Help! Furry Baby Exposed to Ghetto Cat
IDzine01
with a really friendly outdoor cat that has been seen in the
neighborhood over the last few weeks. Random neighborhood people have
been trying to find the owner but no one has claimed it.It's neutered
and has a collar. It sat on our porch all day (apt. bldg) so my
neighbor being allergic asked if I would keep in at my place while she
called her friend who works at a local shelter. We live in Washington,
DC and outside is not safe for cats. There are feral colonies, FIV,
FeLV, stray dogs, lots of cars and other risks. So I set up shop in my
bathroom where it could be separate from my cat and easily disinfected
after kitty left. As we prepared to sneak kitty past my cat all hell
broke loose, both kitties got free and they fought for about 3 seconds
before I pulled my cat off kitty. Unfortunately, 3 seconds was all that
was needed for my cat's ear to get nipped, other kitty to get a small
cut and to pee on my cat from fright and of course lots of hissing and
spitting. With all that possible fluid exchange I am now terrified that
I could have exposed my cat to a communicable disease. I feel horrible
for risking my cat and I'm not sure what to do. The shelter arrived an
hour later and took the kitty. They said that they will test him and
that his thin build could be a sign of FIV or FeLV. I am to call in 4
days for test results. I tried to wash my cat with soapy water as best
I could to remove any urine or spit from the other cat but who knows if
that did anything. I also called my emergency vet who said if the other
kitty tests positive to bring my cat in for tests in a week.
With all that said is there anything I might have missed? Any miracle
vaccine? I understand there is a risk now that my cat could be infected
but what is that risk rate? What percentage of city cats are infected?
What is the rate of transmission?
I feel like the world's biggest idiot so I appreciate any information
you can provide. Thanks so much.
Wendy
lost. His thin build is more likely to be as a result of a previously indoor
cat being clueless when it comes to surviving outdoors than him having
contracting FIV or FeLV in less time outside than it takes to lose the
collar. The best thing you can do for your cat is to stay calm and don't
stress him/her for the 4 days the shelter is taking to get back a test
result. Don't know why it's going to take 4 days to get a test result that
takes less than 20 minutes.
W
"IDzine01" <chri...@nippyfish.net> wrote in message
news:1162304078.8...@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
IDzine01
Wendy wrote:
> The stray sounds like it's a previously owned cat that might have gotten
> lost. His thin build is more likely to be as a result of a previously indoor
> cat being clueless when it comes to surviving outdoors than him having
> contracting FIV or FeLV in less time outside than it takes to lose the
> collar.
I was considering that myself. He didn't show any interest in food
while he was with me and even though he appeared to be relaxed (purring
and playing with poofy balls) who knows, he still could have been too
stressed to eat or just uninterested in food.
>The best thing you can do for your cat is to stay calm and don't
> stress him/her for the 4 days the shelter is taking to get back a test
> result.
Noted. Stop sobbing on the cat... will do.
>Don't know why it's going to take 4 days to get a test result that
> takes less than 20 minutes.
Dunno. It sounded like she was just throwing out a number. He very well
could have been tested today. Maybe I will call anyway. I hope this
kitty finds a good home. I asked the officer to call me back if kitty
isn't adopted and faces euthanization. She said there were no
guarantees because it was up to the director to make the decision.
This, of course, made me question if I had done the right thing after
all. How is it one minute I can be this advocate for animals and the
next minute I can be this horrible cat-killer. (Exposing my cat to
deadly viruses and sending an innocent off with Team Euthanasia.)
I feel like sobbing again... where's my kitty?
Wendy
Yea, I'd bug them for the test result. You don't want them doing something
stupid like euthanizing the cat and never running the test.
Charlie Wilkes
wrote:
When it comes to keeping cats in the bathroom, I have it on good
authority that you are not the world's biggest idiot.
I think you should pat yourself on the back for doing the right thing,
even if it went awry. I'll bet some worried cat owner will get their
animal back in one piece because of you, and I'll bet your cat will be
fine.
Charlie
cybercat
"Charlie Wilkes" <charlie...@users.easynews.com> wrote
> When it comes to keeping cats in the bathroom, I have it on good
> authority that you are not the world's biggest idiot.
hahaha! I remember that!
>
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
IDzine01
They are sending people over tonight to look at my cat. This came out
left field because I called to check on the lost cat and when they
heard it had nipped my kitty on the ear they had me fill out a bite
report and now they need to send people over to check out my kitty.
They said it had to be done tonight. This is becoming very stressful.
To top it off I hung flyers all around the neighborhood last night to
try and identify the cat's family. I hung one flyer in the lobby of my
apartment building and when I came out this morning one of my neighbors
had written a note blaming me for the likely euthanization of this cat
and essentially called me a cat killer. You guys know how I was feeling
yesterday so you can imagine how reading that felt. It was basically
the cruelest and most hurtful thing anyone could say at a time when I
was questioning everything I had done. The fact is this cat was
underweight and could have communicable diseases. I just wanted to help
it.
This thing just keeps escalating.
Wendy
picks it up. That would save all of you a lot of hassle if he can show the
cat is up to date on it's shots. The shelter is probably worried about
rabies more than FIV (which can also be transmitted through bites). He
should have been calling shelters in the area as soon as the cat went
missing - jerk! Anything that happens to that cat is the owners fault not
yours.
W
"IDzine01" <chri...@nippyfish.net> wrote in message
news:1162395781.7...@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
IDzine01
it.
bear...@cruller.invalid
"D." <del...@nospamatmindspring.com> wrote:
> Don't let idiots bother you.
Reminds me of a zen sarcasm I use as an email .sig: "If at first you
don't succeed, skydiving is not for you."
Usenet requires a thick skin. In return for shuffling through all the
dross, every so often you get a pearl. Your world might expand, or
enlightenment might settle around your shoulders like a comfy bathrobe.
But if a vicious word of some anonymous, pimple-faced pit viper draws
your blood, Usenet might not be for you.
--
Wefare for the rich
combat for the poor
IDzine01
Angry Useneters don't bother me in the least because they frequently
hide behind anonymity... These words came from my neighbor. An actual
physical person living in my building. Actually, the on-line peeps have
been full of kind words and support. thanks all. ;)
PawsForThought
IDzine01 wrote:
> Angry Useneters don't bother me in the least because they frequently
> hide behind anonymity... These words came from my neighbor. An actual
> physical person living in my building. Actually, the on-line peeps have
> been full of kind words and support. thanks all. ;)
Your neighbor is an idiot. I think you did what any cat loving person
would have done. Try not to beat yourself up too much over it. I
think your kitty will end up being fine, but I know how frightening it
is waiting for test results. Hang in there.
cybercat
"PawsForThought" <micke...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1162492877.8...@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
idiot.
I have a friend who seems to think "manners" are more important
than the truth, but I will never think so, particularly not when it comes
to matters like the safety of creatures we love.
I think that is horse shit. (It is also satisfying to call horse shit
horse shit, come to think of it.)
Life is wayy too short to spend too much time worrying over
what irresponsible, petty assholes, and could not be long enough
to stroke the egos of such fools even for a second.
:D
*shaking like a cat right out of the bath and feeling goooood!*
IDzine01
Hey guys and girls. All is good and well again in the world. A
wonderful woman from the shelter just called and straightened out the
whole ordeal. Turns out everything that could have gone right... did.
Every cat that comes in and can be rehomed (isn't feral) is tested for
FIV/FeLV. For some reason this one was delayed and really shouldn't
have been because of the fact that my cat was involved. I guess it was
an accident. The great news is, the family learned of the missing cat
and came to claim him/her. Both cats are up on the rabies vaccinations
and the stray was tested for FIV/FeLV just a month ago and was
negative. Both my cat and theirs has to be kept in quarantine for 10
days in their perspective homes by law because a bite may have been
exchanged.
The family isn't even angry. They told the shelter lady they were happy
that their neighbors cared so much for their pets. Take that "anonymous
neighbor"!
Wow. I feel 20 lbs lighter. Thanks for everything!
cybercat
Wonderful, wonderful. I wish every cat owner and neighbor was like you.
There was actually someone posting here once who saw a DECLAWED
obviously pampered stray outside in a part of the country where there are
coyotes etc. and she would not even take the cat in because "my husband
didn't want me to." You not only care about your cat but cats in general and
that's terrific.
I could gush on but I think you get the point, so instead I want to thank
you
for the "Ghetto Cat" image I have enjoyed every time I looked at this
thread--
You know, the cap on sideways, the gold fangs, the bling bling, the droopy
drawers, the shades ...
Wendy
"IDzine01" <chri...@nippyfish.net> wrote in message
news:1162509143.9...@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
>
Glad to hear it all turned out well. :o)
W
Lynne
wrote:
I LOVE happy endings!!
--
Lynne