Another stray showed up

[slvrwhispr]

Oh my goodness, his poor little ears are SO chewed up. I wish I could take him!

[Tina B and crew]

Yes they are silvr...he's led a rough life for some period of time. I wish you could take him too (how far from VA are you?! ha ha!) He is not feral so I suspect he was at one time someone's "pet" or he has at least been socialized quite a bit. My neighbor has fed him a few times and she said he was always very sweet and friendly. He doesn't seem to mind being inside at all. Everything was in place when I checked on him this morning, even the sheets I had laid down weren't dug up like cats often do. He is also using the litter box for all his business, thank goodness.

[slvrwhispr]

I'm in Michigan. And I'm pretty certain the apartment I'm going to be living in limits you to one pet. But if you wanted to drive him all the way up here I could probably make arrangements, haha.

[Tina B and crew]

Be careful what you ask for silvr...because knowing how difficult it is to find homes around here I am pretty sure I'd drive to MI to get him into a good home!!

I will be glad when he is neutered though...he is using the litter box religiously, but whew it stinks!!

[Traci]

Tina,

I wish I could provide you the perfect answers for your conundrum. I don't know how rural you are, but if kitty is that friendly, chances are, there is someone in the area who has taken care of him most of this time, that person may not be well off enough for paying for neutering/vet care etc, but nonetheless, I'll bet someone is. In that case, maybe place lost& found ads - sometimes a person will come forward and say "oh I don't know who he belongs to, but I've seen him and have fed him" etc etc.

The cuts, scrapes, scratches etc are typical life for tomcats - through not always the fault of their own, they meet with other toms and must defend territory, compete for food, shelter etc. Sometimes it is because they live (literally) in the woods or areas where quick access/escape is necessary and may not be so cozy and soft and warm. The abrasions on the nose could also be from mosquitos, gnats, other bugs that are in abundance with heavy rainfall. Keeping a tube of polysporin can help with just about any cut or scrape for these little guys. Huggies baby wipes (unscented type) are handy for helping to clean fur. Not much you can do for the ears unless you can afford veterinary ear mite solution.

If any wound is healed over, try not to worry too much, little cuts and scrapes usually don't bother the cat much, they are usually quick to heal. Fur loss could result from nearly anything, but as long as there are no deep cuts, absesses, etc, try not to worry. Unkempt fur usually results in the environment, like rain, mud, undesirable places when the cat doesn't want to groom all that icky stuff.

As you know, neutering will help greatly by reducing his tendency to roam and stay closer to his food/shelter source, and he will be less likely to want to defend his area, it would be more like "sharing" his territory with other males if they are around.

For now, you could call and ask your own vet what he charges for ear mite ear mite solution treatment, or ask if he can recommend an OTC ear mite product, although I don't recommend OTC ear mite products. I think Petsmart carries generic stuff (like the brand "8 In One" crap, but please ask your vet first for his opinion on such products). If he agrees, the product MAY be better than nothing. Ear mites can cause a significant amount of damage because the ears are painful, inflamed and when the cat scratches his ears, it makes it worse and very prone to pain, scarring, bleeding, infection. Any tiny bumps or abrasions, scratches around the ears, jaw, behind the neck, may be signs he is scratching excessively because of mites.

I really wish I could tell you if you should let him out again. In a more suburban area, I would probably tell you it would be better than taking to a shelter where his chances are practically nil - but in an area with so many dangerous wild animals, it is a huge risk to allow him out again. (unless he stays close to your home and has protected shelter). It would be ideal if he had 24/7 access into and out of his sheltered area and was cared for, fed, etc all the time, but that isn't always feasible for many people. You have to decide if you can fashion access to his shelter for him as well as keep the shelter protected from predators, and if you can afford to keep him fed, etc. As you know, neutering and vaccinating prevent spread of disease to other cats, so that's always a plus.

Bless your heart for taking such great care of him, I truly hope you can get him neutered and vaccinated, hopefully an earmite solution, and I'm praying a home can be found. I know the difficulty with limited resources, not enough homes to be found, etc.

I'm in the same boat. I have a stray intact male who has made my yard/garden/kittyhouse his home since late Feb, and now have two young kittens (male and female, intact) who need spaying/neutering, dewormed, etc - I can't afford all three right now, but fully intend to get them in as quickly as I can. Please pray that the female is not pregnant, I can't get close enough to her to examine her. The kittens are warming up to me, they are incredibly bonded, sleep/eat/explore together, he's a lynxpoint, she's a tuxedo, much smaller than he but he protects her! It has taken me two months to get close to them, earn their trust. I can touch the male, but if I try to pet him for too long or hold, he freaks. She is so skittish, the slightest move I make sends her running (although she comes right back). Luckily, they use the little kittyhouse, but not the big kittyhouse yet. I think I'll be able to trap them with ease, but until I can afford it, I'm keeping them comfortable, fed, sheltered, etc. Our shelters are over-run too, I'm not even going to consider that (plus I have never ever relinquished a cat to a shelter, I'm not going to start now).

It is never easy, but doing something is better than doing nothing. Neutering, vaccinating, treating any serious problems gives them a better chance than nothing at all. I'm wishing you all the luck in the world, your little guy is so beautiful, he would definitely make someone a precious and beautiful companion.

[momPaws]

Tina, he looks like such a great cat... beautiful... I can picture him in a loving home- good luck and thanks for what you do ♡

[Tina B and crew]

Thanks for weighing in Traci! I'm not too concerned about the wounds/cuts/scraps now. The one behind his ear is no longer wet and weeping as it was the first day or two. Most of them are dried up and scabbed over. He does have one on his rear foot that looks like a bite wound and I'm keeping an eye on it. He seemed to be favoring that foot a little at first but it was barely noticeable. One of the punctures looked a little bit redder today but it doesn't look swollen, isn't hot or oozing, and doesn't smell so I'm not terribly concerned. As I said, I will keep an eye on it.

I think the two things that probably concern me most, and even those may not be serious. One is his respiratory issue - he breathes rather noisily. The first night he should up he sounded very mucousy and was sneezing. Not noticing the sneezing, but he just sounds congested. He also seems to have a distended belly. He's pretty skinny but his belly is rather round and kind of tight. My first guess would be parasites? I haven't seen any in his stool, but he usually covers it pretty good in the litter. At any rate, after he is neutered he will likely be getting a vet visit. I don't really have it in my budget but I'd like to at least protect him against parasites.

And I'm not sure I can honestly let him back out, at least not right away. If in a few weeks I have no prospects for a home I suppose I will have no choice, but this is not a very nice environment for cats. He's had such a rough life so far, and he really does seem to enjoy being pampered in his own little penthouse. Can't keep him there forever though. Dammit...dammit...dammit. It's just so hard!!!

[Traci]

Yes it could be worms, or food issues. Sometimes if they haven't eaten properly, or enough, they may eat too much of a good thing and be gassy. If he's producing stool, that would be good. Worms are a strong possibility, and as you know, even indoor cats will chase/eat birds and mice if allowed outdoors, so he may not have had to survive solely on birds and mice, but if he did, could have worms.

Eating a new food he's not used to can cause gassiness. This will generally resolve on it's own (as long as no constipation) with consistent feeding of proper food, water, and a bit of exercise.

Try posting some lost and found ads, post it also on petfinder (they have a lost and found ad section), etc. Even though his appearance indicates he may have been on his own for awhile, appearances can be deceiving, some cats are out for only a few days and come back looking like they've been in a war zone. Also remember there are a TON of people out there who think allowing their un-neutered tomcats outside is perfectly normal, which could explain the intact status.

Hang in there, think good thoughts, hopefully the right owner/home will be available!

[Tina B and crew]

He's been around out here for a while because I saw him several months ago. The first time I ever saw him he ran from me. My neighbor has also seen him and fed him a few times over the last few months. We always alert each other when we see unfamiliar animals wandering around. There was a house just across the valley here that had some really questionable people living in it for a while. They were, at one time, busted for cooking meth. I wonder if maybe he came from that way. There was also a house that caught fire and was gutted, so he could have come from there. We are pretty rural and about the only place to put any signs would be on telephone poles. I may do a posting on petfinder though.

[Traci]

Yes I suppose there are various reasons he has ended up at your doorstep and your neighbor's. Except for a relative few, I've found it nearly impossible to determine for certain where these cats come from (without an owner to come forward/claim, make a match from lost and found, etc)

That said, I always try to focus on what I CAN do for these little ones. Sometimes they are only passing through. Sometimes they indeed have an owner who is dumb. Sometimes they are feral, or abandoned and fast become feral. Sometimes they are, as you say, from a house fire, or another circumstance where they had to escape. So, providing food and protection from the elements and any care you can is always a good thing in my book. It sucks having to pay for others' stupid mistakes, but that's why we do the things we do, right? (somebody has to!)

I forgot to mention, most animal shelters do have a list where owners can call in or post a physical poster of their lost pets. If you have a shelter in your area (or local rescue org), it might be worth it to call and find out if this kitty has been described and reported missing by the owner. 50/50 chance I know, but it's an option to find out if the shelter provides that info.

Could also post on your local area craigslist lost and found, but like anything else, don't provide too much information, and don't meet any prospective owners without hubby with you.

I had/have a DSH russian blue intact male here occasionally, whom I was certain was abandoned or lost. Months later, the owner was crusing my street talking to anyone who may have seen him. Long story, but the point is, when I thought kitty was lost or abandoned, he had an actual owner. This has happened on a few occasions, so that's why I always suggest getting lost and found ads posted online where and when you can.