Rabies??

My mind is racing now for sure. The one cat never came back tonight and the remaining just keeps crying by my window. Maybe she did split bc she felt the situation and the loss of Ash. She has never done this before and the timing couldn't be worse.

Could I have accendentally poisoned them I put mulch down in my yard the day before this happened it was organic mulch I wouldn't think it was harmful??

As far as another poisoning I have good relationships with my neighbors regarding the cats and I don't have any new neighbors that I know of moved in but you never know what people are putting out. Its hard to tell bc the fences are high in some areas and you cannot see.

Ill update everyone if she comes back and of course as soon as I get the test results back. Till then I need to leave it to God now unfortunately there isn't much I can do without knowing where she is. I already injured my self climbing the fence to get Ash I couldn't do it again. Thanks for all the support I feel lost and alone handling all of this myself I have found some comfort coming here and reading post.

Lesliel76 said:

My mind is racing now for sure. The one cat never came back tonight and the remaining just keeps crying by my window. Maybe she did split bc she felt the situation and the loss of Ash. She has never done this before and the timing couldn't be worse.

Could I have accendentally poisoned them I put mulch down in my yard the day before this happened it was organic mulch I wouldn't think it was harmful??

As far as another poisoning I have good relationships with my neighbors regarding the cats and I don't have any new neighbors that I know of moved in but you never know what people are putting out. Its hard to tell bc the fences are high in some areas and you cannot see.

Ill update everyone if she comes back and of course as soon as I get the test results back. Till then I need to leave it to God now unfortunately there isn't much I can do without knowing where she is. I already injured my self climbing the fence to get Ash I couldn't do it again. Thanks for all the support I feel lost and alone handling all of this myself I have found some comfort coming here and reading post.

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As far as I know the treatment is very effective if you do need the shots. and on the chance the cat tests positive it doesn't mean you have rabies. Animals with rabies have very distinct behaviors. Even not thinking of rabies you would click something was really off. You have made your situation known to the right people and they will take care of you if need be. Doctors and vets are faced with the if when this happens. It's not something animal or human recovers from. That's why the report even if there it's unlikely to be positive. Anyone would be overwhelmed.

When cats are poisoned, they go into kidney failure. Within a few days they become lethargic and stop eating and drinking, curl up in a ball and basically stop functioning. They don't roam around and meow. Feral cats are extremely smart and know not to eat mulch or poisoned food, especially when they have a food source. I hope you're able to leave this in God's hands and get some rest and give your mind a rest. You have been doing your best for these cats, that's all any of us can do, and sometimes bad things happen to them that us beyond our control. I lost my beloved feral, Muffin, 2 months ago from advanced Feline AIDS. It was heart breaking because I had cared for him so lovingly for four and a half years, and I never imagined this could happen. Cats who live outdoors and live life on their own terms and not ours sometimes have bad things happen to them, that's the stress of caring for them. Please don't for a moment doubt the care you are giving these cats.

Thank you I feel so heartbroken and scared. I havnt slept in days now. The mother never came back last night or this morning and her little one just keeps crying. I dont know if she took off or if this rabies scare is real and she went to die somewhere....my guess is she is close by but in a hidden spot if she is sick. There is no way for me to get to these other backyards by hoping fences without hurting myself. I also need to go to work today so I cant make it my mission to try to find her.

Or is someone poisoning them? These cats have lived here for 2 years and no new neighbors have moved in.

I will be calling today to see if any results came back.

So overwelmed trying to see clearly but its hard right now.

Is the mother cat spayed? If not, she may be in heat again and looking for a mate. Did Mama cat act sick before leaving? In the case of poisoning, AIDS or rabies, you see symptoms. If Mama seemed fine a few days ago, there is no reason to think she went off to die. Feral cats sometimes take off for a few days, even ones who are fixed. When you get home from work, maybe you could drive around your neighborhood and show a picture of your cat to folks, and ask if anyone's seen her. Your neighbors can keep an eye out for her. I hope your kitty returns soon.

Lesliel76 said:

Thank you I feel so heartbroken and scared. I havnt slept in days now. The mother never came back last night or this morning and her little one just keeps crying. I dont know if she took off or if this rabies scare is real and she went to die somewhere....my guess is she is close by but in a hidden spot if she is sick. There is no way for me to get to these other backyards by hoping fences without hurting myself. I also need to go to work today so I cant make it my mission to try to find her.

Or is someone poisoning them? These cats have lived here for 2 years and no new neighbors have moved in.

I will be calling today to see if any results came back.

So overwelmed trying to see clearly but its hard right now.

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Just thinking of you.

Thank you Kittens Mom. I am feeling a bit better today. The support this site gives is a serious blessing. It was good that I went to work and distracted myself.

I called Animal Care Control today and they said Thursday they will get the results.

The mother has still not shown up. That is super disturbing coupled with Ashs death. One or the other is one thing but both doesnt sit right. She is fixed so shes not in heat. She has had upsets before and never left. Even when I trapped all her babies to get fix. She was looking for them but still came to eat and stuff. Two of the babies also dissappeared last year at staggered times. She didnt seem bothered by it at all. Someone thought they saw one in another colony close by, I always hang on to that they just relocated.

I hope she comes back and if not she is not suffering. There was one thing I could think of is that I did bleach the shelter out. Not extreme but I threw away some things and bleached out the plastic and sprayed on some soft surfaces (its a shed with several cat shelters stacked within it). Monday afternoon she was in there lying down in there like it didnt matter but maybe the bleach smell, and the death of Ash caused her to run. Ill never know.

The last one out there is super upset for sure he keeps crying and is looking for everyone. He keeps looking over the fence where I found Ash dying. He doesnt go down there just looks. Its hard to watch and hear him. I bought some new toys,catnip and automatic laser toy to ditract him a bit. It seemed to help for a couple hours. I am sure he is grieving his lose of his friends he's never been alone. Hoping it passes fast for him. If all goes well I am considering trying to trap him and work with him to being inside. I have had his brother inside since he was a kitten..but working with a cat who has only been outside is another thread, and that is a big if considering the test results.

Outside of that the wait for the test seems like torture but the one thing that keeps me positive is that they were all vaccinated even if it wasn't totally current. Best case scenario would be the mama returns and the test results are neg. Worst would be they are positive...and that I am sure will snowball to some tough choices. Trying to keep faith and hope in the first option. Thanks again to eveyone support me the responses have helped me find some peace with this and get through the day.

Thanks for the update. It's good to know you will have a clear answer on Thursday. Sometimes going to work and being in a normal routine is helpful in dealing with stressful situations.

I hope that when you get the test results back abd all is well, you'll take in the lonely kitty who keeps crying. It sounds like he is already bonded to you, so the transition to being indoors should be smooth. I took in a 5-6 month old feral female two months ago who I'd only known for a week, and she hasn't expressed any desire at all to return outside --she loves her toys, food, and playing with my other cats. Of all the strays and ferals I've taken into my home over the years, only one cries to go out--and sometimes I take him out on a lead abd harness. Your little kitty is probably not used to being alone. I hope you'll be able to help him, if possible.

It's hard to know where ferals go when they take off. It's possible someone she knows took her in, or perhaps she's hanging with a colony somewhere. I would not assume the worse since she was healthy when you saw her a few days ago. Also, as I've said before, when a feral has a bond with their caregiver, they tend to stay close by if they're sick or injured, not wander off.

Hang in there and keep us posted.

You should try to get that crying little one if you can.  If you cannot climb a fence, ask the neighbor if you can go in the yard, maybe trap him or something.  Yes, the crying would break my heart also!

Hes in my yard he comes right to my window. I have been leaving new toys and treats for him keep him distracted best I can. Also some catnip that makes him happy.

I dont want to trap him till I know the test results with the rabies its too risky till then. Hopefully I get a clear. Praying for that. Then ill trap tomorrow night and bring to the vet friday morning. Ill test for feline luekiama etc and if he clears all of that ill add him to my home. Hopfully it would go smooth since I have his brother and they already know eachother and have played together.

Still on pins and needles today cant wait for this nightmare to be over with, regardless of the results.

No mama yet .

Hope you are feeding him too!  I'm wondering if you have a new cat-killing dog in the neighborhood.  Ash could have had a broken back and concussion from being shaken by a dog.  Usually they don't survive that.  We had a dog like that who came into the neighborhood from another street, obviously hunting cats.  He got two of my neighbor's cats and one stray my neighbor found in his yard also over the course of about a month.  My neighbor has two more cats and also two little dogs, who are enclosed in a separate yard behind his house, but they dig out from time to time and he was worried the dog might kill them as well.  The next time the dog showed up on my neighbor's property, my neighbor shot him.  End of problem.  We have leash laws here and dogs are not supposed to be running loose, and if they are on your property and threatening your animals, you are legally allowed to shoot them.  (This is Georgia, in the country, and 90% of the folks here have guns.)

Red Top Rescue said:

 
Hope you are feeding him too!  I'm wondering if you have a new cat-killing dog in the neighborhood.  Ash could have had a broken back and concussion from being shaken by a dog.  Usually they don't survive that.  We had a dog like that who came into the neighborhood from another street, obviously hunting cats.  He got two of my neighbor's cats and one stray my neighbor found in his yard also over the course of about a month.  My neighbor has two more cats and also two little dogs, who are enclosed in a separate yard behind his house, but they dig out from time to time and he was worried the dog might kill them as well.  The next time the dog showed up on my neighbor's property, my neighbor shot him.  End of problem.  We have leash laws here and dogs are not supposed to be running loose, and if they are on your property and threatening your animals, you are legally allowed to shoot them.  (This is Georgia, in the country, and 90% of the folks here have guns.)

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We have the same laws. Animal control is a real issue. And the common defense is My Dog Was On the Porch.  People get upset and fail to understand most people try and solve the problem before resorting to this. Again it's not the dog. It's the owner.

You can only withstand so much ' property damage' before doing some damage control.

I am definitely feeding him! He wasnt eating much at first but he seems to be picking back up again. I bought some tuna and some special fancy feast to get him to dig in more. The treats also help.

I dont think its a dog. Last year there were three big dogs in the house behind me and they killed a cat once. My kitties never went in therir yard. The dogs are gone now new people moved in this winter. I talked to them and they said they did tnr in their old neighborhood so I know they are not harming any of them.

Cannot wait till tomorrow one more night of crying kitty and then i can bring him in....will update once I find out. They told me around 11 they get the results. I keep thinking that if it was something crazy they would of flagged it by now and called but who knows.

So I have no update other then they messed up and never broyght the specimen to get tested yet. They are telling me tomorrow now.

I am raising holy hell right now demanding this gets done today. I am not sure its even possible but I am going to do everything in my power to see if it can be done. Cant believe something so urgent and they are dragging their feet.

Lesliel76 said:

So I have no update other then they messed up and never broyght the specimen to get tested yet. They are telling me tomorrow now.

I am raising holy hell right now demanding this gets done today. I am not sure its even possible but I am going to do everything in my power to see if it can be done. Cant believe something so urgent and they are dragging their feet.

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I'm so sorry. It must be excruciating to wait another day.

Just relax and stay focused on all of the replies that members have given you as to the very unlikely hood  that this will be rabies.  Stay positive

Yes, it's important to stay positive. If the Health Dept. thought there was am immediate risk for you (i.e. you had been bitten by a vicious, unfamiliar cat), they would have sent you immediately to an ER to get the shots. Try to be patient with the people doing the testing. Now is a good time to meditate, go for a long walk, pray, or perhaps have a hot bath and a glass of wine. You don't want to make yourself sick from stress. I tend to stress a lot, too, so I have an idea what you're going through. Keep the faith. You are in my prayers.

Any news today? How are you doing?

No news in called today and they said they would get back to me. They never did. I called back and the guy who was checking was not there now. Just tried again no one answered. Looks like it will be through the weekend if not longer to find out. The good news is none of the cats are showing any signs of it.

Bad news is mama still is not home. No idea what happened to her. If she came back my nerves would be better.

Im ok kind of just giving it all up. I cant think about it anymore its taken so much out of me. No matter what I will have to deal with the situation.

Thank you everyone for your engouraging words it has helped me for sure. Its hard because people dont understand why im so upset about some outdoor cats.