So anyone who may remember the Bingo barn cat debacle with the asthmatic episode (from paint fumes) followed by an emergency stay at the vet overnight on O2 and then a urinary tract blockage from the stress of being in a carrier/car/vet for the first time....
Here's Part II
Bingo...sick as of April 1st, has been recovering in my house with occasional access to the rest of the tiny place. He was still coughing so I took a fecal sample in for testing thinking maybe it was a lung worm not chronic asthma which he's never had before in the last 2 years as a barn cat. He tested positive for the proteins in giardia but not lungworms and I know this could be because of wherever the worm is in the cycle etc. Started him on a course of liquid Panacur (which he absolutely hated so we had to switch to the powder, but still he's barely eating the wet food now because he KNOWSSS).
Now we are moving the WHOLE barn to a new location and this week has been horrible with all of it. No one will be renting the old barn so I will continue to drive there and feed the remaining 5 feral/semi ferals I've been feeding for so many years.
But Bingo's sister "Leelah" was so affectionate every day and loving, I knew she had potential and opted to relocate her to the new barn with Bingo when he's healthy. Today was "that day" when I had to catch her. I got a soft sided duffle bag type carrier and sprayed calming pheromones in there with a catnip bag. I did my usual routine pulling up at the barn and getting out with the cat food for everyone before taking care of my horse. Then Leelah wanted her hugs and kisses and head butts and I did all that with the door of the carrier open then lured her there with the smell of the catnip bag. When she was somewhat inside, I just closed her in and zipped her up.
Now, I had to still feed my horse and clean her stall and someone turned her out in a sand arena, a day before the move, and she was filthy so I had to wash her and let her dry before bandaging a pressure sore on her leg from lying down. Super stressful because I'm upset about Leelah in the carrier...she was thrashing around and rolling the soft sided carrie over but was contained within the wooden gazebo area.
Anyway...I finished up quick and jumped in the car to drive her the 10 minutes to the new barn. I set up her crate with a cat bed, litter pan, wet and dry food and water (and catnip toy mouses) and put her in there quickly. She knocked over the water and I had to mop all that up while holding her back but got it done. I spent a half an hour with her at least and she did eat a little, and purr, and let me pet her through the cage bars. She is such a loving, social cat, I couldn't leave her behind. The other 5 are old cats, a runt and a stray and they have a strong network between them, but I will still feed them daily until someone else can.
I'll check on Leelah tomorrow morning when they trailer all the 20 horses over to the new barn and I hope she's OK....just afraid because the stress of the car/carrier caused Bingo, her brother, to have urinary blockage needing really expensive surgery and that's why it's less stressful for me to drive to the old barn before going to the new, than trying to relocate all of them.
Attached pic is Leela with her super green eyes...
Here's Part II
Bingo...sick as of April 1st, has been recovering in my house with occasional access to the rest of the tiny place. He was still coughing so I took a fecal sample in for testing thinking maybe it was a lung worm not chronic asthma which he's never had before in the last 2 years as a barn cat. He tested positive for the proteins in giardia but not lungworms and I know this could be because of wherever the worm is in the cycle etc. Started him on a course of liquid Panacur (which he absolutely hated so we had to switch to the powder, but still he's barely eating the wet food now because he KNOWSSS).
Now we are moving the WHOLE barn to a new location and this week has been horrible with all of it. No one will be renting the old barn so I will continue to drive there and feed the remaining 5 feral/semi ferals I've been feeding for so many years.
But Bingo's sister "Leelah" was so affectionate every day and loving, I knew she had potential and opted to relocate her to the new barn with Bingo when he's healthy. Today was "that day" when I had to catch her. I got a soft sided duffle bag type carrier and sprayed calming pheromones in there with a catnip bag. I did my usual routine pulling up at the barn and getting out with the cat food for everyone before taking care of my horse. Then Leelah wanted her hugs and kisses and head butts and I did all that with the door of the carrier open then lured her there with the smell of the catnip bag. When she was somewhat inside, I just closed her in and zipped her up.
Now, I had to still feed my horse and clean her stall and someone turned her out in a sand arena, a day before the move, and she was filthy so I had to wash her and let her dry before bandaging a pressure sore on her leg from lying down. Super stressful because I'm upset about Leelah in the carrier...she was thrashing around and rolling the soft sided carrie over but was contained within the wooden gazebo area.
Anyway...I finished up quick and jumped in the car to drive her the 10 minutes to the new barn. I set up her crate with a cat bed, litter pan, wet and dry food and water (and catnip toy mouses) and put her in there quickly. She knocked over the water and I had to mop all that up while holding her back but got it done. I spent a half an hour with her at least and she did eat a little, and purr, and let me pet her through the cage bars. She is such a loving, social cat, I couldn't leave her behind. The other 5 are old cats, a runt and a stray and they have a strong network between them, but I will still feed them daily until someone else can.
I'll check on Leelah tomorrow morning when they trailer all the 20 horses over to the new barn and I hope she's OK....just afraid because the stress of the car/carrier caused Bingo, her brother, to have urinary blockage needing really expensive surgery and that's why it's less stressful for me to drive to the old barn before going to the new, than trying to relocate all of them.
Attached pic is Leela with her super green eyes...
I hope the days get easier. I expect Leelah will calm in time. Most cats are actually good at adapting. Her brother had a rough time but that was the extreme end of cat adaptation. Leelah may not have any issues other than being scared until she understands she is just in a nice new home. 
