Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[appps]

Telia, I would be tempted to set up a trap will be a lot quicker than trying to tame from a distance I would think. rabbit pellets and alfalfa straw are our bunnies favourites so if you set something up for him to get used to eating from for a few days and then when he isn't nervous anymore have a string set up so you can pull a flap or door closed when he is in it. Caught the neighbours ferret that way lol

 

[Henriettasmum]

After seeing this morning's news of the storms continuing down south, we are hoping that you and everyone else in the affected areas are okay. Thinking of you all. I'm off to hospital in the morning for a minor procedure but I will still be thinking of you. Should be back on deck on Monday. Stay safe - you and your birds.

 

[satay]

After seeing this morning's news of the storms continuing down south, we are hoping that you and everyone else  in the affected areas are okay. Thinking of you all. I'm off to hospital in the morning for a minor procedure but I will still be thinking of you. Should be back on deck on Monday. Stay safe - you and your birds. 

Hope all goes well for you and you have a speedy recovery.

 

[Anniebee]

So, after finding Mr Floppy Ears in our front garden again this morning, I have decided that I am going to try and make friends with him.

As always, I could not get close before he ran off into next doors’ Asparagus Ferns but from a distance his coat looks matted and dirty and I figure that if he is sleeping under our tree in the front garden on a cold morning, he probably does not have a home.

Any cat with a home is going to be sleeping somewhere nice and warm on a morning like this, not roughing it under a tree. Also, if he had a home, would he not run towards it instead of seeking shelter in the Ferns, where I have often seen him?

Also, on one of the recent rainy days, he sought shelter under our car in the carport .. again, if he had a home, would he not be sheltering there?

Anyways, I left a bowl of food for him in the front garden as the start of what I think is going to be a very long process. I have no idea what I am going to do with him if/when I earn his trust but I will worry about that hurdle if/when I get to it.

I will try and get a picture of him and may be pop it on Facebook and Gumtree to see if anyone does own him.

I am going to keep a record of my progress …. Wish me luck!

Earning Mr Floppy Ears Trust

Wednesday, July 13th
04:00PM Mr Floppy Ears was curled up in our front garden bed. I sat down on the path, a good 12ft away and talked softly to him. He did not run off and I did not approach any closer. I went back inside after 10mins or so.

Thursday, July 14th
06:30AM Mr Floppy Ears was asleep in the front garden under our tree. When I approached with a bowl of food for him, he took off into next doors’ Asparagus Ferns. I have left the food out for him on the corner of the garden bed.

Teila ... While I half agree with appps, I also cannot see you doing that - especially as you have already named 'him' .... and are working hard to win his trust.

As you have named him "Mr" I am presuming you can tell, that the cat is indeed a male - and frankly the only way you could do that from a distance, is if he is entire. Would need to be neutered if you keep him after all.

Before advertising him on FB and Gumtree, you might like to put a notice on one of the major supermarket boards. Most of them have cards to fill in, for people looking for jobs, lost animals, various services on offer etc. OR ... you could go door knocking if that is not too big a task ( distance between houses ) .... for perhaps a block or so. ? Failing that, Vets are often told of lost cats, and show pics of lost animals in their surgeries. A cat cannot necessarily find its' way home, if completely out of its home area. Ragged and dirty as you described, .... is he very thin or a good size ?


There is a breed called the Scottish Fold .... and they are an expensive cat to buy. On Gumtree purchase, there are two pure breds (?) on offer - for $1,100 each. ??

Some sold for just pets, range from $500 but I know that breeders on line generally do not specify cost in their ads / websites. - - - Which is why I would not like to trap him, in case he is an expensive cat - and nobody knows what a Council would do with the trapped animal. Native animals get released .... cats ???

I cannot recall what colour your visiting cat is, but here are a couple of pics of Scottish Fold cats :



Look anything like that ? .... A cat that is angry or frightened will often flatten their ears, rather similar to this look, and you would have to note when he is asleep, if his ears remain flattened like these. When you were 12 ft away, was it possible to see if his ears have been chewed / bitten ( from fighting ) or are entact and flat / floppy ?

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

AB .......

 

[appps]

Teila ... While I half agree with appps, I also cannot see you doing that - especially as you have already named 'him' .... and are working hard to win his trust. As you have named him "Mr" I am presuming you can tell, that the cat is indeed a male - and frankly the only way you could do that from a distance, is if he is entire. Would need to be neutered if you keep him after all. Before advertising him on FB and Gumtree, you might like to put a notice on one of the major supermarket boards. Most of them have cards to fill in, for people looking for jobs, lost animals, various services on offer etc. OR ... you could go door knocking if that is not too big a task ( distance between houses ) .... for perhaps a block or so. ? Failing that, Vets are often told of lost cats, and show pics of lost animals in their surgeries. A cat cannot necessarily find its' way home, if completely out of its home area. Ragged and dirty as you described, .... is he very thin or a good size ? There is a breed called the Scottish Fold .... and they are an expensive cat to buy. On Gumtree purchase, there are two pure breds (?) on offer - for $1,100 each. ?? Some sold for just pets, range from $500 but I know that breeders on line generally do not specify cost in their ads / websites. - - - Which is why I would not like to trap him, in case he is an expensive cat - and nobody knows what a Council would do with the trapped animal. Native animals get released .... cats ??? I cannot recall what colour your visiting cat is, but here are a couple of pics of Scottish Fold cats : Look anything like that ? .... A cat that is angry or frightened will often flatten their ears, rather similar to this look, and you would have to note when he is asleep, if his ears remain flattened like these. When you were 12 ft away, was it possible to see if his ears have been chewed / bitten ( from fighting ) or are entact and flat / floppy ? Good luck with whatever you decide to do. AB .......

Should have made clear I didn't mean a hurty trap btw, I meant a bird cage or something like that. We had a native rat in the house (was actually kinda cute, hopped instead of scurrying) and our bird cage has a hinged door so I just sat quietly in the dark with a piece or string to the door. When he hopped in I pulled the door shut and we relocated him (twice, he came back when we put him up the backyard, oh and bird was in spare cage) Mozzies could kill him if he stays out of a night. Edited to add. Is it a cat? I thought you were talking about a rabbit Telia!?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Teila ... While I half agree with appps, I also cannot see you doing that - especially as you have already named 'him' .... and are working hard to win his trust. As you have named him "Mr" I am presuming you can tell, that the cat is indeed a male - and frankly the only way you could do that from a distance, is if he is entire. Would need to be neutered if you keep him after all. Before advertising him on FB and Gumtree, you might like to put a notice on one of the major supermarket boards. Most of them have cards to fill in, for people looking for jobs, lost animals, various services on offer etc. OR ... you could go door knocking if that is not too big a task ( distance between houses ) .... for perhaps a block or so. ? Failing that, Vets are often told of lost cats, and show pics of lost animals in their surgeries. A cat cannot necessarily find its' way home, if completely out of its home area. Ragged and dirty as you described, .... is he very thin or a good size ? There is a breed called the Scottish Fold .... and they are an expensive cat to buy. On Gumtree purchase, there are two pure breds (?) on offer - for $1,100 each. ?? Some sold for just pets, range from $500 but I know that breeders on line generally do not specify cost in their ads / websites. - - - Which is why I would not like to trap him, in case he is an expensive cat - and nobody knows what a Council would do with the trapped animal. Native animals get released .... cats ??? I cannot recall what colour your visiting cat is, but here are a couple of pics of Scottish Fold cats : Look anything like that ? .... A cat that is angry or frightened will often flatten their ears, rather similar to this look, and you would have to note when he is asleep, if his ears remain flattened like these. When you were 12 ft away, was it possible to see if his ears have been chewed / bitten ( from fighting ) or are entact and flat / floppy ? Good luck with whatever you decide to do. AB .......

Most states have a missing pet register on fb . Once his trust is gained , it might be worth taking him to the vet to have him scanned for a micro chip. There was a cat lost in Hobart that escaped his carry cage in the vets car-park, that was 6 months ago and they just found him alive and well 5 kms away. One very happy little girl to have her moggy back.

 

[Teila]

Hey appps, sorry, I can see where the Mr Floppy Ears may have mislead you; yep, he is a cat. That nickname is because his ears are folded.

I knew you did not mean a hurty trap. I am patient, I would rather try and earn his trust than have a big, spitting fur ball in a trap

Annie because he is quite a big cat and ginger, I just assumed he was a Tom cat. Aren’t all totally ginger cats male or is that an old wives’ tale?

I confess to only getting very short term, long distance looks at him and the longest I have spent with him was when I sat on the path where I was more interested in talking to him than checking out his coat condition etc. This morning was when I noticed it looked a little matted and definitely had some dirt in it.

He is a beautiful cat! I think he is a Scottish Fold but I do need to get a closer look at him or a picture I can study, zoom in etc. Yep, his ears stay folded when not frightened. I have seen him wandering down our front path, past the front door when he was not frightened and he did not know I was there. Also I have seen him sleeping under the front tree when he did not see me at the front window.

Fancy I do love a happy ending!

I could be wrong and Floppy has a home and family etc. The couple of things that makes me think he does not is that he seems to spend a lot of time here and not there and as mentioned, in all sorts of weather. Also, as Annie mentioned, I do not think he would have been cheap and would you really let something that cost you that much money wander the streets? Surely he would be a pampered inside cat?

Anyways, if you know me at all by now, I am happiest when I have a little project and that project involves animals .. Mr Floppy Ears and I are going to be best buds

 

[Coram]

Thanks HENRIETTASMUM and FANCYCHOOKLADY. I had to go and get a broad spectrum antibiotic today for my Barnvelder. Will treat the whole flock for good measure. Annoying though. The withholding period for the eggs was over this weekend due to worming and cocci. Another fortnight it seems. Will treat the peacock too for good measure. Cheers.

 

[Anniebee]

Should have made clear I didn't mean a hurty trap btw, I meant a bird cage or something like that. We had a native rat in the house (was actually kinda cute, hopped instead of scurrying) and our bird cage has a hinged door so I just sat quietly in the dark with a piece or string to the door. When he hopped in I pulled the door shut and we relocated him (twice, he came back when we put him up the backyard, oh and bird was in spare cage)

Mozzies could kill him if he stays out of a night.

Edited to add. Is it a cat? I thought you were talking about a rabbit Telia!?

appps ....... Not for one second did I think you meant a trap that would hurt.

Thing is, when unwanteds - be they native or introduced species - are trapped, they are often given to the Council or Shire to 'decide what to do with them' .... It is THAT that concerns me - not the form of trap that might be have to be used by genuine animal / bird lovers. We have had to trap a couple of possums who found their way into the roof, and enjoyed their lovely warm nest. ( A night time venture for us, ladder and all ). Gave them to our local Vet, who contacted a wild life carer - and they were released back into this area, while we bunged up the holes they were getting into. Also have taken a possum ( which I caught by hand - thick leather gloves on for that ) hiding asleep in next doors unused outer toilet, straight to the wild life carer further up in Tecoma. Neighbour was terrified of it !!

btw - Councils will not enter into conversation about what they do with unwanteds. One could only hope they have them ( at worst case scenario ) euthanased properly. But native animals and birds are re-released into the wild ( which incidentally, doesn't often do the native animal much good at all, as native fauna are usually territorial and will fight intruders if given into a new area altogether ).

The whole thing is a big worry.

Had ( repeat HAD ) a 'friend' up here in the hills, who really loathed mynah birds, and used to trap them and used some form of gas, obtainable from heaven knows where - to put them to death in the cage they were trapped in. That was a ghastly prolonged death. Mynahs are a bit of a problem, but only to themselves. They fight like crazy, inflicting bad injury - but they also steal food. What wild animal / bird doesn't ?

I have not seen that woman since learning of that procedure. !!

( edited ) Teila's visitor was / is a cat. According to her comments above.

Cheers ........

 

[appps]

Ahhh that's different, was thinking it would take you forever to get a bunny tame enough to catch lol

It's a hard one, on one hand you don't want it destroyed but on the other it might be destroying wildlife to survive poor thing. Last time I was at the vets a lady came in and got a cat trap from them. She had a stray with a tiny collar round it's neck she was worried would eventually be strangled by it (holiday area so maybe holiday dumped pet). So maybe that's an option rather than having to go through council? means you get to decide where it goes not the council guys. The vet was saying she could take to the rspca or somewhere else which I don't remember but that the somewhere else was a better bet as they were more likely to try and give it time to become pet friendly enough than the rspca would.

Annie bee. I'm pretty sure I remember reading something like that to get rid of Minah birds years ago. Not sure where I did but I think it was sadly a pretty common practice.