I made another post on this site, & people were amazingly helpful. So I am currently in Somalia doing NGO work & about a 4 weeks ago, I stumbled upon a this small kitten looking lost & almost being stepped on in this vegetable souk. ( I almost stepped on her) So I decided to bring her home, she was full of thousands of fleas etc. which were gone after i gave her a bath;
she's my first ever pet, so I didn't know that I needed to make a litter the 1st night, and she had went to the bathroom in a plastic bag! 

I gave her a shower etc. Haven't been able to deworm her even yet bc I am waiting on my friend to bring me meds from dubai; I gave her ivermectin, the only med I could find here. She still has diarrhea but is super energetic & loving. Sleeps on my lap, begs for me to pet her etc. People are super surprised that she is a true feral cat. 

So I thought she was a regular cat, except that I knew her body, her long legs & big paws were diff from the cats I've seen. I was searching on the internet the other day, & find out she's not a cat at all, but an African Wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica! 


I have been feeding her a raw meat diet, (theres no petstore pet food etc here) so she eats raw goat meat, chicken, tuna, chicken sausage & eggs. She's super sweet & clean (except for a couple of accidents which I know are bc of the worms) She talks to me all day long & begs for affection. 

But will she be ok to have later on as she gets older since she is a wildcat. & I was planning on bringing her back home to NYC once I was done here, would that be possible now? I have never had a pet, but I've fallen in love with nala, & since she is a wildcat, I want to know if she will be safe to keep once she's older & stronger. 

Can anyone guess at her age from the teeth? I was thinking she was 6-8 weeks. Also, I think she's a girl, bc i don't notice a penis, so hopefully I'm right, bc she answers to Nala.

Appreciate all of your input, thanks in advance!  

alkemist said:

she's my first ever pet, so I didn't know that I needed to make a litter the 1st night, and she had went to the bathroom in a plastic bag! 

I gave her a shower etc. Haven't been able to deworm her even yet bc I am waiting on my friend to bring me meds from dubai; I gave her ivermectin, the only med I could find here. She still has diarrhea but is super energetic & loving. Sleeps on my lap, begs for me to pet her etc. People are super surprised that she is a true feral cat. 

So I thought she was a regular cat, except that I knew her body, her long legs & big paws were diff from the cats I've seen. I was searching on the internet the other day, & find out she's not a cat at all, but an African Wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica! 

IMG_8487.jpg

• alkemist
• Mar 29, 2015

I have been feeding her a raw meat diet, (theres no petstore pet food etc here) so she eats raw goat meat, chicken, tuna, chicken sausage & eggs. She's super sweet & clean (except for a couple of accidents which I know are bc of the worms) She talks to me all day long & begs for affection. 

But will she be ok to have later on as she gets older since she is a wildcat. & I was planning on bringing her back home to NYC once I was done here, would that be possible now? I have never had a pet, but I've fallen in love with nala, & since she is a wildcat, I want to know if she will be safe to keep once she's older & stronger. 

Can anyone guess at her age from the teeth? I was thinking she was 6-8 weeks. Also, I think she's a girl, bc i don't notice a penis, so hopefully I'm right, bc she answers to Nala.

Appreciate all of your input, thanks in advance!  

Click to expand...

She sure is pretty. Thank you for saving her!! Are you sure she's a wildcat?? Do you have access to a vet who might be able to confirm this? If she really is, I'd say it would be a safe bet that you would not be able to bring her back to NYC. Savannah cats are illegal in NYC and they aren't full wild. I love her name. How pretty!! Since you have access to goat meat, can you get her some goat milk as well since she's still pretty young?

@catwoman707  @StefanZ  - what would you estimate this baby's age to be?

Wow, she's pretty! She might not be a pure wildcat, I hear it's quite common for them to breed with domestic cats. All the same I think you'll have trouble taking her back to the US. Alley Cat Rescue work with African wildcats, maybe you could get some advice from them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alley_Cat_Rescue

I'm about 90% sure that she's a wildcat, she fits all of the markings I found online, she even has the gait of a cheetah, like i see it when she walks towards me when I'm laying down. she sits right up like a lion does, her legs are very long & she has a sleek body, the reddish color behind the ears and belly, its like sand & reddish, which they say is a sign that its not a hybrid. The vets here aren't "real vets" they're basically guys that have x med for goats, they just know how to handle/take care of goats camels sheep. Yes, Stefanz & others advised me to get her goat milk, which the lady down the blocks sells, and nala loves it.

Well I guess if most people are unable to tell what she is, maybe Id be able to slide her through, bc I couldn't imagine just abandoning her, she really thinks I'm her mom. She has conversations with me all day long, even now!

alkemist said:

Well I guess if most people are unable to tell what she is, maybe Id be able to slide her through, bc I couldn't imagine just abandoning her, she really thinks I'm her mom. She has conversations with me all day long, even now!

Click to expand...

I agree, dont talk too loud with the authoriteties you think she is a Lybica. 

How is it with intake of living animals and pets to the USA, that I dont know.  I think ThIS may be a difficulty.  You must search out.  Perhaps some quarantine will be necessary.   Although, sometimes can a quarantine be done informally, at least with indoors only cats.   You basically simply promise she will be inside the whole time, without meeting any other cat from outside.

Look it up, through.

  I did had read they are sometimes domesticated, but this is the first clear cut example.  How she will be as fully adult, I dont know, but as sweet and easy fostered she is now, it can be bad. 

I mean, she was easier to get domesticated then most usual kittens.   A real natural talent.

Also, after the spaying you will do as soon you have access to a real vet, also such difficulties will be much lesser.

Exactly what I was thinking Stefanz, best to keep quiet! I feel special having a rare cat thats gentle & loving domesticated. I just have to be careful bc this stray cat came into her room yesterday, luckily nala was in this box she loves, & I heard noises, so I ran to her room, & the cat ran out. The box had many holes punched into it, I guess from where the cat was trying to hit nala, but luckily i came in time, bc she seemed to be unscathed, just a little shaken, the cat returned at night, sniffing around, I threw things at it, & it ran away, now Im just constantly paranoid of letting nala into my yard. Hopefully the stray doesn't return.

The first thing I noticed was her long legs! She's special

Very tough to guess her age because she is not a standard domestic kitty, but her teeth look like about a 3 month old kitten to me. 

Do you think that stray cat could be related?  Or where you found Nala is too far away from where you live?

All cats are Little African Wildcats . Genetically speaking, at least. So I doubt there will be much difference between her and one of more domesticated background. Her mother may have been somewhat domesticated; kittens usually pick up their attitudes about humans from their mothers so if her mom was fully wild she would likely be far more skittish.

NYC does ban all exotic animals (even hedgehogs and ferrets!) so I wouldn't spread the news. Unless she changes a lot when she grows up, she should be able to pass for a domestic. Street cats from other countries frequently look somewhat different from American strays so I don't think they'll find her suspicious.

If you aren't able to have her spayed, you'll need to find a way to keep her away from tomcats, or you're going to be grandparent to a lot of kittens! Try to get her a rabies shot, too, that's a big problem in less developed countries.

You can learn how to provide a balanced homemade diet in our raw and homecooked forum. It's not too hard but there are some nutrients you have to make sure to provide.

Another good resource for those in less developed countries is the online Merck Vet Manual. You can learn which "goat medications" are safe for cats and in what dosages.

It's hard for me to tell gender from that picture. It's an awkward angle, plus things look a little tender back there! If you can get a picture of the kitty standing with her tail up, it'll be a little easier to tell. If she's a male , testicles will be visible soon enough.

Her mom is on the left, i saw her grab this huge rat at the market; i walked further down, thats when I saw emaciated & aloof looking nala. I dont think the mom was taking care of her, maybe she was the runt? The pic on the right is the first day I had her. Shes gained a lot of weight & a soft shiny coat as well.

& the stray def isnt her mother, its a domestic white orange cat. It used to sleep here before i got nala, but shes def out to kill nala, i cant lie, i felt like leaving poison out for her after she tried killing nala; but my conscience wont let me, as I know its nature but that was my initial visceral response.

She just did something odd, as she was rubbing against my foot, she always does, near the fridge begging for food, I was on my phone, & next thing i notice, she pooped a nice one on my foot!

She has diarrhea bc of the worms, so she has had lil accidents before she runs to the litter, but never this. Shes starting to get an attitude the past week. She even started going outside the gate looking at ppl & goats pass by; before she was too afraid & would peak under the gate.

Her mom wasnt domesticated but since she was in the market i guess she was used to humans, ppl here are nice to animals as its a big sin to mistreat them, thats why the goats will openly go into any yard whos gate is open to eat everytthing! I let them into clean up every now & then.

If she had rabies, which i hope she doesnt bc we play a lot & she bites my hand softly & claws at them, softly where i feel barely anything. She doesnt foam at the mouth. & i def dont want any kittens for now at least, maybe when i get back home bc my brother & sis are trying to take her away from me already!

I will try to find that food forum, thatll be much better bc i give her lil slabs of meat everyday. & its past midnight here, ill try to take a better pic tomorrow to determine her sex.

Nah, I don't think she has rabies NOW, it's fatal with no cure and they're generally dead within a week of showing symptoms. I just mean you want to get her a vaccine against it so she doesn't end up with it later. Rabies is fairly rare in most areas of the US but very common in most parts of Africa and SE Asia . And documentation of rabies vaccination will be necessary in order to transport her to the US.

It might become very difficult to keep her indoors when she comes into sexual maturity, plus the tomcats will come looking for her. Females can go into heat as young as 4 months but 5-7 months is more common. I don't envy you the job of trying to keep her contained! A cat in heat can get extremely desperate to get out and find a mate. Are you able to get to a larger city? There may be a vet there who can do cat spays. Contact any animal groups that are in the area to see if they know what you could do. You'll both be so much happier once she's spayed.

Oh, i wasnt aware the spaying was that serious; ill try to see if someone can do it, but the doctors are pretty inept, so the vets... No bigger city yet, i will keep it in mind & ask around. What type of behavior should i expect? I was joking with my brother that im going try my hardest to keep her celibate. She has very sharp claws, she still fits in my hand. I hope this heat thing comes as late as possible.

Also, anyway to disway the feral from killing her? Or do I just have to keep an eye out & monitor? Thanks again for all of your help!

Cats rarely kill each other---it's mostly just territorial bickering. Of course she could be hurt if the cat is much larger so do your best to keep her inside, especially while she's small. But if you intend to allow her outdoors she will eventually establish whose territory is where with all the local cats.

Poor little poopy butt, she does look like she has a bad case of worms. Did you say you were getting some medicine for her? I get my worming medicine on line, is that possible in Somalia? Profender is a good one. You can get the right one for kittens of her weight. I think it's available for cats under 2 kilos, 2 to 4 kilos and up from there.

How long are you staying in Somalia? Are you planning to bring her back to the US with you? I don't think you'll be able to sneak her through customs. She is very striking looking and customs officers will be on the look out for illegally imported wild animals. If you are going to bring her back make sure you do it legally, get all the paperwork and everything sorted out before you try.

@StephenQ  What do you think? Any chance of her being allowed into New York?

If not, start looking now for someone who could take care of her after you leave. If African Wild Cats are kept as pets you might be able to find someone you can re-home her with. Or try contacting the Born Free foundation. I don't think they operate in Somalia, but they might know of other groups who do.

http://www.bornfree.org.uk/

http://wildlife.rescueme.org/so

Norachan said:

 
Poor little poopy butt, she does look like she has a bad case of worms. Did you say you were getting some medicine for her? I get my worming medicine on line, is that possible in Somalia? Profender is a good one. You can get the right one for kittens of her weight. I think it's available for cats under 2 kilos, 2 to 4 kilos and up from there.

How long are you staying in Somalia? Are you planning to bring her back to the US with you? I don't think you'll be able to sneak her through customs. She is very striking looking and customs officers will be on the look out for illegally imported wild animals. If you are going to bring her back make sure you do it legally, get all the paperwork and everything sorted out before you try.

@StephenQ  What do you think? Any chance of her being allowed into New York?

If not, start looking now for someone who could take care of her after you leave. If African Wild Cats are kept as pets you might be able to find someone you can re-home her with. Or try contacting the Born Free foundation. I don't think they operate in Somalia, but they might know of other groups who do.

http://www.bornfree.org.uk/

http://wildlife.rescueme.org/so

Click to expand...

OK. Regarding bringing the kitten into the US. This is from the CDC

http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/cats.html

From NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets

Import/Export

Importation in to New York State:

Cats & Dogs

• "New York State accepts a 3 year rabies vaccination for dogs and cats on interstate health certificates. It must be noted on the health certificate that it is a 3 year rabies vaccine. The health certificate must also have the vaccine product name, date of vaccination and whether it is a killed or live vaccine recorded on it." Dog and Cat Importation into NY State
• If importing animals from outside of the US, you must meet both Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and NYS Requirements
  • CDC Requirements - BringingAnimalToUs.html
  • NYS Requirements- Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued 30 days or less prior to entry and current Rabies Vaccination for cats and dogs 3 months of age and older. In addition to a one year rabies vaccination, we do also accept 3 year rabies vaccination. (see first bullet in this section)
    • Note: CVI must be written or officially translated in English. We do not accept the Pet Passport.
• If importing animals from inside the US, you must meet NYS Requirements
  • Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued 30 days or less prior to entry and current Rabies Vaccination for cats and dogs 3 months of age and older. In addition to a one year rabies vaccination, we do also accept a 3 year rabies vaccination. (see first bullet in this section)
    • Note:
      • If staying in NYS for less than 30 days or for exhibition, a CVI is not needed but proof of rabies is required.
      • If a NY resident is travelling out of state and travelling back with the same pet within one year, a CVI is not needed but proof of rabies and proof of NYS residency is required.
      • Dogs or cats with infectious or communicable disease can enter NYS only for treatment at a veterinary clinic. The certificate of veterinary inspection must indicate the animal is moving to the clinic for treatment of that condition.

This is also from the NYS Dept of Agriculture and Markets. I'm copying/pasting from the list linked below as cliff notes because there's a whole lot of monkeys on it before you get to cats

Wildlife / Exotics / Endangered Species

• The following link lists animals that are not under the jurisdiction of New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets for import requirements. Please call the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at (518) 402-8985 for more information. Wild Animal Species List

Leopardus tigrinus - Little Spotted Cat, Tiger Cat

Genus Leptailurus

Leptailurus serval - Serval

Genus Lynx

Lynx lynx - Eurasian Lynx, Siberian Lynx

Lynx canadensis - Canada Lynx

Lynx pardinus - Spanish Lynx

Lynx rufus - Bobcat, lince American, Lynx roux

Genus Oncifelis

Oncifelis colocolo - Pampas Cat

Oncifelis geoffroyi - Geoffroy’s Cat

Oncifelis guigna - Guigna, Kodkod

Genus Oreailurus

Oreailurus jacobita - Andean Cat

Genus Otocolobus

Otocolobus manul - Pallas’s Cat

Genus Pardofelis

Pardofelis marmorata - Marbled Cat

Genus Prionailurus

Prionailurus bengalensis - Leopard Cat, Bengal Cat, Tiger Cat

Prionailurus rubiginosus

- Rusty-spotted Cat

Prionailurus viverr

inus - Fishing Cat

Prionailurus planiceps - Flat-headed Cat

Genus Profelis

Profelis aurata - African Golden Cat

Genus Puma

Puma concolor - Puma, Mountain Lion,

Cougar, Painter, Florida Panther

Subfamily Pantherinae

Genus Neofelis

Neofelis nebulosa - Clouded Leopard

Genus Panthera

Panthera leo - Lion

Panthera onca - Jaguar

Panthera pardus - Leopard

Panthera tigris - Tiger, Siberian Tiger

Genus Uncia

Uncia Uncia - Snow Leopard

If this cat is indeed a silvestris lybica (african wildcat) or a hybrid of one, wouldn't it be safe to say that it should be OK to bring to NYC if the CDC/NYS  regulations were met since that particular cat is NOT on this list?   Just don't stuff a lion into your suitcase before you board the plane. They may notice that one.

Kat0121 said:

OK. Regarding bringing the kitten into the US. This is from the CDC

http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/cats.html

From NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets

Import/Export

Importation in to New York State:

Cats & Dogs

• "New York State accepts a 3 year rabies vaccination for dogs and cats on interstate health certificates. It must be noted on the health certificate that it is a 3 year rabies vaccine. The health certificate must also have the vaccine product name, date of vaccination and whether it is a killed or live vaccine recorded on it." Dog and Cat Importation into NY State
• If importing animals from outside of the US, you must meet both Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and NYS Requirements
  • CDC Requirements - BringingAnimalToUs.html
  • NYS Requirements- Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued 30 days or less prior to entry and current Rabies Vaccination for cats and dogs 3 months of age and older. In addition to a one year rabies vaccination, we do also accept 3 year rabies vaccination. (see first bullet in this section)
    • Note: CVI must be written or officially translated in English. We do not accept the Pet Passport.
• If importing animals from inside the US, you must meet NYS Requirements
  • Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued 30 days or less prior to entry and current Rabies Vaccination for cats and dogs 3 months of age and older. In addition to a one year rabies vaccination, we do also accept a 3 year rabies vaccination. (see first bullet in this section)
    • Note:
      • If staying in NYS for less than 30 days or for exhibition, a CVI is not needed but proof of rabies is required.
      • If a NY resident is travelling out of state and travelling back with the same pet within one year, a CVI is not needed but proof of rabies and proof of NYS residency is required.
      • Dogs or cats with infectious or communicable disease can enter NYS only for treatment at a veterinary clinic. The certificate of veterinary inspection must indicate the animal is moving to the clinic for treatment of that condition.

This is also from the NYS Dept of Agriculture and Markets. I'm copying/pasting from the list linked below as cliff notes because there's a whole lot of monkeys on it before you get to cats :lol3:

Wildlife / Exotics / Endangered Species

• The following link lists animals that are not under the jurisdiction of New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets for import requirements. Please call the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at (518) 402-8985 for more information. Wild Animal Species List

 
Leopardus tigrinus - Little Spotted Cat, Tiger Cat
Genus Leptailurus
Leptailurus serval - Serval
Genus Lynx
Lynx lynx - Eurasian Lynx, Siberian Lynx
Lynx canadensis - Canada Lynx
Lynx pardinus - Spanish Lynx
Lynx rufus - Bobcat, lince American, Lynx roux
Genus Oncifelis
Oncifelis colocolo - Pampas Cat
Oncifelis geoffroyi - Geoffroy’s Cat
Oncifelis guigna - Guigna, Kodkod
Genus Oreailurus
Oreailurus jacobita - Andean Cat
Genus Otocolobus
Otocolobus manul - Pallas’s Cat
Genus Pardofelis
Pardofelis marmorata - Marbled Cat
Genus Prionailurus
Prionailurus bengalensis - Leopard Cat, Bengal Cat, Tiger Cat
Prionailurus rubiginosus
- Rusty-spotted Cat
Prionailurus viverr
inus - Fishing Cat
Prionailurus planiceps - Flat-headed Cat
Genus Profelis
Profelis aurata - African Golden Cat
Genus Puma
Puma concolor - Puma, Mountain Lion,
Cougar, Painter, Florida Panther
Subfamily Pantherinae
Genus Neofelis
Neofelis nebulosa - Clouded Leopard
Genus Panthera
Panthera leo - Lion
Panthera onca - Jaguar
Panthera pardus - Leopard
Panthera tigris - Tiger, Siberian Tiger
Genus Uncia
Uncia Uncia - Snow Leopard


If this cat is indeed a silvestris lybica (african wildcat) or a hybrid of one, wouldn't it be safe to say that it should be OK to bring to NYC if the CDC/NYS  regulations were met since that particular cat is NOT on this list?   Just don't stuff a lion into your suitcase before you board the plane. They may notice that one.

Click to expand...

This is amazinggggg, i swear, i adore this forum, ppl are sooo helpful!!! I truly appreciate it

Hows this pic to determine sex