IBKFergus is leaving ;-(

Kreisleriana wrote:

When my brother and I were children, we had a little wild
thang around called Charcoal, who was the demon cat from hell. He
liked to pounce on people's heads from above, but the really bad thing
was he attacked bare feet. He slashed my little brother's foot open
almost to the heel bone. But my brother and I cried so much when my
parents proposed to get rid of the little monster, that they
compromised and had him declawed.

I have to admit that this went through my mind as a possible solution
for IBKFergus's aggression. But I don't know which would be more cruel,
euthanization or declawing.

I think people have come up with a number of creative ideas that don't
involve either of the above, so I hope that a good solution is found!!

Joyce

On Sun, 21 May 2006 22:01:29 +1000, "Yowie"
wrote:

I don't want to do this, but don't have much choice. For no reason i or Joel
can fathom, IBKFergus just ripped my thumb to shreds. Its that bad, i can't
use my right thumb to type.

Now I've wrestled with Shmogg all his life and I've had my fair share of
scratches and bites, but never this deep, and never without severe
provocation first.

The deepest cut extends right from the base of my thumb all the way around
to the thumb to the knuckle - about two inches of deep cut, with other
scratches parrellel to it.

This *cannot* happen to Cary, who, being a 2 year old boy, does provoke her.
If it was Cary's thumb, he'd behaving reconstructive surgery to have it
reattached about now. the clawing is *that* severe.

I'd like her to go to a home with people used to ex feral and feral cats. A
home that doens't have children, a home that won't make her the nervous
skitty cat she is here. She is an *excellent* hunter and would be most
suited to barn life rather than a house cat or pet, She has never been
intered in receiving any affection from us, althogh will occasionally
discover how much she likes it if we 'force' it on her. She does, however,
answer to her name.

The Cat Protection Society might take her - theres a lady here in my suburb
that lean me a crate when IBKFergus first got here. If not, I'll try the
Humane Society. Failing that, I'll take her back to work where the rest of
her family is. I don't like the idea of dumping cats, but she'll have a
better chance there than at the RSPCA. The RSPCA do a great job in many
ways, but if I say that she's vicious, and I feel duty bound to mention it,
they'll deem her 'unadoptable' and just euthanise her because they can't
home her forever. And I don't want her euthanised.

Please purr she finds a home more suitable to her wild nature (if you know
of one around Wollongong, Australia, please let me know). Every extra hour
here increases the risk she might severely hurt and/or maim Cary, so she's
got to go ASAP. Tonight, sadly, will be her last night here.

Even though my thumb is throbbing, and I know that this is what we have to
do for Cary's sake, I am *heartbroken*. I just hope she can find a home that
will be able to provide her with whatever it is she needs to become a lap
fungus. I feell like *such* a traitor, a failure, a bad parent etc etc.

And then I have to explain to Cary why his fursister and Evil Overlord is no
longer around.

in tears,

Yowie



Hi Vickie,

Is this just clawing, or biting also? If so, can you get her declawed
and defanged - I know it is a major undertaking, and not so mething I
would normally suggest, as I find cruel and barbaric, but it means her
life, and Cary's heart. How much is it to have a declaw there?
Defanging is sometimes done to dogs - we considered having it done to
one of our bostons. They can't inflict much damage with their comb
teeth.

My heart goes out to you, Joel and Cary.

Patti

Purrs are on the way, Yowie, along with healing purrs for your thumb. I
know this was a terribly hard decision to make, but obviously you have no
choice.

(((((((((Yowie))))))))))

Joy

"Yowie" wrote in message
...
I don't want to do this, but don't have much choice. For no reason i or
Joel
can fathom, IBKFergus just ripped my thumb to shreds. Its that bad, i
can't
use my right thumb to type.

Now I've wrestled with Shmogg all his life and I've had my fair share of
scratches and bites, but never this deep, and never without severe
provocation first.

The deepest cut extends right from the base of my thumb all the way around
to the thumb to the knuckle - about two inches of deep cut, with other
scratches parrellel to it.

This *cannot* happen to Cary, who, being a 2 year old boy, does provoke
her.
If it was Cary's thumb, he'd behaving reconstructive surgery to have it
reattached about now. the clawing is *that* severe.

I'd like her to go to a home with people used to ex feral and feral cats.
A
home that doens't have children, a home that won't make her the nervous
skitty cat she is here. She is an *excellent* hunter and would be most
suited to barn life rather than a house cat or pet, She has never been
intered in receiving any affection from us, althogh will occasionally
discover how much she likes it if we 'force' it on her. She does, however,
answer to her name.

The Cat Protection Society might take her - theres a lady here in my
suburb
that lean me a crate when IBKFergus first got here. If not, I'll try the
Humane Society. Failing that, I'll take her back to work where the rest of
her family is. I don't like the idea of dumping cats, but she'll have a
better chance there than at the RSPCA. The RSPCA do a great job in many
ways, but if I say that she's vicious, and I feel duty bound to mention
it,
they'll deem her 'unadoptable' and just euthanise her because they can't
home her forever. And I don't want her euthanised.

Please purr she finds a home more suitable to her wild nature (if you know
of one around Wollongong, Australia, please let me know). Every extra hour
here increases the risk she might severely hurt and/or maim Cary, so she's
got to go ASAP. Tonight, sadly, will be her last night here.

Even though my thumb is throbbing, and I know that this is what we have to
do for Cary's sake, I am *heartbroken*. I just hope she can find a home
that
will be able to provide her with whatever it is she needs to become a lap
fungus. I feell like *such* a traitor, a failure, a bad parent etc etc.

And then I have to explain to Cary why his fursister and Evil Overlord is
no
longer around.

in tears,

Yowie

Yowie, so sorry to hear that you need to make this decision, but yes Cary's
safety comes first. Spicey will purr that Fergus finds a wonderful home.
Suz&Spicey

"rrb" wrote in message
news:gy4cg.3306$rS6.337@fed1read11...
Yowie wrote:

Please purr she finds a home more suitable to her wild nature (if you
know of one around Wollongong, Australia, please let me know). Every
extra hour here increases the risk she might severely hurt and/or maim
Cary, so she's got to go ASAP. Tonight, sadly, will be her last night
here.

Why the rush - can't you segregate IBK away from Cary for a while - at
least until you find a proper home for IBK?

I understand the panic of an apparently unprovoked attack but in my
(limited) experience there is no such thing, unless of course IBK Fergus has
a brain tumour.
It's unfair, IMHO, to let a toddler continually provoke a cat, she's
probably fed up with it all and let rip at you instead of him.
At two years old, children can be taught not to do this, in the same way as
you teach him not to put his hand on a hot stove or in a flame. It's just
as dangerous for him keep provoking a cat and he needs to learn not to do
it, fairly swiftly.
Like Debbie said, if I was not over the other side of the world, I would
take her myself.

Tweed

"Mishi" wrote in message


Is this just clawing, or biting also? If so, can you get her declawed
and defanged - I know it is a major undertaking, and not so mething I
would normally suggest, as I find cruel and barbaric, but it means her
life, and Cary's heart.////

So it's OK to be cruel and barbaric and mutilate a kitty to save Carys
heart?

Sheesh. That idea doesn't even merit a civil response. Her life would be
better off confined & seperated from the rest of the family until Yowie
can find a more suitable placement for her.

Helen M


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Jo Firey wrote:

My aunt has a rescued Persian cat, Blue, that cannot be trusted. She even
wanted to have her put down after she put my uncle in the hospital with a
nasty bite. Their vet refused to euthanise an otherwise healthy cat so they
reconsidered and kept her.

When she bit, she was being petted at her request and just turned and sunk
in her teeth. Now she pretty much lives under my aunts bed. She does not
come out for strangers and friends know not to touch her even if she seems
to ask. No one is really happy with the situation, but she is doing as well
as she would anywhere. They have a second Persian they rescued at the same
time, Sunshine. He is a lover and he is company for Blue

There is no way Blue could be trusted around children, and she is a risk
around frail adults.


What I don't understand is -- is this a crazy, vicious cat with no hope
of redemption like it seems is your aunt's, or is this a cat with a
behavior that can be treated with love and understanding?

I guess I thought this was a random attack after living with a child
that may have been too aggressive with her. If so, can't that be
rectified without sending her somewhere with a label that will keep
others from wanting her?

If Yowie doesn't think she and her family can handle this situation, I
hope she can personally find a new home for her.

Rhonda

Christina Websell wrote:

Like Debbie said, if I was not over the other side of the world, I would
take her myself.

Tweed

Hmmmm, would it be too expensive to have her shipped to someone on the
group? It seems there are a few kind people willing to work with her.

Rhonda

Mishi wrote:

Is this just clawing, or biting also? If so, can you get her declawed
and defanged - I know it is a major undertaking, and not so mething I
would normally suggest, as I find cruel and barbaric, but it means her
life, and Cary's heart.

Bleahhhh. :-(((((
Declawing is hopefully illegal in Aus as it is here - and ditto for
defanging which I have never even heard of being performed on a domestic
cat.

Declawing would probably result in biting instead, apart from removing
the cat's ability to exercise its spinal muscles, scratch itself, and
put its claws to all the natural uses nature intended. Removing fangs as
well will lead to fear/aggression being expressed in any other way
possible - hiding, urinating, anorexia, depression and/or any one of a
number of stress-anxiety related behaviours and illnesses. No life at
all.

Deb.
--
http://www.scientific-art.com

"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...

"Debbie Wilson" wrote in message
...
Yowie wrote:

Tonight, sadly, will be her last night here.

Where is she going after that?

As others have said - please don't dump her as she isn't a feral cat,
and she will die, and please hold out for a home for her, either via the
Cat Protection Society, or in a farm or stables environment, which would
be ideal for her. No doubt the CPS would take her as soon as they can
but being in a similar group here, foster spaces don't appear at the
drop of a hat. Can you borrow the crate again or give IBK a room to live
in as a temporary measure? If I wasn't halfway round the world, I would
certainly take her.

*Something* must have triggered her to go for your thumb, she surely
didn't just leap out of nowhere and go for you?

I have a *very* touchy rescue cat called Cocoa - Helen M has met her!
and the way we have to treat her is to ignore her physically unless she
actively seeks attention, and then to give very cautious and brief
scritches until the first sign she is getting touchy, and then to leave
her alone. She does have a screw loose caused by some trauma in her
young life before I adopted her, but if we respect her boundaries,
everyone is happy. If she growls when she is on our laps and we aren't
doing anything, she gets turfed off by the lap owner immediately
standing up so she has to leave. She has learned over the years that we
don't harm her and we also won't take any nonsense if we haven't
provoked her (which we don't). She's 13 now and I've had her since she
was about 1-2. She also amusingly answers back if you tell her something
she doesn't like, and she has a thing against black footwear which
inevitably gets karate-chopped and cursed, which can be amusing but is
also sad as she is obviously scared of it.

Is Cary really too young to learn to leave IBK alone when she has had
enough? Is that not a better lesson to learn, than to get rid of IBK
because she scratched? (and yes, I do appreciate it was a bad injury)

Flame away, folks... :-/

Deb.

No flames from me. What you've said is a measured, sensible response. To
be fair to Yowie - I can understand her worries about Cary, but no, it
really would not be fair or right to dump IBK. But, again, being a Mum, I
can understand the initial reaction. I hope that once Yowie has calmed
down she can work something out that is fair to all. I'd find it very
difficult to believe she would really dump IBK. The Yowie we know & love
doesn't do that sort of thing, as she's much too sensible and caring.

Yowie is NOT going to dump IBKFergus. Yowie was just having hte thoughts of
hte desperate.

Cary has never been left unsupervised with IBKFergus. there has never been
any incident with him, although she regularly attacks Joel and I. Cary *is*
learning "gentle" and is pretty good about it, but he doesn'treally know
about the basics like patting he right way down the back, or not just
suddenly grabbing at things he wants, including cats. Its simply that I can
no longer trust IBKFergus to be around Cary anymore in case she just sudenly
turns on him like she turned on me. A severe cut on an adult could well be
real and permanant damage on a child. I can't take that risk.

I still dont' know why IBKFergus atacked me. Its been on my mind all night.
I went to pick up a book to read, and IBKFergus jus tlaunched herself at me,
diced and shredded my hand, and hten took off again. i saw no signs of
agression or warning beforehand, and she wasn't in 'halloween kitty' mode
after she made a reappareance. Its a total mystery to me.

Will no tbe dumping IBKFergus, but she can't stay here.

Yowie