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-   -   Help! Resident Feral Tommy!!! (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=85552)

Koteburo June 10th, 2014 05:21 PM

Help! Resident Feral Tommy!!!
 
Our resident feral cat Tommy is injured. He's hiding because he feels bad, we tried to catch him and I failed! His cheek is huge! Probably a bite I'm thinking. He ran away to the trees. I[m waiting and hoping for him to come back. He's been around grabbing food and shelter for a while and I want to get him veterinary help. At the same time I want to use this opportunity to neuter him and put a safety collar on him, even if he's feral he has our protection. Any ideas how to trap a VERY feral cat. He's wild and he'll get aggressive when we try to grab him even more now that he's wounded. Ideas are welcome!
I'm visiting my parents and cats in Mexico and as always I get involved in rescues because I can't help it. So I don't think we have humane traps available here so we have to come up with some McGyver kind of options.

pbpatti June 10th, 2014 07:07 PM

I am not sure what part of Mexico you are but there may be an SPCA there that could help. I know that Puerto Vallarta has one and is very helpful when it comes to strays and injured animals.

sugarcatmom June 10th, 2014 07:19 PM

Aww, poor Tommy!

Might be a lot of work, but could you build a drop-trap like this?: [url]http://www.catinfo.org/?link=buildingadroptrap[/url]

Also info here: [url]http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=366[/url]

You'd still need some sort of transfer cage to get Tommy out of the drop trap, and since this is the point where most cats tend to escape, make sure you have a way to securely connect it to the drop trap.

Good luck!

Koteburo June 10th, 2014 07:56 PM

I'm 3 hrs away drive from Puerto Vallarta and I'm already looking at the traps design. I'm going to do my best to capture Tommy. With baby Quinn and 10 kitties I'll do my best because I want that wound to be looked at and get him neuter. Soon my dad will install a new fence, one of those 45 degree angle fences and we're going to keep Tommy inside. They have a good backyard with some "cat amenities" so we'll give that a try. If that causes too much stress for Tommy and the crew then he can come and go via garage. But I won't get ahead of myself the first step is to capture him and get that cheek fixed. I haven't even got the chance to look close but it looks very swollen it might be from pus.
I'll let you know. It's getting really stormy here at night but he goes under a bar outside, in a drawer for drinks, etc he's perfectly safe and dry in there now I just have to catch him.
(Tried twice and failed miserably) :goodvibes::fingerscr

lindapalm June 10th, 2014 08:19 PM

I don't have any good suggestions, other than borrowing a trap from the SPCA. I wish you much luck, my son had an injured feral at his house and it didn't take long before he found him dead under his shed. I hope your able to capture him somehow so he'll have a chance, the poor thing needs someone who cares, it would be the first break in life he's ever had. I wish you much luck.

pbpatti June 10th, 2014 08:42 PM

Good luck in catching Tommy and getting him to a vet.

Koteburo June 10th, 2014 09:50 PM

I do care for him a lot. I want to help him. I named him Tommy and tomorrow after the 2 failed attempts of today I am going to do my best to catch him my only choice is to get him.
:lovestruck::goodvibes::pray:

Koteburo June 11th, 2014 12:12 AM

It's 11:07 PM and worry is kicking in big time. I went out to see if he was there but couldn't see much. Maybe he is and now I just keep asking please Tommy hang in there tonight. I know you're in pain but please hang in there. Tomorrow I'll get you to the vet no matter what. I'm so worried, so mortified. If he hides like that is because he really feels bad, probably has a fever... Oh God... :(
I just needed to let some steam of worry out. Good night!

Longblades June 11th, 2014 06:40 AM

All I can say is good luck. We have two live traps and have used them successfully in almost exactly the same situation, a noticeable abscess forming on a feral cat's chin. I say almost because once we trapped him it was evident that cat was not feral at all. So maybe that made it easier for us. If Tommy gets good and hungry maybe he will enter a trap to get something smelling really good. You do have the advantage that he knows you and hopefully will not be frightened by your scent around whatever trap you use. Good luck.

hazelrunpack June 11th, 2014 09:08 AM

I hope Tommy cooperates today, Koteburo! :goodvibes: :grouphug:

Dog Dancer June 11th, 2014 11:14 AM

:pray: Praying that you are able to catch Tommy and get him the medical help he needs. He will be forever grateful to you for your caring.

Koteburo June 11th, 2014 01:54 PM

12:49 PM June 11 and Tommy hasn't showed up. I scared him off yesterday with my clumsiness. I'll keep you updated when he shows up. :goodvibes::pray::fingerscr

lindapalm June 11th, 2014 08:13 PM

Hopefully he's sleeping and will show up later in the day.

Longblades June 12th, 2014 07:10 AM

Not yet? Well, we have had to re-set traps several times before catching a few of ours. There's still hope.

hazelrunpack June 12th, 2014 11:57 AM

Keeping the little guy in my prayers!

Koteburo June 13th, 2014 09:00 PM

I fear the worst. I scared him away and he hasn't come back at all. We look around every day OMG he's been our resident feral for a while now. I don't want to lose him. I feel so guilty for my clumsiness I ruined my only chance to help him. I moved the piece of furniture where he was hidding without knowing he was there again and that scared him off :wall:
My little Tommy wherever you are please come!

hazelrunpack June 14th, 2014 12:25 PM

Whatever happens, Koteburo, you did what you could :grouphug: Still praying Tommy comes back! :pray:

Longblades June 14th, 2014 04:01 PM

Keep trying with fresh food in the trap. It took us three days to get Sadie, two to get Lexie. All you can do is try again. Hope he bites.

Koteburo June 16th, 2014 01:10 PM

Thank you :)
Well nothing from Tommy yet. However the leaving smelly foods have brought us nice surprises like a beautiful Siamese cat heh that was probably having a walk out when he got caught by a storm and came for the food and a small feral black cat, long hair. I think is still a kitten. What I call an "adult kitten" he managed to escape though but if we catch him instead of Tommy we might be able to help him/her too by neutering/spaying.
But no Tommy yet. I've been very sad for our Tommy I had great plans for him besides attending his wound like neutering, giving him his shots and giving him a form of ID :(

Longblades June 16th, 2014 01:22 PM

Not fair. How come you got other cats and we got a skunk? :)

Koteburo June 17th, 2014 09:14 AM

Hahaha! Well aside from the smell they're cute.
Tommy!!! He came for breakfast!! Skinny but hungry! Like a miracle!

hazelrunpack June 17th, 2014 09:53 AM

Oh, hooray!!! :pray: How did his face look?

lindapalm June 17th, 2014 10:36 AM

Yay, Tommy. Now, be a good boy and let yourself be caught.

Koteburo June 17th, 2014 08:11 PM

The swelling went down a lot!

hazelrunpack June 17th, 2014 10:50 PM

An abscess that drained, maybe? So happy you're seeing him again! Now if he just wanders into the trap! :fingerscr

Koteburo June 19th, 2014 02:34 PM

The trap is no good. So I'm going to have to start from 0. It's too light.
I want him checked even if it looks drained (and I'm so glad for that) and I want him neutered. I need to somehow make a trap that works see if I can catch the small black feral too for spaying as well. But one thing at a time. Tommy.
He comes for breakfast every morning around 7 AM.
I think the attempts of catching him disrupted the very little trust we had built now he doesn't stay at all like before to chill out just eats and leaves.
I have a CAT TO DO LIST:
I have to leave all these guys with their shots up to date.
Trap Tommy and take him to the vet
Order a huge cat tree for the guys here.
Get a hold of the fence guys so they put a 45º angle so the cats won't escape from the backyard.


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