i'm posting too much on twitter

[piranha]

and not enough here.

so, there's news on the cat front. both feral toms who have been around for the last 2 years, the black ("mangy cat") and the tabby with the torn-off ear (#8) have become considerably more social.

mangy actually comes inside now and has even started to settle down (on the floor near the door). i'm guessing as it gets colder this will become more common. he no longer flees from me. he's also letting me pet him, and actively seeks it out by rubbing around my legs. i think he's almost at the point where i can take him to the vet. he's got some kind of infection, because his eyes are exuding cloudy liquid, but he's better than he's been. he doesn't even look particularly mangy now. all the good food is probably having some results.

he also gets along with most of the other cats now, even bacchus. well, bang still has hissy fits, but he has hissy fits with his own siblings, so that doesn't mean much.

#8 is a little less scrawny, and also less shy. he used to flee far away whenever one of us stepped out the door, but yesterday he sat next to the food bowl and talked to me. he still moved away when i refilled the bowl, but only under the hedge from where he was watching me and continued to talk.

so it looks like we will have to name him. *little sigh*. maybe we should start a reality show; we've got the "+ 8" down.

Comments

[mechaman]

It's something I've noticed on route more times than not. The cats are somewhat much more inclined to become the 'neighborhood's' versus pure strays in Pontiac. A lot of people making sure they're well fed. And while they're quite skittish, you occasionally get the ham who's amazingly friendly or chatty. Especially as summer gives way to fall and winter.

[amaliedageek]

The discharge could be from feline herpes virus; you'll definitely want to get the cat checked before introducing him to the rest of the pride, as it's easily transmitted during an active flare-up. Treating a bunch of cats with it is a non-trivial exercise. There are lysine gels and powders available: if it turns out you need them, get them from Amazon rather than your vet, as it's much cheaper (the veterinary ophthalmologist charged me $30 for a tube of Viralys gel, and it was $7 on-line).

[piranha]

yeah, it could be, and it's even likely -- but as far as "introducing" him; they're all outdoor cats and were introduced years ago. :) ours are vaccinated.

also, thanks for the amazon tip, but i'm not in the US, and i buy meds from a canadian supplier. :) now that i can finally touch him i can at least try to apply a topical antibiotic. i wish i had a vet who makes house calls. :/ the stress to ferals from taking them to the vet is phenomenal.

i thought lysine as an anti-viral was just anecdotal? clearly my cat health knowledge is behind the times. how did it work for your cat? though i guess it's hard to know, since many remain carriers even if the flareup is over.

[crantz]

oh feral cats. We've been ambushing and fixing any stray that wanders in our path for years out here in the country. It seems to have worked out.

[piranha]

yeah; i especially like to fix the toms, because if they're established, they will continue to defend their territory and keep other toms out for the most part. we've not had any kittens in the neighbourhood for a while now.