Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Rescue & Rehoming => Rescue & Rehoming General => Topic started by: Bonkers Mad!!! on January 12, 2013, 08:42:10 AM
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hi, i am extremely worried about some cats in my local area. there are 4 that urgently need a vet to
look them over. 1 was left around 3 months ago when the owner moved and didnt take it with them and 3 used to live with a old lady who died early in 2012. they all lived in the same block of flats and i believe that
they are living out of the bins now. i have no idea of ages or sexes. i was only told about these cats yesterday and have not slept for thinking about them. with snow just around the corner i'm worried about their chances of survival. i am going there today in the hopes of at least seeing them although i'm not optimistic about my chances of catching them. i don't think trapping them is a good idea as the area is not particularly nice and i'm concerned that a trapped cat is easy prey for the local hooligans and i dont live close enough to keep an eye on them.
i'm going to do some door knocking today to see if anybody is feeding them but from what i've been told these cats are slowly starving and it's thought that the one who was abandoned is possibly injured. i'm furious that this suffering is going on right under peoples noses and nobody is doing anything about it. i dont know if the cats are approachable and i'm really worried that i'm not going to be able to help before something horrible happens. ive contacted my local CP and animal samaritans and wanted to know if anybody has any tips for catching them quickly
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Are they approachable? It's a lot easier if they are. That's the first question.
Do you have rescue spaces secured for them? Or homes?
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Hi
Sorry not much advice I can offer but I know my local rescue uses tinned pilchards or sardines because they are really smelly to attract them. That's how they caught the Mum of my two.
Really hope you manage to get them.
I've got one I'm feeding at work. He's a stray and I have no idea where he sleeps. The only thing I can do for him is put food down. I worry about him a lot especially now the weather is so cold. He's been on the waiting list at a local rescue for about six months. Often wonder why I'm the only one who seem to see these cats. Others seem to turn a blind eye.
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Are they approachable? It's a lot easier if they are. That's the first question.
Do you have rescue spaces secured for them? Or homes?
ive been to the flats this morning but only managed to speak to one person. i saw a huge ginger that is possibly one of the old ladies. the person i spoke to said one of the neighbours feeds him but doesnt let him in her flat. he looks very healthy and obviously isnt urgently in need of anything food related. if they are all as friendly as him then they shouldnt be hard to catch. I stayed for 2 hours and didnt see any other cats. apparently the b&w that is possibly injured is always about but there was no sign of it last night or this morning. i want to check that the ginger i saw is actually a stray when i go back later. i have a friend who lives in the block and shes promised that if she sees the b&w she'll try to get him in and call me. i saw more than one doorstep with empty plates on them and one had a box with a blanket. at the moment i'm concerned mostly about the one that might be injured because apparently it's very skinny. i'm hoping that the ginger is one of the old ladies and that her neighbours are looking after them because if that's the case then if they are anything like him they are not in urgent need. will be going back later so will keep you updated
i'm still waiting on replies from the CP and rescue centre i've contacted.
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ok i got the b&w, he's at my house and he's eaten. i went back this evening just to see if he'd shown himself at all today but he hadnt. as i went to let myself out of the security door i saw a head peeping at me so went back to my mates to get a positive id. he was a bit wary but came for a little stroke and didn't object when i picked him up. so i got him into her kitchen and text my son to bring a basket, all the time feeding him my mates ham lol. i say he but not sure of it's sex yet, don't want to stress him out. unfortunately i cant keep him separated from mine as my house is open plan and the only room with a door other than the bathroom is my kids room. he doesn't seem to be bothered by my dogs or the other cats and has eaten and purred. it is very skinny and has a couple of cat bites but they look dry and scabbed over and don't seem to be bothering him. he's quite long haired and you cant really tell how skinny he is unless you stroke him. haven't heard from CP yet but i'm not expecting to until after the weekend. i am going to do a letter drop tomorrow to see if the others need catching or if the people there are happy to keep on feeding them. will try and get a pic on tomorrow
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Well done! Hope you hear back from the rescues soon.
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Bless you for helping him/her. How can people just move and not bother >:(
How old do you think he is?
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Well done, so glad you managed to get hold of him/her. Do you think you'll be able to keep him for a while if CP can't take him?
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no idea on his age, older than a year definitely. hopefully one of the neighbours will know.
i would be able to keep him for a while if they can check him over and give him a clean bill of health. i just cant afford more vet bills at the moment but if they can cover that then he can lodge here for a bit
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Well done :hug:
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Just checking to see how the little guy is doing? Hope he had a good night :hug:
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well he may be skinny but he's not starving. i'm wondering if maybe it's an old cat. watching it eat i'm inclined to think it might have some dental problems but i havent investigated yet because i dont want to upset it. having said that it's very relaxed. i'm going to go back again tomorrow to double check that i have the right cat and haven't pinched somebodies elderly pet lol
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It could be Thyroid problem ?
As you mentioned the neighbours might be able to give you some more information.
Do you have a picture of him/her?
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i'm thinking thyroid too. spoken to a few people and it's definitely the right cat so no worries about an irate owner turning up. heard back from CP this morning, they are full, no surprises there. ive replied that i am happy to keep the cat here until a space becomes available but only if they can cover the cost of a vet check up. waiting to hear back.
i am picking up another tomorrow. the owner is pregnant and planning on dumping the cat in the woods. she's done it before and i already have 1 here (my little Mouse) who came from her after she took him from his mother at 3 weeks. i got a call in the middle of the night from her neighbour who had confiscated it from her because she was convinced he was dying (was constantly leaking poo). he was 4 weeks old by then. i picked over 60 fleas off of him that night and spent 48 hours hand feeding him plain chicken. that was 5 years ago and now he's my baby. after i get this next one out of her house i'm going to scare her. i know i shouldnt but people like her make me rage. i'm going to tell her in no uncertain terms that if i find out she's got another after she has her baby i WILL go round there and kick her a*se. will get a pic on of "Bones" in a minute
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"Bones"
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and he's a neutered male
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He does look Hyperthyroid, I have 2 here and he is like my black and white Max the blood test should confirm it and then he can get his tablets hopefully, is he drinking a lot because he could be diabetic thats the two main ones that make them thin and constantly hungry he may also have teeth problems
He is cute though ;D
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He is gorgeous and hope you dont find any more :hug: :hug:
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good news and bad news:
good news is Titch IS in fact somebodies 17 year old hyperthyroid cat. turns out he belongs to one of the neighbours who wasnt in when enquiries were being made. they've just been to my mates to ask if anybody has seen him. coming to pick him up soon so good news for Titch. i kinda had a feeling that i'd pinched somebodies pet lol.
bad news is that the b&w abandoned kitty is still out there. i knew it was all too easy to be true. looks like i'll be out looking again after Titch has been collected
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ok so Titch has gone home. after speaking to the lady that collected him (his owners neighbour) it appears there has been some confusion lol. there is no b&w stray, that cat went with it's owner when she moved. seems the person who told me just saw Titch and assumed that it was starving and therefore must have been left behind. according to this lady the cats that belonged to the old lady that died were adopted by various neighbours and are all fine. the only one that nobody wanted was the huge ginger that i saw on the first day. everybody feeds him but nobody lets him in because he sprays. i'm very relieved to say the least. i'm happy to take him and get him done but he'd have to be rehomed cos i'm pretty sure my cats would feel threatened by such a huge cat.
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This all sound so much better ;D
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doesn't it? to think that i didnt sleep friday night for worrying about 4 possibly freezing, starving strays. this is almost the best possible scenario. not sure what to do about the ginger, will he appreciate being taken from an area he knows and obviously likes, to somewhere where he'll be kept in for a while, lose his balls and his freedom? he'll be easy to get because he's very friendly
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Well done you for not only caring but for going the extra mile to do something about it. :hug:
The ginger might not appreciate losing his balls at the time but I'm sure he will feel better for it eventually. If it stops him from spraying (by no means guaranteed) it may even get him a home. I would be inclined to get him neutered if you can and release him back to where he is now since people feed him.
I would ask CP for help with this. They must be used to doing TNR.
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ive been and spoken to my vets and they will do the neutering for free if i get him. he will be an easy catch because he's so friendly
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big butch ginger toms can often turn into total love machines when their love machine bits have gone ;)
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Absolutely :Luv:
Our Munchkin is a case in point (though he still has a hefty left hook :naughty:)
I will keep my fingers crossed for the big ginger boy. I keep thinking of our dear lad when he was in a similar situation. Well done you for being so caring.
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Thats great news ;D
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got the ginge and he's booked in for the chop tomorrow. have a foster home lined up and possibly a forever home
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:wow:
That's fantastic! Well done you!!
Any chance of a pic?
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Wow, great news. Well done. ;D
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no chance of a pic yet lol. he's under my sons bed and has been all day. probably wondering what the hell is going on. dont actually think he's grateful to be spending his first night indoors in nearly a year. lol, he'll be even less grateful tomorrow
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If you don't find a home for him immediately, consider releasing him back to his area. It sounds as though he's become a successful feral/stray.
The ideal situation for most cats is to have a loving home where he's well fed, given medical care when needed, and truly respected. Some cats, however, can find it hard to adapt to domesticity. You know this particular cat and whether he'll be happier as a housecat or a feral. Sometimes it can be difficult to find homes for ex ferals, though it's possible. :hug:
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he's at the vet now. he's not feral, he's actually a really nice friendly cat and was in a loving home until last spring. i have considered putting him back where he came from as the people in the flats where he lived are obviously caring enough that he hasnt gone without food since he became homeless. he'd decided to come out from under the bed some time during the night and had found himself a comfy spot on some clothes. he was purring in the kitchen while i was getting the box ready. he was a bit wide eyed but quite calm considering there were a lot of strange cats looking at him lol. he has a little scab on his neck and his ears are a a bit dirty but other than that he seems like he's in his prime. he's very impressive with his massive head lol.
there's an old lady opposite me who's big ginger died about 10 years ago and then her husband died around 5 years ago and she's very lonely. she'd mentioned a little while ago that she'd like a cat again but thought she was too old for a kitten because it would probably outlive her. she is having a think about taking this one on. she hasnt seen him yet but i think when she does it will be a done deal. he'd be spoilt rotten if she decided to take him
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He sounds lovely and hope the lady will take him ;D
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an older person nearby would be ideal, as you could presumably keep an eye on them
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this is one lucky cat. rang this afternoon to check on him, everything fine, pick him up at half 2. on the way to picking him up i get a call from the vet so i go into mini panic mode. turns out one of the nurses has had a case of love at first sight. she's in the process of moving and will be ready to take him on the 26th. i'm so pleased, what a lucky boy. he's staying here until then and is snuggled up in bed in the bottom of my wardrobe.
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one incredibly lucky cat
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That has brought a tear to my eye. Such lovely news. :wow:
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That has brought a tear to my eye. Such lovely news. :wow:
mine too. i couldnt have asked for an easier rescue or a better outcome. i'm chuffed to bits for him
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That is just wonderful what a lucky boy ;D ;D
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Well done. If you hadn't taken an interest in this cat he might be out in the snow. Instead, he's warm and has a good home lined up.
If only more people cared. :hug:
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This is the best outcome EVER. Well done! :)
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he seems very happy to be in from the cold. has hardly stopped purring since he came back from the vets
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Thats just so great ;D ;D
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what a great outcome! he looks like a proper cuddle cat as well
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he really is a cuddle cat. you only have to catch his eye and he's purring and dribbling and wrapping himself round your legs. he's a bit growly with the other cats but not showing any real aggression. he's been using the tray like a good boy and not showing any signs of going stir crazy which i'm surprised about as he's lived rough for almost a year. i know my eldest son (23) wants to keep him but then again he wants to keep all the cats everywhere :rofl:. he will be hard to give up but he's going to have a fantastic home after this.
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also being owned by a vet nurse means he will prob get any treatment needed in the future at a cheaper rate ;) SOunds like the old lady opposite you would love to have a cat, see if you can find another one for her? ;D
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yep. he has ear mites so i'll leave that for his new owner to sort out but apart for a couple of scabs from fighting he's in really good health. i'm supposed to be picking up the female that's due to be dumped in the woods but not sure when yet. the nurse i spoke to said that the one who's taking the ginger boy might be up for another but if not then i'll see if the old lady wants her after shes been done
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He's lovely :Luv:
I'm so pleased a new home is already lined up for him. You really do deserve a medal for all you've done.
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Have just read throught his thread. What a gorgeous boy Big Ginger is. :wow: :wow: :wow: He's like a giant teddy bear. :Luv2: Am so very pleased you were able to help him get a new forever home - must've been horrible for him going from being a much loved pet to being out on the streets. You star :hug:
Sounds to me like he's at long last landed well and truly on his paws, and hope he has many happy healthy years in front of him. :)
Gotta say, "Bones" was very lovely too. Made me think of our Paddy - he was all bones too at the end - like a little thistledown when you picked him up. :Luv:
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Bones/Titch was a lovely boy. you can definitely tell the difference between a long time stray and a much loved pet. right from the start i felt that i had the wrong cat with Titch. he was way too laid back and i felt sure that he was an older pet, i'm so glad i kept checking. Ginger is not so laid back with the other animals but he's not really that bothered. only problem i've discovered is that he must have been a night prowler. he stays in the bed in the bottom of the wardrobe all day but at night he sits on the windowsill and yowls. last night he actually got on the bed and had a little kip on the pillow. he's very affectionate and purrs all the time. the lady from CP who i emailed on the first day has been updated and today i got an email from her asking if it was ok to pass my number on to their rescue co-ordinator in case they need help with trapping in my area so of course i said yes
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:hug: :hug: It used to worry me in Paddy's last year or so that people would think he was a cruelly neglected stray - he too was very thin, and it was one reason I preferred him to wear a collar, but we had to take his off ultimately, because of his inability to retract his claws - he used to get them stuck in his collar, and the worry of him injuring himself bothered me more. I love the golden oldies, bless 'em.
So, you're going to become a trapper :wow: (shades of Grizzly Adams :evillaugh:) That's a great compliment to your skills. :)