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Cat Forum / General Topics / February 2005stray
hello, my name is rosie, and i have a few questions................ my husband and i just adopted a six yr. old male cat from the local humane society. he was neutered on feb. 7th and we took him home on the 12th. he had a strange smell, and after two days, i was aware that one of his incisions was infected. off to the vet! sure enough he was................he is now on antibiotics which he is taking quite well! he is adorable, uses his litter box, eats and drinks just fine. question? the society told us that he was a stray, and this is verified by the vet. what do i do if the cat wants to go outside? we don't want him out.................. sounds like a dumb question i suppose..................... > hello, my name is rosie, and i have a few questions................ > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > sounds like a dumb question i suppose..................... I figure if they want to go they will. Keeping them indoors is one thing, but then there is always the unintended escape opportunity made available to them. He could have had a nasty owner or just one heck of an adventurous streak in him. I got two cats form the Humane Society and they made it clear that they were not going to be stuck inside, especially in the middle of a forest. They seem to like it here and I know they like me, they have to follow me around and are always nearby. I guess what I'm saying is that if home base is great, then there is less incentive to take a hike. I am resigned to the facts that 1- I don't own them. 2- the beast have their own nature and character traits. 3- They are free to stay here as long as they like. and 4- Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you. I used to worry about the Great Northern Horned Owl and eagles getting them, not to mention the coyotes. However, the GNHO and the eagles know they're here and coyotes can't climb trees or enter brush. The owls and eagles are not interested in getting their faces ripped off, there are too many easier critters and fish to prey on. It is said that indoor cats live longer, well! OK, but if you could see the strength of my cats natural instincts you would know that they would be miserable stuck inside. I'd rather they live a shorter happy life of feline fulfillment than a longer life of despair. But that is because of the nature of my two cats. I take care of them and they take care of me in ways I hadn't thought of before getting them. We are a pride of 3 members in good standing. However, if your cat accepts and seems happy with the indoor life then so be it, especially in an urban setting. Out here we only get an occasional car or two. It's your call. Also give some consideration to the cats position on this. Stone thank you stone....................my cat has all four claws, and i believe will have a "fair chance" at escaping danger....................we also live in a wooded area and have lots of other critters. do your cats then come into your home, after being out? do i have to worry about fleas and stuff?  Signaturerosie : > hello, my name is rosie, and i have a few questions................ : > [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] : : Stone > thank you stone....................my cat has all four claws, and i > believe will have a "fair chance" at escaping [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > do your cats then come into your home, after being out? > do i have to worry about fleas and stuff? Yes, they come in and out all day, at night I let them out about an hour before I go to bed and they know that if they don't make it back before I hit the sheets they get locked out till morning or Pee time, whichever comes first. Only twice did they fail to come in on time. But they must have been onto something juicy, cause there was a bounty of mice, chipmunks and a bird on the patio. Fleas can be a problem, you have to stay on top of that, I've been using Advantage a bit expensive, wish there was an equally effective but cheaper alternative. Cats can pretty much take care of themselves against most predators. Coyotes around here would have to get lucky, there are too many trees and brush for the cats to take cover. The bear is just too damn big and lumbering to be much of a threat. They seem to know instinctively to stay away from the skunks and porcupines. As for threats form the air, the large predatory birds would rather pick off something like a rabbit or dove or other docile animal than risk injury from something like a cat. Of course, if they are really hungry they might give it a shot. Not likely around here. Stone But they must have been : onto something juicy, cause there was a bounty of mice, chipmunks and a bird : on the patio. oh yuck! > But they must have been > : onto something juicy, cause there was a bounty of mice, chipmunks > and a bird > : on the patio. > > oh yuck! Expect little "gifts" like these if you allow your cat to go outside. It is their way of "providing for the pride" and proving that they are worthy of being allowed to stay. >> But they must have been >> : onto something juicy, cause there was a bounty of mice, chipmunks [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > is their way of "providing for the pride" and proving that they are worthy > of being allowed to stay. I particularly enjoy the live rats. Never really big ones, just the ones that are now adventurous enough to leave the nest and see what's out there in the big bad world. In the big bad world around here, they find out there are two very good hunting cats. Needless to say, I have long since stopped being afraid of rats. >>> But they must have been >>>: onto something juicy, cause there was a bounty of mice, chipmunks [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Needless to say, I have long since stopped being afraid of rats. I have to admit that rats and spiders are two critters that I will never get used to. LOL > I have to admit that rats and spiders are two critters that I will never > get used to. LOL You'd be surprised how necessity might just have something to say about that :-) I can remember the day I stopped panicking around spiders. I was in my teens and at home with my mother and my sister (4 years younger). There was a friggin huge spider (for the US, read medium-sized) in the living room and Mum and sis were freaking out. Quietly, I was too. But I *really* wanted that spider gone. And I read the emotions in the room well enough to know that the only was it was going to get gone was for me to make it go. It was my first experience of my reason suppressing my primal emotion in order to achieve something I wanted. From that time one, I have become gradually less scared of spiders and can cope with most of what NZ can throw at me now. Having said that, when one moves quickly, or I am surprised by one, my first reaction is to run! Rats, I started being less afraid of when I was introduced to some pet ones, which were actually very pretty. Once you start seeing something as pretty, it's very difficult to go on being scared of it. Adult feral rats I have a *very* healthy respect for - they can injure me significantly and I am totally aware of it. But I'm not actually *scared* of them anymore. The younger ones, especially the just-out-of-the-nest ones, I confess to finding rather cute! >Fleas can be a problem, you have to stay on top of that, I've >been using Advantage a bit expensive, wish there was an equally effective >but cheaper alternative. I also have a tick problem as well as fleas ... and a dozen cats. You can use the dog packages of Advantage and Frontline - the large size dog package (US$37.30 for 12 ml at my vet - prices vary considerably) does all twelve cats twice for a fraction of the cost of the cat dosages. To do it right, you need a supply of 3 ml syringes (the chemicals will destroy the rubber plunger, so they don't last but a couple of months), and a glass bottle with a tight lid not much larger than 3 ml to store the leftovers. I buy mine from American Science and Surplus (<http://www.sciplus.com/>) - there is a minimum order, but they have so much strange and/or neat stuff (including a lot of bottles), depending on your point of view, that the opposite is more often the problem for me. You can also get syringes at places that cater to ranchers, farmers, and the like, or even some pharmacies. *No* needles though - the syringe is for measuring and squirting, not for injuring. SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) I've got plenty of 3 ml syringes use them to mix my meds for MS which must be injected. the needles could be removed. I'll have to forward this info to myself and do some reference work. Thanks T.E.D. Which reminds me, it's 10 pm, I have to go stick it. Stone >>Fleas can be a problem, you have to stay on top of that, I've >>been using Advantage a bit expensive, wish there was an equally effective [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > needles though - the syringe is for measuring and squirting, not for > injuring. >I've got plenty of 3 ml syringes use them to mix my meds for MS which must >be injected. the needles could be removed. I'll have to forward this info to >myself and do some reference work. Thanks T.E.D. Which reminds me, it's 10 >pm, I have to go stick it. I don't have - or want - needles so I have never had an opportunity to test this, but it might be practical to omit the storage bottle by loading the syringe by poking a needle through the unopened plastic dispenser at the tip and drawing the liquid up. For me, finding a suitable bottle was the hard part - I had to buy a dozen to get one, though I have since found uses for four more and I gave a couple away. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. >>I've got plenty of 3 ml syringes use them to mix my meds for MS which must >>be injected. the needles could be removed. I'll have to forward this info to [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > suitable bottle was the hard part - I had to buy a dozen to get one, > though I have since found uses for four more and I gave a couple away. You may want to look at alternate suppliers for your kit then. Most chemist lab suppliers will do gastight glass in glass syringes that have no rubber seals to perish and they come with a variety of ends. One of them is a blunt sort of needle - made of a plastic it can be poked into a sample or eased through a seal but is designed not to go through skin even if jabbed hard. It's design is so you cannot trip and jab yourslf with something toxic. > T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) > SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." > somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. >>>I've got plenty of 3 ml syringes use them to mix my meds for MS which must >>>be injected. the needles could be removed. I'll have to forward this info to [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >hard. It's design is so you cannot trip and jab yourslf with something >toxic. I use to have one - it got stepped on and crushed (except the plunger - it just snapped). It wasn't cheap either. The prices, minimum quantities, and minimum mail order values of lab suppliers frighten me. The nearest walk-in place is at least two hours travel from here (I live pretty close to the middle of nowhere, in that and several other contexts). SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) > I use to have one - it got stepped on and crushed (except the plunger > - it just snapped). It wasn't cheap either. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > hours travel from here (I live pretty close to the middle of nowhere, > in that and several other contexts). And for no good reason too (the price of them - not that the prices frightens you) I was always glad I never had to foot the bill for the glassware I used to blow up in the lab. Where figuratively speaking is the middle of nowhere? It's hard in the UK to find anywhere really in the middle of nowhere unless you pick a mountain top. > SNIP > Where figuratively speaking is the middle of nowhere? It's hard in the UK > to find anywhere really in the middle of nowhere unless you pick a > mountain > top. In my case, I live in a national U.S. forest and it if I want Vegetables the nearest place is 35 miles from here. The nearest Wal-Mart, should I need a pair of socks is 65 miles from here, should I need building supplies, they are 85 miles from here. This of course is either north or south of here. West everything would be 250 miles, just a bit east of here would put you in an inland sea. The nearest expressway (freeway) is 100 miles from here. Of course, the computer is only 8 steps away. I think that would figuratively qualify as the middle of nowhere. However, a deeper thinker would realize that there is no such thing as nowhere, just as there is no such thing as weightlessness, nothing, or never etc, etc, etc. Stone >> SNIP >> Where figuratively speaking is the middle of nowhere? It's hard in the UK [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >that there is no such thing as nowhere, just as there is no such thing as >weightlessness, nothing, or never etc, etc, etc. Well, I'm not that remote, but the nearest real cities are St. Louis and Kansas City - I'm about half way between ... and about half way between the two sections of the Mark Twain National Forest. Not far from Latitude: 37° 57 Min. N; Longitude: 91° 38 Min. W. SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) >>> SNIP >>> Where figuratively speaking is the middle of nowhere? It's hard in the [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > between the two sections of the Mark Twain National Forest. Not far > from Latitude: 37? 57 Min. N; Longitude: 91? 38 Min. W. I lived in Ozark National Forest for a short time. Was supposed to start work at Wal-Mart headquarters in Bentonville ARK, but got hit with the MS and never did start. Moved back here. I love the boonies. Can't remember the name of the town off the top of my head, Springfield maybe, loved to go to Bass Pro Shop there. Huge. That was back in 87 though. Stone | > SNIP | > Where figuratively speaking is the middle of nowhere? It's hard in the UK [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] | | Stone This certainly sounds like somewhere in nowhere. So you've taken up knitting socks, growing vegetables and building your own stuff then? What can one live from out there? Have you to travel to work? Or are you the forester? Carola I've got plenty of 3 ml syringes use them to mix my meds for MS which must be injected. the needles could be removed. I'll have to forward this info to myself and do some reference work. Thanks T.E.D. Which reminds me, it's 10 pm, I have to go stick it. Stone >>Fleas can be a problem, you have to stay on top of that, I've >>been using Advantage a bit expensive, wish there was an equally effective [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > needles though - the syringe is for measuring and squirting, not for > injuring. I adopted my cat Starla when she was a year old. She was pretty wild, and scared of everything. She is now about five years old and has never had the desire to explore the outdoors. At first I would go outside with her, because I do believe cats live happier lives if they're free to roam, but she would just run back to the door and meow. Now, if I leave the door open for a while, she doesn't show any interest. It saddens me to know that she doesn't get to experience the outdoors, but I cannot force her out. So, I agree with Gary that if they want to go outside, you should let them. >> hello, my name is rosie, and i have a few questions................ >> [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > > Stone | I'd rather they live a | shorter happy life of feline fulfillment than a longer life of despair. But [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] | | Stone I agree with you, but if the environment is not safe - especially as far as traffic is concerned - then the cats better stay inside. I feel though that indoor cats are better off if they have a companion, unless they are the lonely type who are happy with just their humans and hate other cats. Carola > hello, my name is rosie, and i have a few questions................ > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > sounds like a dumb question i suppose..................... Hi Rosie! I have a former stray cat that has been kept happily indoors for the past nine years. I just evaluate the houses that we have rented for possible escape routes and acted accordingly. If you don't want him out, keep him in. However, as each cat has very distinctive temperments, I think it may be easier said than done. HTH! thanks! : > hello, my name is rosie, and i have a few questions................ : > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] : : HTH! | hello, my name is rosie, and i have a few questions................ | [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] | | sounds like a dumb question i suppose..................... Not at all, *now* is the time to keep him inside, he'll get used to the new way of life (so did all my cats when I kept them in for the first three weeks). The DON'T is to let him out and *then* try to keep him inside. That won't work. But if he knows nothing else in his new home then he should be fine. Good that you brought him back to the vets and make sure they assume full responsibility. Carola >hello, my name is rosie, and i have a few questions................ > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >what do i do if the cat wants to go outside? >we don't want him out.................. "Stray" simply means that the cat was foudn wandering around with no aparent home and no identification, but that it doesn't appear to be feral (wild). A lot of strays were indoor cats until their humans threw them out for some reason, or otherwise abandoned them. Whether a cat insists on going out or insists on staying in seems to depend on the cat more than anything else. I have at least one that was raised indoors but spends most of her time outside, and another that was born in a barn but spends most of her time indoors, in both cases, by choice. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. yes, i understand that folks declare a cat to be a stray because they don't want to pay the surrender fee, when giving up their cat. the vet says that DUDLEY really was a stray, pieces of his ear are missing, and a few hairless spots on his back.............. Signaturerosie Jesus loves you because he is a bleeding heart liberal! : >hello, my name is rosie, and i have a few questions................ : > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] : SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." : somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. Snip In signature: > Jesus loves you because he is a bleeding heart liberal! That's right and if Jesus was alive today those bible thumping right wing republican religious fanatics would label him a card carrying bleeding heart liberal and crucify him. Sorry, had to jump on the opportunity. Stone On Fri 18 Feb 2005 08:25:26a, Teri Moncelle-Colglazier wrote in alt.cats: > Would that be before or after they set Charles Manson free from prison in > exchange? Simultaneously. >yes, i understand that folks declare a cat to be a stray because >they don't want to pay the surrender fee, when giving up their cat. > >the vet says that DUDLEY really was a stray, pieces of his ear are >missing, and a few hairless spots on his back.............. My Spooky got that way years after he came to supper ... and stayed. It just means he's been in fights. Mickey often has chunks of hair missing, and fresh wounds, but he's no stray either: his home is across the road, but he lives here (and fights with my (large) alpha male who seems to come out in better shape every time). SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) > hello, my name is rosie, and i have a few questions................ > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > sounds like a dumb question i suppose..................... At six he's probably rather set in his ways. If he wants out then you will probably have problems stopping him. He may well be an indoor only cat though in which case there will be no problem. Our cats who have been strays, have adopted very nicely to inside life. One thing we did was make a cat "balcony" out one of the windows. The base of it is plywood, surrounded by a cage-like enclosure of hardware cloth, inserted into the window and braced at the bottom against the house. They LOVE that! That was our compromise so that they could be safe, yet still feel the wind through their hair. Rhonda > hello, my name is rosie, and i have a few questions................ > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > sounds like a dumb question i suppose..................... |
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