OT Abandoned Cat Question

I would be very leery of anybody who demands money to take in an animal! You might call your local vet -- they often know good people who will give an animal a good home. Best of luck to you and to the poor little critter!

Several years ago when a neighbor died I took in her elderly yorkie. Nobody in the family was willing to give the dog a home except the daughter with a house full of cats, and that simply didn't work even though she gave it a try. People were suggesting she have the dog put to sleep, but I said she could live here with me and my dog. She had some medical problems, but was really a sweet little thing, and she lived 4 more years. I've never regretted taking her in to my home.

Sometimes I think that "used" animals are the best pets!

Would any of the shelters lend you a cat trap, Mickie? (Don't feed it for a day or so , so that it is hungry enough to venture into the trap - I think that's what is usually done). At least, them, you could get hold of the poor cat. I'm sorry, but I don't think I would feel able to trust someone who demanded money before taking the cat - it's usually the other way round. . In message , Mickie Swall writes

There are special blessings for people who take in thrown away and abandoned pets. That wouldn't include somebody who would charge $50 to do it. I'm vilely allergic to cats and because I'm immuno-suppressed I can't risk being bitten or scratched by one, nevermind dealing with litterboxess. As a result I understand if you can't take it in yourself. Look for a home with a creative mind set. Call nursing homes and vet offices (although they usually are overrun with abandoned pets), organizations that help people living alone (maybe somebody is all alone and needs a nice, stay under the sofa most of the time kitty), you name it.

I have found many homes for abandoned dogs and cats, including keeping one or two myself. I also have had the misery of having to take one to the pound for certain euthanasia -- kinder than letting it roam around starving and desperate until it dies from neglect or a car.

Good luck and God bless you for taking on this task.

Sunny

email me.

I know some people over to Tidioute that might fancy another cat. I will also check with DH's people down to Oil City and over in Corry.

NightMist

Mickie Swall wrote:

I'm not surprised that the cat is so skittish after hearing what the house looks like inside! Those horrid people could not have treated this poor kitty properly!! Anyway, as Patti suggested, call around and see if someone will loan you a safe trap that you can use to corral the cat. Try local rescue groups (PetSmart is a good place to ask), Vet offices, even the local animal shelter. Does the kitty come around to only your house looking for food or is there perhaps someone else feeding the cat? If you are the only one providing food (and water, too I hope) then it will be much easier to trap the cat. I've trapped my fair share of stray cats over the years and it's a long process if you don't have a special trap. I would usually set up a "cat area" in the garage and slowly put the cat food closer and closer to this area. I would put the food out and then go back to the area and sit and do stuff (moving around but staying seated) so that the cat got used to seeing me around when s/he came to eat. Each day I would move the food closer until the cat was close enough that I could throw a blanket over the kitty and then something like a laundry basket. You would need to have a piece of board that is bigger than the laundry basket that you could slide under it to use as a floor, then you can reach in and pull the towel or blanket off the kitty. You would need to somehow anchor the basket to the board underneath and you would have the kitty corralled. The only problem is that you would have only one shot at this and it takes mega patience! I've spent the better part of a month building up enough trust with a stray before being able to trap it. Anyway, if you don't find a home for the kitty, you could always see if the vet would cut you a deal on spaying/neutering and giving shots to the cat. Then just take it home and keep it as an outdoor cat. If you're willing to provide food and water, a warm hidey hole for the winters AND if the cat has been "fixed" then it could have a very happy life as an outdoor kitty. Good Luck and keep us posted. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

The Cat's Second Chance people keep the cats uncaged in their home until they find new homes for them. The $50 is to cover the vet bill - first stop on the way home. I can justify the money, what I can't justify is these pigs getting away with just leaving the cat there. They can put a person in jail for mistreating an animal, and leaving a cat to die of thirst and hunger is mistreatment in my book.

A small animal carrier was left behind in the filth, DH says we can throw a blanket over the cat to catch it and then try to get it into the carrier so we can deliver it to the rescue people (they won't come pick it up). Mickie

The cat is still in the house, was living in the ductwork (it's a one- level house build on a concrete slab, the ductwork is in the slab). The first few days it would come around and mew to us, now he just hides. I managed to coax him out and have blocked all the entry ways so now he is hiding in the closet, and under a mattress on the floor in the bedroom. I think soon he will associate me with food, so I'm hoping in time I can lure him into the carrier with food as you suggest. I mentioned in another post that DH suggested we can capture him with the blanket method. The owners of the house live out of state and will be in town over Thanksgiving holiday to clean out the house. My DH and I are only to keep an eye on the house until they come, and also to try to deal with the cat. It is very taxing on one's respiratory system to spend any time in that house, so we do what we can. Rotting garbage, animal feeces and urine, dirty diapers, baby bottles with the milk and juice still in them, fridge with furry things inside, fruit files the size of house files....... it's a really bad situation.

OMG!! I sure do hope that "karma" catches up with'em!!

I just can't imagine anyone leavin' someone else's property like that ... I just simply can't imagine it. You'd have to be REALLY bitter at bein' evicted or really just badly brought up to do such a thing ... and then to knowin'ly leave their poor pet to live in that state??

I sincerely hope that the law decides to do something 'bout them. And FAST. Before they decide to get another pet at whatever other place they move to (and destroy later, I'd have to assume).

Hugs, Mickie, for bein' such a wonderful person and doin' all this for one of God's creatures. Bless you, Mickie!! ((((((((((((((Mickie)))))))))))))))))))

Hugs, Connie :)

OMG, Mickie. I was worried about the kitty, but these animals have BABIES?????? Heaven help the little things. When I was a reporter I saw more than one place that looked/smelled like what you describe. And they always had little ones -- filthy diapers hanging to their knees, snot dried on their little faces, and worst was the gray skin around their baby eyes. Dear God, so many people desperately want a baby and can't have one and these types of "people" (and I use that term loosely) just pop them out. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!Sunny(remembering why I stopped being a newspaper reporter .... breathe Sunny, breathe)

Oh, Good Lord, Sunny ... I totally missed that they have babies!! I was barely able to get past the kitty livin' there ... much less anything else!

Mickie, if'n you can, I'd consider reportin' them to the local Child Protective Services agency. I really honestly can't believe that if they left the place as you described, that they took any better care of their little ones. >:(

And BTW, I don't consider bein' "poor" any excuse (if'n they *were* poor) ... I grew up in a VERY poor area of West Virginia and even those who have absolutely nothing manage to take better care of their little ones. They do for their babies first and them second. Sounds like these people did nothin' for no one. >:(

Hugs to all!! Connie

Yes they had two little mixed-breed babies, a boy about 4 and a girl coming up on 2. I have a feeling that these two might have been on their own a lot, when the trash piggies were working or sleeping. There are samples of their artwork on the walls, creative smears of feeces, not sure whether it is human or animal, probably both.

The good news is I went over today to feed the cat and now him and I are buddies. I don't think I'll have any trouble putting him into the critter carrier. I think if I would have sat down he would have crawled into my lap! Needless to say it was hard getting back out the door, little kittie wanted to go with me. I'm going back over with more food this evening, I'll take some pictures.

Mickie

I know this group loves a lot and prays for our own. Is it possible for us all, just for a few hours, to pray diligently for these two babies? The world is filled with unloved, unwanted, hopeless babies. But these two have come into our world, and now they are ours .... just for this short moment. Perhaps the kitty led Mickie to the house so that the babies would be led into our prayerful arms?? I am having a hard time today, can't stop thinking about these little ones and all the babies I saw through the years that were in the same shape. I just know that we can spare a moment or two of prayer for these babies.

Amen, Sunny

are two pictures of the cat.Waiting to hear from one adoption offer, if that falls throughthen I will call the Cats Second Chance People tomorrowevening. Mickie

She's really pretty (my money is one her being a her, with the orange and the brown tabby mixed) I hope everything works out with the kitty and I pray for the human children that have to endure such despicable conditions.

You're right Sunny, for this moment in time these babies are ours. My prayers join in with yours. Thanks to Mickie, seems like the kitty will be fine. Thanks Mickie, both for helping the kitty and letting us all help in our own way with thoughts and prayers.

Marilyn in cold, windy, Alberta, Canada

On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:48:12 -0600, Mickie Swall wrote (in article ):

That poor cat looks a lot like our Katie Mae. Poor baby. But you can tell from the ears that are too big for his face that he's still pretty young. Hopefully he'll recover in a good home and learn to love his people.

Maureen