Bugsy

Okay exciting news!  No I'm not pregnant, yet.

I got the cat to the vet today.  He, yup it is a he, is chipped.  They looked up his chip and called the first owner.  The cat's name is Bugsy.

The first owner got him when he was just 5 weeks old.  She had him until this year when her twins developed an allergy to the cat.  Just something that I am afraid of too if I have a baby.  I mean I remember well how upset my dad was when he found out I'm allergic to dogs.

Bugsy is approximately 3 years old.  I spoke directly with the first owner and we created a birth date of 1 June 2010 for him.

The first owner did adopt him out to a Pets-mart but the next owner never registered the cat on the installation or with the microchip company.  Not once did I see a Craig's list posting for this cat or bookoo or posters on the mail boxes.

The cat was malnourished too.

Thankfully Bugsy doesn't mind car rides all that much as I will be taking him in to the Vet's office for vaccinations in November.  He is already up to date on his shots for this year and neutered.  The first owner had him vaccinated for rabies and distemper in May but in order to properly register him with housing I have to get the shots done for record keeping.

After I got the cat home I went to the Exchange and got more litter, cat food, toys, a bigger kennel, catnip, treats and totally forgot the scratching post!  I'm not too worried since he only claws at my cheap carpets but it is a habit I'd rather he didn't get into.  So I guess I'll be going back in a day or so to get him a scratching post.

Meet The Cat

Last night one of the stray cats that we feed decided to join our family.  I swear it was almost like that cat food commercial because it was a bad stormy night last night.

We had the advantage because we knew the cat's name.  A family two streets over knew their cat took off a few months ago and didn't care.  A friend of my husband's was staying with that family and happened to like that cat a lot, to the point that if we had gotten the cat in the house just two weeks earlier he would have gone home to Texas with this particular soldier.

J called his friend yup last night to let him we have the cat and to offer him up if his friend still wanted him.  The guy said it was too far to drive but knew that we would take good care of the cat.

This cat is so friendly.  He loves to head butt you in the chin when he crawls on top of you.  When you pick him up he doesn't just go to one shoulder or the other he wraps both paws around your neck and hugs you.

I'll be calling the Vet this week to get an appointment to get the cat seen, vaccinated, chipped and so on.  Luckily he doesn't seem to have a flea or ear mite issue that I've noticed.  Some scratching is evident but it could be a dry skin issue too.  Since his ears are almost stark white I think I would have seen the ear mites at least.  He is shedding like crazy.  I've brushed him out twice now and still he is shedding.

Hoping that I can fatten him up a bit since he is definitely underweight.  That of course just makes me angry knowing that his previous owners didn't even care.  I talked to them once and I think they are now gone or will be in the next day or two.  They ETS'd.

Well he is my responsibility now.  We are still going to feed the other stray cats and maybe we'll get another one to come inside with any luck.

Yes he already knows he is adorable!

Catch and Release

Last night J and I set the have-a-heart trap up with the food in there.  I told J that the cat isn't going to fall for it.  I was almost right.  The cat walked around the trap, sniffed at the food, then sat down and cleaned itself all in front of the door.

But the cat did decide to go into the trap and that is where the problems started.

The cat went bat shit crazy.  It was thrashing about in the cage. 

I got the cage into the utility room as fast as possible.  We have a litter box all set up in that room.

I donned thick leather gloves and walked over to the cage where the cat was still thrashing in it.  I let it out.  I don't know if it was in the cage or when the cat was let out that it lost a claw but the blood on the walls was spotted when the cat was bouncing off of them.  Seriously this cat was climbing the walls and bouncing off of everything. 

I left the room amid crashing and hissing noises to let my husband and neighbor, she came over to see the capture, know I let the cat out of the cage and I'm going to let it go outside again.  The cat just could not be contained.

I told them to back off as the cat might escape into the kitchen next.  They left the kitchen and I closed the door after them and opened up the patio screen door.  I was able to get into the laundry room again where the blood was a bit more plentiful now.  The cat didn't harm me.  I got the back door open; the cat jumped up on the washer then to the top of the door and out it.

I never felt so bad about a cat before.  I prayed to God that the cat will heal and forgive me for trying to bring it inside.  I didn't want to trap the cat.  I figured with more time I might have a chance of bringing it inside.

I cleaned up the blood in the utility room along with two pieces of a claw that the cat lost.

  Shortly before midnight I brought them back in the food bowls, wrapping up the soft food to put it in the fridge.  Hopefully the cat isn't too hurt.  I know that torn claws could get infected which makes me feel even worse thinking about it.  Maybe tonight the cat will come back for food. 

I'll have to start over with square one with this cat.  It will be months before it will trust me again and I hate that I even had that damn trap set up.  J feels bad for even suggesting that we get a trap for it.  Hoping the stray can forgive me.

What I have learned that even though this cat is a stray it made no attempt to lunge at me or hurt me in any way.  The cat just wanted out of the house.  Maybe if I had a tranquilizer dart I could have contained the cat but I can't be cruel and I feel as though I was just that last night by trapping it.

Nightmare's, the black cat, Owner Found

Today a friend of mine took some photos of the cat for me.  I made up fliers and my husband put them on the street where animal control found the cat.

Tonight I got a call from the owner.  She described in detail the cat's collar and asked if I had the boy cat too.  Unfortunately I didn't but I will keep an eye out for Undertaker.  Undertaker and Nightmare were strays that the lady took in, had fixed and their shots given to them.  She was preparing to move and the movers decided to open up all the windows in the house and of course out jumped two of the cats.

The cat was well cared for, played with, loved and fed while here with me.  I can only hope that her brother is returned home safely and soon.

Fostering A Cat

LOL I stole a stray cat off the Animal Control truck today.  I called them in to get a have a heart trap for the stray cat I've been feeding when I heard the cries of a small cat coming from the truck. 

She is small still almost all black with a small white patch on her chest.  If someone claims her it is okay because I know I took good care of her.  My goal is still to get the long haired black stray into my home.

Pictures will follow of her when she holds still long enough to get one that isn't blurry.


Oh the reason why I took her off the truck is because when they catch them they euthanize them within a day.  I had to save her.