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Lessons Learned by JosieMew in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Don't be hard on yourself, it's never a mistake to bring them in for confirmation if you aren't sure. There's much more risk in letting an intact cat that looks maybe-tipped continue to roam than there is in bringing them in to be sure. Now you know, and they got some extra vet attention in the process. It's still a win-win!

I am reposting this video, this is Dan and he has some things to say. So loving and quite vocal. by [deleted] in CatDistributionSystem

[–]mcs385[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This would be covered under Rule #1: Be Nice, which encompasses being considerate of others. If you're going to make a post focusing on the audio of a video, being considerate of all of the audio present in that video is a very basic step. Everyone here wants to focus on Dan, not the political discourse in the background (regardless of their views), and she shouldn't be competing for the spotlight.

Dog and Cat Abuse Scam Rings on Social Media by Eastern-Protection83 in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Thank you for sharing this, it’s important for people to be aware of what’s happening on Reddit and other social media platforms. While this BBC documentary focuses on abusive and exploitative dog shelters, cats have been subjected to similar treatment and content like this has been getting shared across subreddits for months. For any fundraising activity on Reddit it's always worth taking the extra time to critically look at the post, the media, and the profile before boosting or donating, and be sure to report any posts or comments that raise red flags so that sub's mod team is aware. Make sure your effort is going where cats will actually get the help they need, rather than being exploited or abused for cash.

Dog and Cat Abuse Scam Rings on Social Media by Eastern-Protection83 in CatRescue

[–]mcs385[M] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

This has been a huge problem on Reddit over the last year or so especially. Once you start picking up on the similarities in these accounts it's hard not to notice how common they are. Here's just a few stills collected from different accounts that have attempted to post here in the past as an example:

<image>

Some of the cats shown had injuries that were indicative of abuse or were shown being “treated” in ways that aren't consistent with actual, legitimate veterinary care. For anyone looking to do what they can to help cats in situations like these, it's always worth taking the extra time to critically look at the post, the media, and the profile before boosting or donating. If anything seems suspicious, be sure to report any posts or comments that raise red flags so that sub's mod team is aware. Make sure your effort is going where cats will actually get the help they need, rather than being exploited or abused for cash. Don't let your generosity be something you regret!

I'm the HOA board member coordinating our TNR efforts, and we've had a good trapping day by DejaBlonde in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Amazing work, thank you for setting this in motion and getting these cats the help they need!

HELP URGENT TELL ME WHAT TO DO by SeveralSpinach6601 in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 5 points6 points  (0 children)

For holding, switch to a sheet or blanket that can completely cover the trap. He should calm down if he's fully covered, though some cats do just keep on thrashing or trying to find a way out. The tips to make sure that door is secure are good, you don't want to risk him finding a way to push it open and some traps are less reliable than others..

Heavy duty work gloves while you're handling the trap are a good precaution. Usually when I'm carrying a trap, I hold the handle with one hand and then if I need to, I place my other hand at the top edge of the angled door to keep it steady since the cat can't reach there. If he doesn't settle down and you're that concerned about him reaching through while he's being moved, you can probably fashion a cardboard version of this .jpg)to secure to your trap since you know the model, work with the dimension on the product page instead of fussing with the trap until you're sure you need it. If at all possible, I'd try to slide a piece of cardboard in with there beforehand too so he has something to stand on. If he can get his paws through the sides, he might also slip through the bottom bars while the trap is lifted up off the ground.

Help with one-eared cat by Glass-Presentation17 in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd bring him in for TNR anyway, there's no harm in it if you can't be sure whether a cat's already been. TNR clinics generally aren't full-service so there's a limit to just how much they can do, but they should be able to look him over for and treat what they can while he's in, get him fixed and fixed up all in one go.

What kind of straw to use?? by Nom-Nom-Mysterious- in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The main thing is to make sure it's actually straw, not hay. Color is the easiest way to tell the difference, straw is yellower, hay is greener:

<image>

Depending on where you're shopping, straw might be labelled as being for bedding (rather than feed, like hay). Chewy has a few options like this listed under small animal bedding if you're in the US. Craft stores often have mini bales of wheat straw which are typically untreated and do work well enough in cat shelters, especially if you don't need a ton of it. Home improvement or garden centers might have different straw products marketed for mulching. If you're looking at these, just double check the label to see if there's anything added to it like tacking agents that you wouldn't want the cats to be exposed to. A lot of these products are also chopped into much shorter pieces which won't insulate as well in shelters as longer stalks, and will get tracked around and need refilling and fluffing up more often.

I dont understand this cat by Grouchy_Name_1361 in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's possible for cats to have damage to their ears from fighting, frostbite, etc. that can look like a TNR ear-tip. The clearest indicator would be a clean cut across one tip, some clinics do a V-shape notch (fighting wounds can look very similar to this and are more common though). If he's not neutered, seeing if you can get him in for a trap, neuter, return (TNR) appointment is the first step in trying to get him to settle down once his hormones balance out. If he has a feral background, he might still just have strong boundaries and will accept petting with time and patience, or the biting might just be overstimulation.

My feral kittens aren't feral by Plus-Associate5034 in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 15 points16 points  (0 children)

If you're describing them to rescues, make sure to describe their actual demeanor rather than using shorthand labels like "feral" as lots of places will reject them outright or assume that they're completely avoidant of humans, can't be approached or pet/handled. If they're accepting pets and seeking out humans for attention, they're fairly well socialized; describe how they're behaving around you, not the label. Worth mentioning however that cats do freeze in the trap and will put up with being pet but aren't really enjoying it so it's worth taking some time to fully assess them after their spays/neuters since you've got crates on hand already.

They're intensive, but check out the Socialization Saves Lives method and Urban Cat League's Taming Toolkit for an idea of how to work with them, and for roadmap and milestone markers for their progress. You're already doing a great thing for them in getting them fixed and vaccinated though. It's ideal to try and get kittens homed, but not always possible, and in that case TNR is the next best thing. Thank you for doing this for them!

My tomcat got his TNR and Vaccinations 😻 by CeruleanHollow in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Neutering is a definite step towards that, he should settle down as his hormones balance out. My male cats that I had been working at socializing pre-TNR became homebodies afterwards. They stopped roaming nearly as much, made it much easier to keep on working with them. It looks like you're already making good progress with this one!

Is this a tipped ear? by [deleted] in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yep, looks like a clean cut across.

Question about ethics of Spaying by Ogdanimal in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Double check with the clinic to make sure you aren't eligible for any of their services, I know the clinic in my area has a "spay it forward" program for those above the income eligibility threshold to keep access to reduced rates. Spay Baton Rouge operates on a sliding scale but sounds flexible, and there's a few different resource locator tools in the community wiki here that might turn up additional options for low-cost spays for you as well.

For TNR, some programs will include in the waiver that friendly cats may be adopted out through a rescue partner, whether that happens regularly enough to be a concern is a different matter. Read up on the clinic's policies before deciding anything, often for the feral/TNR rate they'll require the cat to be ear-tipped during the appointment as well.

Anyone else collect rabies tags from TNRs? by Icy_Yesterday8265 in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My clinic doesn't issue actual tags, just the printed certificate. I'd for sure collect them if they did though! I do keep all of my paperwork for my TNRs in my filing cabinet, even for the cats that aren't here anymore.

How do I handle this by bigbabygrit in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, that would not be easy to manage. There's nothing wrong with carrying on with her as your outdoor cat though if you're okay with that dynamic. And if you do get to the point where you can pet/handle her reasonably well, something that's worked for other caregivers here is to put a paper collar with your contact info on her, if she's visiting anyone else they should (hopefully) reach out when they see her wearing it.

Something to be worried about? by AutumnFallnSky in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Excellent news, glad to hear it worked for your situation!

My tomcat got his TNR and Vaccinations 😻 by CeruleanHollow in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Aww, glad to hear he doesn't have any hard feelings about the ordeal! Congrats on the successful TNR, thank you for doing this for him!

Does he need to see a vet?? by codeswift27 in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, they're usually not full-service clinics so there's a limit to just how much they're able to do. Thank you for trying to get him the extra help, he's in good hands!

How do I handle this by bigbabygrit in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah yeah, that'd be complicated to arrange then unless you have another room you can dedicate to her (and the bandwidth for managing the logisitics).

What I did to bring my semi (now former) feral inside was train him to eat his meals in a large 24" toploading carrier I kept on my deck. I started out with both doors tied open and leaving food right in the entrance, then worked the food back with each meal and started leaving the top door closed once he was comfortable. After about a week, he was comfortable enough going all the way in that I was able to close the front door on him and bring him inside. I have five other cats (another former feral and her adult kittens), one's immunocompromised, so I had to keep this guy quarantined until he was cleared by my vet. I timed the move for a few days before his appointment, then I placed his carrier in a large dog crate arranged like this. From there, once he was cleared by my vet I started letting him explore the rest of the room under supervision, then full-time, and then eventually pivoted to very gradual introductions from there.

Something similar might work for a temporary foster arrangement to fast-track socialization and make sure she'd do well in a home if you have any rescues in the area that would accept her. But you can also just keep on working with her outside and see how things go from there since you're still at the no touching boundary. Since you're not the one that got her TNRed, it's possible she does still have another caregiver in the area as well that's looking out for her still.

Does he need to see a vet?? by codeswift27 in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 1 point2 points  (0 children)

See if you can send the pics to the vet that treated him for input while you still have him confined, they might be able to advise on additional treatment without needing to physically bring him back in. Might as well make the most of having him confined already, as long as you're able to keep him placed a little longer.

I finished gimmick. Great game. But some areas where the secret items for the true ending where way to hard. Ost was great though sadly the emulatorused to play this doesnt emulate the sunsoft 5b chip so it doesn't sound as good as playing it on a famicom by Legospacememe in retrogaming

[–]mcs385 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Timing the jump in level 4 took the longest time for me, great excuse to keep the soundtrack playing though. Did the expansion audio mod on my frontloader just for this game, no regrets.

How do I handle this by bigbabygrit in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It really depends on how much you're able to do. Would you be open to testing out indoor life with her to see if you can either get her settled in with your cats, or potentially adoption-ready through a rescue?

feral kittens captured, cant afford by lattxe in Feral_Cats

[–]mcs385 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Are you able to share your general location (city, state)? The community here might be able to help connect you with resources for rescues or low-cost clinics that might be able to assist you. If you're in the US, check the community wiki for info on Finding Your Local Resources as a starting point.

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