dying feral cat in yard

Last night I was visiting my sister when we found a feral cat in her front yard. It was obviously on its last breath, covered with a swarm of crawling flies, eyes gummed up and neither interested in water or Gerber's baby food (beef flavor). There were no visible wounds, but it did drag itself around a bit - unconcerned with people it could apparently neither see nor hear.



Now the kindest thing to do would have been to break its neck, which neither of us was prepared to do (let alone touch it).

So we finally called Animal Control, which didn't come. The County Sheriff who came instead said he was sorry and he couldn't do anything about it.

Any thoughts? Advice? Anyone else who had to go through this?

If you can capture the cat, I would do so (wear gloves, wrap in a large towe), and take the cat to your vet and ask him to euthanize it. Alternatively, see if the vet will come to you.
And I'd call animal control again.
Talk kindly to him/her. So at least what he hears last is kindness. They say in humans hearing is the last to go; given how much better cats hear, maybe the same is true.
There some cat sanctuaries have special permission from their main vet to euthanize cats, though usually these are cats they are currently responsible for.
That is the kindest thing. And, how sad.

Most communities do have a 24-hour emergency vet office somewhere if it is already after hours.  I would have wrapped him in a towel and taken him there and asked for a mercy euthanasia.  I did that once for a rabbit that was hit by a car in front of me and then lay by the side of the road, it's back obviously broken.  I had to go up a block, turn around, come back, and scoop up the rabbit into my car while driving (a scruff grab).  I got him to the 24 hour vet and they were willing to euthanize him at no charge.  Nobody wants to see an animal suffer.

roguethecat said:

 
Last night I was visiting my sister when we found a feral cat in her front yard. It was obviously on its last breath, covered with a swarm of crawling flies, eyes gummed up and neither interested in water or Gerber's baby food (beef flavor). There were no visible wounds, but it did drag itself around a bit - unconcerned with people it could apparently neither see nor hear.

Now the kindest thing to do would have been to break its neck, which neither of us was prepared to do (let alone touch it).

So we finally called Animal Control, which didn't come. The County Sheriff who came instead said he was sorry and he couldn't do anything about it.

Any thoughts? Advice? Anyone else who had to go through this?

Click to expand...

I want to add two points:

1. If it is question of euthanizing, an another alternative may be if you know someone used with guns. Preferably an seasoned hunter.  And ask to do this last  service.

A person who is just a gun owner may be unreliable, especielly with big animals.  I remember a grossly true story about police life guards of some important person - probably the swedish crown princesse...   Several shots in the head of a big deer / horse with their hand guns without decisive results. Easy:  most part of  these animals head is NOT brain...  So you must know exactly where to shoot.

I understand the laws in USA dont allows such shooting - but I suspect in reality nobody wouldnt mind, if it were a real mercy killing of a suffering animal.

2.  As you tried to save it.  A tip to perk some energy is to smear some glucose sugar or white caro syrup, or maple syrup, or honey on the gum.   And give water with a dropper in the corner of the mouth...  Make sure the animal is warm - perhaps by wrap it up in a towel or a filt.

If the animal perks up after it - you can go with the next steps as the Gerber baby food, and more water to drink .

If it doenst perks up - yes, its euthanazing....

It is of course necessary you are carefully not to get bitten or such:  if the animal is alive and conscious, it may be panicked, because of panic or because of  pains.  If it is very weak / dying, it may get convulsions and bite / claw you by sheer convulsions...

So wrapping up, gives not only warmth, but also immobilizes and makes the animal passive IF it is still able to resist and fight...

Using gloves is smart too.

Tx a lot for caring!

Good luck!

I am also in the SF bay area, can you pm me with your city?

Maybe I can help connect you with someone able to help this poor kitty.

I want to add two points:

1. If it is question of euthanizing, an another alternative may be if you know someone used with guns. Preferably an seasoned hunter.  And ask to do this last  service.

A person who is just a gun owner may be unreliable, especielly with big animals.  I remember a grossly true story about police life guards of some important person - probably the swedish crown princesse...   Several shots in the head of a big deer / horse with their hand guns without decisive results. Easy:  most part of  these animals head is NOT brain...  So you must know exactly where to shoot.

I understand the laws in USA dont allows such shooting - but I suspect in reality nobody wouldnt mind, if it were a real mercy killing of a suffering animal.

2.  As you tried to save it.  A tip to perk some energy is to smear some glucose sugar or white caro syrup, or maple syrup, or honey on the gum.   And give water with a dropper in the corner of the mouth...  Make sure the animal is warm - perhaps by wrap it up in a towel or a filt.

If the animal perks up after it - you can go with the next steps as the Gerber baby food, and more water to drink .

If it doenst perks up - yes, its euthanazing....

It is of course necessary you are carefully not to get bitten or such:  if the animal is alive and conscious, it may be panicked, because of panic or because of  pains.  If it is very weak / dying, it may get convulsions and bite / claw you by sheer convulsions...

So wrapping up, gives not only warmth, but also immobilizes and makes the animal passive IF it is still able to resist and fight...

Using gloves is smart too.

Click to expand...

Thanks everyone for caring... I'll do the protected clothing/ towel wrapping should kitty still be there and alive when I come off work. Animal control was supposed to try come around and look again, too.

There's unfortunately no question of saving it (flies were treating it like a day-old cadaver already).

roguethecat said:

 
There's unfortunately no question of saving it (flies were treating it like a day-old cadaver already).

Click to expand...

If it is dieying, so it is daying,  and a mercy killing is the most humane.  Dont wait any longer. Please just do it  Even if it is  unpleasant. 

But flies flying about and laying their eggs, althogh gross, doesnt need to be the decisive end.  So perhaps try with this glucose and water by dropper...

You can even have some glucose in the water you drop in by the corner of the mouth.  Should work too.

I rembember what members of the swedish fieldambulance send to the abessynian war in Africa in  1935 told.  When the Mussolinis italians attacked Etiophia.   The italians had better weapons so they won most of the field battles.  And after the battles the swedish red cross ambulance personal tried to find the wounded Etiophian soldiers and warriors, hiding in the bushes, collect them and save them who were still alive.  Many of these were found firstly after several days, but still alive.

To their horror, they had usually lotsa of  flies eggs and even larvae in their open wounds.  BUT.   They found also, these wounds usually werent gangrenic nor rotten.   Apparently the flies eggs and larvae had some antibiotic properties in them, killing off the bacterias...    But the wounds not covered in flies were usually rottening yes.

Thus, many of these severerly wounded could be rescued into life - if they didnt died shortly after, bled to death or died by exhaustion, they werent killed either by infections - otherwise so common after  battle wounds in Europe...