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Old 04-08-2009, 06:00 PM
 
5 posts, read 18,895 times
Reputation: 13

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I recently discovered that a stray cat has been visiting my yard. He seemed hungry so I went out to feed him and he looks very very sick. I first though that he may have been hit by a car, but I now think that he may have a disease. His stomach is very swollen but he is very boney. His face looks swollen and he sometimes staggers as he walks. I think he is dying and I am concerned about him but I am scared to touch him as I have an indoor cat of my own that I don't want to expose to germs of any kind. Does anyone know of a group that would pick him up other than animal control? I love cats and this breaks my heart but he looks as if he needs to be put down and he is suffering.

Please help.
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Old 04-08-2009, 11:06 PM
 
Location: Jax
8,200 posts, read 35,465,931 times
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Heartbreaking .

It sounds as though he may possibly be poisoned if his face is all puffy - either by snake venom or human hands.

I've been through similar scenarios, and my best advice would be for you to catch him yourself via a humane trap. Call your vet's office to see what your fastest local source of a trap would be. Be certain not to contact the cat with your hands. I'm less worried about you picking up a disease to carry to your cat than for you to get scratched/bitten. Feral cat bites and scratches can cause you serious problems (rabies, etc.). Twice my husband had to make trips to the ER after cat rescues went bad and one of those times landed him in the hospital for days .

The outcome is likely to be that you will catch the cat in the trap, transport him/her to your vet's office and you will pay for the cat to be humanely euthanized. If you feel you can relieve the cat of some suffering, then see if you can trap the cat.

Here's a link to Alley Cat Allies that you might find helpful:

Alley Cat Allies - What We Do - Care for Cats (http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=431 - broken link)

It's not easy being a homeless dog or cat in Jacksonville, that's for sure .
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Old 04-09-2009, 07:07 AM
 
43 posts, read 139,554 times
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We lost our cat last week during the storms. We live in Cunningham Creek in St. Johns. We moved here about 1 month ago and she got out the front door. We have contacted shelters put up signs etc... No luck. She is not an outdoor kitty and we miss her very much. She does have her claws so that is good. She is a tortoise shell tabby mix and is very skittish. She is almost 3 years old. Let me know if you think this may be her. Thanks so much!!!
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Old 04-09-2009, 05:35 PM
 
5 posts, read 18,895 times
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I'm so sorry that you can't find your kitty. I live at Jacksonville Beach so unfortunately this kitty is probably not yours. I can send you a picture if you would like. This kitty is also not very skittish and in fact walked right up to me. I was afraid to touch her but I did quickly pet her because she looked as if she needed attention.

Thank you for your concern. I pray that you find your kitty.
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Old 04-09-2009, 05:38 PM
 
5 posts, read 18,895 times
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I did actually pet the cat and she was longing for attention. I washed my hands with bleach afterwards several times. The cat is seems very familiar with people and is not agressive in any way. I think I could catch it but I will take your advice and try to contact someone who can help me with a trap. I have an appt. with my vet on Saturday to take my cat in for her routine shots so I will ask them when I go. Maybe someone that works there will help me.

Thanks so much for your concern.
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Old 04-09-2009, 05:45 PM
 
Location: Vermont, grew up in Colorado and California
5,296 posts, read 7,238,034 times
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It could be lost.
Hope things go well.
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Old 04-09-2009, 06:10 PM
 
5 posts, read 18,895 times
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Thank you. I think so too. I've been searching my neighborhood for signs of a lost cat but nothing yet. I have to get help for it soon.
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Old 04-09-2009, 07:07 PM
 
377 posts, read 1,728,417 times
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The cat's probably hungry also. It was probably someone's cat, because a feral cat wouldn't be that tame. I know this is a longshot, but if you could video the cat with your cell phone and then show the video to your vet, the vet might be able to determine what's wrong with the cat.
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Old 04-09-2009, 07:18 PM
 
Location: SE Florida
9,367 posts, read 25,217,262 times
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I have a have-a-heart trap if you would like to borrow it. Then you could take her to a vet to be humanely euthanized. Just DM me if you'd like to make arrangements to pick it up.
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Old 04-10-2009, 08:53 PM
 
Location: Jax
8,200 posts, read 35,465,931 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevep View Post
The cat's probably hungry also. It was probably someone's cat, because a feral cat wouldn't be that tame. I know this is a longshot, but if you could video the cat with your cell phone and then show the video to your vet, the vet might be able to determine what's wrong with the cat.
I was thinking the exact same thing - this sounds like a former pet cat, not a feral.
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