How do I get her out of the carrier?

Half-tail gets spayed today. I caught her the night before last because the spay/neuter required me to withhold food from 9 AM on(and yes I verified it 9 AM) and I knew I couldn't do it yesterday morning(she had food until 9 AM and water until 9 PM.)(I also don't trap them, none really like being picked up but I can if I need to, not to mention I'd prolly catch every cat but the one I needed.)

Well after 3 escapes(trying to get her into a large dog kennel because it was big enough to fit a small litter box from the smaller one I use to transport them) I finally got her and she tore me up(totally my fault), I have a combination of scratches and bites on my wrist and hands. I ended up having to throw her into the large dog kennel. She wasn't too keen on being picked up before but I don't think I could pick her up now to transfer her to the travel kennel. I would have just kept her in here in the bathroom but she doesn't get the concept of a litter box. She has peed and poo'd everywhere in the kennel except the litter box, which she uses as a bed. Attitude and Nuts and the other outside cats have used it's not like there aren't any smell cues for what what it's used for. I have a nasty clean up to do tomorrow.

How do I get her into the smaller kennel without getting torn to shreds and without her escaping? I know I was the one who screwed up and is at fault making caging her so traumatic, I deserved to get scratched and bitten. She has never liked people, she has been the most timid and anti social cats out of all of them. She has been here since she was 4 weeks old same as everyone else she just sees no need for people to pay her any attention and would rather them ignore her than even try to pay attention to her. It isn't bad socialization, the other 2 outside(and obviously Attitude and Nuts inside) will hop into my lap and run over to be petted if I'm outside, they can't get enough attention, not to mention Mama(who despised even thinking about humans, she was terrified of us at first) and Biter(Mama's kitten) was obviously also leery of us since her mom was but she warmed up a lot faster all love attention. I just don't know what happened to Half-tail, she has always been this way. I doubt she'll want anything to do with anyone now.

The other cats also want nothing to do with me since they saw me handling the kennels and they know the kennel means someone is getting caught and put in one and they don't want to chance getting near me or letting me near them for fear they'll be the one in it.

I'm more worried about her escaping, I can handle getting my hands ripped up more I just can't afford for her to get loose.

This is my last female unless the 5th black cat or a new black and white one(who just showed up 3 days ago, someone obviously was done with their cat and dumped it here, as usual) are female(neither will let us any where near them, much less let us sex them.) I know the big orange one is lost(we can't catch her either, but we have been in contact with her owner) and I hope her owner got her spayed or he might end up with his cat back and kittens, if any of us can ever catch her. I just want to be done with this. I'm sick of cats and dealing with kittens this stuff has got to stop.

Anyone have any advice on transferring her. I'd rather not get further torn up but I really don't need her to escape because if she does there is no way in hell I'd get her again and I am not dealing with kittens.

Taryn

Gosh - poor thing must be terrifed and you must be exhausted.

If there is any possibility of transporting her, crate and all to the vet, just do that.

If not, and the crate she's in is big enough, put the carrier in it. (If you can, take her litterbox out). Let her sit for a bit and if she isn't in the carrier when you go back in, she may very likely go in it when you open the crate door. (a hidey hole is a wonderful thing to a feral cat)

I would not worry about her hating you. If she's feral, she is WAY better off being leary of humans and spayed. You are doing the right thing!

Originally Posted by Taryn

Half-tail gets spayed today. I caught her the night before last because the spay/neuter required me to withhold food from 9 AM on(and yes I verified it 9 AM) and I knew I couldn't do it yesterday morning(she had food until 9 AM and water until 9 PM.)(I also don't trap them, none really like being picked up but I can if I need to, not to mention I'd prolly catch every cat but the one I needed.)

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Why on earth don't you trap them ? And where is she getting spayed ?

Don't most feral cat programs or vets that do the surgery require that ferals are brought in traps only, not carriers ??


Good luck, anyway !! Hope this misery is resolved soon !!

Originally Posted by elayman

Don't most feral cat programs or vets that do the surgery require that ferals are brought in traps only, not carriers ??

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That's a good point. You may want to check with the vet if the feral kitty is ok in a carrier or if they only accept in Havaharts. Our local discount clinic only accepts ferals in Havaharts. I'm socializing a timid feral (Patches) and bring her to the vet in a cat carrier but she's very docile - just freezes. (To get her in the carrier, I have to eliminate all hidey spots in the room so she's stuck hanging out in there.)

I hope your injuries are ok and don't get infected. I'm glad you got that final kitty to TNR!! I hope you figure out a way to get kitty safely transported to the vet.

Originally Posted by killerapple

I hope your injuries are ok and don't get infected.

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Yes. Cat scratches and bites have very easy to get infected, I hope also your tetanus shots are up to date?


If you are that anxious to personally chase them and caught them by yourself, try to get hold of Felifriend. It is a variation of Feliway, Felifriend is very useful if you handle reluctant cats. Many vet use this.
The problem is, Felifriend istn sold in every country. I have a weak memory it is not sold in USA when I looked.
But you can perhaps get it from abroad somewhere??

Otherwise, try with lotsa of Feliway...


Good luck!

Paul managed to grab her and get her in to the carrier. I think she might have hissed at him but she didn't fight. I want to say she really isn't feral, as I said she is the only one who really doesn't like humans everyone else wants our attention. I'm starting to wonder if she is older than Attitude, Nuts, Runt and Goldie Jr and is in fact Mama's kitten instead of Biter or Goldie's, they all were moved over at the same time but Mama's kittens were older by at least 2 weeks and they never socialized properly, I don't even know where any of her 3 are, well I know one(the only one who was here for more than a day or 2) is about 1/4 mi up the road being a farm kitty for a Clydesdale farm. I'm just wondering if she might have been one of Mama's kittens and because she has been here so long she is leery of humans but will sometimes allow contact.

Most of them are leery of humans other than us(well Mama is sometimes leery of even us) but, except for the kids from up the street who I think did something bad to them, they don't run they just walk the other way. They dislike being picked up but they will usually allow it. It was only because she escaped 3 times that she freaked the way she did, she was fine the first 2 times(she didn't like being held but didn't try to attack us) and the third I didn't manage to get her, so by the 4th she reacted fight or flight and since she couldn't use flight she used fight. I have never used a trap for any of them. The other TNR program(Half-tail is being done by a different program) preferred them in carriers and if needed would sedate through the kennel door, they only had to sedate Mama because she was still PO'd about being in the kennel, it took 2 tries as the first one she ripped out before they could inject her(I will say that when I had to take her in for her rectal prolapse she just walked right out of the carrier and started loving on everyone, they loved her at the vet's office because she was so friendly. She was the wildest one we had that stayed around. I had warned them she was feral and did not like being picked up and they looked at me like I was crazy that this sweet loving cat was anything but a pampered house pet, she behaved better than some of the pampered house cats they saw. Biter and Goldie had no problems at all, they were calm and didn't need anything before being put under for the surgery. The one I'm using for Half-tail is technically a low cost spay/neuter for pets, they were the only ones who could take her and she isn't feral, she is no different than any other scared cat at a vet's office. It was the trauma of getting her in the kennel the first time that caused her to react the way she did.

I'm keeping an eye on my wounds and I am up to date on my tetanus.

I'm not afraid to get them, I don't have to chase them at all. Half-tail was only hard because she managed to get away several times before I successfully got her kenneled.

I just hope she isn't pregnant they told me if she was they were going to charge me extra depending on how far along she is(gee thanks for telling me that ahead of time instead of when we dropped her off and were about to head out the door.) The other TNR does them for the same fee, pregnant, in heat, not pregnant or not in heat. I think this might be the last time we use them their $5 spay isn't really a $5 spay, if it costs more than $35 for the actual spay(I did elect to have the $15 pain relief shot after the surgery is done) I'm going to be mad($35 is what the other place charges.) I will say though if Half-tail does well I might take everyone else(the 3 males) to be done one at a time. I might even let them do Nuts(they have the option for pre surgery bloodwork(no I didn't do it for Half-tail I couldn't afford it), which is the only thing I have to have for Nuts to be done) I just don't like having to with hold food from 9 AM the day before, that just seems harsh and I can't starve Attitude for that long simply because her brother can't eat. It was 6 PM for food and 9 PM for water when I got Attitude done at my vet's office(which I'm trying to save up for them to do Nuts.) I also don't like having to kennel the outside ones(Blue would be about the only one I would trust to have in the bathroom since he understands what a litter box is and how to use it) for over 24 hours just because they can't eat from 9 AM on which is crazy.

I'll let you know how she is when she gets back tonight. Hopefully I won't have to try and keep her contained since she is terrified of being indoors and I can't keep her kenneled for days on end, plus with her not using a litter box that only adds to it. I just can't have her inside but I will if I have to and if this is required it will definitely be the last time we use them. They were the only one who can take her and quick, she has already been through a heat cycle so I'm worried she might be pregnant. I also was attracted to the low cost.

Taryn

Originally Posted by killerapple

That's a good point. You may want to check with the vet if the feral kitty is ok in a carrier or if they only accept in Havaharts. Our local discount clinic only accepts ferals in Havaharts. I'm socializing a timid feral (Patches) and bring her to the vet in a cat carrier but she's very docile - just freezes. (To get her in the carrier, I have to eliminate all hidey spots in the room so she's stuck hanging out in there.)

I hope your injuries are ok and don't get infected. I'm glad you got that final kitty to TNR!! I hope you figure out a way to get kitty safely transported to the vet.

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Although now that I think about it, I suppose a wire cage/carrier would be similar enough to a humane trap since the vets only have to deal with the feralness by gassing the cat right away ?? Personally, I've always resisted the temptation to reach out and grab a feral cat by hand (my tetanus isn't up to date, for one thing ) -- But I know all too well how gross and dangerous on so many levels it can be keeping a stray kitten in the trap waaaayyyy too long (nearly a week). When would the foster people be by to pick her up ? Could get back in once released ? Out of massive ignorance. Turned out to be a total doll after we became acquainted and the recapture took all of five minutes.

So the frustration of a misadventure in TNR is understandable. I just hope it doesn't stop the OP's efforts as the poor feral cats bear the brunt of people's shortcomings.

I use a standard plastic carrier(Vari-kennel type.) Half-tail is perfectly fine and wasn't pregnant(thank God, she's only 4.8 lbs.) I need to keep her in her carrier until tomorrow then she can go back to her regularly scheduled outside life. The carrier with her is outside so the others can be near her and keep her company until I can release her. She wants out now once we got home and she realized where she was she started trying to shove her way out and is shoving her nose out as far as she can get it. She is still really dopey from the anesthesia and the pain shot so there is no way I would or could let her out tonight even if they allowed that she is safer in the carrier. I'll give her some food and water at 7 which is when they allow me to give her food and water. They also had no idea she was anything but an inside cat, she was perfectly fine.

Let me give you an example of what the others do. Goldie Jr has a hurt leg(he's using it but limping) and I needed to see if I could feel any breaks and see if I can get him to knuckle over(to see if I needed to get him in now.) If he isn't better by Fri I'll call and get him in(Runt has a similar issue but it resolved itself in less than a week.). I didn't feel anything obvious broken and couldn't get him to knuckle over. It hurt(obviously) but even after feeling it and making sure I couldn't get him to knuckle over he still wanted to get some loving and laid down and let me pet him all over and rub his belly. This is normal for all the others, they let you handle them and check them out when needed and still wanting to be loved on. I was talking to Mitzi next door about Half-tail and Goldie Jr. limped over and Mitzi noticed he was limping. Without even thinking I picked him up and he let both of us love on him, he didn't even get overly upset when Mitzi's dog Dylan came over to bark, he did have an issue with Jazzy joined in so I put him back down(he wasn't fighting he just didn't want to be held anymore due to both dogs barking at him.) He had no issue with me holding him and us loving on him.

This is the 4th female I've had spayed, as long as no other females show up I won't have to stress about getting the 3 remaining males done. Females get top priority, for obvious reasons, when it comes to getting them fixed. We have a new black and white cat, won't let us anywhere near it so I have no idea if it's male or female, I hope it's a male. I just hope the orange lost kitty is spayed(and vaccinated against feline leukemia) or she'll be popping out kittens.

I'm just glad that I'm hopefully done with female spays for now. I'll be using the $5 people for the males(and possibly Nuts), I like them more considering I can get pain relief for them. Like I said I just don't like having to withhold food for 24 hours but I can deal with that I guess.

There is nothing that can stop me from giving these cats a better life by preventing them from becoming kitten factories and putting out more and more leukemia positive kittens.

I hope I can be done with females for now.

Taryn