IBKFergus is leaving ;-(

Yowie wrote:
"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?

Thats *exactly* what she did. I reached down to pick up a book to read, and
she launched herself at me. I know about overstiulated cats, I can read the
signs in Shmogg well. I didn' scare here, wasn't roughhousing with her,
wasn't doing anythign with or to her.

But you did set him off even if you don't realize it. If you made a
sudden unexpected move it can set a fearful cat or other cat off. It has
happened with my male cat at times in the past before I trained him out
of it - and he was NEVER a feral cat or lived out on his own. I rescued
him when he was seven weeks old in the out before he had been there for
long. I still say you are jumping the gun here and should TRY and work
with IBK. Also the recommendation to take him to the vet for a checkup
is a good one. Perhaps he is in pain that it not apparent to you.
Especially if he has never attacked this viciously in the past. Please
exhaust other options before you give IBK up - especially the vet checkup!

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
On 2006-05-21, rrb penned:
Did he just come up and attack or were you petting him? If you were
petting him he probably did it because you didn't notice the warning
signs that he had too much so he attacked. If this is the case it is
possibly to learn to avoid this in the future. Now as for Cary I
and this happening I have no advise if he is too young to explain
this to.

I don't know. Oscar can go from purring to hissing with no middle
ground. She's bitten me, but never drawn blood.


Perhaps since I did not see the incident you are referring to. But I bet
there was at least some sign even if you didn't notice it. Sometimes it
can be almost unnoticeable if you aren't looking for it. My male cat was
like that but by paying attention to small signs he gave I soon was able
to avoid these situations and stop them before they started 99 % of the
time.

Yowie wrote:
"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?

There is no place to segregate them. All rooms are used. I won't lock her in
a bedroom because she pees on fabric, regarless of whether there's a
litterbox there or not (she prefers fabric than the litterbox). Locking her
in the garage for he rest of her life doesn't sound like a good solution
either.

I can probably keep her inthe garage for a day or two, but she needs to go
to a better home than this one. :-(

Yowie



As I and others have said I think a vet visit is in order before you
give him up as he could be in pain that is not apparent to you.
Especially if he has never done this before.

On 2006-05-21, rrb penned:
Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

I don't know. Oscar can go from purring to hissing with no middle
ground. She's bitten me, but never drawn blood.

Perhaps since I did not see the incident you are referring to. But I
bet there was at least some sign even if you didn't notice it.
Sometimes it can be almost unnoticeable if you aren't looking for
it. My male cat was like that but by paying attention to small signs
he gave I soon was able to avoid these situations and stop them
before they started 99 % of the time.

Well, if I stopped petting Oscar as soon as her tail started
twitching, I would never get to pet Oscar. So I could probably avoid
them 100% by never petting her, but that's no fun. It might be better
to say, it's not that she never exhibits nervous symptoms in advance,
it's that she always exhibits them, but they don't always result in
trouble. So in that way it's hard to predict.

It may be possible to tell by her eyes, but she likes to be pet facing
away from me, so I can't go by that.

She *has* gotten much better in the last two years.


--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

I'm not sure why everyone has amnesia about this, but people:
IBKFergus is a girl. And Yowie has referred to her as "she." So
please stop with the "he/him" references.


--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

Yowie wrote:
"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?

There is no place to segregate them. All rooms are used. I won't lock her in
a bedroom because she pees on fabric, regarless of whether there's a
litterbox there or not (she prefers fabric than the litterbox). Locking her
in the garage for he rest of her life doesn't sound like a good solution
either.

I can probably keep her inthe garage for a day or two, but she needs to go
to a better home than this one. :-(

Yowie




Another thing I think you need to segregate IBK and give it a few days -
sleep on it for a while. You seem to be reacting to the injury and
panicking. Give it a few days and see how you feel then. But I recommend
not re homing him without getting him checking by a vet as there is
probably something wrong health wise with him.

I have given my thoughts and recommendations, and will not post further
on this subject. You seem to have made up your mind already, and will
not listen to reason unless it fits in with your preconceived notions.
Which is most unusual for you as normally you are the voice of reason in
this group and give good advice to others in similar situations - or
situations where it is hard to decide what to do.

I hope IBK gets a good home if it somehow ends up being with you or
otherwise.

"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...
On 2006-05-21, rrb penned:
Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

I don't know. Oscar can go from purring to hissing with no middle
ground. She's bitten me, but never drawn blood.

Perhaps since I did not see the incident you are referring to. But I
bet there was at least some sign even if you didn't notice it.
Sometimes it can be almost unnoticeable if you aren't looking for
it. My male cat was like that but by paying attention to small signs
he gave I soon was able to avoid these situations and stop them
before they started 99 % of the time.

Well, if I stopped petting Oscar as soon as her tail started
twitching, I would never get to pet Oscar. So I could probably avoid
them 100% by never petting her, but that's no fun. It might be better
to say, it's not that she never exhibits nervous symptoms in advance,
it's that she always exhibits them, but they don't always result in
trouble. So in that way it's hard to predict.

It may be possible to tell by her eyes, but she likes to be pet facing
away from me, so I can't go by that.

She *has* gotten much better in the last two years.

As everyone knows, Sammy used to be a little holy terror and left me bloody
almost every day when she was little. The way I finally got her to "hold
back" when she played with me was to, EVERY SINGLE TIME, give a
high-pitched, loud "MEW" as soon as she started biting or scratching.
That's how kittens tell each other when they're getting too rough in their
play. Sammy now thinks I'm a big wussy kitten, but at least she's become
very, very gentle with me.

--

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/





--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

"Rhonda" wrote in message
...
Yowie,

What is IBK"s history? How long have you had him?

IBKFergus has been with us since Christmas, 2004. She's from the feral cat
colony here at work andI brough her home when she was approximatley 6 weeks
old. SHe's always been agressive and skittish. Anytime Joel or I walk past,
she screams and swipes at our ankles. I think she was kicked at somepoint in
he rlife, it would make sense. She doesn't go well with human signs of
affection like patting or scritching, she has never asked for it, and rarely
accepts it. She will bite and scratch if you try to give it when she doesn't
want it, and any scritching session is always ended with a swipe from her.

I have my suspicions, judging by the feral cats here at work, that she is
probably grossly inbred, althoug I don't know for sure. She is really small
for a cat.


I agree about not dumping him outside. He will be ripped to shreds by
the other cats in the colony, or maybe just isolated enough to be kept
away from any food.

The thought of returning her to her feral family was a thought of a
desperately upset person. DOn't worry, she won't be dumped.

Is there anywhere, like a basement or a garage, you can keep him for the
time being until you find him a home?

She's been confined ot the Garage during Cary's waking hours (Cary sleeps
with the bedroom door shut - he has to otherwise IBKFergus gets in and wraps
herself around his head)


If he was a former feral, the Humane Society will probably not take him,
at least they don't around here. And if you say why you are turning him
in, that he attacked you or that he is a former feral (which you really
have to) he won't really have a chance there.

I would think the best options are finding some kind soul on your own,
which can take some time, or finding a cat sanctuary, which can also
take time to find an opening. I hope you can keep him somewhere safe
from your son in your home until then.

The Animal Welfare League can take her. They'll get a substantial donation
to help with her adoption costs.

The lady I spoke to is familiar with the CRM ferals, where IBKFergus came
from. They are truly Feral, not just pets that have been abandoned.

Perhaps I was too ambitious to take on a feral cat. I dunno. I'll miss her
alot, even though she was never affectionate, and a PITA most of the time. I
still loved her

bawling

Yowie


Good luck, what a tough situation for you. I hope everyone calms down a
bit and takes some time to find the right solution for all of you.

Rhonda

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

"Rhonda" wrote in message
...
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?

I dont think it can rectifed without alot of attention and time. We
don'thave either to give (as much as I'd like to), and I can't risk Cary's
safety in the mean time.

If it was just Joel and me (and Shmogg & Fluff) here, IBKFergus would have
another chance. But not with Cary around. Even the best behaved two year
olds can do silly, stupid, cat-provoking things without ever meaning to
annoy the cat. And Cary *is* a really well behaved two year old that has
been *excellent* with the cats. Butif she can attack me for reaching down to
pcik up a book, what could she do to Cary?

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

The Animal Welfare League does not put down healthy animals. Thats why I
picked them. They'll find a suitable fosterer until she finds a forever
home. I wish that foreverhome was with us... but it can't be.

Yowie

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"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.

Cary does *not* "continually provoke" IBKFergus. Usualy Cary is doing his
thing and IBKFergus is doinghers, somewhere else. And when they do interact,
Cary is usually perfectly well behaved in cat behaviour. *But* he is a two
year old with a two year old's understanding and patience, and can just grab
for things he wants without thinking things through.

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.

If IBKFergus can attack me for no reason, then she can attack Cary for no
reason. Its not a matter of 'provoking'. I'mn all for cats bopping an over
enthusiastic toddler if things get out of hand. Shmogg is great with Cary,
Cary's had a few light scratches from Shmogg and has learnt not to poke ears
& eyes or pull tails. If thats all it was, there wouldn'tbe a problem.

Again, it was, as far as I can see, an attack totally out of proportion to
what I was doing. If I had been movingmy hand in an 'interesting' way, I'd
forgive her for thinking it was a chasy game. If I had accidnelty stepped on
her, I'd understand that she was just sayin "OW!". But even when we have
been playing chasey or I've got my big feet in her way, she has not savaged
me like this. I don't know what et her off, or how her kitty brain
interpretted me picking up a book as a reason for attacking, but its such a
common thing to do that I cannot trust IBKFergus not to react the same way
if Cary picked up a book.

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

If you weren't over the other side of the world, I'd gladly let you have
her. At least I'd know she was going to a good home.

Yowie