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How to care for a found cat?

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Updates!!!

So went to the SPCA bright and early this morning. Got shale checked by the vet. I mentioned the flea dirt.
They ran the flea brush through him, no eggs and no adults. They don’t think he is actually infested but they dosed him with Revolution and said I don’t need to bathe him or use the Capstar I ordered. Phew! They also said I didn’t have to bug bomb the house or anything, low suspicion that fleas will be an ongoing issue.

He weight 9lb and 9oz, and estimated 8-10months old based on his teeth. Which they said looks great.

They noted he is quite clean and that they agree he doesn’t seem like a feral cat. Confirmed again there’s no chip.

I scheduled him for neutering and vaccinations and more flea prevention treatment next Wednesday!

They said they don’t need a stool sample and no blood was taken. I’m guessing because he has no symptoms and looks very healthy.

So yay!

Yay!!!
I disagree about the stool sample though as a cat can be asymptomatic (and he should be tested for FIV and Felv IMO) until they aren’t but overall great news!!! So happy for you and Shale ❤️❤️❤️
 

Matata

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He used to refuse to eat wet food but just this week has liked it again, and luckily I got the last flat the vet had. I've tried him on a raw diet as a supplement since it's really easy to get the nonstandard proteins in raw pet food or just, like, people food, but he doesn't seem to recognize any of it as things he can eat. I can't seem to find other limited protein options that seem reliable (ie, not contaminated by chicken or whatever).

Also what foods do you recommend for cats in general?

To get him to recognize new food, start by mixing the new protein into his existing food, just a few pieces at a time or coat the new food with the existing food until he learns to eat the new stuff. Whenever I transitioned a kitten to a new food, I started by adding a 1/4 tsp of the new and increased the amount by 1/4 to 1/2 tsp every week while decreasing the old food by the same amount.

I feed a whole prey diet of rats, mice, quail, chickens, guinea pigs as well as chunked meats such as bison, venison, alpaca etc. I get the meat from https://hare-today.com/

IMO the best diet for an obligate carnivore is one that is as closely matched to what their natural in the-wild-diet would be. That's why I feed whole prey. In general canned food is healthier for cats than kibble.

Brands that haven't had major issues to date are: Ziwipeak, Stella & Chewy's, Darwin's, Nature's Variety Instinct. There's no guarantee anymore that any commercially prepared pet food will stay safe from contaminants which is why I always recommend making home made food where one can personally source the ingredients. In the US (I don't know about other countries), the pet food industry still uses 4D animals (diseased, dying, down, dead) and an increasing number of pet foods are being contaminated by euthanasia as well as other drugs. It's disgusting.
 

MamaBee

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14,480
Updates!!!

So went to the SPCA bright and early this morning. Got shale checked by the vet. I mentioned the flea dirt.
They ran the flea brush through him, no eggs and no adults. They don’t think he is actually infested but they dosed him with Revolution and said I don’t need to bathe him or use the Capstar I ordered. Phew! They also said I didn’t have to bug bomb the house or anything, low suspicion that fleas will be an ongoing issue.

He weight 9lb and 9oz, and estimated 8-10months old based on his teeth. Which they said looks great.

They noted he is quite clean and that they agree he doesn’t seem like a feral cat. Confirmed again there’s no chip.

I scheduled him for neutering and vaccinations and more flea prevention treatment next Wednesday!

They said they don’t need a stool sample and no blood was taken. I’m guessing because he has no symptoms and looks very healthy.

So yay!

Yay on your new bundle of joy @MakingTheGrade! Now you have to prepare his big sister that she’s not the only one now! Haha!
 

PintoBean

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if I were you, I'd do a stool sample now, if negative, a second one in 3 weeks.

Giardia? Worms could be eggs now? and cat poop is like little doggy tootsie rolls, so god forbid the dog ate one.
 

stracci2000

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@MakingTheGrade,
He's gorgeous!
You saved his life. You really did!
Who knows what would've happened to him all alone and lost, miles from anywhere.
He's very lucky to have found you!
 

MakingTheGrade

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if I were you, I'd do a stool sample now, if negative, a second one in 3 weeks.

Giardia? Worms could be eggs now? and cat poop is like little doggy tootsie rolls, so god forbid the dog ate one.

Oh I had taken the stool sample with me but the vet didn’t want it.
Maybe I’m too naive but I figure it’s the spca, they specialize in strays and cats being brought in in crisis, so if they say it’s not needed I’m ok trusting their opinion for now. It sounds like next week during neutering there will be flea prevention and deworming
 

MakingTheGrade

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Also I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by all the options in cat litter! How do you guys pick one?!
 

JPie

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Also I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by all the options in cat litter! How do you guys pick one?!

We used Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Ultra Clumping Cat Litter because it was low dust. My parents used a corn-based one called World's Best Cat Litter and that stuff really aggravated my allergies.

Also, a Litter Genie is a must if you don't already have one:
1573590463581.png
 

Wewechew

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Congratulations on your new family member :D
 

distracts

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Also I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by all the options in cat litter! How do you guys pick one?!

I use Dr Elsey's. The blue one that says ULTRA on it, which I think is the same one @JPie mentioned. I used to use the Tidy Cat Breeze system which I loved when it was just T, but his poops are apparently low-smell and Hugo's poops give off toxic fumes so regular litter was a must lol.
 

MakingTheGrade

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We used Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Ultra Clumping Cat Litter because it was low dust. My parents used a corn-based one called World's Best Cat Litter and that stuff really aggravated my allergies.

Also, a Litter Genie is a must if you don't already have one:
1573590463581.png

Haha i just ordered one! I have no baseline for how smelly poops are for other cats but his are quite fragrant to me. I’m currently using something a friend grabbed for me but I’ll probably experiment with others when this bag is done.

I got a hooded litter box and he knows how to use it but prefers it when I take the lid off for him lol
 

JPie

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Haha i just ordered one! I have no baseline for how smelly poops are for other cats but his are quite fragrant to me. I’m currently using something a friend grabbed for me but I’ll probably experiment with others when this bag is done.

I got a hooded litter box and he knows how to use it but prefers it when I take the lid off for him lol

Ooh, I forgot to mention bonus points if you can switch Shale to a tall, top entry box. It drastically reduces the amount of litter tracked all over the place. Back when we had a cat, I had to vacuum the floor daily until we discovered these.

1573592690399.png
 

MamaBee

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Ooh, I forgot to mention bonus points if you can switch Shale to a tall, top entry box. It drastically reduces the amount of litter tracked all over the place. Back when we had a cat, I had to vacuum the floor daily until we discovered these.
That’s pretty impressive!
1573592690399.png
 

MamaBee

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Haha! Sorry @missy That was supposed to say Missy would have great advice! I’m sure you know it was a mistype!
 

Daisys and Diamonds

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22,510
Updates!!!

So went to the SPCA bright and early this morning. Got shale checked by the vet. I mentioned the flea dirt.
They ran the flea brush through him, no eggs and no adults. They don’t think he is actually infested but they dosed him with Revolution and said I don’t need to bathe him or use the Capstar I ordered. Phew! They also said I didn’t have to bug bomb the house or anything, low suspicion that fleas will be an ongoing issue.

He weight 9lb and 9oz, and estimated 8-10months old based on his teeth. Which they said looks great.

They noted he is quite clean and that they agree he doesn’t seem like a feral cat. Confirmed again there’s no chip.

I scheduled him for neutering and vaccinations and more flea prevention treatment next Wednesday!

They said they don’t need a stool sample and no blood was taken. I’m guessing because he has no symptoms and looks very healthy.

So yay!

that's wounderful
im so hapoy for you and Shale
he is going to have the best life with you and you will both be so happy :kiss2:
and im so glad he doesn't need a bath
my upmost respect to anyone who has ever bathed or showered a cat

near the end when Tinky got old he let me wash parts he couldn't reach with a warm flannel (face cloth) but that's when i knew the end was comming
 

Daisys and Diamonds

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Apr 30, 2019
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22,510
To get him to recognize new food, start by mixing the new protein into his existing food, just a few pieces at a time or coat the new food with the existing food until he learns to eat the new stuff. Whenever I transitioned a kitten to a new food, I started by adding a 1/4 tsp of the new and increased the amount by 1/4 to 1/2 tsp every week while decreasing the old food by the same amount.

I feed a whole prey diet of rats, mice, quail, chickens, guinea pigs as well as chunked meats such as bison, venison, alpaca etc. I get the meat from https://hare-today.com/

IMO the best diet for an obligate carnivore is one that is as closely matched to what their natural in the-wild-diet would be. That's why I feed whole prey. In general canned food is healthier for cats than kibble.

Brands that haven't had major issues to date are: Ziwipeak, Stella & Chewy's, Darwin's, Nature's Variety Instinct. There's no guarantee anymore that any commercially prepared pet food will stay safe from contaminants which is why I always recommend making home made food where one can personally source the ingredients. In the US (I don't know about other countries), the pet food industry still uses 4D animals (diseased, dying, down, dead) and an increasing number of pet foods are being contaminated by euthanasia as well as other drugs. It's disgusting.

we have a whiskers factory in our town
saddly they are going to relocate it to Asia (to be closer to bigger markets) so our local market wont have locally NZ grown meat in whiskas anymore

it looks like a regular freezing works (that's what we call the slauter house) but it doesn't smell maybe because its a smaller complex
i do see stock trucks going in there with animals

i do worry what is in imported cat food
what on earth is a meat by product ??

funny - last time i went to the vet to buy some of the redicoulssly expensive flea treatment i brought a can of local premium game possom cat food
not your cute little opossom but made from the Australian bush tail possom that destroys millions of tons of nstive forest every night here in NZ

anyway neither Tibby or Borris would touch it - the sparrows ate it
 

ringbling17

Ideal_Rock
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Love! He is awesome and you are awesome too! I agree with others that he seems to be an abandoned cat or one who seems to have strayed very very far for home.
Cats have different personalities and this one seems to be very loving and kind. I have one cat that is exactly like that to the point that I have to push him away sometimes bc he likes to nudge my face with his head when I’m sleeping. But otherwise I love that he loves me!
Thank you for taking him in. He will shower you with love for a very long time. I can tell!!
 

MakingTheGrade

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Yeah he’s waking me at 4am to play. I try to engage him in playing during the day but he doesn’t seem very tot motivated. He’ll swat at something a few times and then wander off. On the bright side he also doesn’t seem to be much of a scratcher. I ordered some laser pointers to see if he’d go for those to chase around.
 

missy

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Yeah he’s waking me at 4am to play. I try to engage him in playing during the day but he doesn’t seem very tot motivated. He’ll swat at something a few times and then wander off. On the bright side he also doesn’t seem to be much of a scratcher. I ordered some laser pointers to see if he’d go for those to chase around.

See how he does with the laser pointer. I’m no longer a fan of those because most of the cats seem stressed when we stop and they start looking all over for the laser light. It’s aggravating to see them going crazy unable to find it once we stop playing with it with them. That’s why I no longer use it.
 

MamaBee

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See how he does with the laser pointer. I’m no longer a fan of those because most of the cats seem stressed when we stop and they start looking all over for the laser light. It’s aggravating to see them going crazy unable to find it once we stop playing with it with them. That’s why I no longer use it.

I did the same thing..I bought the laser pointer when he was a puppy.Bailey was frantic chasing the light so I put it away. I took it out again when he was older..same reaction..He would cry for it..and frantically chase it.
 

junebug17

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Thank you for saving this kitty's life @MakingTheGrade. He is beautiful and sounds so sweet. Everyone had given great advice, not much to add...wanted to mention getting a scratching pad , my cat liked them. And if possible set things up so that he can look out a window For entertainment. My vet recommended Fancy Feast wet food. She seemed to feel it was healthier than other brands. Greenies dental treats are good for their teeth and my cat loved them.
 

cmd2014

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Hard for me to imagine how a cat gets lost miles into a state park. There isn’t that much residential area around. Unless people like to take cats camping? You’d imagine that anyone with a cat they let outdoors though would have a chip or collar :/

Sometimes nasty people will trap other people's cats and drive them to a remote place and dump them. Parks are a prime place. Then the cat will often wander looking for food or people or a way home, and can end up pretty far from where anyone might think to look for them. We've had a number of these incidents here where I live (in once case the neighbour eventually fessed up to the trapping and dumping, even though it is illegal to take the trapped cat anywhere other than the Humane Society, but the cat has yet to be found). And some people do take their cats camping (crazy, I know) and lose them. Some take them camping and deliberately 'lose' them - because people can be horrible sometimes.

But it sounds like you have done everything you can do to make sure that anyone looking would be able to reach you, and that Shale has a wonderful new home in case no-one does. What a lucky boy!
 

MakingTheGrade

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I did the same thing..I bought the laser pointer when he was a puppy.Bailey was frantic chasing the light so I put it away. I took it out again when he was older..same reaction..He would cry for it..and frantically chase it.

Yeah I heard this about dogs but not about cats. Good to know! So far he doesn't seem obsessive about toys or anything aside from following me around, so fingers crossed the laser will do ok.

Today is his first time home alone for 7.5 hours, fingers crossed I don't come back to a destroyed bedroom with pee everywhere. My coworkers were saying that sometimes cat will pee out of spite haha.
 

MakingTheGrade

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Sometimes nasty people will trap other people's cats and drive them to a remote place and dump them. Parks are a prime place. Then the cat will often wander looking for food or people or a way home, and can end up pretty far from where anyone might think to look for them. We've had a number of these incidents here where I live (in once case the neighbour eventually fessed up to the trapping and dumping, even though it is illegal to take the trapped cat anywhere other than the Humane Society, but the cat has yet to be found). And some people do take their cats camping (crazy, I know) and lose them. Some take them camping and deliberately 'lose' them - because people can be horrible sometimes.

But it sounds like you have done everything you can do to make sure that anyone looking would be able to reach you, and that Shale has a wonderful new home in case no-one does. What a lucky boy!


Ugh, that's horrible!
Yeah I did all the things I could think to do in terms of reports and posting online at well seen places where people would likely look.
Also, this park isn't exactly convenient for anyone, it's a state park pretty far from residential areas so I feel like if it was malicious, that person is going really out of their way to be mean to the cat :/

I really feel like if you go camping with your cat you should chip and ID it unless you're looking for it to get "lost". In which case, I"m happy I found Shale! Wouldn't want him in a home that didn't want him.
 

MakingTheGrade

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I just learned from coworkers that cats will sometimes pre out of spite. Hoping my bedroom isn’t now soaked from Shale being mad that I left him to go to work today. First time I’ve been away from him this long. And this is a cat that follows me to the bathroom :/
 

MamaBee

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I just learned from coworkers that cats will sometimes pre out of spite. Hoping my bedroom isn’t now soaked from Shale being mad that I left him to go to work today. First time I’ve been away from him this long. And this is a cat that follows me to the bathroom :/

I hope not...Let us know..haha
 

elle_71125

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Yeah I heard this about dogs but not about cats. Good to know! So far he doesn't seem obsessive about toys or anything aside from following me around, so fingers crossed the laser will do ok.

Today is his first time home alone for 7.5 hours, fingers crossed I don't come back to a destroyed bedroom with pee everywhere. My coworkers were saying that sometimes cat will pee out of spite haha.

My dogs are more likely to pee out of spite than my cats...that’s a fact! :confused2:
We use Dr. Elsey’s cat attract litter. After one of our cats passed away, one of the others started acting out by urinating in different areas in my basement. It’s supposed to draw them in with the smell so they want to use the litter box. It certainly worked for us.

Honestly, you new kitty is probably going to spend most of his time napping. I have a new 6 month old kitty and he sleeps a lot. Now don’t get me wrong...he also acts banana balls crazy on the daily. We bought lots of toys for enrichment (and to help lessen destructive tendencies). If you want to go on a kitty shopping spree, here’s some that we bought recently and are well loved.

Butterfly toy:
This is my new kitty’s favorite! He runs into the room every time he hears me turn it on. If you get this, buy the extra butterflies...you’ll need them.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B4XGY1Z/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pldnSite=1

Feather toy:
Everyone is crazy about this guy. It’s a guaranteed winner!
Ps. Get a pack of the extra feathers...so worth it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DJYNH3K/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pldnSite=1

Cat tunnel:
Only one of my cats uses this...but he loves it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pldnSite=1

Cat scratcher:
This one has an adjustable laser pointer, a feather toy, and a scratcher. Major win! It circles back and forth at varying speeds and my cats love to chase the laser light around the floor (I tilted the laser out a little so it makes bigger circles). Random made is perfect to set and walk away. It gives the kitties 15 minutes of interaction which lets me work on getting easy for work. It’s also takes the sting off me leaving for the day.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PHMP78Z/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pldnSite=1
 

elle_71125

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I’m going to add this one last thing. It’s totally unnecessary and certainly extravagant but I love mine oh so much.

Two words: litter robot.
DE032128-800B-49EF-A74E-40575198D005.jpeg

I bought one a couple years ago after seeing @PintoBean sharing pics of hers.
It’s definitely expensive. I bought mine as a Christmas gift to my house. :lol:
Do I need it? No. But I will never go without one again! My cats freaking love this thing and it makes my job 10 times easier (maybe 5 times easier...the new kitty goes to the bathroom a LOT). :mrgreen:
 
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