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09/24/2006 12:11:51 PM · #1 |
This is a little kitty who showed up on our doorstop a week or so ago. My boyfriend saw her picking in the garbage for food. She was skin and bones so we brought her inside our apartment's main hallway and fed her some tuna and gave her some water. We let her back outside and didn't see much of her for a couple of days.
We talked to our landlord's daughter, and she knew the cat as belonging to the lady who lived in the basement apartment. Well, the lady has been gone for over a month, and just left the poor little thing to fend for her self, which she is apparently not doing very well.
The weather is starting to change to winter temperatures, so we've been very worried about her, but haven't been able to decide what to do. We are living on our own going to college and just do not have the money to get her shots, or flea stuff to make it okay for her to live in our house.
Today, I heard a knock on the door and when I answered it, the kitty flew past me into our apartment. Another tenant had let her into the building because she was crying so loud outside, and he knocked on our door for her.
We've given her the catfood we bought in case she came back, water, and she is now peacefully curled up on my bed sleeping.
So, I need some help coming up with ideas for how we can help her out. Are there any places that offer cheap, or free shots to animals in need in Canada? Should we consider doing some kind of fundraiser perhaps? How much do shots typically cost, and what exactly will she need in order to live inside with us safely?
We don't think we'll have her claws clipped or removed so she can go back outside during the day. I've never had an outside cat and didn't really want one, but there will not be anyone home during the day to make sure she doesn't get into any trouble.
Any suggestions for what we'll need to do?
Message edited by author 2006-09-24 12:16:42.
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09/24/2006 12:14:37 PM · #2 |
Take her to the local humane society and they will check her out, give her her shots, and put her up for adoption. Considering your circumstances, that's really your best bet. The adoption rate for kittens is very high; for adult cats, not so good...
R.
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09/24/2006 12:16:05 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Take her to the local humane society and they will check her out, give her her shots, and put her up for adoption. Considering your circumstances, that's really your best bet. The adoption rate for kittens is very high; for adult cats, not so good...
R. |
We'd really like to try to keep her here so we know she won't get placed in another bad home. She's also fully grown so she probably wouldn't get adopted. We just really want her to be happy and safe. :(
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09/24/2006 12:17:31 PM · #4 |
| You could phone the local humane society and see if they know of any aid services for pets. Also, local veterenarians may have some ideas for you. |
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09/24/2006 12:19:21 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by cpanaioti:
You could phone the local humane society and see if they know of any aid services for pets. Also, local veterenarians may have some ideas for you. |
Thanks for the advice, we think we might try to see if someone will do us a favor, or if we could volunteer or something in exchange for her shots.
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09/24/2006 12:35:41 PM · #6 |
I don't know how it works in Canada, but here in Florida there are vets that work with the SPCA and Humane Society to provide shots at a very low price. If you call your animal care center, they might have some information about similar programs.
I'm glad you are not planning to have her claws removed. With good clipping and a scratching pole most cats can be trained not to destroy furniture. They must have something to scratch though, in order to maintain muscle tone and keep their claws healthy.
Flea stuff is not that expensive; and you might not have to use it all of the time. I use Revolution (purchased from Canada) and haven't applied it in many months. I have two outdoor cats and a semi-adopted neighborhood stray and none of them have fleas.
High quality, ash free cat food is essential to keep litter box deposits and odor to a minimum. I have yet to live with a cat who didn't earn it's cat food through entertainment and affection value.
Congratulations on your new family member:) |
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09/24/2006 12:47:28 PM · #7 |
| BTW, Where I live we are only required by law to get rabies shots for cats. If you play with her at night she may not cause trouble during the day. Most adult cats spend a lot of time sleeping. I've never had an adult cat destroy anything inside (other than eating my fish!). So if you end up keeping her inside, you might be OK without getting her shots for other feline diseases until you have more $$$. |
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09/24/2006 01:14:54 PM · #8 |
Get her a scratching post, and keep her inside during the day. And accept that you may get your furniture clawed from time to time. :-) All my cats have been indoor cats for the past 20 years and they're quite content that way. Oh, and now you'll have to provide regular updates with pictures!
You could always trade pictures for shots/services - the shelter could use the pictures to advertise animals for adoption. |
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09/24/2006 01:33:16 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by Melethia:
Get her a scratching post, and keep her inside during the day. And accept that you may get your furniture clawed from time to time. :-) All my cats have been indoor cats for the past 20 years and they're quite content that way. Oh, and now you'll have to provide regular updates with pictures!
You could always trade pictures for shots/services - the shelter could use the pictures to advertise animals for adoption. |
Good suggestion! Cats are so photogenic.
These are my two little trouble-makers.
They're indoor cats, and we never have to treat them for fleas. The once a year vet visit costs about $125 for both of them.
We spend maybe $500 on food every year, and another $200 on litter.
All-in-all, we get a great return on our investment. |
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09/24/2006 01:37:44 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Fromac:
Good suggestion! Cats are so photogenic. |
Unfortunately, this is a black cat, and black animals are an absolutely nightmare to photograph. I know, Karma's black; why you think you see so few pictures of her? 'Cuz they all turn out lousy, that's why :-(
R.
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09/24/2006 01:41:29 PM · #11 |
I second the scratching post thing! Don't want to lose your carpet or furniture. :)
Also, if for some reason you end up not being able to keep her (which I sure hope you can because cats are wonderful to have around) I would highly suggest seeking out a no-kill cat shelter before you go the Humane society route. Sometimes it's hard because they are usually full but it can't hurt to try.
Cat's are easy, especially if they are kept indoors. As with any pets though, there are always unexpected expenses that will pop up from time to time. Be prepared for that too. :)
I hope you're able to keep her and give her a comfortable home. I can't believe she was left behind. Actually I can, it happens all the time unfortunately, although I'll never understand how someone can just up and leave a pet to fend for themself.
So, what's her name? :-)
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09/24/2006 01:44:29 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Originally posted by Fromac:
Good suggestion! Cats are so photogenic. |
Unfortunately, this is a black cat, and black animals are an absolutely nightmare to photograph. I know, Karma's black; why you think you see so few pictures of her? 'Cuz they all turn out lousy, that's why :-(
R. |
It's hard, but sometimes you can get lucky. I have two black cats (3 cats altogether), but can only manage to get decent photos of one of the black ones, again only if I'm lucky and in the right spot at the right time. :-)
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09/24/2006 01:59:15 PM · #13 |
Do you have a local cat rescue society? Some of them have inexpensive programs designed to help keep cats in homes and out of shelters.
We were also adopted by a cat at a time that we could NOT afford her, also lived in somewhere that didn't allow cats. We spent two years hiding the litterbox every time the landlord was around :)
Her only trip to the vet was the day we had her put to sleep last fall, at the age of at least 17. Our only medical expenses for her over the span of 16 years were her Advantage flea drops and one box of off-the-shelf worm pills. We were sooo lucky with her, both in her health and in what she brought to our family.
I hope you can work it out to keep your new baby :) |
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09/24/2006 02:00:31 PM · #14 |
Llami was left behind, and I didn't think I could afford her when she came to me. Somehow, I found a way; and she's been worth every dime.
The photography idea is a good one. Perhaps you could offer your services to the humane society. Photograph their animals in exchange for a vaccination voucher. |
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09/24/2006 02:06:26 PM · #15 |
I really like the idea of helping them photograph animals to get them adopted, even if that wouldn't help out our kitty. I only have a 3 mp camera though, so the quality and size might be an issue.
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09/24/2006 02:43:11 PM · #16 |
We found smudgie on our doorstep when she was a kitten, she was a feral (I think) So she's a real outdoor cat.
Cats are generally very good at looking after themselves. All you need to do is supply the food and keep an eye on their health.
We leave a bowl or two of food around the house, and smudgie comes and goes as she pleases. The house is empty during the day, but she spends most of the time sleeping in the garden. And at night during the Summer she's often out prowling around.
She comes in to eat, get some rubs, and perhaps curl up on the bed for an hour or two. And then she's off out again.
Of course, if you live near a busy road you might have to change your routine. |
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09/24/2006 03:32:09 PM · #17 |
Just thought I'd post a little update.
We've pretty much decided to keep her. We've got to double check with the landlord to make sure it's okay, but I really think it will be.
We've boughten a litterbox and a flea collar and will worry about shots, etc in a little while. For right now, we're just going to let her relax.
Does anyone know how you can get a cat that's been outdoors for a while use a litterbox? I'm not sure if she used one or not in her old home.
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09/24/2006 03:46:25 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by moniepenny:
Just thought I'd post a little update.
We've pretty much decided to keep her. We've got to double check with the landlord to make sure it's okay, but I really think it will be.
We've boughten a litterbox and a flea collar and will worry about shots, etc in a little while. For right now, we're just going to let her relax.
Does anyone know how you can get a cat that's been outdoors for a while use a litterbox? I'm not sure if she used one or not in her old home. |
I know with a kitten, you put her in the litter box and sorta' take her paw gently in your hand and make digging motions with it in the litter. They don't generally like this and will probably run off the moment you let go of them, but they should remember where the box is then. Cats naturally want to bury their "business" and will likely gravitated to the box.
At least, that's how we did it with my cat when we got her, and I don't think she ever had a single "accident" after we showed her where the box was the first time.
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09/24/2006 03:56:58 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by moniepenny:
Just thought I'd post a little update.
We've pretty much decided to keep her. We've got to double check with the landlord to make sure it's okay, but I really think it will be.
We've boughten a litterbox and a flea collar and will worry about shots, etc in a little while. For right now, we're just going to let her relax.
Does anyone know how you can get a cat that's been outdoors for a while use a litterbox? I'm not sure if she used one or not in her old home. |
Cats are very clean , so don't worry he/she will know very soon that inside the house he/she has to use the litter .
Good luck with the cat ! |
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09/24/2006 04:04:05 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by Mambe:
Originally posted by moniepenny:
Just thought I'd post a little update.
We've pretty much decided to keep her. We've got to double check with the landlord to make sure it's okay, but I really think it will be.
We've boughten a litterbox and a flea collar and will worry about shots, etc in a little while. For right now, we're just going to let her relax.
Does anyone know how you can get a cat that's been outdoors for a while use a litterbox? I'm not sure if she used one or not in her old home. |
Cats are very clean , so don't worry he/she will know very soon that inside the house he/she has to use the litter .
Good luck with the cat ! |
Thanks. We just brought one in and she used it right away, so that's a good sign. :)
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09/24/2006 04:08:39 PM · #21 |
| I suspect if she's been kept inside previously she's already quite familiar with a litter box and what it's for. Cats rarely have "accidents" - usually only if they're very distressed or sick. Good luck - she sounds adorable! |
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09/24/2006 04:26:58 PM · #22 |
It's nice what you're doing !
We have 5 cats and a big dog , he was abandonned , we all live happily together.
Senuferet has had 5 kittens , we have kept 2 with us and found good homes for the other 3.
Cats and dogs are very nice , they give love with no interest. |
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09/24/2006 04:34:59 PM · #23 |
She's a beautiful little cat.
It's always worth ringing up your local spca or humane society to see if they can help with the vaccinations and desexing........ some of them have the funding to help out, some just don't have the money.
The other thing that you could do is to set up an automatic payment into a 'kitty account' of maybe $5 a week.....whatever you can manage without hardship. Keep this fund going (amazing how quickly it grows).....it's there when you need it for her vet treatments, flea treatments etc.
Give her a cuddle for me :)) |
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09/24/2006 04:45:41 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by moniepenny:
Thanks. We just brought one in and she used it right away, so that's a good sign. :) |
Cats acutally like litter boxes. And they like them clean. (Now if that isn't a contradiction in terms...)
Just don't let it get overloaded and smelly, and you should have no problems.
As for nails. You can trim them with fingernail clippers. Just don't go too short, and until you know that cat is accepting of the "treatment", it's good idea to wrap her in a towel first. Cats have an amazing amount of sharp hardware at their disposal, should they decide they don't like something. Trimming nails reduces nail sharpening. Also scratching posts do not have to be expensive. We used to buy cardboard scratchers, till we realized that we could make them easily. Cut cardboard into even width strips. (About 2 inches, sorry I'm metric challenged, wide.) Glue them together so that the make a rectangle slightly large that your cat, with the edges of the cardboard as the scracthing surface. (You wind up with a 2 inch thick trivet with exposed cardboard corrigation edges for the surface.)
If you want to get fancy, sprinkle a little catnip on it. (Some cats love it to death, others could care less.) Lay it down in a handy place and the cat will do the rest. When the surface wears out, turn it over.
I'd recommend against cloth scratching posts. Anything that feels like furniture, could encourage your cat to use the furniture. If your cat uses the furniture to sharpen her claws, just take her over to her scratch pad and lightly press her paw against it. She'll get the idea what the rules are.
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09/24/2006 04:50:02 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by ambaker:
If your cat uses the furniture to sharpen her claws, just take her over to her scratch pad and lightly press her paw against it. She'll get the idea what the rules are. |
Can you come explain that to Sir Thomas? Not only is he incorigible, he's got Emma using the furniture instead of the post, too. Sigh.... Good thing I love 'em both anyway. :-) |
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