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conulyNow, the whole reason we have this cat is because we fed her. And the whole reason we fed her is because my sister had picked up a can of cat food to try to lure this three-legged cat home. But by the time she got back, Captain Threelegs had gone.
And then we fed THIS cat, and as I don't feel like turning pregnant cats onto the street, we let her come in.
Today I saw the three-legged cat myself, and I can see why Jenn was concerned.
That cat seems to get by just fine missing a back leg. It's not ideal, but it doesn't seem to be slowing this cat down much. And we both think somebody might be feeding this cat.
But if they are, they aren't feeding it enough. This is a cat with a hefty frame, so it should have more meat on its bones than it does. The fur isn't as clean as I'd like either, though it can get touchy with outdoor or indoor/outdoor cats. What really concerns me, as much as the weight, is the number of light scabs I felt under the fur. Could be from fights, but they felt more like the scabs a cat gets from scratching too much, like if they have too many fleas. Small, lots of them, and no visible damage other than that missing foot. Of course, I had to make this estimation on a black cat in the dark, so... yeah.
Here's the thing. Now that I know where this cat is, I could easily pick it up, cram it into a box, and take it home. But then what? Bringing a new cat into a home with a nursing mama sounds like a recipe for disaster, especially when she's relatively new here. We've got the first floor, but a friend just moved in here, he has his own cat. My floor is still a mess, and the attic....
And friendly as this cat seemed, any critter missing a leg is going to be hard-to-place.
So I think the first thing to do is find out if anybody is taking (sorta) care of this cat. I'll get a flea collar, stick it on the cat with a note attached, and see what happens. If it's somebody's cat, they'll either call or remove the collar. And then I'll go from there.
And then we fed THIS cat, and as I don't feel like turning pregnant cats onto the street, we let her come in.
Today I saw the three-legged cat myself, and I can see why Jenn was concerned.
That cat seems to get by just fine missing a back leg. It's not ideal, but it doesn't seem to be slowing this cat down much. And we both think somebody might be feeding this cat.
But if they are, they aren't feeding it enough. This is a cat with a hefty frame, so it should have more meat on its bones than it does. The fur isn't as clean as I'd like either, though it can get touchy with outdoor or indoor/outdoor cats. What really concerns me, as much as the weight, is the number of light scabs I felt under the fur. Could be from fights, but they felt more like the scabs a cat gets from scratching too much, like if they have too many fleas. Small, lots of them, and no visible damage other than that missing foot. Of course, I had to make this estimation on a black cat in the dark, so... yeah.
Here's the thing. Now that I know where this cat is, I could easily pick it up, cram it into a box, and take it home. But then what? Bringing a new cat into a home with a nursing mama sounds like a recipe for disaster, especially when she's relatively new here. We've got the first floor, but a friend just moved in here, he has his own cat. My floor is still a mess, and the attic....
And friendly as this cat seemed, any critter missing a leg is going to be hard-to-place.
So I think the first thing to do is find out if anybody is taking (sorta) care of this cat. I'll get a flea collar, stick it on the cat with a note attached, and see what happens. If it's somebody's cat, they'll either call or remove the collar. And then I'll go from there.
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no subject
Date: 2011-08-30 03:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-30 03:27 am (UTC)For one thing, I don't know that three-legs is male. I didn't get a good look.
For another, the cat's territory probably doesn't overlap much with ours' old territory.
And anyway, unfixed toms aren't always known for being great with kittens. They CAN be, but more often they ignore them or threaten them. Same goes for any random queen cat in their home. Cats don't mate for life or even for long term.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-30 04:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-30 04:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-30 04:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-30 05:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-30 06:03 am (UTC)And I find often fearful or bad-tempered animals were definitely not cared for properly*, though that might not necessarily equal abuse.
*Properly means "in such a way that you get a well-adjusted animal who is comfortable with humans and wants to be around them." This isn't always the goal, and in some situations it's detrimental to the animal (rescue of wild animals, I'm thinking), but when we're talking about pets, that's what I mean.