Just a quick suggestion--I bought a used
one from my local shelter for $10—soaked it in bleach & cleaner for a
day & scrubbed it thoroughly. The one I got also folds up so easy to throw
in the trunk if need be… Apparently, many people who ‘surrender’
their animals leave the crates as well! Also, I also would like to know
what a ‘come along’ is. The crate idea can work just so long—they
get the point pretty quickly!!!!
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf
Of tamara stickler
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004
9:30 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Feral moms /crating
the feral cat
One successful way of crating the feral cat is by
using a larger crate. I've had lots of success with a small dog
crate (it looks more like a cage more than a carry-on crate...its
the type you would use to housebreak a small dog. The sides are all metal
bars the only plastic is a plastic tray that slides in the bottom.) Its best to
get the crate with the BLACK bars, as the white and shiny metal bars will, more
often than, not scare the cat away, the black bars blend in better with the
surroundings. Place the dog crate (approx. 2.5'x2.5'x3') on the ground,
cover the plastic tray completely with grass, dirt and or leaves, or a carpet
square if you are trying to catch a feral that lives in your home (the tray
should be covered with the same substance that is underfoot where the cage will
be placed). Place food bowl containing really wonderful smelling treat in
cage on far side. Now you will most likely have to deal with the poor
cat! trying to get at the food from the wrong side of the bars...so it may be
necessary to make a widely spaced food trail from the back wrong side of the
bars to and thru the open crate door. Once the cat settles in for a
snack, slowly close the door and latch. Most will freak a bit once they
find that they can't get out, but if you put a blanket over it they will settle
down in a few minutes and you can be on your way.
This crate/cage is a bit more cumbersome than the
normal cat carrycrate, but the open-ness of it isn't as scary as THE BOX.
And you can still fit it in the back seat of even small compact cars. You
can pick up a light weight one at Petsmart for about $35-$39. Or just
keep your eyes open at yard sales and flea markets.
Good luck.
Nina <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
Karolyn,
What's a "come a long"? Is it one of those noose collars at the end
of
a pole? I'd love to find an easier way to transport frightened cats. A
stray gone feral, named Kimba, fights the carrier as if it means life or
death. Besides the time I trapped my feral (now house cat) Gypsy, we
had to bring her to the vet two other times. When we discovered that my
rescued bottle babies had FeLV, Gypsy (as well as the other cats in the
household), had to be tested, and of course, she had to go back for vac
boosters. It was traumatic to say the least. The first time I tried a
mild sedative, thinking it might help calm her enough to make things
easier. The next time, I thought maybe the sedative had made the
situation worse because she was so "drunk" and disoriented. So the
next
time she had to go, we tried to herd her into a carr! ier sober. Much,
much worse, my poor husband got a nasty bite for his trouble. I was
afraid these experiences would set her rehabilitation back, but they
seemed to have the opposite effect. I guess she was glad to be brought
back home, and maybe she realized that even though she was scared out of
her wits, nothing really bad happened to her.
I was so relieved to find out that Gypsy was negative. She was only
four months old when she came inside to live with us and had only had
initial vacs when she was spayed. She had very close contact with my +s
before we knew the danger. They shared a litter box, groomed each other
and played and tussled all the time. I'm very grateful that FeLV
doesn't seem to be as contagious as everyone says. I'd have been
devastated if I'd saved her from the street only to give her this
horrible disease. I'm heartbroken enough knowing I can't bring anyone
else into the household.
To update! you wonderful people on my bottle babies, (now one year old),
they have responded wonderfully to doxycycline. As I write this, I can
hear them racing through the house leaping and cavorting, just the way
year old kittens should! Grace had been feverish and extremely
lethargic. She had been on two treatments of Clavamox, she'd improve
slightly by the 8th day, only to relapse shortly after stopping the
antibiotic. My vet has suggested keeping her on dox for 3 or 4 months.
I have been very reluctant, but I'm waiting to hear from the FDA about
whether or not they'll grant our dispensation for Virbagen Omega. I
figure, if it will keep them healthy (Jazz started displaying Grace's
first symptoms of gingivitis and she's on dox as well) until it gets
here, it's worth my discomfort.
Thanks again for all the info and support. I can't tell you what a
comfort it's been to have found this list.
Karolyn Lount wrote:
>! ;I had one feral, that was a daughter of a feral. that after she was
>fixed set outside the place, where the lady that had been feeding her
>lived,screamed her head off until she was let into her loft. Lyn could
>not keep her so I took her. I kept her in a Condo cage for two mos. What
>a love she turned out to be. I had 17 other cats at the time. I put a
>Pet Door in so my cats could go out to the patio (which they can not get
>out of) I tried for weeks to get them to use it. No such luck. Mrs.
>Peabody, the feral showed them how to use it. My cats would sit in a
>semi circle every morning waiting for me to open the patio door. Well
>this one morning Mrs. Peabody walked up to the pet door, touched it and
>went thru it. The other cats looked at each other, looked at the pet
>door and one by one they all went thru the pet door.
>I have another feral that it was 4 to 5 yrs. before I cold touch her.
>Now she! wants her brushing every night. Then I have two others I have
>not been able to touch for a long, long, long time. But that is OK. They
>seem happy and get along with all the other cats. I just let each cat be
>its self. When my ferals, that I can not touch, have to go to the Vet I
>am very lucky as I have a friend that is a retired Animal Control
>Officer and she uses a "Come A Long" to get them into a carrier
for me.
>
>
>
>
>
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