Tomorrow Philly Ferals has a spay/neuter clinic scheduled. I volunteer for those clinics, and I also trap for them. Tonight I captured Dana, a female feral who is approximately a year old (I'm guessing--I really don't have the chance to examine her teeth right now). She was captured using a spring-operated racoon trap and a few teaspoons of wet cat food in a can. I spent the last week putting food out along a path I know the cats use; last night I put no food out so they would be hungry (this doesn't always work, as neighbors also put food out). I checked the trap every half hour, and once I saw it was full I immediately brought it in and covered it with a sheet (this calms the cat).
Dana will spend the night in the cage in which she was captured. This is not inhumane, and is less stressful for all concerned than transferring her to a holding cage--that's when most captured cats attempt to escape and all kinds of havoc may ensue. She may eliminate but I doubt she'll eat the rest of her bait, which is good because she'll need to be anaesthetized tomorrow. A cursory examination shows some signs of an upper respiratory infection, which means I may have to hold and treat her longer than nomal post-operative protocols call for. Been there, done that.
One of the volunteers at the last clinic mentioned the availibility of medication/first aid kits which include antibiotics and weight/dosage charts. If I can get one of those I can begin immediate treatment.
Tomorrow I'll describe her passage through the clinic. Stay tuned....
Dana will spend the night in the cage in which she was captured. This is not inhumane, and is less stressful for all concerned than transferring her to a holding cage--that's when most captured cats attempt to escape and all kinds of havoc may ensue. She may eliminate but I doubt she'll eat the rest of her bait, which is good because she'll need to be anaesthetized tomorrow. A cursory examination shows some signs of an upper respiratory infection, which means I may have to hold and treat her longer than nomal post-operative protocols call for. Been there, done that.
One of the volunteers at the last clinic mentioned the availibility of medication/first aid kits which include antibiotics and weight/dosage charts. If I can get one of those I can begin immediate treatment.
Tomorrow I'll describe her passage through the clinic. Stay tuned....