can i kill a cat? please.

well i came home yesterday to a home invasion. fur everywhere, blood, tom barely able to walk and all bloodied up. yep, the cat came thru a window.
now i'm totally over the guilt i felt before and want to KILL HIM!
found out the local shelter won't take him....long story.
i don't even think i can catch him since i have'nt seen him since the storm. he's probably mad at me for the water incident.
now i have all windows and doors closed. tom's eatting and been sleeping since yesterday at 4ish. he's used his box for pee and poo and ate 2 meals. one i fed him in bed with my finger but he ate with hunger.
bg's are about 180 points higher than usual.
I HATE THAT CAT, he's like the devil :twisted: :twisted: and tom's not his only victim.
another neighbor tried to feed him and he chased her cat all over the house till she caught him and threw him out. he just won't go away!
can i kill him? please please please????
tom is emotionally traumatized.
eta. so am i obviously

 

Oh, that is just awful. Poor Tom. Cat bites can become infected pretty quickly, I'd get him to the vet. Especially since you don't know the vaccination status of the were-cat.

You can get a live trap and bait it with food to catch him. He's used to eating at your place, shouldn't be too hard. (So easy for me to say, because I've never tried it!) But you'd probably feel real bad later if you had him euthanized. If he's unfixed, neutering him might make him a more relaxed feral.

Yikes, is that terrible. I've had outside cats get my inside cats excited, but never had one break into my house.

 

were would i get a live trap? and if i do i really don't have enough $ to neuter him...i have a neighbor who might chip in for that...but i don't want to release him in this neighborhood. he's just ruining tom's life. tom's used to going out for a stroll on his own property and now we are both afraid he'll never feel safe going out again.

 

Do you have any local rescues? There is always the "cat catcher" there that can tell you the best way to catch an unruly cat and sometimes will just come out and do it for you.

Hope Tom feels better. Poor baby!!

 

Lori, doesn't Cindy live near you. Could you pm her and ask for her help? I'm pretty sure she has a live trap and she traps, neuters and releases ferals in her neighborhood.

I'm very sorry about Tom (and you). I hope Tom is feeling better soon.

 

First, I agree with Donna. Cat bites get infected so he needs to go to the vet.

Second, you're the Mom, it's your job to protect your family.(period) Get that cat gone, (maybe kill shelters have a role in this world)

My county will come out and set a racoon trap and when its full they take him away, no fuss, no muss, no rabies. (And yes they do kill them to test for rabies) Since this cat aggressively broke into your home, they may be interested in finding out if he has rabies...

If that fails, our Ace Hardware sells traps.

 

i cannot release him back in my neighborhood. please, i know how awful this must sound but tom is living in terror of this crazy cat and tom does not scare easily. he's a very tough cat.
this creature has to go. can't i just bring him to another neighborhood? i just can't do this to tom...it's been on going and as summer approaches i live in a cottage that is ALL DOORS with no screens, we live open and free and there is no way i can screen all these doors, they are not that way. if the doors are'nt open we basically get no ventilation from summer heat.
i just want him GONE.
am i awful? remember i've been attempting to help this cat for nearly 2 months. he scratched me for feeding him one day. yeah, thanks for the effort.

 

you all do know this is the 2nd time in 4 days he attacked tom right.
tom was just recovering from attack #1.
just called the local animal patrol, they have a policy. laguna beach cats are free roaming and not subject to catch. our local shelter gets they're cats from the bigger city kill shelter.
i guess this town is just too pleasant for a cat to live in for it to be worthy of a shelter rescue.
this is the maddest i've been in years. tom is still in bed. usually up and around. i keep checking on him. at least he's eatting and using the box.
he looks so depressed. :sad:

 

wow, that is scary lori, I agree neutering may be a big help (it is that time of year! ;-) ) I would get on the phone with all the rescue groups in the area (or start with Cindy, that is a great idea!), since he is young you may find that someone else is willing to pay for the neutering and rescue costs

for traps, I think you can often get them from the local shelter or rescue group for a small deposit that is returned when you return the trap

I agree though you wouldn't want to rerelease him to your neighborhood, but I am thinking at least maybe you could get him to a rescue group or a good shelter. If he truly is a menace and would not be a safe pet or safe feral anywhere, that's one thing, but I would hate to see you make a euthanasia decision yourself, especially when you are upset. You might regret it later, I know you have a big heart.

If you can, get him to a rescue group that you think is a good one & put the burden on them to assess his adoptability or releasability rather than taking that on yourself. Also there might even be a wildlife rescue place to call, where you could explain the situation and get some advice or even get their help.

I'd also call the vet, and ask them whether Tom needs a rabies booster, etc.

I'm sure you are both completely traumatized, I am so sorry this happened.

 

hey there,
i agree, if tom got hurt at all, he should be seen by a vet. i know money's tight but an er will cost more than a regular vet. i also know your vet situation isn't the greatest. i know mine is a drive but she does have the Care Credit applications in her office now.

as far as a trap, i rented one from the local shelter for a $75 deposit. i had it a week and when i returned it they refunded me the full $75

i can't believe animal control won't do anything. that's bull if you ask me! i personally would trap him and either drop him in front of a shelter or move him far far away and let him go. it may not be the best thing for him but neither is lori going at him with a shotgun. you have to protect your own, plain & simple.

 

Lori, you don't need our permission or our blessings to have the cat hauled off and put out of your misery. But I think you have both if you need them. Animal Control is a possibility, but often are understaffed and busy. Local humane societies and rescue groups are usually staffed by volunteers and financed by private donations. They are all people who care, and are often stretched tight budget and space wise. Simply put, there are more cats and dogs that need homes than there are home to take them in. Period. These people do good work, but they can only do so much. Don't dump on them because they are not superheroes. None of us are.

Feral cats are dangerous to pet cats and kill song birds and spread fleas and other parasites. It's not the feral or stray cats "fault", but it is still a problem. Taking it to someone else's neighborhood or dumping it on a shelter's doorstep is NOT a solution. Don't make someone else go through what you have gone through.

(Off my soapbox now.)

I hope you find a resolution that brings you and Tom peace. My cats used to go outside. But I got tired of the dead birds and headless lizards. So I brought my cats inside and kept them in. So now feral cats have claimed my yard as theirs. The neighbor feeds them. I offered to have them trapped and neutered. But she claimed she didn't want more pets. I heard their mating cries in February and a new crop of kittens will be born next month. And so the cycle goes.

Oh! You can also often surrender an animal at vet clinics. Assuming of course you can catch it.

 

I wouldn't rule out a shelter if there is no better option. I may have misunderstood what you meant, but I would rather see Lori take him to a shelter than resort to the shotgun approach. Personally I would pick a rescue group or vet clinic first if that is a choice, and a shelter as more of a last resort, but some areas don't have rescues, and I don't know if all vets would take them.

Lori, I did a quick Google and found a directory of rescue places, posting it in case it is something that might help you. With a quick look it seems like there are some places with potential in Dana Point, Irvine, San Clemente, San Juan Capo, Mission Viejo. http://www.mypetconnection.com/rescue/ Some have links to their website - I'd be happy to do some research today or tomorrow if it's something I can do from my computer. Just let me know if that is something that might help you out.

 

Lori
Have you crossposted this on community as well? Lots and lots of experienced folks with ferals there.
There are many options, but live trapping and then releasing in a different neighbourhood ( wooded are etc ) sounds like the a reasonable option.
try phoning a few vet hospitals as well, they may be able to tell you who does free or cheap spay and neuters for ferals.

 

I have started a community thread for you as well
Kimmee

 

I checked a couple out really quick:

DAWG in mission viejo pays for medical costs for animals at their local shelter, including neuters
http://www.dawg.org/services.html

Ruffrescue (orange county)
http://www.ruffrescue.org/

place in Newport Beach, slightly wacky website, but has some good info
http://www.animalnetwork.org/ANIMAL_NET ... ectory.htm
scroll down there is a notice about getting free spay/neuter vouchers for ferals

I didn't do a comprehensive check, but of the obvious cities nearby (I used to live in San Clemente, really miss that area some days, especially the beaches!!!!) these seemed promising.

Sending good thoughts your way.

 

Oh, I'm sure Lori wouldn't actually do this. But some people will cage up a cat or tie up a dog on the porch of a shelter after hours and leave it. Sometimes a box of kittens or puppies is left and half of them escape before shelter workers arrive in the morning. I'm just ranting because others are irresponsible. I know everyone here is bettered behaved.

 

Lori,
So sorry to hear about your troubles ((TOM)).
Is there a non-emergency phone # for your local police? Perhaps they can help.
Its not fair that you and your kitty are being terrorized by a psycho cat. I can't understand why local animal control won't help-this cat is obviously agressive and could injure or kill someone's pet. Not to mention, it 'broke' into your home and attacked yours already. I would be calling them several more times until they sent someone out and dealt with the problem. After all, what are you paying taxes for?

 

We don't think badly of you at all! I can't imagine how scary and frustrating it must be, and for him to break into your house! That's just too much (as if the attack on Tom the other day wasn't bad enough, which it was). As Cindy said, you have to protect your own, and Tom is your main priority. He needs to feel safe and free like always, and you need to not be worried about a feral cat jumping into your house whenever it wants.

I agree with Donna that taking it to another neighborhood isn't fair to those people. Someone else will just have to deal with the same thing that you are. I also agree that you have a big heart and I don't want you to do something you will regret. I hope that some of the links others gave you will offer a solution.

I am so sorry this happened to both you and Tom. I hope you can get the situation under control quickly and Tom can go back to roaming his roost and being the big man on campus. (((Lori and Tom)))

 

wow, thanks all of you. i'm going to look up those links for rescue's and shelters.
this is what i found out today...and get ready cause it stinks to high heaven.
first i call the local animal peeps at the police dept to let them know that altho' i know they don't do anything about cats this situation is more dangerous than average. i was asked all these questions about TOM and ME and OUR VET and OUR HOUSE as if this were somehow OUR FAULT. they wanted to know why i don't have screens on my windows and when tom had his vacinations last (guess what, they are concerned about 'the cat' being infected from tom) they even wanted to come over and see tom and i said no he's far to stressed out right now and we don't need police in the house looking him over....ummmm for what????

next i contacted out local shelter. very nice people, but there is absolutley nothing they can do. cats in laguna are free to wander. ok, i understand. are they free to attack? i was very nice to them becuase i know they're hands are tied.

i called a company called critter catchers. i was told my job is to put flyers up and do my best to find his owner (owner? he's an unneutered, 3am visitor, what owner?) or i could be sued for trapping him. then once a week or so goes by, she would trap him if i could find a place to place him and perhaps pay for his nuetering and possible pts if deemed necessary.

the last few weeks i've knocked on everyones door trying to find out if anyone lay claim to him so i would'nt feed him and not feel guilty for it. no one.

i never thought i would be the person who would trap a cat and dump him in another neighborhood. it goes against everything i believe in. i don't think tom will survive the next fight. half his nails are torn out. i want that cat gone. i had a passing thought of shooting 10u's into him god forgive me.

the cat is clearly crazy, has absolutly no fear and is fiercly strong.
i will look at those links now.
i am just being a mama bear protecting her cub if i sound crazy for wanting to kill this cat.
sorry.

 

Please be careful of that cat yourself. Last thing YOU need is to be bitten by some ferral.

I can't believe that entering your home and attacking your animal doesn't cross some legal boundry, which allows them to make an exception. Hopefully they were concerned about Tom's welfare when they asked about the vaccines. What if that crazy cat attacks a neighbor's infant (in his home) tomorrow, what then? sorry there's nothing we can do?

 

Hi Lori !

An unneutered male can be aggressive. A pop and chop (aka neuter) can do wonders !
It is not his fault. Put the blame on whoever dumped him ( or dumped his parents)
I do understand your being upset. I would be too! ( I am currently raving mad at the foxes that have proliferated in our neighborhood and go after kitties) Of course you want to protect Tom -- as you should.

And to echo what was already posted --you have a big heart....... I too would hate for you to do something you would regret later.
I bet you can protect Tom and help this guy . May take some time and patience in finding the help to do just that.

Please look into feral rescue groups.
contact
http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=191

Lots of good info there and they should be able to connect you up with a group in your area.
They may be able to have him join an established feral colony or find a nice barn home for him. (after being neutered of course ! )
To just dump him off w/o a feral colony caregiver is a slow death sentence.

Recently I trapped what I thought was a feral cat ( he wouldn't let me get close or touch him, or eat until I went inside the house) turns out he was a freaked out stray. As soon as he got fixed and into foster care he was a sweetheart and got a furever home shortly thereafter.
Not all stories end as happily I know. Just wanted you to know...... ya never know !

Hang in there. As upset as you are....... I am sure there is a reason he was sent to your door.

a little surgery and a chance are what he needs. to note: it can take a couple weeks after surgery for the raging male hormones to get completely out of his system. I'd be happy to pitch in a few bucks towards his neuter. Let me know. You still have my number?

((( Lori )))

sending vibes for you to find a rescue group to help you help psycho kitty.

 

just in case it got buried, here is the info on getting a neuter paid for.... wish they could tell you what to do with the darn cat before & after that, but at least it solves one angle of things if you end up being able to trap him ..... (and btw, I'd take pics of Tom's injuries and save copies of any vet bills... if someone EVER has the nerve to sue you for trapping their cat, I think you have some pretty good grounds to sue them & hopefully that would shut them up!)... that's totally ridiculous too about animal control... way to show concern over a possible rabies threat in the area (I would guess he's just being aggressive in mating season, but still, you'd think they'd be at least concerned) ok... done ranting here is the info:

from this site: http://www.animalnetwork.org/ANIMAL_NET ... ectory.htm

 

I must add here that feral cats do NOT endanger songbirds or other birds for that matter. This is, unfortunately, an argument used by some avian groups against TNR. The false claim is that feral cats endanger "native species".

The native species that feral cats endanger are small mammals such as mice. They are not naturally able to catch and kill healthy birds.

As far as the spreading of fleas goes I will say that yes my two former ferals had fleas last year - over a year after I brought them inside where they have never left since June 2008 except to go to the vet. My windows are at ground level and I am visited by cats - the cats belonging to the neighbor who lets her five pet cats roam freely.

Lori, I do hope that you are able to find a solution here. I'm so very sorry that Tom was injured.

 

With all due respect, my cats do NOT have supernatural powers and when they were allowed outdoors, they killed many birds. My Lemur is a great hunter and whenever he manages to escape the house some critter in my yard dies. He has left many birds, in various lifestages, dead. Lemur's prowess always surprised me as he'd lived his first 9 months of life at a shelter and the next 2 years indoors. I am sure that some feral cats who are born and bred outside can hunt birds as well.

 

I assume you live in CA, I don't know the area, but there is a San Diego group that works for ferals, if they are not local to you, I would suggest contacting them and asking them if they know any local rescue rescources.

http://www.feralcat.com/

I could never advocate the killing of any cat and as someone who volunteers for FeralCare it's hard to see threads like this. It's obvious that this cat is hurting your cat and something needs to be done, but I would urge you to place contact the San Diego group and ask them to help you find a local resource. Whatever you decide, it must be a humane choice.

 

Yes they can and do - they just do not endanger the species. They are "built" to hunt small mammals and birds are not mammals, nor to the healthy ones live close to the ground and in easy reach.

Back in the days when my family's cats were allowed outside they too killed some birds. They killed many more small mammals than they ever did birds. It's their nature.

The problem here is twofold. There is a huge difference between a pet cat who more often kills for the thrill than to eat. They may well eat their kill - mine did most of the time - but they don't need to eat because they are well fed. The feral cat who has easy access to mice and insects - yes, they do eat bugs as well - is less likely to go after prey for fun. They are going after prey as food and the easier food is on the ground. It's their nature. The second problem here is that it is this very type of broad statement, made by the aforementioned avian groups and others, that spreads the fear of feral cats and the cries for their destruction.

The fleas and parasites issue is also a non-issue. Having recently had my former feral Bo's eye enucleated due to secondary glaucoma that came as a result of uveitis caused by toxoplasmosis I did a bit of reading of material found online and material provided by my veterinarian. Toxoplasmosis - caused by a parasite - is more common in humans than in cats or is at least equally common. The main source of toxo is not cats - it's raw meat. Humans carry it who have never been in contact with a cat. The "good" news on it is that the spread of it via the oocytes only occurs during a very short time period after exposure.

My fear here is that it is the broad statements that keep many communities from truly ending the "problem" of feral cats. The "problem" will end through TNR and through educating people about spay/neuter and the responsibility that they assume when they adopt a pet.

 

once again....THANKS ALL, your responses have helped so much both in finding info (most of which i am finding no longer applies and was posted in '08) but will look at the info posted since last night. and secondly for the moral support. now with some time and distance from the situation i know i want to do the right thing and do my best to help this little ? guy if at all possible.
i have cooled off.
i think tom has too.
he will stay locked in the house with almost all windows closed except the very safe ones.

now to let you all know. i live in COMMUNINIST CALIFORNIA ok? especially here in so. cal. and apparently even worse at the beach communities. the police have little better to do than go after the smallest infractions. the shelters have camera'a posted at the driveways to see who might 'illegally' drop off a stray. the signs say there will be a $1000 fine for such an infraction. people on the beach get 100 dollar tickets for jay walking for the love of....
i should drive out to cindy's area if i'm to drop this kitty at a shelter (only 45 min. drive) but obviously a world away in terms of police activity.
i'll pm her.

thanks again, the crisis has passed and i will be searching for a solution. before this i was sort of liking the little guy i named tux. i had half hoped he and tom would work out their situation. then the roof, then the house. i gave up the tux and tom as brothers fantasy.

 

(((((lori))))) So glad you are starting to feel better. Sorry the on-line info isn't more up-to-date, and that you are finding so many roadblocks at each step. It's clear you have a huge heart, or you wouldn't be trying this hard to find a good solution! Stay strong, and if there is anything we can do here to help you, just post. How is Tom doing, is he starting to feel any better?

 

joanna, tom definetly seems to be feeling better. he's even walking without limping too bad. he's eatting well and peeing, pooping even ppurring.
the one thing he is NOT doing is going out. this morning i took my coffee outside to sit with him before work. i figure he's safe if i'm with him. he came out, chewed a blade of grass, looked at me in the eyes for a long time then went back inside. this broke my heart. he loves it outside. he's a tree climbing, butterfly chasing, lizard catching kitty who enjoys nothing more than to sit and smell the breeze. he's now been indoors for 5 full days with no end in sight.
i'm feeling better too, but very conflicted. as you can imagine. i still see no light at the end of this tunnel.
monday is supposed to hit the 80's. this is going to be confusing since none of my windows are screened. i always took for granted how safe i felt here, sleeping and leaving my windows open all day. even leaving the back door open (for tom)
never imagined it would be a cat that would cause me to lock up.

 

Lori - Tom's been through a trauma and kitties are darn smart. That he came outside with you at all so soon after this is great! The longer he goes feeling safe in and out of your house, the more like his old self he'll be. Once that little terror is out of your neighborhood, you'll both be feeling more like your old selves.

Sending lots of healing prayers to both of you!

 

I am glad things have settled down for you Lori.

the hard truth is that dropping off a feral cat at a shelter -- even *no kill* shelters --will mostly likely result in him being killed.
I hope you can work with a feral rescue group to help this guy. That seems to be his best chance.

:? Is he truly feral?? If not,the neuter may make him an adoptable pet.

best wishes lori and keep us posted.

 

No you cannot kill a cat.

I've seen this done at a young age as a solution to feral cats [kittens] with a hand gun and it was not pretty and left a permanent scar on my psyche.

So I really hope you are being hyperbolic?!!!! I mean "KILL" a cat in a cat forum, you don't think that's a little whack?

Just a article in the LA Times about TNR and the debate about it's usefulness with groups that do it [places that might have been assistance to you]
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 5635.story

 

gator, your a guy.
i was a mama crazy to protect my baby.
read the other posts and get a lesson in how woman think and respond to emotional crises.
in the end i beleve all here KNEW i was incapable of even hurting this cat.
men are so literal sometimes....
but i do like you and appreciate all the help you offer so i am not going to be offended by your lack of comprehension. it's a woman thing.