Things going better with the stray I picked up

sophia4cats

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I was really overwhelmed when I found her. She is very large and not as cooperative as I am used to.  She is still living in our garage. She wants to follow me into the house now but I can't let her in yet. She is much friendlier but nips unpredictably. There are no displays of growling or irritation prior to her biting or nipping. She does have look weird afterward. She looks puzzled if I scold her. I am not absolutely sure how to put a stop to this. I often tell her no and just leave.

She is playing with toys now she was not interested in them at first. She won't lay down in my lap for the most part. She will only stand and knead and knead, and knead! That will be hard to deal with let me know if you know how to get her to just lay down.  If I pet her she kneads even more and drools. At least it appears I am liked more these days.

She was holding her stool and not wanting to urinate inside. She is using a Breeze litter box now. Which is the type she will use if she transfers into our regular household. I used a few leaves to help achieve this. Right now it's a 50% mix of newspaper pellets with clay Breeze litter box pellets I will start reducing the newspaper pellets over time. I might be able to live with it if she cannot get away from the news pellets. They are still light and easy carry.

She tested negative for FELV/FIV but the vet does not think she is spayed(looking into that soon). Nor does it appear she is pregnant (they checked by ultrasound)  She was not skinny. She had a respiratory infection, I think she might have a minor case of ringworm. There were scratches on her face from a fight and vet thought she'd been bit on the head. They are healing up but there are grayish patches on her noses that are not going away. She's white I tried to wash them off and realized they are not dirt. No hair is coming off though. I have 3 cats and a dog who could be affected. I'd like to get her from the Garage to a bathroom that we don't use much in the house but not sure about ringworm.

I've had no responses to a craigslist ad and the posting I left at the SPCA. She has no microchip.How much effort should I make to locate the owner if there is one? I have some suspicions she is a cat that is left outside most of the time by the owners.  She is being left outside near a highway (there is 4 foot fence in between) and a busy road and shopping center.  There is a residential area further up the road. No lost signs are posted in the area. There are also fields in the area and possibly coyotes. I live  5 miles away from where she was found and we definitely have coyotes that run in our area. It's not rural just partly wooded with a field here an there along with homes and retail.  I worry I am denying someone their cat but at the same time I will be upset if she is left running around in the same area if someone where to claim her.
 

p3 and the king

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It's good things are going so well.  Some cats are not lap cats but like to knead.  As for the nipping, it is probably how she lets you know she wants petted or either that, is overstimulated.  Try not to scold so much as a firm but simple "No" and just set her down or ignore her.

Lots of people dump cats off in busy areas.  They hope someone will take her home.  You probably are not depriving anyone of their cat.  Sadly, It was probably more than likely by choice. 

Hopefully she will be cleared so you can bring her into the house soon!!  Best of luck to both of you!
 

feralvr

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Wonderful of you to take her in and give her a new life. I would get her spayed right away and that will help with the nipping :nod:. Once she is free of the hormones and heat cycles, she will calm down and be able to relax, focus on her new life. Also, have then run a culture on the spots that you think are ringworm fungus. You can also use a black light to check the spots to see if they glow bright green, but that is in only 60% of cases. Most likely if the vet suspects ringworm, they will to a culture of some of the hair spores surrounding the lesions. This can take at least 7 days for the fungus to start to grow, so you will have to keep her in the garage OR that bathroom for the time being. I would also do a stool check and deworming before you allow your cats to share the litter box. I would not worry that this cat is a lost kitty, sounds to me it has been abandoned anyway. Good luck - she sounds really sweet and worth the effort. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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