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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / November 2006Help! Furry Baby Exposed to Ghetto Cat
I'm really worried about my cat now. My neighbor came over last night with a really friendly outdoor cat that has been seen in the neighborhood over the last few weeks. Random neighborhood people have been trying to find the owner but no one has claimed it.It's neutered and has a collar. It sat on our porch all day (apt. bldg) so my neighbor being allergic asked if I would keep in at my place while she called her friend who works at a local shelter. We live in Washington, DC and outside is not safe for cats. There are feral colonies, FIV, FeLV, stray dogs, lots of cars and other risks. So I set up shop in my bathroom where it could be separate from my cat and easily disinfected after kitty left. As we prepared to sneak kitty past my cat all hell broke loose, both kitties got free and they fought for about 3 seconds before I pulled my cat off kitty. Unfortunately, 3 seconds was all that was needed for my cat's ear to get nipped, other kitty to get a small cut and to pee on my cat from fright and of course lots of hissing and spitting. With all that possible fluid exchange I am now terrified that I could have exposed my cat to a communicable disease. I feel horrible for risking my cat and I'm not sure what to do. The shelter arrived an hour later and took the kitty. They said that they will test him and that his thin build could be a sign of FIV or FeLV. I am to call in 4 days for test results. I tried to wash my cat with soapy water as best I could to remove any urine or spit from the other cat but who knows if that did anything. I also called my emergency vet who said if the other kitty tests positive to bring my cat in for tests in a week. With all that said is there anything I might have missed? Any miracle vaccine? I understand there is a risk now that my cat could be infected but what is that risk rate? What percentage of city cats are infected? What is the rate of transmission? I feel like the world's biggest idiot so I appreciate any information you can provide. Thanks so much. The stray sounds like it's a previously owned cat that might have gotten lost. His thin build is more likely to be as a result of a previously indoor cat being clueless when it comes to surviving outdoors than him having contracting FIV or FeLV in less time outside than it takes to lose the collar. The best thing you can do for your cat is to stay calm and don't stress him/her for the 4 days the shelter is taking to get back a test result. Don't know why it's going to take 4 days to get a test result that takes less than 20 minutes. W > I'm really worried about my cat now. My neighbor came over last night > with a really friendly outdoor cat that has been seen in the [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > I feel like the world's biggest idiot so I appreciate any information > you can provide. Thanks so much. > The stray sounds like it's a previously owned cat that might have gotten > lost. His thin build is more likely to be as a result of a previously indoor > cat being clueless when it comes to surviving outdoors than him having > contracting FIV or FeLV in less time outside than it takes to lose the > collar. I was considering that myself. He didn't show any interest in food while he was with me and even though he appeared to be relaxed (purring and playing with poofy balls) who knows, he still could have been too stressed to eat or just uninterested in food. >The best thing you can do for your cat is to stay calm and don't > stress him/her for the 4 days the shelter is taking to get back a test > result. Noted. Stop sobbing on the cat... will do. >Don't know why it's going to take 4 days to get a test result that > takes less than 20 minutes. Dunno. It sounded like she was just throwing out a number. He very well could have been tested today. Maybe I will call anyway. I hope this kitty finds a good home. I asked the officer to call me back if kitty isn't adopted and faces euthanization. She said there were no guarantees because it was up to the director to make the decision. This, of course, made me question if I had done the right thing after all. How is it one minute I can be this advocate for animals and the next minute I can be this horrible cat-killer. (Exposing my cat to deadly viruses and sending an innocent off with Team Euthanasia.) I feel like sobbing again... where's my kitty? >> The stray sounds like it's a previously owned cat that might have gotten >> lost. His thin build is more likely to be as a result of a previously [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > I feel like sobbing again... where's my kitty? Yea, I'd bug them for the test result. You don't want them doing something stupid like euthanizing the cat and never running the test. Yeah. I called this morning and they hadn't run the tests on the stray. They are sending people over tonight to look at my cat. This came out left field because I called to check on the lost cat and when they heard it had nipped my kitty on the ear they had me fill out a bite report and now they need to send people over to check out my kitty. They said it had to be done tonight. This is becoming very stressful. To top it off I hung flyers all around the neighborhood last night to try and identify the cat's family. I hung one flyer in the lobby of my apartment building and when I came out this morning one of my neighbors had written a note blaming me for the likely euthanization of this cat and essentially called me a cat killer. You guys know how I was feeling yesterday so you can imagine how reading that felt. It was basically the cruelest and most hurtful thing anyone could say at a time when I was questioning everything I had done. The fact is this cat was underweight and could have communicable diseases. I just wanted to help it. This thing just keeps escalating. > Yea, I'd bug them for the test result. You don't want them doing something > stupid like euthanizing the cat and never running the test. The idiot won't have a dead cat if he gets his butt over to the shelter and picks it up. That would save all of you a lot of hassle if he can show the cat is up to date on it's shots. The shelter is probably worried about rabies more than FIV (which can also be transmitted through bites). He should have been calling shelters in the area as soon as the cat went missing - jerk! Anything that happens to that cat is the owners fault not yours. W > Yeah. I called this morning and they hadn't run the tests on the stray. > They are sending people over tonight to look at my cat. This came out [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >> something >> stupid like euthanizing the cat and never running the test. I hadn't even thought of rabies. I'm surprised my vet didn't mention it. > The idiot won't have a dead cat if he gets his butt over to the shelter and > picks it up. That would save all of you a lot of hassle if he can show the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > W > You guys know how I was feeling > yesterday so you can imagine how reading that felt. It was basically > the cruelest and most hurtful thing anyone could say at a time when I > was questioning everything I had done. Don't let idiots bother you.  SignatureWeb site: http://www.slywy.com/ Message board: http://www.slywy.com/phpBB2/ Journal: http://slywy.blogspot.com/ Hodge on Catster: http://catster.com/pet_page.php?i=134490 > Don't let idiots bother you. Reminds me of a zen sarcasm I use as an email .sig: "If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you." Usenet requires a thick skin. In return for shuffling through all the dross, every so often you get a pearl. Your world might expand, or enlightenment might settle around your shoulders like a comfy bathrobe. But if a vicious word of some anonymous, pimple-faced pit viper draws your blood, Usenet might not be for you. SignatureWefare for the rich combat for the poor Angry Useneters don't bother me in the least because they frequently hide behind anonymity... These words came from my neighbor. An actual physical person living in my building. Actually, the on-line peeps have been full of kind words and support. thanks all. ;) > But if a vicious word of some anonymous, pimple-faced pit viper draws > your blood, Usenet might not be for you. > Angry Useneters don't bother me in the least because they frequently > hide behind anonymity... These words came from my neighbor. An actual > physical person living in my building. Actually, the on-line peeps have > been full of kind words and support. thanks all. ;) Your neighbor is an idiot. I think you did what any cat loving person would have done. Try not to beat yourself up too much over it. I think your kitty will end up being fine, but I know how frightening it is waiting for test results. Hang in there. >> Angry Useneters don't bother me in the least because they frequently >> hide behind anonymity... These words came from my neighbor. An actual [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > think your kitty will end up being fine, but I know how frightening it > is waiting for test results. Hang in there. I agree. You know, sometimes it is just satisfying to call an idiot an idiot. I have a friend who seems to think "manners" are more important than the truth, but I will never think so, particularly not when it comes to matters like the safety of creatures we love. I think that is horse sh.t. (It is also satisfying to call horse sh.t horse sh.t, come to think of it.) Life is wayy too short to spend too much time worrying over what irresponsible, petty a.sholes, and could not be long enough to stroke the egos of such fools even for a second. :D *shaking like a cat right out of the bath and feeling goooood!* >I'm really worried about my cat now. My neighbor came over last night >with a really friendly outdoor cat that has been seen in the [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] >I feel like the world's biggest idiot so I appreciate any information >you can provide. Thanks so much. When it comes to keeping cats in the bathroom, I have it on good authority that you are not the world's biggest idiot. I think you should pat yourself on the back for doing the right thing, even if it went awry. I'll bet some worried cat owner will get their animal back in one piece because of you, and I'll bet your cat will be fine. Charlie > When it comes to keeping cats in the bathroom, I have it on good > authority that you are not the world's biggest idiot. hahaha! I remember that! SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com Hey guys and girls. All is good and well again in the world. A wonderful woman from the shelter just called and straightened out the whole ordeal. Turns out everything that could have gone right... did. Every cat that comes in and can be rehomed (isn't feral) is tested for FIV/FeLV. For some reason this one was delayed and really shouldn't have been because of the fact that my cat was involved. I guess it was an accident. The great news is, the family learned of the missing cat and came to claim him/her. Both cats are up on the rabies vaccinations and the stray was tested for FIV/FeLV just a month ago and was negative. Both my cat and theirs has to be kept in quarantine for 10 days in their perspective homes by law because a bite may have been exchanged. The family isn't even angry. They told the shelter lady they were happy that their neighbors cared so much for their pets. Take that "anonymous neighbor"! Wow. I feel 20 lbs lighter. Thanks for everything! > Hey guys and girls. All is good and well again in the world. A > wonderful woman from the shelter just called and straightened out the [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Wow. I feel 20 lbs lighter. Thanks for everything! Wonderful, wonderful. I wish every cat owner and neighbor was like you. There was actually someone posting here once who saw a DECLAWED obviously pampered stray outside in a part of the country where there are coyotes etc. and she would not even take the cat in because "my husband didn't want me to." You not only care about your cat but cats in general and that's terrific. I could gush on but I think you get the point, so instead I want to thank you for the "Ghetto Cat" image I have enjoyed every time I looked at this thread-- You know, the cap on sideways, the gold fangs, the bling bling, the droopy drawers, the shades ... > Hey guys and girls. All is good and well again in the world. A > wonderful woman from the shelter just called and straightened out the [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Wow. I feel 20 lbs lighter. Thanks for everything! Glad to hear it all turned out well. :o) W on Thu, 02 Nov 2006 23:12:23 GMT, "IDzine01" <christie@nippyfish.net> wrote: > Hey guys and girls. All is good and well again in the world. A > wonderful woman from the shelter just called and straightened out the [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Wow. I feel 20 lbs lighter. Thanks for everything! I LOVE happy endings!! SignatureLynne
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