First, thanks to you all for the wonderful welcome in the Newbie introduction area... I'm moving Blanche's story to here where it is on topic
To quickly recap, Blanche showed up under my son's car about a year and a half ago during flooding rains. She was starving, bloody, missing part of her tail, had few teeth and was terrified of people. After all this time I was finally able to touch her a couple of weeks ago and decided I could now get her safely to the Vet without traumatising her mentally.
Thanks for all the good ideas for getting a feral safely captured. I knew about havahart traps (but didn't have one and didn't know whom I could borrow one from) so I developed a plan where I would be able to get her in a crate by me placing her there... Keep in mind that Blanche was not touched at all until two weeks ago. That said, she has "known" me now for almost two years and we have a "relationship" even if it didn't not involve touch prior to two weeks ago. Our relationship has involved food every day, twice a day, an outdoor shelter during the snowy winter and company when she wanted to lie down in the garden near where I would be working outside. Actually now her favored spot is on our front porch - she has become a part of our family - sort of like the autistic child who wont be touched but still longs to be near.
I'm at the stage now, with less than two weeks until the Vet appointment, that I can softly hold Blanche a couple inches off the ground (just for a moment) while she is at her food bowl. This is in preparation for when I put her in the crate on the morning of her visit to the Vet. I want her used to the brief "capture". I'll talk to her while she is in the crate and during her exam. Thankfully the Vet we are supposed to get has delt with ferals before. Blanche has notches cut out of one of her ears so it looks like she was already fixed.
I really believe that trust has already been establised because we have gone from no touch to the brief lift (seconds) in just a few days and she seems ok with the sudden change in our relationship. She purrs when I briefly massage her shoulder blades.. makes me glad! I still have to be careful that I don't catch whatever skin ailment and bugs she has (poor thing) so all will be brief for my sake as well. I am barehanded but clean my hands right after just in case her mange is the type that humans can get. I'm barehanded because I am sure that gloves would pull on her skin and fur and I don't want to hurt her during the trust building.
It really looks like all is going well so far. I'll post more as the date for the Vet trip nears. Thanks again for letting me share Blanche's story.
To quickly recap, Blanche showed up under my son's car about a year and a half ago during flooding rains. She was starving, bloody, missing part of her tail, had few teeth and was terrified of people. After all this time I was finally able to touch her a couple of weeks ago and decided I could now get her safely to the Vet without traumatising her mentally.
Thanks for all the good ideas for getting a feral safely captured. I knew about havahart traps (but didn't have one and didn't know whom I could borrow one from) so I developed a plan where I would be able to get her in a crate by me placing her there... Keep in mind that Blanche was not touched at all until two weeks ago. That said, she has "known" me now for almost two years and we have a "relationship" even if it didn't not involve touch prior to two weeks ago. Our relationship has involved food every day, twice a day, an outdoor shelter during the snowy winter and company when she wanted to lie down in the garden near where I would be working outside. Actually now her favored spot is on our front porch - she has become a part of our family - sort of like the autistic child who wont be touched but still longs to be near.
I'm at the stage now, with less than two weeks until the Vet appointment, that I can softly hold Blanche a couple inches off the ground (just for a moment) while she is at her food bowl. This is in preparation for when I put her in the crate on the morning of her visit to the Vet. I want her used to the brief "capture". I'll talk to her while she is in the crate and during her exam. Thankfully the Vet we are supposed to get has delt with ferals before. Blanche has notches cut out of one of her ears so it looks like she was already fixed.
I really believe that trust has already been establised because we have gone from no touch to the brief lift (seconds) in just a few days and she seems ok with the sudden change in our relationship. She purrs when I briefly massage her shoulder blades.. makes me glad! I still have to be careful that I don't catch whatever skin ailment and bugs she has (poor thing) so all will be brief for my sake as well. I am barehanded but clean my hands right after just in case her mange is the type that humans can get. I'm barehanded because I am sure that gloves would pull on her skin and fur and I don't want to hurt her during the trust building.
It really looks like all is going well so far. I'll post more as the date for the Vet trip nears. Thanks again for letting me share Blanche's story.