we have been caring for stray/feral/ now ours cat for over 9 years. He stays outside at a condo. Has become very friendly to us but remains outside as we have 3 indoor cats. He is well fed. Since saturday I noticed an area around his eye has become very large obviously its an abcess since sat. He still eats and sleeps but the look of it all is not good. Will it burst or go away by itself?? this cat has been through so much and I have contacted the local cat welfare when his leg looked broken but they did nothing and it did heal. Will this burst or heal on its own. I feel it will be more traumatic for him to be trapped and taken to a vet. Should I wait or what. Its a male in Ct. the weather is warming up. I'm sure the cat has other issues but I have researched what I can and its a tough call on what to do???? Just the fright of taking him to a vet may be worse??
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feral/stray/ abcess
- Thread starter batrice
- Start Date
Oh poor little guy. Probably got into a fight. Is he neutered? Gosh... Eye issues can get serious really fast. Is the eye itself injured? Or just the surrounding tissue? Squinting or Drainage? Can you pet this cat or get a closer look at the eye? If it is not the actual eye itself that is injured, then you could wait and see over the next few days to see of it does drain on it's own. There might be an antibiotic you could put in the cat's food also. Check with the vet on that. You are right in that trapping him would be very stressful, but it might be necessary if the eyeball is injured or scratched. Hope that this is not serious though :cross: It is a tough call and sometimes it always amazes me how these feral cat's just seem to recover quite well without veterinarian intervention. But.... An eyeball issue will need to be looked at. 
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- #3
Its not the eye but next do it. Trying to get help around here is awful. Vets say bring the cat in. They will not give medicine. The animal shelter never answers the phone they are awful. They didn't help last time either.
How discouraging to hear
GOSH - I am lucky in that I have a couple of vet's plus a shelter director who will assist me - even over the phone - and put up medication for my feral cat's. They understand the difficulty in trying to trap a feral cat and the stress involved to get the cat to the vet. For both the cat and the caretaker. I am glad to hear it is not the eyeball itself. Let's just hope that this will heal up on it's own without needing antibiotic's. I am sorry that you don't have a vet that could just give you some meds without seeing the cat. IF the eye get much worse, take a picture, as many as you can and bring that to the vet ....... that is what I would do. Show him the picture and see if the vet will be more understanding to the situation and put up some meds. The cat would probably have to be sedated to be looked at as well. The vet might just agree that it would be best to treat without actually seeing the cat - but seeing a picture :dk: BUT can you give medication to this cat ?? More vibes today
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- #5
I have some amoxcillen that I will put a little in his food. Waiting to hear from an old vet of mine. The one vet I talked to gave me the big rabies scare and that there is protocol in trapping a pet etc etc. I doubt he has rabies he's so sweet and eats well. I had another vet say bring him in and we will treat him but its your dollar no mention of rabies. So thats the crap I have been dealing with. Trapping him would only kill him and then to quarantine him for 6 months one vet said. So I'd rather get something I can put in his food for now plus one vet said it should burst itself. Soooo I'll see.
Don't do that..... If you are treating an infection, you want to make sure you are treating with the right dosage of the antibiotics, for the right amount of time - otherwise you will just make the infection worst. By giving "a little amoxicillin" you run the risk of those bacteria creating resistance to the antibiotics, getting stronger, actually..... not a good thing to do. If you are starting an antibiotic treatment, you need to make SURE you will give this medication everyday for the length of the treatment, or alternatively, you can give a shot of Convenia - it works wonders on abscesses, especially on ferals, since the shot will work for a full 2 weeks.
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- #7
There is no way you can trap him to take him to the vet? The vet should be able to lightly gas him in a chamber to examine him and give him that shot....
The Amoxi is a good idea only if you could give it by mouth, give the correct dosage for at least ten days - mixing in the food will not work because it will have a bad taste to it and he will most likely not even eat the food. Can you pet the cat? Can you hold the cat? Would you be able to medicate this cat? Of course you would not be able to give an injection to a feral cat :lol3: But, if the eye is getting worse, then you should trap the cat and have an exam done by the vet. If you do that, then you could go with a long-acting antibiotic injection by the vet. I am hoping that this injury will just heal on it's own. :cross:
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- #10
Well it did burst the abscess and its bloody and still oozing. someone a shelter want to trap it still and bring him in. If it cannot be trapped thursday then I have to wait till Monday. My thought was if it did not burst then he should be trapped. I just want something I can put in his food!! It makes no sense if they cannot get him tomorrow then have to wait till Monday makes no sense. They want to neuter him as well I think thats a big part of it. He's 9 or 10 years old. But I have a ill mother who loves this cat and is very upset about all of this and to put a wire trap in front of her on the porch will only freak her out plus she does not listen to me a sher reasoning is gone, she has dementia. WHAT SHOULD I DO???
This cat NEEDS to be trapped and neutered... I am sorry about your mother - but the cat needs to have the eye looked at now AND also needs to be sterilized. Part of why he is getting in fights and injured is because he is not neutered. He is also out there making more feral kittens and that just makes me very, very sad 
. I have asked in earlier posts, can you pet this cat? You could try feeding him in a crate over the weekend since they will not take him till Monday. This gives you time to get him used to the crate/carrier. Prop open the door over the weekend somehow and keep feeding him in that crate. Will he eat in your presence? If so, then this crate method makes catching him very simple. You just close the door, quickly, on vet day when he goes into to eat in the morning. You can just keep trying to explain to your mother that this IS what the cat needs and he will be back in better condition than before - he needs help. Just keep telling her that. Good luck and now that I hear he is not neutered - that abscess is from a bit wound from fighting (tomcats fight continually) and I think he needs an antibiotic injection right away.
. I have asked in earlier posts, can you pet this cat? You could try feeding him in a crate over the weekend since they will not take him till Monday. This gives you time to get him used to the crate/carrier. Prop open the door over the weekend somehow and keep feeding him in that crate. Will he eat in your presence? If so, then this crate method makes catching him very simple. You just close the door, quickly, on vet day when he goes into to eat in the morning. You can just keep trying to explain to your mother that this IS what the cat needs and he will be back in better condition than before - he needs help. Just keep telling her that. Good luck and now that I hear he is not neutered - that abscess is from a bit wound from fighting (tomcats fight continually) and I think he needs an antibiotic injection right away. - Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #12
he was trapped this morning. At first we thought it wouldn't work as my mother got up and saw all of the cages. She then said he's fine don't trap him on and on. We were on top of a hill. So while I was talking to the trapper and my mom left the window he went in the trap. I'm relieved he really needed help. I just wish I can take him in my home but my mother loves him and he likes her but stays outside (she has 3 indoor). He loves looking through her sliding door windows on her deck and watching her and its good for her it makes her very happy. So I went there for lunch she forgot all about what happened this morning. I said I was going out to fix his beds up she said don't he's under the deck I said no. So all the better she forgets it and he'll be back soon. My worry was I was not getting him back.
FANTASTIC, WONDERFUL GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND I can't believe how easy it was for him to go in the trap!!!!!!!!!!! :bigthumb: I have to say - this just made my whole day 
THANK YOU so much for caring for this little guy. AWWWWWW he will be alright 
AND, yes, I think it is best to just keep you mother thinking that he is just outside and doing fine. He will be home before she might even notice he is missing. Ooooooooo... :lol3: I am seriously so happy and will be sending mega vibes that the wound on his eye will be fine too. 
Report right away with any new news!!!!!!!! 
:heart3:
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- #14
Yes I'm glad as well. He was not well even though cats hide things I could see it. I know from having cats a lot of times when you can see the white in the eyelid a cat is not well. He looked so tired plus it must be so hard to live outside. My mom remembered nothing. She kept saying he was under the deck when I went out to fix his beds. I don't know where they will cut his ear as they were badly mangled. I hope he's okay but I feel bad after all of this leaving him outside but I guess its best since he's so use to it???
thank you for trapping him! so, any news from the vet yet? When is he coming back? How is he doing? When are you going to call to find out? :cross:
AW hun, I do know how you feel.
But - the outdoor life is all he knows. So what he doesn't know won't hurt him. You know what I mean. Don't worry about the ear-tipping. I am sure many of these TNR organizations get in cats with the crumpled, frost-bit ears 
He might not even get an ear tip then. Can I suggest that you leave him at the vet overnight or for another day to recover? Not sure you have any place for him to recover at your home? Like a large wire crate? let's just see what the vet says about how this cat is doing first :cross:We will be waiting for some news and a report.
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- #17
They said he has bites all over his face so the abcesses. They gave him shots, neutered him and I'll have to give meds. He'll be dropped off sat around noon. It bugs me that he's going to be left outside after going through all of this. Won't he fight again??
Once he is neutered, which I was so happy to hear he is now, he will not be ruled by hormones, so he will not fight, it is the males who are not fixed that fight, and spread FIV, by their deep bites.
I would be suprised if he does not already have FIV since he is so old and not neutered before now. But regardless, he is now.
If you do not have a large cage to recover him in, you can also leave him in the trap, it's better than letting him go too soon.
If they hopefully gave him a covenia shot, which lasts 2 weeks, he will not need anymore meds from you, and once he comes back on saturday, you can let him out. If he did not get the shot, then try to get antibiotic pills, that you can put in pill pockets or disguise in treats so he will eat them, since he is feral and you won't be able to pill him like a tame cat.
Thanks for caring about this poor old guy!
I would be suprised if he does not already have FIV since he is so old and not neutered before now. But regardless, he is now.
If you do not have a large cage to recover him in, you can also leave him in the trap, it's better than letting him go too soon.
If they hopefully gave him a covenia shot, which lasts 2 weeks, he will not need anymore meds from you, and once he comes back on saturday, you can let him out. If he did not get the shot, then try to get antibiotic pills, that you can put in pill pockets or disguise in treats so he will eat them, since he is feral and you won't be able to pill him like a tame cat.
Thanks for caring about this poor old guy!
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- #19
No covenia shot. They are dropping him off sat. Out of their cage and left out . We do have a cat carrier out on the deck that is covered and I bought him a new pad as the other had blood on it. when he gets scared he goes under the deck its a condo. I offered to take him in at my house but probably best not to if he may or may not be sick already. Won't other cats fight with him whether he's fixed or not?? They are giving me meds to give in food. I feel bad leaving him out after being neutered and going through such a traumatic experience. But being outside for 9 years plus I guess its his life. Whats your thoughts?
Awww hun, my thought is that it seems that you really fallen in love with this little one..... and your heart is calling you to take him in :heart3:
And I think, you are not going to rest while you don't do so.... it seems to me you are just going to be worried sick about him.... as in your heart, he is yours already :rub:
Sincehe is already there at the vets, why don't you ask them to run a quick FIV and FeLV test so you at least make an informed decision as to bringing him in, and if so, what you are going to deal with?
IMHO, fights will happen, neutered or not - less, sure.... but he can't control the other cats.... Life outside is not so easy for those babies.... But it will be easier on him now that he is neutered :nod:
And I think, you are not going to rest while you don't do so.... it seems to me you are just going to be worried sick about him.... as in your heart, he is yours already :rub:
Sincehe is already there at the vets, why don't you ask them to run a quick FIV and FeLV test so you at least make an informed decision as to bringing him in, and if so, what you are going to deal with?
IMHO, fights will happen, neutered or not - less, sure.... but he can't control the other cats.... Life outside is not so easy for those babies.... But it will be easier on him now that he is neutered :nod:
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