Two Feral Cats

In article ,
enlightened us with...

Worse comes to worse (no one will take them or help them), I'd bring the one
with only one eye in to the H.S. (or have them come get him) even if there
was a chance he'd be euthanized. That injury must be terribly painful and is
likely to get infected without treatment.

According to my co-workers the cat has had the injury as long as my
company has been here, over 18 mos.

Oh, for some reason it sounded fresh.
From what you've said, then, unless you can find a no-kill shelter to help
them, I'd just keep making sure they had what they needed and leave them be.
I'd bring a couple old blankets out and stuff to put in the shelter and
stuff. Make sure the water doesn't freeze in the winter, etc.


The shelter that's there is a plastic garbage can on it's side with
the lid duct taped on, and an access hole in the lid. It's not off the
ground, but situated on a hill in such a way as to prevent rain from
entering.

Not the best, but I don't know how cold it gets by you.
And if they've been fine for 18 months, well, unless someone gets ****y about
it, they're probably going to stay there.
I'd be tempted to bring them home myself, but knowing how I don't have room
and all, I'd probably just visit them every day and do what I could to make
them more comfortable. Perhaps over time they will learn to like humans and
get a nice home. At least they can be warm, fed, and loved a little, anyways.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

--
--
~kaeli~
Practice safe eating - always use condiments.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

"Arjun Ray" wrote in message lid...
(...)

This is the correct choice for *you*. You've damaged enough cats' lives
already.

A stupid comment. ceb2 declawed his/her cats, but that does not mean
that he is incapable of some positive actions wrt cats, or indeed that
he is incapable of change wrt declawing. Some of the ng regulars have
had their cats declawed in the past. They realised their mistake and
did not repeat it. However, by endlessly telling ceb2 to go
essentially go **** himself, I don't think you're doing anything to
(e.g.) help any future cats he might adopt. All you're likely to do is
to put him on the defensive and probably entrench his barbaric beliefs
further.


My other choice is to call the animal hospital down the street or the
Humane Society to come catch them.

If this is the only other "choice" that occurs to you, then all the more
would it be correct for you to do nothing. Cats are not your long suit.

So, you think it's better for the cat with the missing, dribbling eye
to just stay out in the field, fuc'd, rather than be helped? I fear
your cornflakes needed to be fortified with less vitamic C and more
rationality this morning.


What would you do?

Depends.

So, rather than provide ceb2 with any useful info that might assist
the cats, you'd rather chuck a couple more insults in and then bugger
off.

Of course, I've provided no useful info for ceb2 here either. Then
again, I'm not an experienced TNR guy - unlike you Arjun, IIRC.

Steve.

"Arjun Ray" wrote in message lid...
(...)

This is the correct choice for *you*. You've damaged enough cats' lives
already.

A stupid comment. ceb2 declawed his/her cats, but that does not mean
that he is incapable of some positive actions wrt cats, or indeed that
he is incapable of change wrt declawing. Some of the ng regulars have
had their cats declawed in the past. They realised their mistake and
did not repeat it. However, by endlessly telling ceb2 to go
essentially go **** himself, I don't think you're doing anything to
(e.g.) help any future cats he might adopt. All you're likely to do is
to put him on the defensive and probably entrench his barbaric beliefs
further.


My other choice is to call the animal hospital down the street or the
Humane Society to come catch them.

If this is the only other "choice" that occurs to you, then all the more
would it be correct for you to do nothing. Cats are not your long suit.

So, you think it's better for the cat with the missing, dribbling eye
to just stay out in the field, fuc'd, rather than be helped? I fear
your cornflakes needed to be fortified with less vitamic C and more
rationality this morning.


What would you do?

Depends.

So, rather than provide ceb2 with any useful info that might assist
the cats, you'd rather chuck a couple more insults in and then bugger
off.

Of course, I've provided no useful info for ceb2 here either. Then
again, I'm not an experienced TNR guy - unlike you Arjun, IIRC.

Steve.

I agree that their medical needs are probably no more urgent than any
other stray cat, I recommend doing nothing until you find out more about
the people who are already taking care of the cats, and then try to work
with them. They might even resent your uninvited involvement. Maybe
they can catch them without trapping.

If they are not completely feral, they might respond better to a toy
than to food, if you want to lure them closer. The "toy" need only be a
long twig with leaves on it, or stalk of grass, even feral cats like
to play.

I don't know how familiar you are with usenet, but you've gotten a
variety of responses to your completely innocuous original post. It's
still surprising to me how many people use this newsgroup as their
emotional toilet. Of course, it's always the same people. You made a
mistake in taking some of the responses personally and responding in
kind. Generally speaking, if you put forth a rational request and get
irrational responses, you know you are dealing with kooks. It's best
just to ignore them. You now have a nearly complete list for your
filters or whatever. Occasionally, some useful information is
exchanged, not really worth the bother of gleaning it, but I'm addicted
to the raw, unbridled, unchecked, unmitigated, untamed, out of control
hysterical shrieking emotion I get to witness here at least weekly,
directed at some hapless newbie who simply didn't know the "rules".
It's better than William Shatner in his prime. Kind of hard on the
newbie, though.

There are, of course, many participants who are always calm and rational
and who even give useful information. So I keep my hand in, and try to
contribute from my own experience. For useful animal medical
information without the drama, check out alt.med.veterinary

--
John Kimmel


I think it will be quiet around here now. So long.

I agree that their medical needs are probably no more urgent than any
other stray cat, I recommend doing nothing until you find out more about
the people who are already taking care of the cats, and then try to work
with them. They might even resent your uninvited involvement. Maybe
they can catch them without trapping.

If they are not completely feral, they might respond better to a toy
than to food, if you want to lure them closer. The "toy" need only be a
long twig with leaves on it, or stalk of grass, even feral cats like
to play.

I don't know how familiar you are with usenet, but you've gotten a
variety of responses to your completely innocuous original post. It's
still surprising to me how many people use this newsgroup as their
emotional toilet. Of course, it's always the same people. You made a
mistake in taking some of the responses personally and responding in
kind. Generally speaking, if you put forth a rational request and get
irrational responses, you know you are dealing with kooks. It's best
just to ignore them. You now have a nearly complete list for your
filters or whatever. Occasionally, some useful information is
exchanged, not really worth the bother of gleaning it, but I'm addicted
to the raw, unbridled, unchecked, unmitigated, untamed, out of control
hysterical shrieking emotion I get to witness here at least weekly,
directed at some hapless newbie who simply didn't know the "rules".
It's better than William Shatner in his prime. Kind of hard on the
newbie, though.

There are, of course, many participants who are always calm and rational
and who even give useful information. So I keep my hand in, and try to
contribute from my own experience. For useful animal medical
information without the drama, check out alt.med.veterinary

--
John Kimmel


I think it will be quiet around here now. So long.

"guynoir" wrote in message
...

I don't know how familiar you are with usenet, but you've gotten a variety
of responses to your completely innocuous original post. It's still
surprising to me how many people use this newsgroup as their emotional
toilet. Of course, it's always the same people. You made a mistake in
taking some of the responses personally and responding in kind. Generally
speaking, if you put forth a rational request and get irrational
responses, you know you are dealing with kooks. It's best just to ignore
them. You now have a nearly complete list for your filters or whatever.
Occasionally, some useful information is exchanged, not really worth the
bother of gleaning it, but I'm addicted to the raw, unbridled, unchecked,
unmitigated, untamed, out of control hysterical shrieking emotion I get to
witness here at least weekly, directed at some hapless newbie who simply
didn't know the "rules". It's better than William Shatner in his prime.
Kind of hard on the newbie, though.


I love it! This has to be one of the better descriptions of usenet :-)

"guynoir" wrote in message
...

I don't know how familiar you are with usenet, but you've gotten a variety
of responses to your completely innocuous original post. It's still
surprising to me how many people use this newsgroup as their emotional
toilet. Of course, it's always the same people. You made a mistake in
taking some of the responses personally and responding in kind. Generally
speaking, if you put forth a rational request and get irrational
responses, you know you are dealing with kooks. It's best just to ignore
them. You now have a nearly complete list for your filters or whatever.
Occasionally, some useful information is exchanged, not really worth the
bother of gleaning it, but I'm addicted to the raw, unbridled, unchecked,
unmitigated, untamed, out of control hysterical shrieking emotion I get to
witness here at least weekly, directed at some hapless newbie who simply
didn't know the "rules". It's better than William Shatner in his prime.
Kind of hard on the newbie, though.


I love it! This has to be one of the better descriptions of usenet :-)

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 14:32:07 -0700, Steve G wrote:

Some of the ng regulars have had their cats declawed in the past.
They realised their mistake and did not repeat it.

ceb2 claimed to have "researched" the subject *before* mutilating his
kittens.

However, by endlessly telling ceb2 to go essentially go **** himself,
I don't think you're doing anything to (e.g.) help any future cats he
might adopt.

The thought of him adopting another cat appals me. I sincerely hope he
never does.

If this is the only other "choice" that occurs to you, then all the more
would it be correct for you to do nothing. Cats are not your long suit.

So, you think it's better for the cat with the missing, dribbling eye to
just stay out in the field, fuc'd, rather than be helped?

My comment was on the choices that occured to ceb2. I found them quite
revealing. It wasn't about helping the cat; it was about how he could be
*seen* "helping". That is, it wasn't about benefit. It was about credit.

What would you do?

Depends.

So, rather than provide ceb2 with any useful info that might assist the
cats,

The info would be lost on him.

you'd rather chuck a couple more insults in and then bugger off.

Of course, I've provided no useful info for ceb2 here either. Then again,
I'm not an experienced TNR guy - unlike you Arjun, IIRC.

As "an experienced TNR guy", I can say one thing with certainty: you can't
save them all.

What does this mean? It means that you have to be willing to do the
necessary *yourself*. Do you really think the folks at the Humane Society
were sitting around waiting for a phone call so they could have something
to do? Why does it have to be *someone else* to "take care of this cat"?
From trapping him, to getting him vetted, to keeping him indoors for a
week or two to finish a round of ABs, to - gasp! - paying for some or all
of this, there are *plenty* of *constructive* things one could do. To
make a difference.

Calling the Humane Society is not a "choice" to make a difference. But
it's the kind of thing that would occur to a ceb2. He fits the mold of
the middle manager type in corporations. People who "manage" problems
rather than solve them (which means: getting someone else to take care of
them.)

I have nothing to say to such people, devoid as they are of imagination
and good sense.

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 14:32:07 -0700, Steve G wrote:

Some of the ng regulars have had their cats declawed in the past.
They realised their mistake and did not repeat it.

ceb2 claimed to have "researched" the subject *before* mutilating his
kittens.

However, by endlessly telling ceb2 to go essentially go **** himself,
I don't think you're doing anything to (e.g.) help any future cats he
might adopt.

The thought of him adopting another cat appals me. I sincerely hope he
never does.

If this is the only other "choice" that occurs to you, then all the more
would it be correct for you to do nothing. Cats are not your long suit.

So, you think it's better for the cat with the missing, dribbling eye to
just stay out in the field, fuc'd, rather than be helped?

My comment was on the choices that occured to ceb2. I found them quite
revealing. It wasn't about helping the cat; it was about how he could be
*seen* "helping". That is, it wasn't about benefit. It was about credit.

What would you do?

Depends.

So, rather than provide ceb2 with any useful info that might assist the
cats,

The info would be lost on him.

you'd rather chuck a couple more insults in and then bugger off.

Of course, I've provided no useful info for ceb2 here either. Then again,
I'm not an experienced TNR guy - unlike you Arjun, IIRC.

As "an experienced TNR guy", I can say one thing with certainty: you can't
save them all.

What does this mean? It means that you have to be willing to do the
necessary *yourself*. Do you really think the folks at the Humane Society
were sitting around waiting for a phone call so they could have something
to do? Why does it have to be *someone else* to "take care of this cat"?
From trapping him, to getting him vetted, to keeping him indoors for a
week or two to finish a round of ABs, to - gasp! - paying for some or all
of this, there are *plenty* of *constructive* things one could do. To
make a difference.

Calling the Humane Society is not a "choice" to make a difference. But
it's the kind of thing that would occur to a ceb2. He fits the mold of
the middle manager type in corporations. People who "manage" problems
rather than solve them (which means: getting someone else to take care of
them.)

I have nothing to say to such people, devoid as they are of imagination
and good sense.

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 01:11:22 +0000, Mary wrote:

I probably would already have DONE something about the ferals,
but buttwipe here's response to them is "oh, great topic for the
Newsgroup." What a cat lover.

Yes. All talk, no action. I dislike this kind of "what would you do"
posts, especially when the poster offers no evidence of constructive
action on his own part. (No, sorry, calling the Humane Society is not
constructive.) And I dislike the undercurrent of emotional blackmail
where not doing anything for this *particular* cat could be construed as a
failure on our part.

There are many sad cases out there. Too many. No safety net, and the
resources of rescuers are stretched way too thin already. That's why you
can't save them all; and to save even one, you have to do it yourself,
because everyone else's plate is already full.

A request was passed to me through the network the other day. Someone who
lives nearby had the usual problem: a momcat with a newly weaned litter in
her backyard. This lady was unusual, though. She wanted to do something
about it *herself*. She called asking for traps and a holding cage so she
could socialize the kittens! Could she come by and pick them up? No need:
I took them over myself. I was happy to. Her job involves a lot of
travelling. Despite that, she caught the momcat and the entire litter, got
the momcat fixed, and has already adopted out three of the five kittens.

Contrast that with ceb2's smug "discussion" of his "choices". Feh.