I don't know what to do!!

[Lucilleyarnball79]

I've been feeding this feral male cat for a few years now and it's not unusual to not see him for a couple weeks. But he came by yesterday and he looked awful. He was limping and the side of his head right under his ear is injured real bad. I think he got hit by a car. I tried to get him to come in (which he's done before) but he just ran off. I'm sick over it! I don't know what to do.

 

[Furballsmom]

Can you, or someone you know who has a trap, use stinky food like tuna or Kentucky fried chicken, trap him and get him to a vet?

 

[di and bob]

I've had ferals that were horribly injured, and somehow they recovered. The best scenario of course is a vet. Otherwise, give him plenty of food/water and a warm place to rest and see how he does. If he is in pain he may refuse to eat and hide. There are pain meds on Amazon and Pet med sites, and maybe at a local farm supply store.

 

[Lucilleyarnball79]

So I just want to leave an update about that injured feral cat. I started him on antibiotics and this powder I can put in his food that an immune system booster. That was almost a month ago and even though he's not as skiddish as he used to be ( I hope he doesn't have a closed head injury) he's doing well and healing. He's got a great appetite too. He usually wants to fight any/all male cats be as of lately he could care less about fighting at all. So he's doing well so far and thanks for all the advice I really do appreciate it

 

[Mighty Orange]

Thank you for saving another life, 1 of many of the feline persuasion.

 

[Furballsmom]

Thanks so much for the update!

 

[di and bob]

Thanks for the update, I'm glad to hear things are getting better! He's on the mend!

 

[kittychick]

Good to hear he's healing - - obviously you've worked hard to help him feel better! It'd be great if you could get him neutered - - male cats who haven't been neutered engage live much harder and shorter lives then those that have been neutered (and if you've had other threads regarding this - I apologize for any repeating of advice). Fighting is a big cause of injuries between cats as male cats that haven't been "fixed" have so much testosterone that their main goal in life is reproducing. So they'll fight other cats (particularly intact males) to protect their own territory and any of the females in their territory, and they'll also go outside of their territory in search of females to mate with. They can smell females in heat that are a mile away - - which gives you an idea of how far they'll travel to reproduce (which is obviously very dangerous for them - esp because of traffic).

And since you obviously care greatly about this guy - - neutering him would be a big step in keeping him healthier and helping him live longer. If you're concerned about trapping him yourself, many spay/neuter clinics offer live humane traps for free or a small deposit, and many will also either help talk you through trapping or even send someone to help you. Many cities have low-cost clinics - some clinics even do free spaying/neutering of kitties in certain zip codes/towns! And alot of clinics also offer basic shots - which would again help him stay healthier.

Keep caring for him - - and keep us updated on how he's doing!