Tabby Saga, Chapter II [Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος]

Trying to mirror the story between here and Elbows...

I posted a "found cat" notice on the mdspca.org website, and plan to put up signs in the neighbourhood, but it's been pointed out that she's probably been abandoned. (Still, I don't feel comfortable assuming that...)

She's sweet. And I like cats (despite being allergic). But I can barely afford to feed myself lately (actually, I can't -- Mom has been helping with the bills most months), much less feed a cat, pay for routine veterinary care, and cope with vet bills if the cat gets sick or injured. But I'm soooo tempted. (She's rather vocal -- more so than I'd consider ideal -- but she has a very soft voice, so that's not a huge problem. On the other hand, her insistence that my hands are meant for petting her and Not For Typing is an issue we'll have to negotiate.)

Yesterday I tried to get her into the car to take her to the SPCA to find out whether she's got a chip. (Unlikely, unless she came here from a better neighbourhood, but I've got to check, right?) She didn't like that idea, and escaped. But I did pick up a wee tin of cat food at a 7-11 while running other errands ... and when I found myself awake around dawn this morning, I went out back to see whether she'd returned to my yard. She was a few doors away, but she heard me open my door and started crying for me. She continued crying as she circled around trying to remember how to get into my yard (finally settling on a leap I thought ill-advised (but she got away with it -- from the deck next-door to the top of the fence ... the landing looked uncomfortable). I scooped out the cat food and put out some water for her, and judging from the way she ate, she was Really Hungry, not just "I'm a cat, of course I'm hungry" hungry. I went back inside while she was still eating, and a short time later heard her crying at the door.

This afternoon, I opened the door to check on her, and she must have been waiting right _at_ the door -- I didn't even get the door all the way open before she was inside, trying to be petted. And acting hungry.

I don't want to leave her in the house overnight or while I'm out until I've got a litter box set up. And I don't want to leave her here when I'm away overnight or longer until I have a better idea what she will and won't do (and have picked up a supply of cat food). The SPCA will, of course, take care of her for a few days, but if she's really lost from around here, the distance could present an obstacle for the owner (once located). And if nobody claims her in those few days, I'm back to deciding whether to take her in myself. And I like having her around -- I've missed feline companionship. But feeding and vet bills and allergies and the fact that she'd hate being shut out of my bedroom at night... *sigh*

She's small -- small enough that I'm not quite certain whether she's a very small adult or not completely grown. But her collar isn't tight, which means either that she's stopped growing or that she hasn't been on her own all _that_ long (but long enough to get skinny).

Not looking for someone to tell me what to do, but willing to hear advice and thoughts. Mostly just wanted to share.

Uh, actually, I am looking for a little advice -- what tools do folks here like for cat-locking the keyboard on a Windows box? She's got a knack for stepping/rolling/sitting on the keyboards.

I'm gonna need to borrow a cat-carrier from someone. To take her to the SPCA at least, and to-and-from the vet if I keep her.

January

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 1	2 1	3 1	4 1	5 1	6 1	7 1
8 1	9 1	10 1	11 1	12 1	13 1	14 1
15 1	16 1	17 1	18 1	19 1	20 1	21 1
22 1	23 1	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Glen, you old softie... 8^) (Sorry, couldn't resist...)

I'd be tempted to keep her as well. But there is one question you need to ask yourself -- if you can't provide for yourself (see assistance from parents) how will you be able to provide for another? If you can get that one worked out, then go ahead an consider keeping her. Otherwise, I feat that you might be doing yourself (an the cat) a disservice.

But I'm also not in your position, and I know myself well enough to know that I don't always make the rational choice...

*Snort* Some help I'm being, huh?

[link] [reply]

Rationally, you are absolutely correct and I darn well know it (hence the observation/complaint about my finances). But that "we don't always make the rational choice" thing is there, and is really what I'm struggling with. It's so tempting to keep her even though I know I shouldn't. *sigh*

[link] [parent] [reply]

In the short term, one could always use a cardboard box to take her to and from the vet, just put holes in the top, no bigger than a paw, for breathing.

I'd screen lock the computer when you're not using it, because there's very few ways to catproof a keyboard (although I recall a program a few years ago that would interpret cat pawprints and ignore them).

I'm sure we've got a spare carrier for short-term use, but we've got six animals in this house, it's always handy to keep a few on hand. *smirk*

I think Walmart has cat carriers for only $10.

I hope you find her owners, or I hope she finds a good home if not with you. We've got the two kitties that weren't happy at getting locked out of the bedroom, but they've gotten used to it now, and we don't get woken up by yeowling kitty wanting to get in anymore... Although it wasn't the most amusing thing for a while... Had to put vinyl on the floor in front of the bedroom door so she wouldn't pick at the carpet in an attempt to get us to let her in.

Have you contemplated becoming a short term foster daddy, if the SPCA can't find her a home quickly?

Haven't had much luck with cardboard boxes in the past (though the cardboard cat-carriers that stay closed a lot better do seem to work most of the time). Will try a cardboard box anyhow, if I don't get to Wal Mart or borrow a carrier from someone nearby first.

Kitty seems to learn very quickly from pain -- caught on real quic that just behind my right heel is not the place to stand when I'm washing dishes. Still working on how to teach stuff on purpose though.

More later. Trying to convince myself I have enough energy to go to HCB rehearsal. We're playing at Potomac this weekend, so rehearsal's kind of important.

we'll see you there, honey.

Have to ask the hubby, but perhaps we could bring a carrier with us? We're not sure which day(s) we're going to be there, tho.

Up here in the Boston area, there are organizations that "help" pay for veterinary care if one can show need. They provide medication if needed and free spaying services. I luckily never had to use it despite the thousands I spent on my Midnight before she died, so I don't know all the details. If anyone, the SPCA should be able to tell you if there is such an organization in your area. They would much rather see a cat in a loving home than in a shelter. (Midnight was 18 years old, had chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure and arthritis, she was on a whole pharmacy if medications including daily subcutaneous fluids for the last four years of her life. When she died of a stroke,it was quick and painless for her, I on the other hand cried for days.)

Have you mentioned the cat to your mother? Does she like cats?

It certainly sounds like she has adopted you.
As for keeping her off the keyboard, that'll take some training. Set up a towel in a box on a table right next to you at the computer and every time she tries to walk across the keyboard, pick her up, put her in the box and pet her for a minute until she settles down, then go back to your work. Eventually she will learn.
My cat Lily now sleeps on top of the scanner on the table next to the computer table. She learned not to walk across the keyboard, but sometimes she forgets.
And your little one sounds pretty smart, she knew her pathetic starving meows would get you to feed her. :)

Didn't know about veterinary-assistance programs. I'd been thinking that some kind of "sponsorship" arrangement could make the difference, but had no clue that anything remotely similar existed. Hmm.

The problem with the keyboards right now is that, attention-sponge that she is, she keeps trying to squirm into positions where my hands are touching her. It'll take a while before I get her to accept being moved aside and stay put. (Working on that. Also working on getting her to stop kneading my arm with her claws out.)

Depending on the cat, getting her to stop kneading with the claws out may never work. *smirk*

I've been trying to teach Vivian this for years. Max got the point early, Vivian's a slow learner... And ADORES her claws.

Lily is three years old now and she still kneads with her paws, it's probably because she was so young when she was taken away from her mother. They knead when they are content and happy, it reminds them of when they were kittens and suckling from their momma all warm and safe.

Yes, but there is kneading with paws, and kneading with CLAWS... Max kneads with her paws, and her claws in. Vivian has this mental "MUST STRETCH CLAWS, MUST STRETCH CLAWS" function. :) And her claws are HUGE.

Ow. :)

Does she accept a lap instead of a keyboard?

I think she'll be worth her weight in antidepressant functioning. Having a little love at home is such an uplift...

And cats don't really cost all that much to maintain. We've had Preia for 7 months now, and in that time she's only gone through $40 worth of food. And we buy higher-end cat food (Eukanuba, in the large-size bag from PetSmart)... supermarket stuff is probably cheaper. Litter isn't so very costly either.

Maybe a whole bunch of your friends would be willing to put together a "kitty care fund" - if 10 of us chipped in $20 each, that would go a fair way towards a year's food and litter and vet bills. I'd be willing to donate $20 / year to the cause (if you remind me to each year - I'm bad at remembering). I bet others would be, too. Let us know if you want it...

This is so true, whenever I am feeling down, my cats are right there and do something silly.

You also don't need to feed her anything special, My vet said that as long as the cat is healthy, you can feed her Friskies from the grocery store, or 9-Lives or some other brand as long as it's got meat or fish in it, cats are carnivores. Lily loves Friskies Ocean Fish flavor. Midnight ate 9-lives almost all her life, her fav was also ocean fish. (when she got diagnosed with kidney disease she had to go on prescription diet.) Our other cat Keisha wont touch canned food and eats nothing but Purina One, weight management formula. (She's a monster at 18 lbs.)

I'll join in cyan_blue's fund, too. I'm a sucker for a cat in need of a home, and she looks like she's _chosen_ you.
But can you handle the allergies?

Me too. Set up a paypal account or something; I'm lousy with paper.

from us. We don't live too far away. Sorry, I was not keeping up w/ LJ for a while, I was away and then I was physically here but absent ;)

I may be able to help you look after her for a while if she stays at your place ... we already have one stray in the crowded household that still needs a larger home ... let me know if/when you need help ..

RedLynx

I understand that cat dander is actually the allergin. Maybe frequent baths?

I hope the companionship does its job. I have a friend who swears his cat reduces his blood pressure tremendously.

Now, about those shirts?

Cats can be enormously cheap. Tins of cat food are expensive - but buying in bulk from the vet is significantly cheaper... We're talking maybe a $10-$30 investment. IAMS is good stuff - ou can get a variety of different sized bags. Bigger equals cheaper.

Cat litter is more expensive than food. I'd recommend getting the style that clumps, and cleaning the box daily - it lasts longer, and you never have to much out the Aegean catbox. Also, keeps your cat healthier.

Did I say your cat? Sounds pretty good, eh?

Regarding size - some cats get huge. We once had one named Flame who was 26 lbs, and lean. But some remain almost kitten like their whole lives. My neighbor in Alexandria had one that worked the neighborhood with her "oh what a cute kitten I am" look - she weighed maybe 6 lbs for at least 12 years.

The big question is: is she fixed? if it's a male cat, it's cheap. If it's a female cat, it's expensive. Some places will do it for free - but you have to hunt.

And, you have friends willing to sponsor your cat - just don't make her wear those little penzoil stickers, okay?

maybe she's a gift..

maybe she's a blessing that you didn't know you needed..

good luck

*hug*

Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

Tabby Saga, Chapter II

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

if you still haven't got to the vet you can borrow a carrier..

Dander

Cat Costs

(no subject)

Links

January