I'm beyond puzzled!

[KanoasDestiny]

I seem to have "sucker" tattooed on my forehead, because not only do I have plenty of animals myself, but I've started feeding all the stray cats in my area. It started out as only 7 or so, but after 4 new litters, I'm up to about 20.

I just don't have the heart not to feed them! I have this crazy idea that if I feed them back by the horses, then they won't go out hunting and chance getting hit by a car. So far I've been lucky (knock on wood).

In May or June, we had 2 litters born within days of each other. Everything seemed fine, but then in mid August, I noticed that one of the kittens started tumbling over himself when he walked. I instantly recognized it as the early signs of dehydration/malnurishment. I felt so bad. I made my husband go out and buy milk, tuna, and canned cat food. By the next morning, two others were lethargic. It took me 4 days to nurse them back, but by golly, I didn't lose any of them.

Weeks go by, and I notice that all the kittens are growing like a weed, except for the one who was tripping over himself. He's decided that he wants to stay at my neighbor's house most of the time, but I still catch glimpses of him sometimes, when he comes to eat with the others. He still looks like he did when he was sick...he hasn't grown AT ALL!!! Is it possible that his growth was stunted? He doesn't seem too healthy either. He sways a little when he walks, and he is really skinny. I feel so bad for him but my husband would kill me if I even thought of bringing him inside.

Here he is. He is at least 5 or 6 months old. His brother (from the same litter) is the white cat with black spots on the left.

He's soooo cute! It's like when you have a kitten and you wish they could stay that small forever. I just wish I knew why he's still so small.

 

[laughingllama75]

OMG, he is so tiny! and cute!

I don't know what to tell you, other than maybe he has a liver shunt or kidney problem, and thats why he's not growing. do you have a vet in the area that does free/low cost spay neuter for ferals? That might be a good idea, not that you probably haven't thought of it.

It is nice to help ferals, but it would be nicer if we could get help financial help for them too.....good luck,

 

[mininik]

Strange. A throwback to inbreeding, perhaps?

At 5-6 months old your last litters are just coming of age and will start breeding soon if they are not altered. Have these cats been spayed and neutered, or are you able to trap them and have them taken care of? If not, I dare say if someone you know is a good shot, bullets are cheap and a quick death is better than starvation, being eaten, run over or having to suffer due to disease and/or disability.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I did call around. We have no vets anywhere near us that will offer low cost spay/neuters for ferral cats. We would have to pay full price ($60/$35) per cat, and I don't think any of the neighbors are willing to pitch in for that amount of money. Then there's the fact that none of them are tame. We can occassionally touch one or two, but they spook as soon as they realize we're the ones who touched them. I've tried to tame them, but they are just so skittish. I'd hate to trap them and take them to the humane society, because I know what their fate would be.

Edited to add....thanks mininik for the suggestion, but I choose to feed them, so that they won't die. No way would I have someone shoot them. Animals have a way of disappearing on their own over time, so if that is their fate, then I can't prevent that. But I can do my part, and try to help them.

 

[mininik]

A quick, humane death by bullet or at the humane society beats the alternatives they face now. I know it feels good to feed them, but you're not doing these cats any favors, just prolonging the inevitable and enabling their suffering to span generations. Without intervention they will continue reproducing, inbreeding, which will ultimately result in more cats suffering through disease and/or disability. Some will likely die this winter due to the cold, by falling to disease or freezing to death. Others will be picked up by predators, mauled at best if they are "lucky" enough to get away. Then there is the danger of vehicles. Consider also that is not healthy for your family to have these cats around as unvaccinated and left untreated they will harbor ticks (which can carry Lymes disease), fleas, worms and not to mention the risk of rabies.

Please know that I am all for keeping cats outside IF they are altered as well as given food, water, shelter and proper preventative and necessary veterinary care. One of our neighbors has about 15 that are all given this life and I know that they are content, though they still run the risk of being killed by predators or vehicles.

 

[heart k ranch]

My family did the same thing. Feed a few but then turned into 20-30!

We fed them till the end till we found a rescue that takes in stray and ferals! They catch them and vet does shots, and neuters/spays, all that good stuff...

All (if you want adopt) is call they drop off a cat in a cage and you feed it for a couple of days and let it go! The people come and pick up the cage! They stay for a long time! and it's free, other than paying for a new cat

We have a few of those cats!

 

[mininik]

Here's a link to several resources (some in S. CA) for feral cat spay and neuter programs, plus information on caring for your colony:

http://www.petorphansfund.org/feralcats.shtml

 

[Miniv]

I know you originally posted about your little "odd" kitty............have no idea on that one.

However, you are setting yourself up on a vicious cycle with feeding these cats and having them have litters!

At some point you're going to have to catch some of them up and find them homes!

When we moved into this place, we walked into a haven for over 20 feral cats. We rented a live trap from our local humane society at first........and eventually purchased one. Larry ended up catching 18. We turned them over to the shelter who has a "barn cat adoption" project. They don't believe in euthanizing if there is a chance that the cat can possibly be tamed and is not carrying any illnesses. It's a great shelter that I try to support in various ways.

Good luck with your project...........I just hope you don't get over your head........

MA

 

[Marty]

The boys always had a mountain rescue and we were up to over 20 at one time. Was not funny either. They were having kittens under the porch and out sheds, behind the garage, everywhere, and it was a real mess. Thank heavens we got on board with the low cost spay and neutar clinic that is mobile and serves our area twice a year, plus give shots. We were able to adopt a few out but kept most of them. Some never grew right. Others never gained weight and always looked starved and that was also with vet meds. I think sometimes these cats are just so inbred they don't gain weight and grow as they should.

 

[HGFarm]

It could have another problem or disease. Does your SPCA or whoever have the 'catch and release' spay program? Without it, they are going to just keep coming and then they will get sick, etc.. from overpopulation and inbreeding and so on.

Some of those places have traps that you can safely catch them in to take them in to be fixed. It would be the best thing. They definitely had something wrong, by the symptoms, and it could just get worse. Not only that, what about things like the leukemia spreading and all- that is an awful death.

Bless you for trying to take care of these guys.

 

[anoki]

I did call around. We have no vets anywhere near us that will offer low cost spay/neuters for ferral cats. We would have to pay full price ($60/$35) per cat,

You're kidding me right??? $60/$35 for spay/neuter????? OMG...we are being soooo ripped up here if that is the case.....it costs around $200 for a spay and $160 for a neuter plus the costs for 2 sets of shots per cat (each at $60 a pop and the office visit, another $35 on top of it!!!!! before they'll even consider doing a spay or neuter).....and no the vets won't do low cost spay/neuter here either......

~kathryn

 

[RainSong]

I did call around. We have no vets anywhere near us that will offer low cost spay/neuters for ferral cats. We would have to pay full price ($60/$35) per cat,

You're kidding me right??? $60/$35 for spay/neuter????? OMG...we are being soooo ripped up here if that is the case.....it costs around $200 for a spay and $160 for a neuter plus the costs for 2 sets of shots per cat (each at $60 a pop and the office visit, another $35 on top of it!!!!! before they'll even consider doing a spay or neuter).....and no the vets won't do low cost spay/neuter here either......

~kathryn

We paid $200 some odd for full shots, neuter, worming shot, and FeLV test for our cat when we lived in Ohio. Here in Oregon, you used to be able to find spay/neuters for $20-30, but it maybe be upwards of $60 by now.

 

[Danielle_E.]

I am like you, can't turn away the feral cats in the area and unfortunately there are MANY thanks to my neighbour

. He boasted to me that there are probably about 40 or so kittens alone born this year and somewhere on his 38 acres of property, mostly wooded OH! . He said to me, and no word of lie, oh if I don't feed them they don't reproduce.

WHAT???? Good grief. I buy a $20 bag of cat food a week and it all goes and no way do my 3 barn cats and 1 house cat eat that much food!!!! I see cats coming and going out of the barn that don't belong to me, obviously they are from next door but I also choose to have food available to them. I have one that basically has moved in for the winter, a very large beautiful long haired black and white tom cat. I am able to pet him and he comes running when I get home from work and go out to add feed, evening feed is wet cat food, during the day it's the dry stuff. I plan on getting this black and white guy fixed at my expense because my cats absolutely hate him and the screeching that comes out of the barn when he is in there, which all the time now, is wild. I am not impressed with my neighbours attitude towards his cats and yes it's getting out of hand but I would never shoot them either. All I can do is fix them as I get them to trust me. I am going to talk to my vet and see if she will give me a break on the cost of doing this. I cringe at night in Fall and Winter when I hear the coyotes because I know that they are more than likely getting some of these cats and kitten. I could slap my neighbour upsde the head, what is this man thinking????

 

[White Socks Miniature]

On the topic of Low cost $60 is SUPER cheap- that is pretty much the lowest cost -that wouldnt even cover the costs of sterilizing the pack, suture material, doctor time, anesthetic and surgical monitoring and pain control.

If you think about it even $300 for a cat spay is cheap!!! Think about how much it would cost if it were a human doctor spaying a person! It would be Thousands!!

Anyways now back to the original thread!

Those cats need to be trapped and rehomed through a shelter or yourself and spayed and neutered. While you are doing a wonderful thing by helping them. In reality it is making the problem much worse. There is the winter comming up, cars on the road, predators, and many viruses and diseases waiting for them. Not to mention they are going to start reproducing again in the spring and then you are going to have even more cats!!! I know it sucks but you really cant save them all! The best thing would be to either get in contact with a local shelter, even if you have to trap them yourself and bring them in to them. Some of them may already have deadly viruses such as FeLV or FIV and are simply circulating them within the colony. Also there is no use in vaccinating them once and then releasing them. That would just be a waste of your money and time as they wouldnt build enough of an immune response to one vaccine to protect them.

Hope that helps a bit

Cheers

Masako

 

[runamuk]

I did call around. We have no vets anywhere near us that will offer low cost spay/neuters for ferral cats. We would have to pay full price ($60/$35) per cat, and I don't think any of the neighbors are willing to pitch in for that amount of money. Then there's the fact that none of them are tame. We can occassionally touch one or two, but they spook as soon as they realize we're the ones who touched them. I've tried to tame them, but they are just so skittish. I'd hate to trap them and take them to the humane society, because I know what their fate would be.

Edited to add....thanks mininik for the suggestion, but I choose to feed them, so that they won't die. No way would I have someone shoot them. Animals have a way of disappearing on their own over time, so if that is their fate, then I can't prevent that. But I can do my part, and try to help them.

Wow your full price would be a 50% discount in my area......

I've had a couple of cats that didn't grow, the first was a manx mix and he lived about 1 yr. Manx have some issues. Actually come to think of it the second one I had was also manx mix but had a full length tail, and again that one lived close to a year. Both were thriving and normal (other than size) until about a month before we lost them.

I also know cats have dwarfism and the dwarf gene has been used to create a couple of tiny breeds. You may just have a dwarf on your hands

 

[Jill]

I used to have two himalayan sisters (not the first himis I've owned) and they were only 2-3 pounds when grown. VERY tiny especially compared to our mamoth sized Maine Coon cat! A friend of mine has/had a 1/2 sister to my two himalayans, and she was also very small when grown. Not quite as small as mine, but almost. The three were fed the best age appropriate food. I just had not ever seen such small adult cats. They were healthy in every way we know, just never grew bigger than a kitten.

 

[Minimor]

I know it's too late now, but the thing to do would have been to trap the original 7 and get them spayed/neutered and that way the number would have stayed at 7. Those 20 are soon to become 40 or 80....the males will grow up & start fighting--and leave, and all of them are likely to contract some disease & then die off.

I'm all for helping the stray cats but I am not in favor of continuing to feed 20+ cats that are not neutered/spayed. It just totally defeats the purpose. The cats that disappear from your place are not going to be headed for better times--you can know that they are out there somewhere starving, breeding, getting beat up by other cats, getting run over by cars, getting killed by dogs, coyotes or other predators....

$60/$35 for a spay/neuter IS 1/2 price compared to here--we pay $110 (last time I checked, it may be more now) for spaying and $75 for neutering and no, we have no access to low cost spay/neuter clinics. Over the years I have caught/tamed/spayed/neutered many cats. We have a neighbor just like the one Danielle described and his cats tend to end up over here. Many we have caught & tamed; the wildest ones we have trapped and euthanized. Last winter I neutered 2 cats that came from another neighbor's--one cat now lives here permanently, the other one still goes back to the neighbors--but at least with him neutered he isn't coming here & beating up our cats.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I'm afraid I agree with Mininik- shooting them would be the kindest option if you cannot afford (understandably) to get them neutered- or trap and destroy if your local shelter will do that much for you at least- putting them down and just keeping a nucleus of sustainable animals would stop others coming in to take over the territory, give you a good number of mousers and would not grow to cause problems all over the neighbourhood.

I do not wish to preach but leaving them for nature to take care of is IMO unfair- you caused the problem by taking in the original cats- whether you like it or not you now have a responsibility of care to them.

 

[HGFarm]

Thank heavens for our spay/neuter clinics here, but they will not do feral cats. The cheapest neuter I found for a cat was about $100.00- and I called several places. Spaying is much higher! Ridiculous. And they wonder why there are so many..........

Also, many vets and humane society employees are on the board that govern pet foods and all, from what I understand.... you know, the more all this stuff is out there, the more vet bills you will have, pet food to buy, etc... you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours..........

 

[Reijel's Mom]

HEY! I took in what I thought was a kitten (turned out to be a cat) in to rescue - he was a disgusting little thing. Poor kid died at the vet office after worming - the vet thought he had a heart condition that caused his stunted growth.