reply
  • Avion22Avion22 member
    2500 Comments 5 Love Its
    edited February 2012
    My guess is that with an amputated leg, the kitty will not be able to survive.  So even if he DOES receive treatment, he will likely not be able to hunt or catch food for himself, which means euthanisia might be the most humane option for him.  However, if the other cats can catch food for him (I don't know if they do this) or you can supplement his diet, then he might still be able to survive just fine on 3 legs.   

    Edited:  Just re-read....guess his leg isn't MISSING, it's just injured, which means hopefully with treatment the leg could heal and he'll be okay.   I think it's important to try to get him veterinary care.

    Another option -- does your area have any kind of wildlife rescue society?  You know, people who care for injured rabbits and birds and things?  They would probably be used to dealing with wild/feral animals and might be able to catch him safely so he could get care.   
    DSC_9275
    Report Reply
  • lbarr088lbarr088
    2500 Comments Second Anniversary Combo Breaker
    See if there are any rescues geared toward feral cats.  We had a Kitty Angels rescue that took in a LOT of ferals.  I know this because I worked in a vet hospital that they used and got to help treat a lot of the ferals.  Our veterinary office often referred people to them who were in similar situations.
    Report Reply
  • MoonlightSilverMoonlightSilver member
    Fifth Anniversary 500 Love Its 1000 Comments First Answer
    I don't have advice, but hopefully a story will make you feel better. I have two indoor kitties, and a month or two ago one of them just started limping. It ended up just being a sprain, because after a couple of days she started putting weight on it and is now using it just fine. 
    Married Bio - Now w/ Pro Pics
    Photobucket
    June 2012 Bride!
    Report Reply
  • staceycainestaceycaine member
    100 Comments
    I think all the advice so far is great--to try to see if there is a feral rescue organization or whatnot, and, ultimately, if he's that feral, there is nothing you can do. I did want to say, though, THANK YOU for having these cats neutered and not turning a blind eye.
    image
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    100 Comments
    I don't really have any advice beyond what others have suggested, but I get what you're going through.  There are a few feral cats in the area where my parents live and I was over there a couple of months ago, when my sister and I recognized a cat that had been around for years.  He got pretty close to us which was unusual and was clearly injured.  His head was misshapen and we thought he may have been hit by a car.  We were actually able to wrap him in towels and took him to a nearby vets office, who suggested that we take him to the county shelter since he was in pretty bad shape, otherwise we would have had to take on the financial aspect of his treatment, and the only real course of action was to put him down.  We took him to the shelter and they examined him, checked the system to make sure that he hadn't been reported missing by anyone (we knew that he hadn't), then they put him down.  They said that he had probably been in a fight and the swelling in his head was from a very severely infected cut.  We felt bad about the situation but we couldn't stand to see him suffering like that. 
    Report Reply
  • StephBeanWed61502StephBeanWed61502 member
    2500 Comments Third Anniversary 5 Love Its Combo Breaker
    Would it be possible for you to set up a shelter for him where he can hide until he heals?  My FMIL looks out for some feral kitties in her neighborhood, and when one was injured last year she set up a space under her deck with blankets/food/etc. for him.  He hung out there for a few weeks, then went back to his regular life.  He still limps, but he seems to be doing okay so far.
    imagemy to-read shelf:
    Steph's book recommendations, liked quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists (to-read shelf)
    Report Reply
  • myname1234myname1234
    500 Comments
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_nwr-injured-kitty-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:c1f975fb-7741-442b-807f-f59bee63e9cdPost:edb24e4e-5b7e-41ed-9cf7-086795685959">Re: NWR: Injured kitty question</a>:
    [QUOTE]I'm honestly afraid that if I call animal control they'll catch the cats and then put them down since they aren't adoptable.  I looked through some other websites earlier trying to figure out what to do, and I read some real horror stories.  I would be inconsolable if I accidentally got my ferals killed.  I <strong>am contacting the Catch & Release program I used before, hopefully they have a suggestion. </strong>I'm playing with the idea of trying to get antibiotics to him with some wet food if it doesn't seem to be getting better.  But I don't know how to get them or if it would even be a good idea.
    Posted by NYCFoodieBride[/QUOTE]

    i think that is the approach i would take too.   Animal Control would probably take him.  Good luck, and get well vibes for Boomer!
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Eliz77Eliz77 member
    Third Anniversary 100 Comments
    The vet I work for does a lot of work with a local feral cats rescue. Our area has a huge problem and I am constantly amazed by how many different colonies of cats there are. Every single day we get at least one ferel cat in who has been trapped with a humane trap, usually to get spayed/neutered, but we see everything from broken bones, abscesses, URI, blocked cats, and pretty much anything and everything any non-feral cat could come in with. We "butt shoot" them through the bars of the cage and only handle them once sedated. The rescue organizations are better equipped to trap, care and release injured or sick cats, so please don'y try to catch him yourself-cat bites can be NASTY! Try the organization you have dealt with before or call around and see if you can find a vet who can refer you to feral cat rescue group. 
    ~ES~
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards