Breaking my heart...

My heart is breaking.. I just saw a bengal kitten, probably no more than 6-8 months old, out in our parking lot. It's not afraid of anything, and seems healthy except for his eyes. One of his eyes is cloudy, maybe a cataract? Mike wouldn't let me take him in or anything! I'm so upset. I called the vet, he said they can do an emergency neuter if I can trap him, but Mike won't let me until after we get Boo taken care of. Poor kitten, I'm afraid he's going to get hit by a car or try attacking a raccoon before then!

Perhaps you could call and see if any no kill shelters have space right now? Poor baby is exposed to all kinds of bad things, as you well know.

Myste, That's a great suggestion. There is a comprehensive list of no-kill shelters at the top of this page. Can you get a humane trap from the shelter or humane society? I know I'd want to take it in; I wish he'd change his mind. Please let us know what happens. It could stay in the garage or another isolated place so that your cat would not be exposed to anything. Perhaps if you suggest that, you could keep it safe until Boo is taken care of. It doesn't hurt to suggest that.

Unfortunately, we live in an apartment complex, no garages. I have a cat carrier, but it's small, I can't keep it cooped up in there for more than a few hours. We're getting Boo taken care of on the 5th. if I get my unemployment check before then, I will take care of the poor baby then. Unfortunately we're in a tight money situation at the moment, so can't afford extra this week. We've also been talking about fostering, and he kinda fell in love with a long haired orange tabby female at Petsmart that I think we may adopt if she's still there after xmas. He's softening about letting me have more cats, we just are a bit tight in the pocketbook to take on more right now.

Laurie (LDG) has an outdoor shelter for her ferals with one of those insulating metallic looking blankets, I believe. Perhaps you could send her a PM for a suggestion?

Myste, This is a quote from Hissy, who cares for many ferals. For more tips, visit the feral forum:
Quote:
Your best bet for warmth for the kitties is straw. Pile it it thick and leave a lot packed around the inside of the walls as well inside the houses. The blankets are a good idea, but they are foreign to the wild cats and will scare some of them away. The straw resembles the long grasses they are used to and they can burrow down for warmth.

Boil up a few whole chickens and when the broth is cooled, pour it into baggies and freeze. Prior to feeding, place a bag in the mircowave and zap it till it is unthawed and warm. Add the warm broth to the cats dry food- that will help them ward off the chill as well and over time, provide more fat for them too. Endquote.

Myste if you will catch it, I will take the kitten. It will take me sometime to get up there, but perhaps we can meet somewhere halfway? PM me please?

Thanks Hissy. I haven't seen the kitten around since I posted. He generally doesn't hang out in my part of the complex I guess. I think Mike will break down and let me keep him once I can get him fixed, shots, etc as long as there's nothing seriously wrong that we can't afford.

I got a coupon for a from Animal Aid to get Boo fixed, and there's 2 coupons, so I'll use the other for this kitten. Boo's getting taken care of next week, so it'll probably be the week before xmas when I can catch him. I don't think it'll be hard, as he isn't afraid of anything, so all I'll have to do is catch him in a blanket.

We seem to be about up to our ears in cats soon, anyway, so what's one more mouth. We're going to try to foster 2 orange brothers from Animal Aid and Mike fell in love with an orange female there we want to adopt! If we take this kitten in too, that'll give us 7 cats!

Careful or you will soon pass me up in number of cats! I hope you find the kitten. It has been bitter cold here at least. Perhaps the kitty does belong to someone at the complex or nearby and was just outside on a whim? One can hope anyway.

Possibly. We've seen it out before, it generally hangs out on the other side of the complex (where I used to have an apartment, but it wasn't around then)The day we saw it it was up by the mailboxes, and one of the other cat lovers out here was walking his cat. it hasn't been too cold here yet. We live in Beaverton, in the middle of town, so it generally doesn't get too cold.

If it's terribly thin and has an eye problem, I hope she doesn't have an owner, because the kitten shouldn't be outside in that condition. Perhaps you could set up a little shelter for her, even if it's only a box covered with plastic and filled with straw. Then you could attract it with the food and broth. You could put the box on a "sit upon," which the scouts used to make--layers of newspaper wrapped in a heavy plastic trash bag. Please keep us informed, Myste!

If it really is a bengal kitten, then I would contact local bengal breeders in your area to see if they may sold it to someone. They can usually help. They have bengals rescues that cover the U.S. I'd contact them, too.

One idea for you is this--IF there is any kind of feline sanctuary in your area (see sticky at top of opening page) you can call them and ask if they have any cat traps you could borrow. Ours lends them out for FREE. You could then trap the cat and bring him to the shelter provided they have an opening. Some sanctuaries simply don't refuse a face while others have limited abilities. Good luck and bless you!

Elyse

I know the feeling, it just agonizes me to see animals that I can't trap or aren't allowed to help.

Many times when I see a 'stray' animal, or at least a cat, I have to tell myself "It's probably just another person letting their cat outside and he's not really a stray." So my fiance convinces try to convince me not to take the cat in, even to find it's owner.

Unless they look shabby, really out of storts, I'll typically just say hello maybe give them a little food, and be on my way.

I've learned to use my "senses" about it. For example we had a cute little girl cat hanging around our place--at first I thought she was dumped off but seeing how well kept her hair was and how well fed she appeared I knew she had SOMEONE in this neighborhood who loved her so I didn't take her in or to the cat sanctuary. Come to find out two weeks ago I MET her family! But on another occasion I knew the cat had been dumped as he was beginning to look thin and shabby and he'd also been abused by a neighborhood boy so I took him in---

Elyse

I am pleased to report that the kitten DOES belong to someone. I came home today and heard jingling behind me, I turned around and there was the kitten, with a brand new collar! He came up to say hi, and of course get the homage due his royal self!

Oh, Myste, That's great news! Did he look healthy? How does his eye look? Is he well fed? Please tell us everything. We don't get enough happy endings!

Oh that's soo wonderful!

About a month ago, we moved into our new place, and these kittens were 'trapped' inside our apartment entrance, I lived on the 3rd floor and they decided to follow me, up I noticed they had collars. Went inside for awhile, and told my fiance about them, he opened the door and the kits were still waiting there lol.

We took one in and called the number on the tag to make sure the kittens hadn't stayed TOO far from home, turns out they belonged to the lady a couple apartment sets over.

However, sense this occasion THE CATS NO LONGER HAVE THEIR COLLARS ON, and they go outside all the time. I'm so upset. None of the cats who roam around here have collars now, and they are always walking around in the parking lot almost getting hit by cars that come through. Makes me soo mad.

The eye's no better, may be a permanent thing. It's cloudy, kind of like a cataract. Otherwise, he's happy and healty, cute fuzzy little furbaby. I'll see if I can catch a pic of him eventually.

That would be great. Thanks.