Found a Stray...What next?

Hi Everyone,

I came across this site the night my boyfriend and I found a stray kitty, just a couple days ago to be precise. She's a lean, beautiful Calico kitty with white paws. On this site, it's wonderful to see how devoted people are to their kitties, as so many ppl seem to abandon their animal babies without a second thought.

Just a bit on her background--she was hanging out in our parking lot apt area for a couple of wks. Someone else was feeding her food, and I decided to at least give her some shelter indoors as she seemed to be homeless & it gets chilly at night. We speculate that she was dumped by a previous owner, which is really hard to imagine, as she is unbelievably sweet, affectionate & very dog-like. hehe

In any event, my bf is extremely allergic to her. His eyes swelled up, and he sneezes all the time. I can't bear to see her outside for long, so she's been in our spacious living room/kitchen area having the time of her life! She looks so content and she's constantly kneading and rubbing up against us. We play with her too, and got her all the basic necessities. Also, we blasted our air filter, made sure she stayed in the living room, the whole schebang. My doggie, a little Pom/Maltese mix, comes to the apt every other week. Up to now, we were both more dog ppl than cat ppl, mostly bc of our allergies. Normally I am really allergic to cats, but not this one. Unfortunately, I cannot kiss her yet!

My questions consist of the following:
1) Are there any good tips on how to deal with human allergies? We're going to put up a FOUND sign, and try to find the owner, however unlikely it is. THen, if not, we'll try to find her a good home. However, looking at all the beautiful adopted kitties available at local rescue orgs. and shelters, I don't want to contribute to the overpopulation. And the chance of an adult cat being adopted is probably not that great. Originally, I was going to foster some kitties or pups, but with her around, this won't be possible. So I have to choose...

I love her to death already, but my bf is very hesitant. haha If we cd learn to control the allergic reactions, we have a better chance of keeping her for good. Neither of us thought to even get a cat, due to our history of allergies

2) Will she be able to coexist with my dog? He's a 4 yr old cutie and quite rambunctious. He loves to play, be petted and held, and otherwise is a spoiled (but sweet) brat. hehe
We'd like her to be able to get along w/our dog, as he is at the apt every other wk.

3) How can you tell when a cat has been abandoned? It's hard to believe in this case, why she was left behind. Any clues would be helpful, as I'm very curious to know why anyone would do this...There are no outdoor kitties in our apt complex, and everyone else here has dogs.

4) We got her a scratching post, but she won't use it despite us coaxing her and using her play mouse near it. Are there any suggestions on great scratching posts? She hasn't touched the leather couches, but my bf is afraid to come back one day and find his precious leather couches shredded to bits.

5) She is missing teeth. We took her to the vet on Friday, and I ended up missing several hours of work and had to stay late. Blagh. Anyhoos, the vet told us she has some dental problems, but otherwise is pretty healthy. She seems to have some missing teeth however, and her gums are very pink, yet swollen. I just hope she doesn't have gingivitis, as this is linked to signs of FeLV.

6) Will we be able to keep her if she has FeLV or FIV? We have a dog who is here every other wk, and I don't want any diseases to be communicated either way. My dog is very healthy & robust for the record.

Thanks for your time and consideration. Any pointers would be appreciated!

My questions consist of the following:
1) Are there any good tips on how to deal with human allergies? We're going to put up a FOUND sign, and try to find the owner, however unlikely it is. THen, if not, we'll try to find her a good home. However, looking at all the beautiful adopted kitties available at local rescue orgs. and shelters, I don't want to contribute to the overpopulation. And the chance of an adult cat being adopted is probably not that great. Originally, I was going to foster some kitties or pups, but with her around, this won't be possible. So I have to choose...

I love her to death already, but my bf is very hesitant. haha If we cd learn to control the allergic reactions, we have a better chance of keeping her for good. Neither of us thought to even get a cat, due to our history of allergies

2) Will she be able to coexist with my dog? He's a 4 yr old cutie and quite rambunctious. He loves to play, be petted and held, and otherwise is a spoiled (but sweet) brat. hehe
We'd like her to be able to get along w/our dog, as he is at the apt every other wk.

3) How can you tell when a cat has been abandoned? It's hard to believe in this case, why she was left behind. Any clues would be helpful, as I'm very curious to know why anyone would do this...There are no outdoor kitties in our apt complex, and everyone else here has dogs.

4) We got her a scratching post, but she won't use it despite us coaxing her and using her play mouse near it. Are there any suggestions on great scratching posts? She hasn't touched the leather couches, but my bf is afraid to come back one day and find his precious leather couches shredded to bits.

5) She is missing teeth. We took her to the vet on Friday, and I ended up missing several hours of work and had to stay late. Blagh. Anyhoos, the vet told us she has some dental problems, but otherwise is pretty healthy. She seems to have some missing teeth however, and her gums are very pink, yet swollen. I just hope she doesn't have gingivitis, as this is linked to signs of FeLV.

6) Will we be able to keep her if she has FeLV or FIV? We have a dog who is here every other wk, and I don't want any diseases to be communicated either way. My dog is very healthy & robust for the record.

Click to expand...

Welcome to TCS...

1. You need to speak to your physician about allergies. Some people are allergic to dander...some are allergic to fur. Most of my friends with allergies get shots on a regular basis...but again, best to talk to your doctor.

2. That is an individual cat question....some cats do fine with dogs...others will run and hide from them. It's probably best to try an "introduction", one of you should hold the dog by the collar...the other of you should bring the cat by in a carrier. You are looking for 2 things....her initial reaction to the dog...and the dog's reaction to the cat. Some dogs have prey drives and it is unwise to have a dog with a high prey drive around a cat. You also want to see if the cat hisses/swipes at the dog. This in of itself is not a bad reaction... but it does mean she will need some time to get acclimated to the dog. Many strays that have had bad experiences with dogs will initially be frightened. That is why you should have her in the carrier...it protects her.

3. There really aren't taletell signs of a cat that has been abandoned...but if she looks well cared for...then I would certainly pursue the "found" ads in your area.

4. What type of scratching post is it?? There are 2 types of scratching posts....ones that lay on the floor and are usually made of corregated cardboard and ones that are tall and are often made of sisel or carpet (I don't recommend the carpet ones). The BEST way to ensure she won't get to the leather coach is to regularly trim her nails...front and back. Regular trimming of her nails will keep them dull and decrease her chance of doing damage.

5/6. Did you have an FIV/FELV test done?? That is the best way to find out whether she has FIV/FELV. The good news is that the rate of FIV/FELV in the general cat population is around 2%. Having gingevitis doesn't mean she has FELV. She could have just had an owner who didn't take her to the vet. I would get the test done.

Katie

Also, when you take her to the vet, talk to him about getting her spayed, if she was previously owned, she may have already been spayed. I know our stray that we rescued came to us spayed and declawed, which means she really didn't stand a chance outside. As far as the missing teeth/dental problems, talk to you vet about what this means for her diet and if there's anything you can do to help the situation. I know there are products to can mix in their water that are supposed to help keep their teeth clean and healthy but I haven't used them myself.

I'm highly allergic to cats, and my insurance pays for Zyrtec-D. I'm willing to take it 2x a day to keep our babies, and I usually have NO problem. Accidental scratches result in huge swollen welts - but I have a prescription steroid cream "Ultravete" that I use for those rare occassions. Allergy shots work, too. Otherwise, there are steps you can take to minimize the problem:

1) Dust a lot
2) Vacuum a lot (after dusting)
3) Use one of those fabric "refresher" sprays you buy at the supermarket that keeps down allergans. We use Febreeze Allergan spray.
4) Wash any throw carpets regularly.
5) Include your furniture and window coverings in the things that you vacuum frequently.
6) Purchase Visine's allergy eye drops for whenever your eyes get itchy. It really works and quickly.
7) Wash your hands any time you play with, pet, or touch your kitty.
8) Keep your bedroom off-limits to her. It's a bummer knowing you won't have a snuggly kitty sleeping with you, but if you're allergic and aren't taking allergy meds, you'll be very, very glad you decided to shut the bedroom door.

We do all of the above despite the fact I take the Zyrtec-D. I rarely have to use the eye drops or the cream (in fact, I can't remember the last time I had to use either).

It'll take kitty a while to get used to nail clipping (we had to do it one nail at a time for a while!), but that really helps. To help discourage her from scratching on the leather couch, wrap the bottom of it in aluminum foil and leave it that way for a few weeks or a month. And get an old blanket that you throw across the back of it (kitties seem to love to sleep on the backs of couches!). Wash it every week, and when company comes, fold it up and set it somewhere before you open the door. (We actually have two really nice throw blankets that we drape over the couch from back to bottom, and we just sit on them like that. When company comes, I don't have to worry about cat hair that has collected all over the couch. I fold the throw blankets up, cat hair to the inside, and place the folded up blankets on a chair - like I've got something waiting for a chilly guest. Not that I'd ever hand one of those off to someone to warm up with, but it's soooo much easier to just wash them rather than vacuum the couches all the time).

In the meantime, like Katie suggested, get a few different kinds of scratchers. We have carpeted posts, sisal posts, cardboard things that lie on the floor, a couple of cat trees (that are carpeted and have sisal parts), and scratch mats - one is sisal and one we flipped over so it's the mat part.

When we were doing one nail at a time, we simply clipped one nail a day - and by the time we finished the cat, it was time to start over. The front claws are the only ones you really need to worry about when it comes to scratching, but if you're worried about her leaping around and accidentally scratching the couch, include the back paws in your nail clipping. Now that they tolerate having their nails clipped, we do it every two weeks - but it will depend upon how much she scratches. The kitties we have that scratch a lot have some pretty sharp claws at the end of two weeks.

Kitties tend to scratch when they wake up - they have a good stretch and a scratch. If you keep this behavior in mind, just pay attention to the places she finds to snooze, and put a post or a scratch pad or something right next to it or just a few paces (a good stretch) away.

I doubt your kitty has FELV or FIV - it's pretty rare. But I don't think it can be passed between cats and dogs - good thing to check with the vet. And doggie can be vaccinated against them.

Like Katie said, if kitty has had negative experiences with dogs, she'll be scared. But if doggie doesn't live with you permanently, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. It's like when we have guests visit. Our crew of feral rescues are, for the most part, frightened to death of "strange" people. They hide and nap while they're here. For family that stays a while, after a few days they get used to the idea that these strange people aren't hunting them and they begin to act a bit more normally. Gary's mom came to visit a few weeks ago for 10 days - this was her 3rd visit in a year. This time they weren't even scared of her.

And... like jkrodger said - kitty needs to be spayed if she isn't. This will help you have a peaceful home - without the wailing of a cat in heat, without the territory marking of a cat that isn't sterilized, and she won't try to escape every time she goes into heat. And if she does escape, she won't come back pregnant. You can click on the link in my signature line to help find low-cost spay services if you need them.

And.... if she gets along with the dog - or even just ignores him - there isn't a reason in the world why you couldn't still foster kittens or puppies. Of course our 2 cats went to six cats because we were rescuing and fostering the rescues - and then you get attached and the foster turns into a pet (we did successfully foster quite a few), but the basic requirement for fostering is having a separate room to begin with anyway.

And.... if it turns out she is FELV or FIV positive, there isn't a reason in the world why she can't live a happy life. It would be best to only foster FELV or FIV positive cats/kittens, but especially with FIV being positive only means the potential for problems is there, not that she'll even necessarily get sick.