Orange Tabby...He Stays and His Name is Finn (Update with Videos Dec 31)

[speckledhen]

Nice Cat House. Hope you didn't tell the neighbors your husband was building a Cat House.

Finn's a lucky cat. Though he might not feel that way after his procedure.

Um, they already think we have our own Red Light District around here when heat lamps are on, LOL.

At least, it's easier for the males. I watched a video of the procedure and it's not that involved. He'll have to be crated Wednesday night so he doesn't eat or drink before surgery the next morning.

I have no idea where he was for several hours today, but when he got back, he ate and went right into the pet carrier and crashed. Guess he was really busy today. I was beginning to worry a little with all the coyotes, foxes and roaming dogs around here.


ETA: He absolutely must have the rabies vaccination and I think distemper, but how important is feline leukemia vaccination? I'm doing the absolutely necessary, not doing extra right now. Didn't expect to acquire a pet so not really prepared for much extra expense, though I do want Finn to have what he needs to be protected. Hopefully, neutering will keep him from wanting to wander too much and limit his exposure to other cats-he's the first cat I've seen around here in ages and ages. If he is less likely to roam, he's not likely to encounter too many other cats (unless someone else dumps one on us).

 

[N F C]

I haven't had a cat for several years but I did have one that died from feline leukemia. It was a horrible way for her to go but back then they didn't have (or maybe didn't offer?) a vaccination for it. If it's affordable, it would be best to protect him from getting it. From what I recall reading way back then, it's fairly easy for a cat to get leukemia but I don't remember the causes.

 

[speckledhen]

I haven't had a cat for several years but I did have one that died from feline leukemia. It was a horrible way for her to go but back then they didn't have (or maybe didn't offer?) a vaccination for it. If it's affordable, it would be best to protect him from getting it. From what I recall reading way back then, it's fairly easy for a cat to get leukemia but I don't remember the causes.

I was just now reading about that. Seems that when they are over a year old, it's not that easy for them to contract it anymore, so there is that one year mark and I'm positive he's passed that already. I know he needs rabies and distemper, for sure, and I'll ask the vet about the FeLV vaccine when we take him Thursday. There are some vaccines they say are best not to get-low efficacy and high risk, etc., but they are not as commonly given, I take it.

 

[N F C]

I was just now reading about that. Seems that when they are over a year old, it's not that easy for them to contract it anymore, so there is that one year mark and I'm positive he's passed that already. I know he needs rabies and distemper, for sure, and I'll ask the vet about the FeLV vaccine when we take him Thursday. There are some vaccines they say are best not to get-low efficacy and high risk, etc., but they are not as commonly given, I take it.

The cat I had was about 8-9 months old when she contracted it and died. Since Finn is over the dangerous age, you're probably all set up with what he needs. Learn something new on BYC every day!

 

[JensChickies]

Good luck with your kitty!! I love orange cats, they are really sweet. There is a blood test that can be done to check for feline leukemia and feline aids. hope he's in the clear. He's pretty sweet so hopefully somewhere along the line he was some bodies cat and they vaccinated him. Good luck!

 

[speckledhen]

The cat I had was about 8-9 months old when she contracted it and died. Since Finn is over the dangerous age, you're probably all set up with what he needs. Learn something new on BYC every day!

I'm really sorry about your cat. I've heard it's a very nasty disease.

Good luck with your kitty!! I love orange cats, they are really sweet. There is a blood test that can be done to check for feline leukemia and feline aids.

hope he's in the clear. He's pretty sweet so hopefully somewhere along the line he was some bodies cat and they vaccinated him. Good luck!

Thank you! The only thing about an unneutered cat adopting me is that I have no idea if he's ever been vaccinated, wormed, etc. If he was neutered, I could at least guess there is a chance he might have had some other vet care as well. At least, he's a he and I know there will be no unauthorized kittens in there-it was part of the HS's paperwork, that if the animal they were paying to spay/neuter was pregnant, they would not pay for anything to do with that. No problems with that here, no guesswork involved.


ETA: Deacon keeping a close eye on the predator

 

[rancher hicks]

The vet here usually does a Leukemia test on Feral Cats. Those with the disease are put down since the care for such a cat is extensive.

If Finn test negative then I'd get everything I could to protect him.

Our experiences, we once took my sons two kittens to be fixed and while we and the vet thought they were male and female found both to be females. The strange part is they'd been taken in for testing and blood work the day before the surgery! How can you not notice things missing on a male kitten?

Then we had Fred, a stray and very mean cat who came to eat but would not warm up to us. Long story short, he had to be sedated just to get him out of the carrier at the vets BEFORE the procedure. We'd used a trick to trap him in our cellar and a fish net to catch him. Boy was that fun.

He was no more friendly AFTER the procedure and after days of trying to get him tame, I just let him out. He still came to eat each day but would sit at the end of the yard waiting. When I left then he'd slink up to eat.

I am quite sure Finn will be very happy and content in his new home. Fixed cats don't roam as much as non fixed do, so he may not wander far. What will you be feeding him?

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: I will be feeding him something with a meat as first ingredient, not corn (wth is wrong with these folks, producing corn products for cats??).

The first food we hastily grabbed when he showed up was a basic off-brand with low level ingredients, but I didn't know if he'd stay and that's all they had at Dollar General, the closest store. He showed such instant recognition of a bagged food, that I figured that was what he had been eating wherever he came from so I'm going to stick with that. The closest Walmart had only one bagged cat food with a meat as first listed ingredient, an Iams brand with chicken, and made for cats 1-6 years old so he started a bag of that yesterday, with the other mixed in to transition him.

Made an insulated curtain for the back escape hatch which also covers the compartment under the floor where the heating pad will go. Have to find another heating pad without the auto-off feature, though. We're attaching a velcro strip so it can be removed for washing, if need be.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I would definitely suggest getting him an FIV and FeLV. Both are important for outdoor cats. While FIV is not necessarily fatal and a little harder to contract, it can be spread to other cats through bites when they fight.

FeLV is always fatal, and spread through saliva. It can be a scary disease, and protecting him from te disease will also protect lots of other cats as well. Of course, I do suggest he has a snap tests to see if he already has any of these things!

If you have more questions, let me know. We are actually doing the vaccine section in vet school right now!

 

[speckledhen]

I'll do the best I can with his care as far as vaccinations, but remember, this was an unauthorized adoption, LOL. No matter what we do, he'll be better off than he was before. At the very least, he'll have rabies protection and be neutered. If the HS had not helped out, he wouldn't be getting neutered, unfortunately. The reason we didn't get another dog was partly because we didn't feel we could afford to care for one properly anymore, living on a very limited military retirement income.

What I am almost expecting is, him having to be a permanent outside cat, he will eventually fall prey to the local canine predators. The coyotes were really tuning up just before dawn today and have been very vocal for awhile now. Our fencing won't keep them our nor will it keep Finn in.