# Feral injury



## hroswitha (Dec 20, 2013)

I am the caretaker primarily for 3 feral cats. Two are siblings, one is older and seems to look out for the other two. All three have been fixed and are still in the range of a 1 year rabies shot. The oldest is Simon; the siblings are Brighton and Esther.

Recently, two other cats have been circling around our little group. My cats stay in cold weather shelters on the deck, and we put out food and water for them regularly. The other two are a small grey girl (who someone else seems to have gotten fixed) and a white tom with orange ears and tail. We can him Adrian and her Jane Eyre. 

Today, I noticed Adrian has a ragged ear and some blood on the side of his skull. Simon, notoriously shy, didn't come out of his shelter when I went out to the porch which is not like him. Later, he did emerge. His front left leg is injured - a puncture wound from Adrian, I believe. It looks like its near his elbow, and he bled all down his paw. He's limping, but will put weight on that leg when necessary.

Simon does not allow himself to be approached too closely. Normally, he won't even stay in a shelter if a human is on the deck. I don't know that I can catch him or, if I caught him, he would ever return to our group again.

Adrian is a full tom, I think, and we will try to trap him and get him fixed this spring. It's not possible right now - no where to keep him while he recuperates from surgery. 

Any suggestions on how to help these cats negotiate the space and food issues so Simon doesn't feel he has to fight for territory? He's fixed, Adrian isn't. Simon will get the worst of the injuries, I'm betting, particularly since he's hurt now. We're trying to put food down for Jane and Adrian away from the deck, so they don't have to come near the shelters, but apparently that wasn't good enough last night.

Ideas?


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Wow, I feel for you. I have a feral who has gotten quite tame now, and I have been caring for her for some time, she is fixed, was already a TNR when I started to feed her. I have told myself that should she become hurt or sick, I will be prepared to take her in, which I realize, I would need to get a trap, and probably some help to trap her. 

I think it is great you are providing shelter and food for them. Who knows if they would even be alive at this point if they didn't have these right now. If I were you, I would try to find a place that helps trap and fix ferals. I'm not sure where you are, but I'd start googling and see what you can find. Maybe you can find a place that will help you trap them. Maybe they will only loan you a trap and leave it up to you to trap them and then you'd have to bring them in. I'm just not sure, I have never had to do this before. One of the experts on here that regularly deals with TNR and ferals will hopefully give you some more advice here soon. 

I know that not too far from where I live, there is a group that will help with TNR and issues like this. I can only hope that you can find such a place. I do know that people on this forum have had to trap on their own, in similar situations, and take their hurt or sick feral in to a vet that will help them and pay on their own. I really hope that you can find some help. This is the really hard part, when you start taking care of these poor little helpless creatures, when they get hurt or sick. But bless you for helping them.


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## hroswitha (Dec 20, 2013)

No, you're not understanding. The injured cat has been neutered. He's as tame as he'll ever get. I can't touch him, but I can get close before he bolts.

He's injured enough that he is not very mobile. I'm worried about the unfixed boy, Adrian, who is coming around. In the spring, I'll try to do a TNR on him as well, but for now, I have no place to keep him warm enough after surgery. And to be honest, after he messed up my poor Simon, I'm not very warmly disposed toward him. I'd just rather he go elsewhere.

Not very charitable of me, I know.

I'm seeking suggestions on how to keep Adrian and Simon apart. As injured as Simon is, I think Adrian could really tear him up again tonight. Adrian is unfixed, and he could rip poor Simon up. Also, do any of you know a way to get something into Simon's food that could help him fend off infection? I worry.


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## hroswitha (Dec 20, 2013)

All my cats outside (that we claim) have gone through TNR. Last April, we took care of three, only to find that the girl had already had a litter of kittens. So we trapped them, got them fixed, and socialized them on my porch until we could get them all homed. The kittens are all in good homes now, and all neutered.

I know of several places that will allow me to get cats fixed with a co-pay of $10, although if I apply for a grant from a regional agency, the co-pay goes to $5 each. Come spring, Adrian and (if I can catch her), one other grey girl kitty will go through it. I want fewer cats in my ravine, not more.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Well, I do know that someone here once had a hurt feral that they kept in their garage after surgery to his hurt foot, I believe. He was not very happy being in there, but he dealt with it. I can't remember how long she kept him in there, but I do remember that she kept him there until she felt he was OK to go back. That or pay to board him at the vet until he is well enough to come home? I'm not sure what I'd do if I were you. I just know it's really sad when they are hurt and helpless.


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

If you can't keep Adrian out, you have to keep Simon barricaded in somewhere. If you trap him, you can ask the TNR people what vet will work on Simon. Maybe they have access to antibiotics but Simon would still have to be isolated so you know he was eating it. If you have no other choices, I would trap Adrian and turn him in somewhere. I know that is easier said than done but I keep thinking I can't afford any more cats so if one shows up, I would have to bite the bullet and do something to locate him elsewhere. I am sorry, these situations are tough but until you think outside of the box and call around for as much help as you can get, it seems hard to solve.


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