If you don't spay her, there will be much more of a constant hormonal roller coaster because she will keep going into heat. Do the spay, and her hormones will settle down for good in a few weeks.
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Broken jaw needs wiring
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Here are some pictures of the cat when it was at the first vet roughly 48 hours after the accident
Pretty cat. Is she feeling better?
Poor punkin! 
While she does have the face of fear, I have to say she doesn't have quite the "full blown feral" look.
(Ears out to the sides, fully dilated pupils) She's def. scared, but once the vet and all the drama has settled and she is recovering, she will settle down somewhat at least.
Have you decided about spaying her now?
If so, please do so asap.
While she does have the face of fear, I have to say she doesn't have quite the "full blown feral" look.
(Ears out to the sides, fully dilated pupils) She's def. scared, but once the vet and all the drama has settled and she is recovering, she will settle down somewhat at least.
Have you decided about spaying her now?
If so, please do so asap.
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I am following this thread. You are an angel for saving this cat's life, and healing her. I am sure she's forever grateful for your help, no matter how "vicious" she may be to you.
I have a feeling you'll bond with her, and keep her in the end. lol.
As much as I hate the thought of spaying while pregnant, I think it's the best thing to do in this situation. She doesn't need to have kittens all over her while she's healing, plus there's so many homeless kittens out there. If you do decide to not to spay her, please do not release the kitten on the streets- I suggest finding homes for them or ask a rescue to help. They will be tamed, especially if you help take care of them since birth.
Money- sounds like you are doing alright in this department, knowing how expensive vet bills are.. but I am wondering if you've considered calling rescues and see if any can help financially? Especially if you tell them you found her in the streets and she's a stray.
I have a feeling you'll bond with her, and keep her in the end. lol.
As much as I hate the thought of spaying while pregnant, I think it's the best thing to do in this situation. She doesn't need to have kittens all over her while she's healing, plus there's so many homeless kittens out there. If you do decide to not to spay her, please do not release the kitten on the streets- I suggest finding homes for them or ask a rescue to help. They will be tamed, especially if you help take care of them since birth.
Money- sounds like you are doing alright in this department, knowing how expensive vet bills are.. but I am wondering if you've considered calling rescues and see if any can help financially? Especially if you tell them you found her in the streets and she's a stray.
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I will be calling the vet tomorrow for an update. He asked me to call him in 3 to 4 days time since I last spoke to him.
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In my last conversation with the vet HE seems to have decided that HE needs to spay her. This actually makes it a lot easier for me. I will be calling him tomorrow and maybe they have already done the spaying operation.
Poor punkin!
While she does have the face of fear, I have to say she doesn't have quite the "full blown feral" look.
(Ears out to the sides, fully dilated pupils) She's def. scared, but once the vet and all the drama has settled and she is recovering, she will settle down somewhat at least.
Have you decided about spaying her now?
If so, please do so asap.
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If I had the ability I would keep her. Actually my dream is to have a place where all homeless cats and dogs can call home where they would be safe from abuse and have shelter and food. But that would be in an ideal world and unfortunately we are not living in one.
If she ends up having the kittens believe me I will make sure that they have somewhere to call home and they will never be released on the streets. But I think the vet has already decided to spay.
The reason she moved to a second vet is that they are feral/stray friendly and the dr is a friend of a friend and will be a lot cheaper than the first. The first vet eventhough are supposed to be fantastic and great at their job are extremely espensive and they would not offer any discounts.
The first vets bill would have been heartstopping.
But I could not give up on this beautiful living creature which I found helpless and dying in the middle of the street in a pool of blood. I believe that I was driving on that road at that exact second for a reason. My duty is to try my best to help this cat.
If I can afford it I would spend my last cent, penny etc on making her better and if I couldn't afford it I would beg, borrow or steal to save her.
Regards,
Thanks for the update and the pictures. She's a pretty girl. I agree with @catwoman707 , she doesn't really have that feral look about her. Maybe she used to have a home? The new vet sounds much better than the first, I hope the spay went OK. I've had to spay a few feral cats that were pregnant, they were only in their first few weeks so the pregnancy wasn't discovered until they started the operation. They all recovered really quickly. I'm sure she'll be completely over it by the time her jaw heals.
Thanks for everything you are doing for her. She's one very lucky cat.
Thanks for everything you are doing for her. She's one very lucky cat.
Something similar happened to a kitten who had a broken jaw and was found in a dumpster. The Kitten House Rescue took her in and she is adoptable now. They should have answers to your questions
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I called the practice today but unfortunately the vet wasn't in but I spoke to the nurse. They haven't spayed the cat yet but the nurse said that the dr is going to do it.She said that the cat is doing a lot better and still eating on her own.The nurse confirmed again to me that this is a street cat which will be extremely diffiult to rehome and she is difficult to approach. I could actually hear the cat in the background throughout the whole phone call howling angrily.To tame her will require patience, time and space to accommodate her and I don't have any of the three. Eventhough I had originally decided to release her in a quieter part of town I'm a little discouraged now because a couple of people on this site have commented that she might end up wandering endlessly trying to find her old territory. I really don't know what to do.
Wherever you do release her, she just needs to be able to be contained for a while so she is acclimated.
This is why a backyard is ideal for relocating.
I should add this just as an fyi, but if she were a true feral she wouldn't be crying and carrying on.
This is why a backyard is ideal for relocating.
I should add this just as an fyi, but if she were a true feral she wouldn't be crying and carrying on.
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I've been following too-such a tough one! You're an angel! I mostly agree with Catwoman707...a highly vocal "true feral" is VERY unusual. We have, though, in all our years, had one true feral that -after a few days at the vet for some injury healing became "the loudest cat they'd ever had!" And we knew his origin-def feral all the way. But generally no -true ferals do VERY lttle vocalizing. So somewhere in there may be a kitty who, way back, was dumped or treated badly & escaped, forced to live the ferL life a bit. And moving ferals is NOT out of the question.....we can all help you with advice on how to do it properly & safely if you get to that stage. It definitely can be done! Not always easy to find somewhere you can do it right, but it's far from Impossible! And in my opinion-the kittens almost become a personal choice. We've been faced with that many times. I tend to be more wobbly on my decision if they're much closer to birth. But have you talked to vet about how giving birth would effect mom.? The physical strain -even the trying to clean the babies with a recovering broken jaw sounds like a nightmare. Talk to the vet ----even talk to a few vets. Do online research. Keep reaching out here. I'm NEVER happy to advocate terminating the kittens -I truly hate it---and another week or two & not sure I could (despite all my shelter & TNR work, it's a tough decision). But my worry is that it will kill a fragile mom. And after all she's been through I'd hate to see her life in danger.
Anyway -you're an angel-keep us all posted on what's going to be a long emotional ride (but one you'll never forget!!!)
Anyway -you're an angel-keep us all posted on what's going to be a long emotional ride (but one you'll never forget!!!)
If the vet has determined that the cat is strong enough for the spay surgery, then you should trust the vet. Yes, spaying can be hard on a pregnant cat--but giving birth to a litter of kittens and then going into heat again isn't a picnic, either.
I have a big problem with vets and vet techs who think they're being helpful when they tell people a stray or feral is unadoptable. They are quite often WRONG. No cat is going to be at their best when they're in a small cage in a strange place, being handled by strange people and being around other animals who are sick and scared. ALL cats are going to cry and some will struggle. It is not fair to draw the conclusion that they will be untamable in a stable home environment. I had a vet tech tell me my female 10 month old feral was not tamable, and another vet tech told my friend that her 5 month female feral was not tamable, and they were wrong. Yes, it took several months, but both cats have been tamed and are happily living indoors. Please don't base your decisions on what the vets and vet techs say. If you take this cat home to recover for a week or two, you will have a better sense of what her "true" personality is.
I have a big problem with vets and vet techs who think they're being helpful when they tell people a stray or feral is unadoptable. They are quite often WRONG. No cat is going to be at their best when they're in a small cage in a strange place, being handled by strange people and being around other animals who are sick and scared. ALL cats are going to cry and some will struggle. It is not fair to draw the conclusion that they will be untamable in a stable home environment. I had a vet tech tell me my female 10 month old feral was not tamable, and another vet tech told my friend that her 5 month female feral was not tamable, and they were wrong. Yes, it took several months, but both cats have been tamed and are happily living indoors. Please don't base your decisions on what the vets and vet techs say. If you take this cat home to recover for a week or two, you will have a better sense of what her "true" personality is.
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Update:
I visited the vet yesterday and saw the cat. She is doing better, eating etc....
Unfortunately there is a warning sign over her cage ''Be careful when handling, unfriendly cat'' or something of the sort.
She was hiding behind the litter tray and would not move. When we opened the cage and moved the tray away from her face she made it clear that she was not impressed at all and let out a howl or a constant cry (don't know what is the exact name for the sound that a cat makes when they are angry). She opened her mouth enough to show teeth which is a good sign that her mouth is healing I guess.
Once again the vet made it clear that she does not have two fractures. She has only one and it's healing fine on it's own. The cat is eating well and improving everyday.
When I pushed for an operation if needed his exact words were:
''I am a surgeon and I love doing surgeries and if I thought that she needed it, I would operate. As far as I'm concerned she does not need surgery''
They will do the spaying after the weekend and then give her time to recover. He stressed again that this is a street cat that will not be happy at all indoors and needs to be released again. He seems to agree with me that the perfect place would be by the beach in the fishermen's yard where there is plenty of food.
I really need to start seriously thinking about what I should do after she has healed.
Regards
I visited the vet yesterday and saw the cat. She is doing better, eating etc....
Unfortunately there is a warning sign over her cage ''Be careful when handling, unfriendly cat'' or something of the sort.
She was hiding behind the litter tray and would not move. When we opened the cage and moved the tray away from her face she made it clear that she was not impressed at all and let out a howl or a constant cry (don't know what is the exact name for the sound that a cat makes when they are angry). She opened her mouth enough to show teeth which is a good sign that her mouth is healing I guess.
Once again the vet made it clear that she does not have two fractures. She has only one and it's healing fine on it's own. The cat is eating well and improving everyday.
When I pushed for an operation if needed his exact words were:
''I am a surgeon and I love doing surgeries and if I thought that she needed it, I would operate. As far as I'm concerned she does not need surgery''
They will do the spaying after the weekend and then give her time to recover. He stressed again that this is a street cat that will not be happy at all indoors and needs to be released again. He seems to agree with me that the perfect place would be by the beach in the fishermen's yard where there is plenty of food.
I really need to start seriously thinking about what I should do after she has healed.
Regards
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Glad the jaw is healing on its own. Hope the spay surgery goes well.
How can the vet tell that this cat is destined to remain feral? The cat has gone from being in pain and injured, to picked up by a stranger, put in a cage at the vet, subjected to all sorts of what it thinks are invasive procedures ... The cat needs time to recover, to settle, and some consistency before it is labeled. Right now, the cat does not know what is happened next.
How can the vet tell that this cat is destined to remain feral? The cat has gone from being in pain and injured, to picked up by a stranger, put in a cage at the vet, subjected to all sorts of what it thinks are invasive procedures ... The cat needs time to recover, to settle, and some consistency before it is labeled. Right now, the cat does not know what is happened next.
I agree with Cocheezie. You cannot gage an accurate description of this cat's personality while it is in a crisis. If you took him home for a week or two and kept him in a room by himself to recover, you might see very different behavior. It's too soon to make this decision.
A late response, sorry, and yes you are an angel for caring for this cat and all the vet expense and time and trauma.
Does she have a name yet?
On the question of aborting and homing strays/turned feral (which sounds like it might be the case here) - I started feeding a starving stray about 18 months ago. She had 4 kittens, and was a wonderful mother, giving rise to the name "Patience", but although she would come regularly to be fed she too was "unapproachable". By contrast the kittens tamed quite quickly, within a few months. One boy I found a lovely home for, the other three we still have, all spayed/neutered, healthy and happy.
But Patience was a tough case. By the time I finally caught her (after some blood-dripping scratches and mutual trauma) and got her to the local spay/neuter clinic she was pregnant again. The policy there for ferals was you agreed to abort if it could safely be done (although to be fair the vet did call me to confirm that) and so it was done. I felt bad, but also that it was best for her. After returning from surgery Patience totally freaked out when the anesthesia wore off and within a few hours was frantically banging against the carrier; I took her into the bathroom and let her loose in there hoping she would settle but she tried to claw her way out of the window and, fearful that she would injure herself, I finally let her outside. She disappeared for 4 days, I felt dreadfully guilty she had died of complications etc. but then she returned and started to come to eat again, her incision healed cleanly and no apparent ill effects. Oh the relief!
As winter approached I made her an outdoor shelter (old cat carrier, insulated and stuffed with straw) on the front porch, which she used regularly until it got really cold and she gradually started to come inside to eat, rest in the warm kitchen for a bit, always wary and ready to run but increasingly hanging out inside. Then one totally freezing night with heavy snow she just stayed, mostly in the (heated) basement but gradually acclimating.
Fast forward a year and by small steps Patience is fully integrated into the household, sleeps on the bed or in her basket, loves her ears scratched and head butts with great vigor for more pets when required. She has even started to play with toys and with her kittens, and purrs often - although indeed she very rarely vocalizes otherwise. The only thing she still doesn't tolerate well is being picked up.
So that's a long way of saying it's totally possible to "rehab" a cat like this. Re-homing might be another matter, Patience still hides if we have visitors! She has gradually warmed up to my husband, but they remember who saved them and become deeply attached to that person, at least that's my theory.
How is her jaw healing? A final thought, some of her "violent" behavior may be due to the horrible pain of the abscess (anyone who's had an abscessed tooth should identify with that) and as that diminishes she may improve dramatically.
good luck with her.
Does she have a name yet?
On the question of aborting and homing strays/turned feral (which sounds like it might be the case here) - I started feeding a starving stray about 18 months ago. She had 4 kittens, and was a wonderful mother, giving rise to the name "Patience", but although she would come regularly to be fed she too was "unapproachable". By contrast the kittens tamed quite quickly, within a few months. One boy I found a lovely home for, the other three we still have, all spayed/neutered, healthy and happy.
But Patience was a tough case. By the time I finally caught her (after some blood-dripping scratches and mutual trauma) and got her to the local spay/neuter clinic she was pregnant again. The policy there for ferals was you agreed to abort if it could safely be done (although to be fair the vet did call me to confirm that) and so it was done. I felt bad, but also that it was best for her. After returning from surgery Patience totally freaked out when the anesthesia wore off and within a few hours was frantically banging against the carrier; I took her into the bathroom and let her loose in there hoping she would settle but she tried to claw her way out of the window and, fearful that she would injure herself, I finally let her outside. She disappeared for 4 days, I felt dreadfully guilty she had died of complications etc. but then she returned and started to come to eat again, her incision healed cleanly and no apparent ill effects. Oh the relief!
As winter approached I made her an outdoor shelter (old cat carrier, insulated and stuffed with straw) on the front porch, which she used regularly until it got really cold and she gradually started to come inside to eat, rest in the warm kitchen for a bit, always wary and ready to run but increasingly hanging out inside. Then one totally freezing night with heavy snow she just stayed, mostly in the (heated) basement but gradually acclimating.
Fast forward a year and by small steps Patience is fully integrated into the household, sleeps on the bed or in her basket, loves her ears scratched and head butts with great vigor for more pets when required. She has even started to play with toys and with her kittens, and purrs often - although indeed she very rarely vocalizes otherwise. The only thing she still doesn't tolerate well is being picked up.
So that's a long way of saying it's totally possible to "rehab" a cat like this. Re-homing might be another matter, Patience still hides if we have visitors! She has gradually warmed up to my husband, but they remember who saved them and become deeply attached to that person, at least that's my theory.
How is her jaw healing? A final thought, some of her "violent" behavior may be due to the horrible pain of the abscess (anyone who's had an abscessed tooth should identify with that) and as that diminishes she may improve dramatically.
good luck with her.
Hi, just catching up with this thread after a few days.
I'm glad to hear that she doesn't need surgery on her jaw, is the abscess healing up OK? I guess the fact that she is able to eat says a lot.
As others have said, you can't really judge a cat on how it behaves in a strange environment when in pain. I've taken in injured adult feral cats and they do go through a complete character change once they've recovered and got used to their new home. But I guess the issue here is that you already have cats at home and don't really have the space or resources for another one. If you do decide to release her near the fisherman's wharf you need to think about how you're going to convince her to stay there. Do you know anyone who fishes there? Anyone who has a shack or an old van, something you could keep her crated in while she adjusts? You'll need to keep her crated for at least a month, so you need somewhere that's weather proof but where she won't be disturbed. And of course you'll need to be able to visit her every day to feed her and clean her litter box.
If you do decide to keep her or try to rehome her, we'll all be happy to answer any questions you have on how to do that.
I'm glad to hear that she doesn't need surgery on her jaw, is the abscess healing up OK? I guess the fact that she is able to eat says a lot.
As others have said, you can't really judge a cat on how it behaves in a strange environment when in pain. I've taken in injured adult feral cats and they do go through a complete character change once they've recovered and got used to their new home. But I guess the issue here is that you already have cats at home and don't really have the space or resources for another one. If you do decide to release her near the fisherman's wharf you need to think about how you're going to convince her to stay there. Do you know anyone who fishes there? Anyone who has a shack or an old van, something you could keep her crated in while she adjusts? You'll need to keep her crated for at least a month, so you need somewhere that's weather proof but where she won't be disturbed. And of course you'll need to be able to visit her every day to feed her and clean her litter box.
If you do decide to keep her or try to rehome her, we'll all be happy to answer any questions you have on how to do that.
As long as the cat is given a long lasting pain killer after the surgery (which they usually are, unless you say you don't want this), she will recover fine after a few days. It may be best to keep her at the vet clinic for a few days where they can monitor her recovery and keep her safe. Then, if you're going to release her to the wharf, release her. I personally do not think crating would be helpful or necessary under the present circumstances. Since this cat was dumped on the highway, you have no idea of knowing what her original territory is, and if it is far enough away, she'll quickly learn that she can't get back to it (or maybe she doesn't want to). If she manages to find her way back to you, then you have yourself a cat! A cat can't be left in a crate or otherwise confined when it doesn't have a caregiver to tend to it several times a day--she would be vulnerable and defenseless against predators and humans who might hurt her. She needs to be able to run and defend herself. She will have been crated long enough at the clinic and will want her freedom.
You may consider releasing her outside your home and caring for her as an outdoor cat. I've been taking care of my outdoor feral for over 3 years, and he is about 5 years old. I live on a dead end street with some woods around it, but there are cars and traffic, and when he roams, he crosses streets. He knows how to survive, and how to navigate around cars. Cats are smart and know how to adapt. It may very well be that after a month or so, when the weather gets cold, she will want to come inside your house. There are risks involved in any scenario, but if you keep her near you, at least you know she will have a food source.
You've been given a lot of advice, and there is a difference of opinion on some points--but ultimately, you know this cat better than anyone else. Spend some time with her while she's still at the vet clinic and go with your gut.
You may consider releasing her outside your home and caring for her as an outdoor cat. I've been taking care of my outdoor feral for over 3 years, and he is about 5 years old. I live on a dead end street with some woods around it, but there are cars and traffic, and when he roams, he crosses streets. He knows how to survive, and how to navigate around cars. Cats are smart and know how to adapt. It may very well be that after a month or so, when the weather gets cold, she will want to come inside your house. There are risks involved in any scenario, but if you keep her near you, at least you know she will have a food source.
You've been given a lot of advice, and there is a difference of opinion on some points--but ultimately, you know this cat better than anyone else. Spend some time with her while she's still at the vet clinic and go with your gut.
