Injured stray and a tough decision

Hello cat lovers! Although I'm new to the forum I've been lurking for quite a while and I cannot thank everyone here enough for all the wonderful help and advice you guys have contributed and shared on this site.

I finally gotten around to making an account as I've come across a few issues I really haven't been able to sort out myself. There are currently 3 stray/feral cats currently living in my grandpa's backyard and while I never intended to I fell in love with the furry little creatures. They will never be allowed in my grandpa's home and while it breaks my heart, I respect his stance on the situation.

The 3 kitties have been living in the backyard for about a year and a half now, when they first came around my grandpa would toss them the family's leftovers and I assume the poor things were really starving as they ate anything and everything tossed their way. I did my best to not get attached as I knew it would be a fruitless love affair between the kitties and I. So while I occasionally bought them little treats and snacks I never fully dedicated myself until recently. I came back from college over the summer and it was just this magnetic connection that drew me to them, I fed them once and than again everyday after that, it was difficult to get the cats to warm up to me initially but all the time and energy spent was worth it. They're my 3 little best friends and I adore them to the moon and back. I rent a room and the landlord is not pet friendly so I make the commute to see the cats everyday. I recently committed myself to finding a cat friendly apartment as I am now determined to give these cats everything they deserve and more. So herein lies my first dilemma, the landlord of said "pet-friendly" apartment just told me that any cat living in the apartment had to be declawed with no exceptions. Upon doing my own research on the subject, declawing is something I personally am completely against so now I'm left wondering, do I leave my loves outside where they are subjected to possums, aggressive dogs, and busy streets? Or do I declaw them and bring them into a safe licing home where I will do everything I possibly can for their forgiveness and their happiness. As I write this out I suppose my mind is actually made up that I'd rather leave them outside where they can be the true magnificent animals they are than take something so significant away from them but does anyone else have any suggestions?

The primary reason I wanted to house the cats was because the male of the group has been suffering from some gnarly wounds and bald spots littered everywhere on his body and seeing him covered from head to toe and belly in such large gashes and booboos is extremely heartbreaking. I do have intentions of taking all 3 to the vet very soon but my boy is currently in the most urgent need for it and I'm not quite sure how to go about it as I don't want to distress him by forcing him into a carrier so any tips for that?

I also recently purchased vetericyn wound + skin irritation spray for his booboos but am at a complete loss as to how to apply it on him, he runs from each spray no matter how calm and gentle I am while applying it, he even swatted at me for the first time because of it! Anyone have any ideas on how to get this spray on him until I can get him to a vet at least? please help, I'm sorry for so much to read and such a loaded question but I really am at a loss and would appreciate all the help I could get. [/IMG]

I feel silly replying to my own thread aha but from mobile I'm not really sure how to edit previous posts, he has 2 extreme bald spots on his inner back legs but I haven't been able to capture a picture of them here is his under belly and some of his armpit area
he looked so healthy just a year ago and there's just this overwhelming feeling of guilt like if only I had taken action sooner or if I had dedicated myself to them before things wouldn't have gotten this severe but now I'm going to do everything in my power to help him my family ^.^

You really need to get him to the vet.  Have any of the cats been spayed or neutered?  If not it is possible he has been going out and getting into fights looking for a mate and/or protecting his territory.  He needs to get to a vet ASAP.  Also are the females spayed?  If not and you allow them to be outside, they will be pregnant and you will have kitties every where.

As for the spray, I really would not put it on the cat unless you have seen a vet.  The poor kitty needs medical attention.

He definitely needs to get to a vet ASAP. I wouldn't try applying anything to him without him being seen by a vet first. He obviously looks very friendly and used to you. You could go through trapping him, but if he's that used to you, even if you worry about him letting you pick him up & stuff him in a carrier, my bet is he'll go into a carrier voluntarily if you put food into the back of it. If you don't have a carrier & can't afford to get one right away - ask a friend if you can borrow one. Use something really smelly - like mackerel or tuna. Just be ready to shut the door quickly. Don't put a ton into it as -since hopefully they'll be neutering him immediately- they won't want him to have much food in his tummy the day of surgery.

But I'd definitely get him in ASAP. And neutered too. It's highly likely that at least some of the wounds are from fighting - for territory/over females/etc. something that can be 90% prevented by neutering. But regardless of what the wounds are from -he needs to be treated quickly. He's a gorgeous boy! Keep us posted!

These are very sweet cats, and you are wonderful and kind to care about them!! 

So I just wanted to say thank you for that!

Food is important, and getting them fixed is equally important.

This is your number one priority now for them to have a good future and live healthy and happy.

In my opinion the bald spots/wounds are not actually wounds at all, but an issue of his skin. He is also licking at them I see.

Get yourself a 1 ml syringe found at most stores/pharmacies, etc.

Get some Advantage 11 topical flea treatment and draw it from the tube in to the syringe so you will be able to get good and close, while petting, part the fur at the scruff then zap each with it.

The one with the bald spots needs this done repeated every week for several weeks, if after 2 doses and the 3rd becoming due, you can see fur regrowing where he is bald.

If not, then it could be ringworm, but I don't suspect it is as much as I suspect mange/scabies/flea/mite type issues, or perhaps lice. No, lice is not as scary as it sounds, and not contagious to humans.

This advice is meant until you are able to get them to a vet, as they do need to be fixed asap.

It's important you understand that, when you move them to a new location, they must be acclimated for several weeks before letting them roam freely if they will be outdoor cats.

I completely agree with your decision to make them your outdoor cats rather than declawing.

If you can find another place to move to, I would do this even more-so!

Thank you so much for the quick replies guys, and definitely getting him to a vet very soon is at the top of my list and my first priority. I've borrowed a cat carrier from a friend and now just to figure out how to get my big boy in it, thank you for everyone's suggestions so far! Of the 3 cats the white one is the only male, the other 2 are females but I've had them in my backyard all along convinced that they were already spayed because of their eartip. My online research led me to believe that some kind person has already brought them in for TNR and the tipped ear was supposed to be the universal physical appearance for animals shelters to identify that but I will also be bringing my 2 little girls in to the vets as well. I will kee everyone updated!

My big boy on the other hand, funny story about him actually is when he first showed up 18 months ago he was not skiddish or fearful like the 2 girls were. He sauntered right up to me and tapped me with his tail, he did not object me to petting him and was just so friendly I knew there was no way he was feral, so I put up lost posters and was actually contacted by someone that claimed the be the owner, he said that it was his cat and he had placed him in some sort of kitty hotel/shelter for the time being as his apartment didn't allow pets. He gave me a story about how he paid thousands of dollars for the cat and flew him in from out of state. None of it really made sense to me as I didn't understand how a shelter could lose his cat but at this point I was just happy I hat I found kittys owner, months later and the owner kept saying he would pick up kitty "soon" and eventually we lost contact and well fast forward to a year and a half later and kitty is still here and I consider him my baby now. Funny thing is one of my aunts recently got married and her new groom actually turned out to be a friend of the man who contacted me about the cat so long ago, apparently he still has intentions of take the cat home "some day". All I know is if he could abandon such a beautiful innocent little creature for so long there's absolutely no way I'm going to give up my cat without a fight. His family's here, the other 2 cats love and adore him almost a little too much haha. Thanks again for everyone's help and advice! I'm aiming to bring him to the vet this week and hopefully that goes well and I will hopefully return with good news. Also is it possible for it to be fleas ? Because I've combed through his fur and I don't see anything at all! Are there any other things I can do to make them more comfortable during the transportation and commute to the vet? My boyfriend told me that if I capture them and bring them to the vet which will be traumatizing for them, the cats will never forgive me and that's so scary to think about and would totally break my heart

catwoman707 said:

These are very sweet cats, and you are wonderful and kind to care about them!! 
So I just wanted to say thank you for that!


Get yourself a 1 ml syringe found at most stores/pharmacies, etc.
Get some Advantage 11 topical flea treatment and draw it from the tube in to the syringe so you will be able to get good and close, while petting, part the fur at the scruff then zap each with it.
The one with the bald spots needs this done repeated every week for several weeks, if after 2 doses and the 3rd becoming due, you can see fur regrowing where he is bald.
If not, then it could be ringworm, but I don't suspect it is as much as I suspect mange/scabies/flea/mite type issues, or perhaps lice. No, lice is not as scary as it sounds, and not contagious to humans.

This advice is meant until you are able to get them to a vet, as they do need to be fixed asap.

It's important you understand that, when you move them to a new location, they must be acclimated for several weeks before letting them roam freely if they will be outdoor cats.

I completely agree with your decision to make them your outdoor cats rather than declawing.
If you can find another place to move to, I would do this even more-so!

Click to expand...

Thank you so much! Initially I was positive they needed some kind of flea treatment as they scratch so aggressively and constantly but when I searched through their fur and brushed them with the furminator I just saw no signs of fleas and was worried that giving them a flea treatment would be bad for their health if they werent actually suffering from fleas, I see that frontline and advantage are 2 of the most highly recommended treatments, is there any reason for preferring one over the other though?

For the skin issues here you will need either advantage 11 or revolution, but that takes a prescription.

Frontline just isn't cutting it these days and I have no experience using frontline for mange/scabies/lice, but have used the other 2 I mentioned for this.

BTW your bf is pulling your leg. Car rides are best to cover the carrier/trap, it settles them down a good deal.

Hard to see fleas except on baby kittens. Light/white cats you can part their fur in several spots looking for tiny dark specks like peper. Flea poop. Wet it and it becomes blood, that's what their poop is, the blood they are sucking from the animal.

Vet visits are scary, but cats do forgive you for it.  When you get him into the carrier, it sometimes helps to cover it with a towel or sheet.  For some cats this helps, for others it doesn't make a difference.

When you get the carrier from your friend be sure to clean it really well so that it doesn't smell too much like other cats.  Place a towel inside too so he is more comfortable. 

Keep us posted and I hope all goes well.

Thank you for all your kindness towards the kittens/cats.
A couple of things come to mind:
Cats live in the moment, so they have short-term memories; consequently, the cat may not like you today for putting him into a cat carrier but will forget all about it and love you tomorrow.
In addition to spay/neutering, you should assume the cats have worms, and get de-worming medication.
Definitely cover the carrier/trap. You can spray Feliway calming agent in the carrier/trap. Play soft music on the radio during transport. (Hey, what ever works!)
Regarding the landlord/landlady who will only permit de-clawed cats: although perhaps too late now, I would print several short, simple articles why de-clawing is basically amputation, and why there are alternatives, like SoftPaws. If the issue comes up again, I would ask the potential landlord/landlady/property management person to read the article.
Good luck and keep in touch.

ShadowsRescue said:

Vet visits are scary, but cats do forgive you for it.  When you get him into the carrier, it sometimes helps to cover it with a towel or sheet.  For some cats this helps, for others it doesn't make a difference.

When you get the carrier from your friend be sure to clean it really well so that it doesn't smell too much like other cats.  Place a towel inside too so he is more comfortable. 

Keep us posted and I hope all goes well.

Click to expand...

Ohh wow thanks for that tidbit of information, I hadn't even thought of the cat not liking the scent of another cat on the carrier. If feliway actually makes a difference I will happily make the investment as I've seen it in stores and the price was just so steep I didn't know if I could justify it.

@Ritz haha I always thought kittys were lifelong grudge holders so it's relieving to know they'll forgive me haha jerk bf messing with my head. I suppose some people really just don't care because I told her that I could bring her a vet's note on why declawing is highly discouraged and why and the landlady just told me there were no exceptions. it really sucks but I won't let it deter me from loving the kittys to the best of my ability.

Feliway spray might be cheaper on Amazon.

A friend and I basically man-handled Ritz last Saturday so I could clip her claws, which were getting dangerously long. Four hours later, she was on my lap, on her back, asking for a belly rub.