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Felix
Apr 15, 2015 4:40:45 GMT
Post by diamondgirl on Apr 15, 2015 4:40:45 GMT
I think I first saw him last September. He wasn't around very often, and never very close. He stayed out by the edges of my property, but still, I tried to coax him closer with food.
Unfortunately, he wanted nothing to do with me, or the food I offered. If I saw him in the barn, I put food in the barn. If he was on the hay, the food was placed on the hay, but he wouldn't touch it.
Sometimes, it would be several weeks between sightings, then, there he would be, again. I didn't know what to do about him.
Finally, in January, he moved in closer to the house. I have a bushy cedar tree on the south side of my house, where the sparrows gather, to keep warm, in the winter. Felix decided the cedar tree was his own personal vending machine, for on the wing dining. It wasn't a good situation, because I love my kitties, but I also love my little feathered friends.
Around mid February, a very shaken up farmer, in a red pickup truck, pulled into the driveway, and told me he had just run over a dark cat on the bridge, just my side on the bridge over Ash Creek.
I figured it was probably Felix, and told him that Felix was a feral cat, that I had been trying to befriend, but he wasn't wanting to be friends yet. The poor man was so upset, and I tried to comfort him, as best I could. I could see he was really sad about hitting the poor kitty.
I can't tell you how surprised I was, when I spotted Felix walking along the creek, about two weeks later. He seemed to be his usual self, and kept his distance from me, and he cat food I ran into the house to get.
About a month ago, I saw him. He was having trouble walking, and was trying to slip away, to hide under the cedar tree. I didn't know whether he had been injured, or if he was sick. I got him food and water, and left it under the shelter of the tree, by the storage shed, that sits right beside it. I watched from the window, to see if he finally might eat the cat food I offered, but he didn't come out of hiding.
Several hours later I went out to pick up the food, but it was all gone. Hmmm. I started putting fresh food and water, under the tree, by the shed, every day, and he is slowly coming around. Unfortunately he is sick. He has one of the upper respiratory infections, that cats that aren't cared for, get.
I talked to my vet about him. She says that some cats do get over some of the Illnesses, so I am still hopeful. He is becoming more dependent on the food I give him, and he is getting more bold about eating the cat treats, even when I am still sitting on the other side on the porch. !!!He actually eats on the front porch now.!!!
I will start setting the trap out, and slowly moving his food inside it, so I can catch him, and take him to my vet. I am sill really worried, because she will test him, to find out what disease he has, and if he can't get over it, he will have to be euthanized, so he won't have suffer any longer.
I really hate this part of trying to befriend feral cats.
Felix 
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Felix
Apr 15, 2015 11:38:08 GMT
Post by lorddaxter on Apr 15, 2015 11:38:08 GMT
Hes gorgeoues, looks nicely brushed!
You are a very kind person for for doing this, Im afraid I chase ferals away as they beat up on my older outdoor cat and spray the deck:(
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Post by horselady on Apr 15, 2015 11:39:18 GMT
What a beautiful cat. a friend of mine that does trapping and spay/neuter in the city put tetracycline in the drinking water or food for the ferals. you can get it at tsc . people use the liquid for chickens. same stuff. and i hope he becomes more used to you so you can have him checked out.
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Valhallanite
Junior Member
Dutchess County, New York
Posts: 826 
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Post by Valhallanite on Apr 15, 2015 11:45:11 GMT
He is beautiful. Good luck!
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Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
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Post by Terry on Apr 15, 2015 11:53:36 GMT
What a gorgeous cat! I hope you are able to catch him and get him the help he needs.
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Felix
Apr 15, 2015 12:58:36 GMT
Post by mistersmom on Apr 15, 2015 12:58:36 GMT
He's really pretty! Hopefully he will come around soon so you can get him some help. I wonder what cat it was that got hit by the bridge if it wasn't him?
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Felix
Apr 15, 2015 13:15:45 GMT
Post by diamondgirl on Apr 15, 2015 13:15:45 GMT
I will try the Tetracycline, but I haven't seen him actually drink from the water bowl lately. I think he prefers the pond.
I think it is a shame, that he had to get sick, and feel to weak to chase birds, before he would give cat food a try, but he is improving now that he is eating better. I am really hopeful for him.
I don't know how old he is, but he does spray. Ewwww. He is probably to old for that to change once he is neutered, but hopefully getting him fixed, will make him stick around.
He will absolutely have to be an outside cat. I have discovered, I am still allergic to cats, and with 5 in the house, my asthma is working overtime as it is. |
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Felix
Apr 15, 2015 17:59:43 GMT
Post by horselady on Apr 15, 2015 17:59:43 GMT
try the tetrycycline in the food or perhaps some milk. and make it a heavier dose than the bottle says.
i think he will loose the stink once he is neutered. ..
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Felix
Apr 16, 2015 0:12:13 GMT
Post by diamondgirl on Apr 16, 2015 0:12:13 GMT
Thank you HL. I didn't get to the vet today to get some tetracycline. Tomorrow I will be spending most of the day with Honeys parents, but I will have to find the time.
He is really getting better with just a balanced diet, so I am really hopeful once I get him a bit of medicine he will be able to get over this stuff. He is still very skinny, but I imagine he has a pretty heavy worm load too. I have been putting off trapping him, because I was afraid the vet would say that he was too sick, and needed to be euthanized. I am starting to think there might be hope for this beautiful boy. At least that is what I am praying for.
It won't be easy having an outside cat. I imagine I will worry about him all the time, but I really can't have another cat inside the house, and still be able to breath though. We are going to have to have a discussion about the birds though. I will have to explain to him that mice, rats, and gophers are his preferred catch. Birds, and bunnies are off limits. |
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Apr 16, 2015 3:14:03 GMT
I think Felix will be okay as an outside cat because Gerald's son and daughter's cat pretty much lives at our place and he doesn't come inside as he too is a male who sprays and is rather a dink to Coda and our two cats. But we have an insulated garage where he can curl up and doesn't seem the worse for it even during our winters!
He sure is a pretty cat, nice and fluffy.... oh heck they're all pretty no matter
I like it that the farmer cared so much about the accident, it means a lot to me that there are people who care
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Valhallanite
Junior Member
Dutchess County, New York
Posts: 826
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Post by Valhallanite on Apr 16, 2015 11:43:13 GMT
I've only had two cats in my life (more a dog person myself). The first one showed up as a young cat with it's mother in the driveway. The mother was really beat up and wild looking, only saw her the one time. It seemed she was giving the young one to us. We put out food but only the young one would take it, and he eventually stayed. The other cat I think was dumped in my driveway, and of course the kids wanted to keep it.
My husband and one of my sons are really allergic, so we trained them to come into the basement at night and bad weather, then go out in the day. It worked out. Maybe that would work for Felix.
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kskatt
Junior Member
Posts: 833
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Felix
May 5, 2015 5:33:36 GMT
Post by kskatt on May 5, 2015 5:33:36 GMT
Is there an update?  |
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Felix
May 5, 2015 16:59:51 GMT
Post by diamondgirl on May 5, 2015 16:59:51 GMT
I asked my vet for some medication to mix in with his food, and told her, I could see he was getting better, and she wanted to wait a few more days before we started medicating him. She said, with some illnesses, a cat can get over it, on their own. He had began to sit up on the window sill, to let me know he was here and ready to be fed, then suddenly he was gone. I have searched everywhere around my property, but there is no sign of him anywhere.
I know when he started to feel better, he stopped just hanging around under the porch so much, and started wondering around more. I think to much time has passed now.
I really feel bad about this. I tell myself that he was probably a farm cat, that belonged somewhere, and as soon as he felt better, he went home. I will probably never know. smileys-sad-593832 |
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on May 6, 2015 12:38:00 GMT
Aw, take heart in knowing that you help a sick kitty when he needed you most. Perhaps he will pop back in from time to time? I bet he is off in the woods somewhere having a great time catching dinner.
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kskatt
Junior Member
Posts: 833
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Post by kskatt on May 6, 2015 15:32:25 GMT
It is kitten season. He really may be off chasing the girls. Unfortunately.
You try so hard to help them all. I know it can be difficult, in so many ways.
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on May 10, 2015 18:16:23 GMT
That's the hard part about being the mom and caregiver to "wild" animals that you are; when they're better they go off on their journey. Some of us are meant to be free and the risks are worth the lifestyle. You do a very important service and you know in your heart you wouldn't do it otherwise, it's just that your heart is so big you can't help yourself
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Post by diamondgirl on May 11, 2015 17:26:12 GMT
Well I had an awesome Mothers Day.
First of all I got up early. That wasn't my idea, but it was a beautiful morning. and I am so glad I didn't miss it.
As usual I went straight to the kitchen to fix myself a cup of tea. I looked out the kitchen window, and there in the back yard was a deer with velvet antlers munching on a dandelion flower. I watched him for several minutes, but Buster (the dog) had to go out, so he ran off when I opened the door.
I got my hot tea and went to the living room window to look out at the horses. (I love it that I can just look out the window and see them.) I saw something in my little pond. I strained and strained, but couldn't make out what it was, so I ran and got my glasses. It was ducks!!! Two little pin tails, were using my pond. I had found a couple duck decoys in the trash that was left here. I patched their holes, and cleaned them up, and had stuck them out in the pond, just for fun, but now I had real ducks. I have had other animals drink from the pond, like deer, raccoons, and turkeys, but there were real ducks so that makes it a real pond.
Sorry the picture isn't to good. I took it with my cell phone through the window. The decoys are the two larger ducks in the back. The pintails are in front of them and to the right. 
I was feeling pretty good about my morning, so I opened the front door to let the rising sun shine in, and who do you think was sitting there on the front porch demanding to be fed. Felix is back!!!!! smileys-flowers-548267 YEA!!!!!!!
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on May 11, 2015 17:36:41 GMT
Your Mother's Day sounds like it was terrific!
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Post by lorddaxter on May 11, 2015 22:41:02 GMT
Love the duckies:)
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