How to Rescue a Feral Kitty
July 14, 2022 8:24 PM Subscribe
One of my coworkers has found a feral kitty in need of rescuing. Coworker reports that Kitty appears to be about 2-3 years old, very malnourished, and pretty tired. My goal is to come get her this Saturday, and then take her to my vet on Tuesday (appointment tentatively booked.) Please let me know what you think of my plan (details inside) and help fill in the gaps for the things I can and should do while we wait for a vet visit. Possibly Hard Mode: I have a cat already, and my bathroom doesn't have a window.
I haven't seen Little Cat in person yet. Based on what my coworker has told me, she seems to have some stomach pain and won't roll over to let coworker examine her tummy to see if she's spayed.
My chief health concerns for her are:
1. Malnourishment and dehydration (coworker is leaving out food and water)
2. Worms and fleas (see Interim section for queries)
3. Mystery stomach situation (may be related to 1 and 2)
Once caught and examined by me, she'd come home with me and get quarantined in my bathroom. I'll cover the floor in pee pads and soft towels and prep a litter box for her even though I don't think she'll know how to use it.
Since her vet visit won't be till Tuesday morning, I want to do whatever I can in the interim to make her comfortable and reduce the possibility of flea and worm transmission between her and Big Cat. So...
Flea Bath
I've never given a cat a flea bath before, and I have no idea what to use shampoo-wise or how to do it. I am, however, VERY good at catching fleas, even on black cats, which is what Little Cat is. Should I get a certain brand of shampoo? Should I get flea combs? Little Cat has long hair so I think she'll need a few baths depending on the state of her fur and butt etc.
Worms
Based on experience I assume all outdoor cats have worms until proven otherwise. How do I minimize Big Cat's exposure to worms if Little Cat does have them? They will not share litter boxes, but if Little Cat is feral, she will probably poop on the floor vs use her litter box, which means constant vigilance on my end on the off chance that I, by entering the bathroom, somehow transfer live ones to the rest of my apartment.
Ventilation vs the Possibility of Escape
My bathroom doesn't have a window, meaning ventilation will come from the small gap between the door and the floor. I plan to put a little fan in there to help keep air flowing, but I feel like the absence of a window will be a thing at some point. Should I get baby gates so the door can be open sometimes? One would be for the bathroom door, and the other would be for the hallway leading to the bathroom, as a second wave barrier so to speak.
=======
This is all I have right now. What else am I undoubtedly not thinking of?
Cat tax shall be paid once I (hopefully) am able to get her and bring her home.
Thank you.
I haven't seen Little Cat in person yet. Based on what my coworker has told me, she seems to have some stomach pain and won't roll over to let coworker examine her tummy to see if she's spayed.
My chief health concerns for her are:
1. Malnourishment and dehydration (coworker is leaving out food and water)
2. Worms and fleas (see Interim section for queries)
3. Mystery stomach situation (may be related to 1 and 2)
Once caught and examined by me, she'd come home with me and get quarantined in my bathroom. I'll cover the floor in pee pads and soft towels and prep a litter box for her even though I don't think she'll know how to use it.
Since her vet visit won't be till Tuesday morning, I want to do whatever I can in the interim to make her comfortable and reduce the possibility of flea and worm transmission between her and Big Cat. So...
Flea Bath
I've never given a cat a flea bath before, and I have no idea what to use shampoo-wise or how to do it. I am, however, VERY good at catching fleas, even on black cats, which is what Little Cat is. Should I get a certain brand of shampoo? Should I get flea combs? Little Cat has long hair so I think she'll need a few baths depending on the state of her fur and butt etc.
Worms
Based on experience I assume all outdoor cats have worms until proven otherwise. How do I minimize Big Cat's exposure to worms if Little Cat does have them? They will not share litter boxes, but if Little Cat is feral, she will probably poop on the floor vs use her litter box, which means constant vigilance on my end on the off chance that I, by entering the bathroom, somehow transfer live ones to the rest of my apartment.
Ventilation vs the Possibility of Escape
My bathroom doesn't have a window, meaning ventilation will come from the small gap between the door and the floor. I plan to put a little fan in there to help keep air flowing, but I feel like the absence of a window will be a thing at some point. Should I get baby gates so the door can be open sometimes? One would be for the bathroom door, and the other would be for the hallway leading to the bathroom, as a second wave barrier so to speak.
=======
This is all I have right now. What else am I undoubtedly not thinking of?
Cat tax shall be paid once I (hopefully) am able to get her and bring her home.
Thank you.
I would not try to give a stray cat a bath. Is there a reason you wouldn't just do the flea drops? There are several brands that are effective. This cat will be really stressed so I would not plan on handling it for the first few days, otherwise you will get bit/scratched. I would also be concerned about toxoplasmosis (for you) and FIV & FVR (for your other cat), in terms of potential diseases to look out for. Talk to your vet about these and the worms question - they may just suggest that both cats go on worm medicine as a precaution.
posted by Toddles at 8:41 PM on July 14, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by Toddles at 8:41 PM on July 14, 2022 [8 favorites]
Would you be willing to skip the stressful wait and take on the expense of taking the cat straight to an emergency vet? It's more expensive but if the cat is in pain, or really sick, it would be kinder. They could administer flea drops and give you a much better idea of the cat's health. Including...whether the cat is too ill to survive, which is a possibility you should be prepared for. Cats tend not to show their illness till it's far along so if she is showing it, she might be in a very bad way. Though hopefully not!
And they could also test for all the infectious things and give you an idea of how to safely quarantine from your current kitty.
Seconding that a scared adult cat is not a good candidate for bathing.
The cat will not care about the lack of a window, and no baby gate keeps cats out so don't worry about it being in the bathroom. It will probably prefer to be in a small enclosed space and that works fine. Don't let it interact with your cat until you know it's safe...that includes not letting them paw/scratch at each other under the door.
What you do after the cat is feeling better really depends on how feral it is, how much human contact it has had. If it's letting your friend touch it at all (has it already been caught?) it's most likely a stray instead, which is easier. But first, get the kitty well, and then check out the many many Youtube videos on how to tame a feral cat if that's needed. And reach out to a local cat rescue and ask for advice if you have one.
Many rescues do neuter/release because true ferals take forever to tame, if they ever do, and are usually not adoptable. You haven't said if you plan on keeping or if you are wanting to foster and then adopt out, so take that into account.
What you're doing is awesome, and I'm glad this poor kitty has people looking out for her.
posted by emjaybee at 9:21 PM on July 14, 2022 [9 favorites]
And they could also test for all the infectious things and give you an idea of how to safely quarantine from your current kitty.
Seconding that a scared adult cat is not a good candidate for bathing.
The cat will not care about the lack of a window, and no baby gate keeps cats out so don't worry about it being in the bathroom. It will probably prefer to be in a small enclosed space and that works fine. Don't let it interact with your cat until you know it's safe...that includes not letting them paw/scratch at each other under the door.
What you do after the cat is feeling better really depends on how feral it is, how much human contact it has had. If it's letting your friend touch it at all (has it already been caught?) it's most likely a stray instead, which is easier. But first, get the kitty well, and then check out the many many Youtube videos on how to tame a feral cat if that's needed. And reach out to a local cat rescue and ask for advice if you have one.
Many rescues do neuter/release because true ferals take forever to tame, if they ever do, and are usually not adoptable. You haven't said if you plan on keeping or if you are wanting to foster and then adopt out, so take that into account.
What you're doing is awesome, and I'm glad this poor kitty has people looking out for her.
posted by emjaybee at 9:21 PM on July 14, 2022 [9 favorites]
The problem is feral cats won't let you handle her, period, unless the cat had formerly been a housecat. No way you'll be able to handle her, even if you somehow got her into the bathroom. The moment your door opens a crack she'd do a full dash, claws flailing, looking for a way out. And unless you're athletic or you live in a bare room with virtually no furniture she'd be jumping left and right, knocking everything off the shelves and whatnot frantically searching for a way out. The ONLY way to recapture her would be with help, and lots of large towels where you basically use it as a web, jump on her with the towel, and cocoon her. and she'll probably be hissing madly until she tires out.
A stray would be much easier, and depends on how much human contact it had been trained with. But you really have to assume the worst case until proven otherwise.
Unless you really want to see this thorugh, I'd suggest you contact your local rescue instead and see if they want to get involved. Just beware you may be looking at some pain and suffering (both your own and the cat's)
posted by kschang at 9:30 PM on July 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
A stray would be much easier, and depends on how much human contact it had been trained with. But you really have to assume the worst case until proven otherwise.
Unless you really want to see this thorugh, I'd suggest you contact your local rescue instead and see if they want to get involved. Just beware you may be looking at some pain and suffering (both your own and the cat's)
posted by kschang at 9:30 PM on July 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Sorry, she's a stray, not feral. Coworker has been able to pet her without issue. I have already contacted multiple rescues and they've asked me to foster until we can get a placement at their shelter.
It is definitely possible that Small Cat could be more ill than my coworker realizes, which is why I am the one doing the rescue because I have more experience with the brutal part of being a pet caretaker than she does. If that ends up being the case, I am prepared to make the hard decisions.
Re: fleas, I feel like it would be worth it to get as much stuff off of her as possible in addition to any flea drops. Coworker recently saw her chilling in a little puddle made by a leaky sprinkler, so we were wondering if she might be more tolerant or water than your average feline. However, if giving her a bath is really inadvisable, I still need a way to reduce transmission of existing fleas from her to me and Big Cat.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 9:43 PM on July 14, 2022
It is definitely possible that Small Cat could be more ill than my coworker realizes, which is why I am the one doing the rescue because I have more experience with the brutal part of being a pet caretaker than she does. If that ends up being the case, I am prepared to make the hard decisions.
Re: fleas, I feel like it would be worth it to get as much stuff off of her as possible in addition to any flea drops. Coworker recently saw her chilling in a little puddle made by a leaky sprinkler, so we were wondering if she might be more tolerant or water than your average feline. However, if giving her a bath is really inadvisable, I still need a way to reduce transmission of existing fleas from her to me and Big Cat.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 9:43 PM on July 14, 2022
My honest advice would be to rent a cat trap from somewhere and attempt to catch kitty the day before you have a vet appointment. Once caught, leave her inside the trap, cover it in a towel so kitty thinks she’s in a dark, safe place, and leave the cat in the trap until you’re at the vet. They will have better abilities to handle scared and aggressive animals at the vet.
I caught an abandoned cat in this manner before I passed him off to a local rescue organization. KFC and stinky anchovies in a tin work great as bait placed behind the trigger plate of the trap. You can make a line of treats to lead the cat to the trap. Friskies Party Mix in the blue bag was what the rescue recommended to me for this purpose.
posted by ceramicspaniel at 10:02 PM on July 14, 2022 [4 favorites]
I caught an abandoned cat in this manner before I passed him off to a local rescue organization. KFC and stinky anchovies in a tin work great as bait placed behind the trigger plate of the trap. You can make a line of treats to lead the cat to the trap. Friskies Party Mix in the blue bag was what the rescue recommended to me for this purpose.
posted by ceramicspaniel at 10:02 PM on July 14, 2022 [4 favorites]
Here’s a great video from Kitten Lady about how the trapping process works.
posted by ceramicspaniel at 10:10 PM on July 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by ceramicspaniel at 10:10 PM on July 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
The problem is feral cats won't let you handle her, period, unless the cat had formerly been a housecat. No way you'll be able to handle her, even if you somehow got her into the bathroom.
Sorry, that's not true. But it takes time, patience and tuna.
Two years ago we took in Kruimel (feral, 1yo at the time, caught and having sat in a shelter for appx. three months).
She now comes to me for scritches and petting, jumps into my lap and occasionally fully zonks out there. She's still not a much of a house cat, doesn't like to be held, and approaching her when she's in or near her box is Not Done. But otherwise she's fine, and most quirks are just "I'm a cat, deal with it."
posted by Stoneshop at 11:26 PM on July 14, 2022
Sorry, that's not true. But it takes time, patience and tuna.
Two years ago we took in Kruimel (feral, 1yo at the time, caught and having sat in a shelter for appx. three months).
She now comes to me for scritches and petting, jumps into my lap and occasionally fully zonks out there. She's still not a much of a house cat, doesn't like to be held, and approaching her when she's in or near her box is Not Done. But otherwise she's fine, and most quirks are just "I'm a cat, deal with it."
posted by Stoneshop at 11:26 PM on July 14, 2022
Good thing is that if she's pettable, she might know what a litter box is for. Just in case, get bentonite litter because it looks the most like sand, and mix in a little of your cat's used litter because it'll tell her what the box is for.
And plan to treat both cats for worms and fleas, just in case, because even if they don't have direct contact you things might get across e.g. on you. Get the drops in advance from the vet.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:37 PM on July 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
And plan to treat both cats for worms and fleas, just in case, because even if they don't have direct contact you things might get across e.g. on you. Get the drops in advance from the vet.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:37 PM on July 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
No one has said this yet, but you are an admirable person.
posted by SPrintF at 1:45 AM on July 15, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by SPrintF at 1:45 AM on July 15, 2022 [5 favorites]
-> This is not a feral cat (Bold added for other people scanning this.)
-> When she is trapped, have a big dark blanket ready to cover the trap immediately. What's worse than being trapped in a wire cage? Being trapped in a wire cage and entirely visible to predators.
-> Even feral cats are likely, but not certain, but still very likely, to use a litter box. Cats like to bury their poop. As long as there's not a tempting pile of laundry, the litter box is the obvious place.
-> If cats do avoid the litter box, it's likely because they associate the box with pain or stress of some kind. You should be fine.
-> Covering the floor in soft towels might make it seem like a more attractive place to pee, which could ultimately lead to confusion and unpleasantness. Maybe use a mat or rug instead -- something that the cat can't move with her paw (so it's clear that no burying can happen).
-> A baby gate will not stop a cat over the age of about 8 weeks if she's scared. It might slow her down psychologically if she feels mostly safe in the bathroom, but it will slow you down also...
-> The stress of being bathed in a strange place will be a lot for a cat. If she's sick on top of everything else, I'd wait until after the vet visit -- stress makes a lot of health conditions worse. See if you can comb/brush her gently, but reducing stress on her is going to be very important. Especially with stomach issues.
-> Noises like the sound of water rushing from the spigot right next to her head can be terrifying. If/when you do bathe her, put water in a big bucket so she won't have to deal with that noise.
-> If you don't already use flea treatment for your cat, it might be a good idea to do that as a preventative.
-> I would not mix in another cat's litter. Let her feel like this is her own territory.
-> There's a chance that she has some kind of communicable disease (in addition to parasites). Keep your cat as far away as possible.
posted by amtho at 5:27 AM on July 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
-> When she is trapped, have a big dark blanket ready to cover the trap immediately. What's worse than being trapped in a wire cage? Being trapped in a wire cage and entirely visible to predators.
-> Even feral cats are likely, but not certain, but still very likely, to use a litter box. Cats like to bury their poop. As long as there's not a tempting pile of laundry, the litter box is the obvious place.
-> If cats do avoid the litter box, it's likely because they associate the box with pain or stress of some kind. You should be fine.
-> Covering the floor in soft towels might make it seem like a more attractive place to pee, which could ultimately lead to confusion and unpleasantness. Maybe use a mat or rug instead -- something that the cat can't move with her paw (so it's clear that no burying can happen).
-> A baby gate will not stop a cat over the age of about 8 weeks if she's scared. It might slow her down psychologically if she feels mostly safe in the bathroom, but it will slow you down also...
-> The stress of being bathed in a strange place will be a lot for a cat. If she's sick on top of everything else, I'd wait until after the vet visit -- stress makes a lot of health conditions worse. See if you can comb/brush her gently, but reducing stress on her is going to be very important. Especially with stomach issues.
-> Noises like the sound of water rushing from the spigot right next to her head can be terrifying. If/when you do bathe her, put water in a big bucket so she won't have to deal with that noise.
-> If you don't already use flea treatment for your cat, it might be a good idea to do that as a preventative.
-> I would not mix in another cat's litter. Let her feel like this is her own territory.
-> There's a chance that she has some kind of communicable disease (in addition to parasites). Keep your cat as far away as possible.
posted by amtho at 5:27 AM on July 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
Her malnourished appearance and general unhealthiness could mean she has feline FIV. I would not allow her contact with any other cats until you know her status. Good luck.
posted by citygirl at 5:44 AM on July 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by citygirl at 5:44 AM on July 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
Sometimes lactating cats have the appearance you describe. Not all cats will appear visibly pregnant before giving birth. Milk weighs down their midsection and makes them appear thinner than they are. To avoid starving kittens to death by taking away their mother, I'd recommend capturing this cat the evening before a spay neuter appointment. If the cat is lactating, you can release her the evening after surgery so she can get back to her kittens. If the cat is not nursing then you can bring it home and begin making friends without having to worry about it reproducing or escaping before a surgery appointment.
Capstar will kill all the fleas on the cat but will not prevent a reinfestation. You'd have to hide capstar in the cat's food since it's unlikely you could pill this cat. Frontline can be applied to an unsocial cat in a trap, so that's another option.
posted by txtwinkletoes at 7:29 AM on July 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
Capstar will kill all the fleas on the cat but will not prevent a reinfestation. You'd have to hide capstar in the cat's food since it's unlikely you could pill this cat. Frontline can be applied to an unsocial cat in a trap, so that's another option.
posted by txtwinkletoes at 7:29 AM on July 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
very malnourished, and pretty tired
Yes, this does sound like a nursing mother. Please proceed with caution -- maybe you or a friend can watch her and maybe find the kittens. If you find the kittens, they can be easily adopted to loving homes; if kittens grow up without people, they will become feral.
posted by amtho at 7:55 AM on July 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
Yes, this does sound like a nursing mother. Please proceed with caution -- maybe you or a friend can watch her and maybe find the kittens. If you find the kittens, they can be easily adopted to loving homes; if kittens grow up without people, they will become feral.
posted by amtho at 7:55 AM on July 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
Also: it sounds likely that your friend is feeding her, but if not, please give her food and fresh clean water ASAP.
posted by amtho at 9:49 AM on July 15, 2022
posted by amtho at 9:49 AM on July 15, 2022
Are there any local organizations that might be able to help? They might be able to loan you a trap and give advice. My wife and I had to do this last year for an outdoor cat we've been looking after for the past couple of years, when we had an injured leg we had to use a trap to get him to the vet. Picking up was out of the question - he's semi-feral, likes attention but will NOT allow petting or touching (it worked out and he fully recovered thankfully). Catching a scared cat (particularly one not used to humans) can be near-impossible and could backfire. Traps are much faster and easier for everyone.
If getting the cat to the vet immediately isn't an option, my suggestion would be to leave the cat in the trap overnight in your bathroom until their office opens. Leave the bathroom door closed to keep your other cat away.
Nextdoor or local/community FB groups can be a really good resource for finding a local group, failing that I'd try asking your vet's office. (also thanks for trying to help, seriously - you're a good person)
posted by photo guy at 11:02 AM on July 15, 2022
If getting the cat to the vet immediately isn't an option, my suggestion would be to leave the cat in the trap overnight in your bathroom until their office opens. Leave the bathroom door closed to keep your other cat away.
Nextdoor or local/community FB groups can be a really good resource for finding a local group, failing that I'd try asking your vet's office. (also thanks for trying to help, seriously - you're a good person)
posted by photo guy at 11:02 AM on July 15, 2022
Oh, forgot to add - the above-mentioned outdoor/community cat cannot take drops and no way in hell we're ever going to get him in into a flea bath - we instead give him flea medication (can't remember the exact medication, sorry) via wet food. It's not as effective but it's certainly better than nothing. Might be an option worth asking your vet about.
posted by photo guy at 11:05 AM on July 15, 2022
posted by photo guy at 11:05 AM on July 15, 2022
Youngish, tired, malnourished-looking - yep I would be shocked if this cat was not a nursing mother with kittens somewhere. If your friend is able to at least get a look at her belly (maybe if she lies down or rolls over?), she can confirm this by looking at the cat's nipples. Nursing mothers will have nipples that are very visible/enlarged/elongated.
posted by aecorwin at 11:41 AM on July 15, 2022
posted by aecorwin at 11:41 AM on July 15, 2022
Response by poster: I am also leaning towards nursing mother, even though I haven't seen her in person yet still, and it's something I hadn't considered at all.
This is making me super nervous. I watched the Kitten Lady videos about TNR but as soon as I got to anything about kittens I started sobbing, which now has me feeling like I shouldn't pick Small Cat up to go anywhere, even for a vet visit.
Does it make me a bad person to wait? None of the shelters I called can take her right now, and if she's a nursing mom with a litter of any size I would want to do something different. The vet tech I spoke to over the phone for advice was spectacularly vague about just taking care of Small Cat the night before her appointment. Cold feet have me glued to my floor.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 8:12 PM on July 16, 2022
This is making me super nervous. I watched the Kitten Lady videos about TNR but as soon as I got to anything about kittens I started sobbing, which now has me feeling like I shouldn't pick Small Cat up to go anywhere, even for a vet visit.
Does it make me a bad person to wait? None of the shelters I called can take her right now, and if she's a nursing mom with a litter of any size I would want to do something different. The vet tech I spoke to over the phone for advice was spectacularly vague about just taking care of Small Cat the night before her appointment. Cold feet have me glued to my floor.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 8:12 PM on July 16, 2022
Somehow a litter of kittens reminded me of this little tidbit posted earlier on Boingboing
Man stops to rescue a stranded kitten, then all his/her brothers and sisters showed up...
posted by kschang at 11:45 AM on July 19, 2022
Man stops to rescue a stranded kitten, then all his/her brothers and sisters showed up...
posted by kschang at 11:45 AM on July 19, 2022
and if she's a nursing mom with a litter of any size I would want to do something different.
If possible coordinate with your co-worker for a moment that they and you can observe Small Cat together, with you staying at a distance and possibly out of direct sight of her. After SC being fed and petted she'll want to return to her litter but likely be wary if your co-worker would be following her instead of staying put/moving off the way they came. You could then try to see where SC is going, and possibly hear the kitten(s) mewing when SC approaches.
posted by Stoneshop at 6:06 AM on July 22, 2022
If possible coordinate with your co-worker for a moment that they and you can observe Small Cat together, with you staying at a distance and possibly out of direct sight of her. After SC being fed and petted she'll want to return to her litter but likely be wary if your co-worker would be following her instead of staying put/moving off the way they came. You could then try to see where SC is going, and possibly hear the kitten(s) mewing when SC approaches.
posted by Stoneshop at 6:06 AM on July 22, 2022
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posted by Crystalinne at 8:36 PM on July 14, 2022 [2 favorites]