Hurt Feral Cat - Need help

[haz1111]

I've been taking care of 2 feral cats for a while now. I had them both neutered last year. The problem is that one of them seems to have hurt her paw or her leg. First she was limping on it, but now she isn't putting any weight at all on it and it is all swollen. I tried to pick her up yesterday when I fed her, but she bolted from my hands. I have set up the trap cage, but she seems freaked out by it. I feel sick to my stomach that she is in pain and I can't do anything about it. I'm worried that she must have an infection and that it is probably spreading. She hasn't eaten anything (that I know of) since Monday. Probably the fact that she is in pain is making her not that hungry. I wish they had some kind of tranquilizer that I could give her to knock her out for a bit. That way I would be able to bring her to the vet right away. If anyone has any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

[Traci]

If she allows you near her, then keep trying to pick her up and get her into a kitty carrier, and to your vet right away.

When using traps, make sure it is a safe one, such as the have-a-heart trap....place canned cat food (preferrably a fish variety) inside, or try small pieces of cooked white chicken to tempt her inside. You could try placing a sheet or something over half of the cage so that it seems private. Never leave a trap unattended/checked, if an animal is inside, he/she needs to be protected from weather elements and have fresh food and water inside....animals can fight fiercely inside a cage trap and hurt themselves, so they need to be checked at all times.

[haz1111]

Thanks for the info. I'm actually going to leave work early to go home and check on her. Hopefully she will be in there.

[haz1111]

I still haven't been able to catch her. She still comes around at the normal feeding times, but she seems too smart to actually go in the trap cage to eat. She must be starving, because she hasn't eaten since Monday. I was able to see the bottom of her foot this morning, and it definitely looks like she stepped on something. I'm just afraid that the longer it takes to catch her, the more the infection is spreading. I'm wondering if I should just ask the vet if I should feed her and put an antibiotic in her food. This really sucks.

[Traci]

It is not productive to put antibiotics in food for ferals and strays, since you can't gaurantee they will eat it, or that other cats won't eat it. Antibiotics must be given orally (or through injection for various purposes), and given consistently on a schedule in order for them to work.

Ask a friend for help in catching her. Approach her calmly and slowly, offer her cooked white chicken or tuna or a bowl of cream (half and half only, no other milk products, these may cause diarrhea, and do not leave it out for more than an hour, especially in the heat), or a can of Fancy Feast fish-variety food. It's important you catch her as quickly as possible and to your vet because if she has an abcess, it could worsen considerably and enter the bloodstream.

[Cleo]

In such a desparate case like this, set up the trap with a trail of bits of canned salmon (NO BONES) a few inches apart going into the trap. This was how I was able to catch one of my toughest ferals. I would only do this while you are there and can be on the lookout that she is the one and only to get the fish and enter the trap. If you can't be there, ask a neighbor to spend an hour or so perched nearby when it's feeding time.

Good luck!

[haz1111]

I just wanted to let everyone know that I was able to trap her on Saturday. I think what ended up getting her in there was that I put her cat bed inside the trap! The scent must have been familiar to her. I had to take her to the 24hr emergency hospital so it cost a lot, but I'm so glad that she is ok now. The doctor stitched her up and gave her some antibiotics. I'm keeping her in a spare bedroom until she is healed. She seems to be very calm, which I am very happy about. I would feel horrible if she was meowing to get out all the time. Anyway, thanks for your suggestions!

[Traci]

Do you have other cats in the home? If so, keep them seperated in the event the female is not current on her vaccinations, etc.

Thanks for caring to get her seen and treated.

[haz1111]

Yes, I have seven cats inside. Three older ones and four younger ones. The one that I had treated is the mother to two of my kittens. (Well, they are actually going to be 2yrs old in a few months). I had the vet vaccinate her when she was she was getting treated. I'm still keeping them seperate from her though. I didn't have them clip her nails, figuring that when I let her back out she might need to defend herself. Also, I think it's traumatic enough for her to be inside, she doesn't need all of these strange cats hissing at her!!

[Traci]

Perhaps your vet was trying to be prudent, but it's not wise to vaccinate when a cat is ill, or has a bacterial infection. Please watch her closely in the next several days....make sure she's eating normally, normal litterbox habits, seems to be healing from the wound, etc. Make sure you know what type of sutures your vet used for the wound, if they are not absorbable, they may need to be removed in about 7-10 days.