Injured stray friend

[unadrummer]

Greetings all,

I am new here & am desperately seeking some guidance from anyone with compassion, common sense & some knowledge. A contributing vet would be a lot to ask for but would certainly be most helpful at this time.

I'm the crazy ol' man who helps the stray cats on my block that pass through my backyard ...3 in particular ...Tom, Topper & Sophia. I have 'known' of them since moving here almost 5 years ago, but have only been feeding/watering them for about the past 3, almost 4 years. To this day, after feeding them twice a day for all this time ...not one will approach me, nor allow me to get within arm's length of them.

Sophia has always had an injury in her butt area. It used to be just ...'noticeable'. By that, I mean, you could see that something was wrong ...a 'red bump' on her butt. Of course, this injury has not gotten better on its own over the course of almost 4 years & recently has now become what I feel is an emergency & an ultimately fatal situation. I am at my wit's end trying to determine/decide what is best to do for her. Is breaking my heart out & I need some advice.

Please see attached photos. These are the best 2 I have been able to capture so far. The photo on the septic cover is her on a better day.
I have no idea what this might be other than what appears to now be a long portion of her rectum dangling from her backside, perhaps measuring 3" - 4" in length. I have watched her struggle to still poop through this is why I assume it is part of her rectum or colon or both.

Please keep in mind:
She is not going to allow me to approach her.
She is much too cautious/smart to be trapped. It ain't gonna happen.

What ...if anything at all ...anything....can I do for her?

Please. Help me.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Greetings all,

I am new here & am desperately seeking some guidance from anyone with compassion, common sense & some knowledge. A contributing vet would be a lot to ask for but would certainly be most helpful at this time.

I'm the crazy ol' man who helps the stray cats on my block that pass through my backyard ...3 in particular ...Tom, Topper & Sophia. I have 'known' of them since moving here almost 5 years ago, but have only been feeding/watering them for about the past 3, almost 4 years. To this day, after feeding them twice a day for all this time ...not one will approach me, nor allow me to get within arm's length of them.

Sophia has always had an injury in her butt area. It used to be just ...'noticeable'. By that, I mean, you could see that something was wrong ...a 'red bump' on her butt. Of course, this injury has not gotten better on its own over the course of almost 4 years & recently has now become what I feel is an emergency & an ultimately fatal situation. I am at my wit's end trying to determine/decide what is best to do for her. Is breaking my heart out & I need some advice.

Please see attached photos. These are the best 2 I have been able to capture so far. The photo on the septic cover is her on a better day.
I have no idea what this might be other than what appears to now be a long portion of her rectum dangling from her backside, perhaps measuring 3" - 4" in length. I have watched her struggle to still poop through this is why I assume it is part of her rectum or colon or both.

Please keep in mind:
She is not going to allow me to approach her.
She is much too cautious/smart to be trapped. It ain't gonna happen.

What ...if anything at all ...anything....can I do for her?View attachment 409941View attachment 409942
Please. Help me.

Hello U unadrummer and welcome to TCS! THANK YOU for caring about these cats. Every cat deserves respect, protection, and love.
Sophia appears to have a rectal prolapse. This definitely needs veterinary attention as it will not return to its place within her body by itself. There are many tutorials on humane trapping cats on the internet. She MUST have medical attention. This may very well be fixable. And of course, all free-roaming cats need spay/neuter and innoculations just as indoor cats do.

 

[unadrummer]

Thank you very, very kindly for your response, tarasgirl06 . As I said in my earlier post, the odds of getting her in a trap are very slim & none. She has been TNR'd once already (tip of left ear clipped) & is absolutely & completely reluctant to ...well, just about everything. I'm going to try, as it is my last & only option to be able to help her ...but I seriously, seriously doubt that she will walk into a cage, regardless of what is in there to eat. Especially after knowing where her "spot" is to eat after the past 3+ years.

I believed with all my heart that at some point during the past 3 years she would have allowed me to be her friend & would have allowed me to interact with her physically, but ....I don't think that is ever going to happen, especially now.

In the meantime ...is there anything I can add to her food or water to help soften her stool? To prevent large movements?
Should I feed her a little less?
Should I avoid feeding her dry food?

 

[tarasgirl06]

Thank you very, very kindly for your response, tarasgirl06 . As I said in my earlier post, the odds of getting her in a trap are very slim & none. She has been TNR'd once already (tip of left ear clipped) & is absolutely & completely reluctant to ...well, just about everything. I'm going to try, as it is my last & only option to be able to help her ...but I seriously, seriously doubt that she will walk into a cage, regardless of what is in there to eat. Especially after knowing where her "spot" is to eat after the past 3+ years.

I believed with all my heart that at some point during the past 3 years she would have allowed me to be her friend & would have allowed me to interact with her physically, but ....I don't think that is ever going to happen, especially now.

In the meantime ...is there anything I can add to her food or water to help soften her stool? To prevent large movements?
Should I feed her a little less?
Should I avoid feeding her dry food?

If she will eat wet food, it would be preferable to dry. Also, hoping she has fresh water readily available at all times. Some recommend a spoonful or two of UNSPICED pumpkin mixed in wet food -- this has been said to be helpful for either constipation or diarrhea!
It took us a couple of years to earn the confidence of some of the cats in our neighborhood two locations ago, where there were a lot of "community cats" who did have food sources but no veterinary care. Patience and love are key when dealing with free-roaming cats.

 

[fionasmom]

Welcome to The Cat Site! I am in a very similar situation right now with a seriously injured feral who is confined to my property....but only because he cannot jump and I have secured all exits. That is as far as we have gotten and I completely understand your frustration about not being able to trap this cat.

I agree that this looks like a seriously prolapsed rectum, at least from the pic and your description.

Read through all the suggestions from these sites. I am busy doing the same thing. Maybe one will give you an idea. I know that a lot of them won't apply, such as putting kittens in the trap to lure in a mother cat.

TNR Scenarios: Hard to Trap Cats
Top 10 Tips for Getting Your Tenacious Trap-Savvy Cat
Humane Trapping – Tips for Hard to Catch Cats | Feral Cat Focus

Feral Friends Network® Connect
You might try emailing those in your local area who might be able to help. You aren't asking for money or supplies, just help, so someone may step forward.

 

[unadrummer]

Thank you, the links are most appreciated & do have some ideas that may be worth trying, but in the end, I think it's very, very doubtful that I'll be able to trap her. I am going to try to do what I can, of course. Right now? I feel helpless. Totally. Utterly heartbroken for her. Yes, I knew she was injured all this time, but ...we do have a bond. And, I really, really believed she would come to me when she realized she is in trouble. I was wrong. So wrong. *whewww* This is going to be hard. Shoot.

Thank you again. God bless, everyone.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Thank you, the links are most appreciated & do have some ideas that may be worth trying, but in the end, I think it's very, very doubtful that I'll be able to trap her. I am going to try to do what I can, of course. Right now? I feel helpless. Totally. Utterly heartbroken for her. Yes, I knew she was injured all this time, but ...we do have a bond. And, I really, really believed she would come to me when she realized she is in trouble. I was wrong. So wrong. *whewww* This is going to be hard. Shoot.

Thank you again. God bless, everyone.

She still may come to you. You have been feeding her. You are never threatening to her. Many times I have heard/read of a living being of another species coming to a human when they are in serious need. Don't give up. Don't ever give up. And try to think best thoughts for her. Cats are very sensitive and intuitive -- some experts believe they are more sensitive than humans, and I believe they certainly are more sensitive than most these days!

 

[unadrummer]

Thank you so much, tarasgirl06 . Peace be with you, girl.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Thank you so much, tarasgirl06 . Peace be with you, girl.

...and with you! and with Sophia

 

[unadrummer]

I'd just like to thank all of you for your thoughts, compassion & suggestions. As things always are in the end, regardless ...I have an unsettling feeling that this is truly in God's hands now. Unless she comes to me for help, which...I am still holding on to the slimmest hope of ...I don't believe there's going to be anything I can do for her in the time that she needs the attention.

I've been a cat guardian for over 40 years. I will be 62 soon. Usually one cat at a time via adoption, but 2 very special beings, indeed. One was a seal point Himalayan-Persian whom was my pal for 16 years. My next was a 'smoke' Persian. She was with me for almost 20 years. This is my first practical experience with feral/stray cats.

We have been very close the past few days, in particular ...but have had many long, eye to eye chats in the past ...almost within arm's reach. She knows I care. She would have to. She was so close this morning that I could have probably touched her.
Sophia is no longer able to jump quite like she used to, of course. She does limited climbing,also ...only if she has to. I'm sure she can't defend herself as she once could, either, of course. And she was never very big to begin with. I've blocked off as much as I can, but I'm not able to block all the exits in this yard as the fencing is old, a lot is zero-scaped & easy to get under, & they've dug their little paths here & there.
She is acutely aware something has gone terribly wrong with her.
I noticed her coming at breakfast time this morning from across the street. Smh....she never 'normally' goes over there & is always, always found coming from the back corner of my lot.
I'm afraid she's getting ready to disappear on me.
If she does, I will go door to door among the nearby neighbors & look for her until I find her ...but ...I'm still hoping in my heart of hearts that she will come to me ...who knows? perhaps my departed friends can somehow guide her here.

But after talking with her at length this morning at breakfast, I am very afraid for her...& am reasonably certain I'm about to lose her.

This is a terrific group, folks. Thank you all so much for the kind words & suggestions. I will be sure to point my cat-lover friends in your direction if they don't know of the community already. Peace.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I'd just like to thank all of you for your thoughts, compassion & suggestions. As things always are in the end, regardless ...I have an unsettling feeling that this is truly in God's hands now. Unless she comes to me for help, which...I am still holding on to the slimmest hope of ...I don't believe there's going to be anything I can do for her in the time that she needs the attention.

I've been a cat guardian for over 40 years. I will be 62 soon. Usually one cat at a time via adoption, but 2 very special beings, indeed. One was a seal point Himalayan-Persian whom was my pal for 16 years. My next was a 'smoke' Persian. She was with me for almost 20 years. This is my first practical experience with feral/stray cats.

We have been very close the past few days, in particular ...but have had many long, eye to eye chats in the past ...almost within arm's reach. She knows I care. She would have to. She was so close this morning that I could have probably touched her.
Sophia is no longer able to jump quite like she used to, of course. She does limited climbing,also ...only if she has to. I'm sure she can't defend herself as she once could, either, of course. And she was never very big to begin with. I've blocked off as much as I can, but I'm not able to block all the exits in this yard as the fencing is old, a lot is zero-scaped & easy to get under, & they've dug their little paths here & there.
She is acutely aware something has gone terribly wrong with her.
I noticed her coming at breakfast time this morning from across the street. Smh....she never 'normally' goes over there & is always, always found coming from the back corner of my lot.
I'm afraid she's getting ready to disappear on me.
If she does, I will go door to door among the nearby neighbors & look for her until I find her ...but ...I'm still hoping in my heart of hearts that she will come to me ...who knows? perhaps my departed friends can somehow guide her here.

But after talking with her at length this morning at breakfast, I am very afraid for her...& am reasonably certain I'm about to lose her.

This is a terrific group, folks. Thank you all so much for the kind words & suggestions. I will be sure to point my cat-lover friends in your direction if they don't know of the community already. Peace.

My grandmother, who endured the unendurable several times over, was a powerfully spiritual person. She had to be to get through life. Her teachings stressed trusting in the Almighty absolutely and knowing that the Creator of all definitely loves every one created, and has us all in Sight. Though we live in a material world and find it terribly difficult to lose those we care for, I know they are in a far, far better place than this one, whole, healthy, and in Perfect Love. When we mourn, we mourn for ourselves, not for those we love who have ascended beyond pain, suffering, and earthly concerns. The soul IS eternal. I know this from personal experience of being with more than one loved one at their time of ascendance. And we WILL meet them again, never to part. In joy, and in Love we have no idea of here on earth.
She is certainly in Sight. She may still come to you for help. But if not, know she has gotten the best Help there is. This finite, physical existence is replaced by something so wonderful we cannot even imagine it. Be still and KNOW.

 

[Avery]

Thank you so much for caring for these cats and for doing your best to help Sophia now. Fionasmom provided the link to the Alley Cat Allies Feral Friends Network, along with some good websites with ideas for trapping cats. You can also try a Google search to see if there are any rescue groups in your area. Perhaps someone can loan you a trap (maybe a drop trap would work well), help you with the logistics, provide another set of hands, and just give you some moral support. I wish you all the luck in the world and will hope for the best for little Sophia. Thanks again for caring.

 

[fionasmom]

With true ferals like this girl, there are always completely unpredictable variables. Logic does not apply and even the best planned solutions can fail. You are doing everything that you can for her, and have taken care of her when she was well.

If Sophia understands that she does not have much time left, which I think that animals do, she knows what she wants to do. The other side of this is that any more forceful attempts to get her will simply force her to try to hide elsewhere and leave what is the safety of her home for someplace frightening and foreign. Thank you for having taken care of her.