49 replies to this topic

[gravy]

Now that I have your attention ....I live in Villa Nova and I have a new neighbor ....A cute LITTLE girl kitty that's looks very pregnant ...very shy but I have won her over with bowls of whipping cream that I use for coffee and some of Larry's pastrami ..... She's always hungry and shows up just before dark
Last night I got her to come in my TINY casita ( Bernie Merdoff and O J have larger living quarters ....seriously ) and got her to eat from my hand and I got to touch her ..trust at last .....
She's a very pale calico , mostly white , and very vocal ....very clean and a great coat....I hope she has a home
Here's the dilemma ..... I CAN"T KEEP HER but I worry about her coming litter ( enough kittens here ) but would love to find homes and get her neutered ...... I'm sure she's not feral and probably has a home but I worry about her and the future brood ( she checked out the casita for possible birthing site )
So what to do ? .... I thought if I could put a baggage tag on her with my contact info but that would probably freak her out and I don't want to capture her if she has a home .
So , anyone in Villa Nova missing a kitty around dusk or know anyone who has a cat fitting the description ......or has agood idea how to proceed ?
Got a can of atun for tonights visit

[sundown]

I think we are being over protective.
Cats can fend for themselves. They do not need us. They can hunt & take care of their own, Mice, rats ,squirrels, rabbits, birds, etc . Cats have been doing this for hundreds of years, throughout he world.

[Natasha]

Gravy, if you really want to help this little girl, take her to a good veterinarian right away (fasted overnight if possible) and get her spayed BEFORE she has her kittens.Yes, there are already more babies than willing homes, and kittens make more kittens within 6-8 months. And yes the surgery is safe if the surgeon is a good one. If, on the other hand, you don't want to do that but wish to feed her, stop the cream and tuna (neither is good for her) and get regular CAT food.

A feral cat would not have willingly let you touch it this soon. But if she is semi-homeless she could be one of the many pets abandoned when owners (foreign or Mexican) move, leave the area, etc. and she won't be equipped mentally or experience-wise to fend for herself (and her coming babies).

Thank you for caring, and trying to do your best for her.

As for you, Sundown, you may not have been here long enough to know that while street-wise cats can certainly care for themselves(and this cat doesn't sound like one), very often they don't get the chance around here because someone decides they don't want a cat in their yard, their flower pots, on their patio furniture etc., or just plain don't like cats, so poison is the quick and easy answer. Of course, the cat suffers a terrible death but then that sort of person wouldn't care about that. And yes, it happens a LOT at Lakeside.

Overprotective? No. Caring and compassionate? Very definitely.

[Lexie]

Natasha is so right. This little kit needs to have her pregnancy aborted. Then she needs to be spayed and returned to the neighborhood, if that's the best that can be done for her. I live in Villa Nova, too, and I know there's a cat population that gets by on handouts from kind people. They're not really feral, but it's a homeless group.
If you'll take her to the vet, I'd contribute to the cost. PM me if you'd like.
Lexy

[MtnMama]

I think we are being over protective.
Cats can fend for themselves. They do not need us. They can hunt & take care of their own, Mice, rats ,squirrels, rabbits, birds, etc . Cats have been doing this for hundreds of years, throughout he world.

The great myth of cats being able to fend for themselves. Simply untrue. They have been cared for and pampered far too long. As few make it - many more die horrible deaths of slow starvation. And Emergency Spay is clearly the best answer.

Thanks for caring.

[gravy]

well she was a no show tonight ........ maybe her "parents" kept her in .........maybe she had her kittens ........will keep eveyone posted

[sundown]

Natasha,
I have been here for 12 yrs, raised on a farm around animals, There are basic instincts in all animals. It is the people that want to "feel" that animals have the same feelings as humans that interfere with the progression & use of these instincts. I failed to mention another source of food that is available-the daily garbage that is put out on the street.
The suggestion to take to a vet is very good, but I got the impression that this was beyond the financial means.
I am not , as you now know, an animal lover, BUT an animal respector.
.

[lakeside101]

i understand milk and cream is too rich. Why is tuna bad? i give a small amount daily to my fur kids as a treat.

[Francisco Gonzalez Duran]

Sorry but due to search engines, the title had to be changed.

[cookie]

Cats are like people. Some are lactose intolerant and some aren't. I think more are on the intolerant side. We had one ole girl (17) who loved milk and never had a problem with it. Her house mate wasn't so fortunate so no milk for her.

[MtnMama]

i understand milk and cream is too rich. Why is tuna bad? i give a small amount daily to my fur kids as a treat.

A little tuna as an occasional treat is fine. A regular diet of mostly tune can cause something called Yellow liver disease.

[gravy]

An update : the kitty just came back ! ....after 2 days ....bigger than ever .....really think someone owns her
So here's the deal : If I can score a cat carrier ( I'm working on one) and SOMEONE ( not me ) will take her to the BEST vet for this (I have no idea where any of them are located and having no relationship with any of them , not having a pet do to space ) , I will capture her the next time she comes around ........SHE DOES NOT HAVE A SCHEDUAL so it will be a "hey I caught her , come and get her" ....I can only afford a 200p donation
If you all pm me with your telephone numbers and advice , maybe this can work

[cookie]

Gotta say I'm horrified! You think she belongs to someone yet you would take their baby and have surgery done on her?! Kill her babies and risk her life? For all you know those babies may all be spoken for. How arrogant can you be. If she were mine I'd remove something of yours,

[Natasha]

Actually, it's yellow FAT disease (steatitis) and what happens is excessive amounts of unsaturated fatty acids in tuna destroy Vitamin E during oxidation. This results in a yellow pigment in body fat that causes a painful, inflammatory response and Vitamin E deficiency.

Many vets will recommend if you feel kitty can't be without the terrific taste of tuna, then eat the flesh yourself and drain the WATER off (not oil-packed), dribbling some over its food or even allowing it to lap some of the liquid as a taste treat.

Another reason not to feed tuna is that the flavor is so intense, and some cats get so hooked on it, that if the need arises for them to eat a special diet (health issues) they will refuse, becasue tuna is all they want.

[solajijic]

Here is a vote with Cookie. I think you have unnecessarily raised the alarm about a cat you do not own. You have to borrow the equipment to capture the cat and apparently need someone to transport it to the vet. Nor are you able to you pay for what you think should be done to someone's cat. Leave the cat alone unless she has kittens on your terrace and if that happens take them all out to Anita's, put up a few signs around your neighborhood and ignore the next animal who wanders through your space.

We recently had a cat wander away over the wall. she wandered back 4 days later, BUT might not have if someone, in mistaken kindness, had decided to feed her and vet her etc....don't feed stray cats.

[cookie]

This kitty just may have rounds she makes before she goes home. Feeding a cat,or dog or kid...does not make it yours.

[MtnMama]

I know it sounds harsh, but as a long time animal shelter volunteer, I vote with the Emergency Spay. Have you any idea how many cats Anita has, and how hard she works at getting them adopted? Do you know how low the odds are that any of the unborn kittens are "spoken for"?

[cookie]

Before doing a surgery on a cat that doesn't belong to you....don't you think it might be a nice idea to ask the neighbors who she belongs to? And if she just drops by for a bite, then takes off...but doesn't seem to be feral...she probably has a home. If she's not sleeping at your house.. more then likely she will not choose to have her kittens there.This whole thing gives me the creeping shudders.