Expert: Ali - 9/28/2008

Question
QUESTION: I am an animal lover, specifically cats.  I have a 18 year Siamese. She is an only cat and she has never been introduced to other animals, basically she is spoiled.  Over the years I have started to carry with me everyday, 3 cans of wet food, 1 tub of tried food, and bottled water.
When every I see and get the chance to feed a stray or feral I do... For me I look at it as it is the least I can do.
My specific question to you is, I have come across this abandoned house which has a cat living on it's lawn.
I have come into contact with the cat while feeding, after he finishes eating he is a bless.  I am thinking that he is a stray and not feral. He lets me pet and rub him.  But he is hurt.  He has a big gash on his back that needs medical attention. I am assuming that at one point he was a house cat.  I do not know if he is neuter.  But I am willing to capture him, paid for his vet bills to get neuter, and attend to his scar.  I can foster him for some time until he is placed, but I need to know if this is viable?  My cat is going on 19 and I do not want to traumatize her.

ANSWER: Evelyn,

I think that whether or not you should introduce the stray to your older cat depends on a number of factors. I would suggest that you take the time to consider whether or not your cat is strong and healthy enough to withstand the stress of meeting another cat face to face. Territory is very important to cats in general which means that you need to be sensitive to your elderly cat's needs. I see no problem with rescuing the stray cat, but whether or not you introduce him to your older cat is something to think about. Based on your description this stray is going to need a fair amount of vet care over the first little while which means that it will be a fair amount of time before it's safe to introduce him to your elderly Siamese. If your older cat has serious health issues or she is easily stressed it's a good idea to put off the possibility of introducing the two cats at least until 2 weeks or so after your vet has given the stray a clean bill of health to minimize the chances that he will pass on any type of viral or bacterial infection. It's very important that your rescued kitty be surgically sterilized to minimize the chances of unpleasant behavior such as marking territory with feces and urine. I think that rescuing this stray is a good idea provided that you are financially able to provide all of the vet care that he will likely need over the first several weeks and that you have the space to house him separately from your elderly resident cat until he has been nursed back to health. It's possible that your elderly cat will like the stray cat enough to allow him to share her home provided that the proper steps are taken to introduce the two cats. I would suspect that once this stray kitty is healthy enough to be introduced to your resident cat she will already be comfortable with his presence. If you do plan to introduce the two cats I would suggest that you make sure to feed them their meals on either side of a closed door for a minimum of 2 weeks which will provide positive reinforcement to each of the cats when it comes to tolerating each other.

In the event that you decide to share your home with this rescued kitty it is a good idea to have a friend come over for 4-5 days in a row to help with a very controlled introduction. I would recommend that you have your friend go into the stray cat's room and place him into a travel carrier prior to bringing him into the room that your resident cat is in. The cat carrier should then be placed gently on the floor and your cat should be allowed to come and inspect the new cat. It's a good idea to have some special treats that are suitable for both cats on hand to reinforce positive behavior. If possible I would suggest that you use something like tuna to reward good behavior because it isn't something that cats get too often, however in the event that your older kitty is on a prescription diet the treats will have to be appropriate for her. After allowing the two cats to see and smell each other with the safety of the cat carrier preventing injury to either cat you can decide when it's okay to introduce the two cats without the cat carrier. If either cat responds with aggression then it's important that you don't allow them to get together with one another just in case a fight breaks out because the stress and risk of injury is fairly high in a geriatric cat. You can continue to work towards introducing the two cats by taking slow, gentle steps towards the face to face meeting if you would like to have the cats co-exist happily, you can opt to delay introducing the two cats indefinitely or you can choose to find a loving, permanent home for the stray cat rescued from the streets. It's all a matter of what you are comfortable with, so if you would like to discuss the pros and cons of introducing the stray to your Siamese cat you can do so with your family vet or I can try to address any questions or concerns that you may have.

It's really nice to hear that I'm not the only one with a handbag that smells like cat food and has kibble in the bottom! I must admit that it sure is nice to hear that there are other cat lovers willing to go to great lengths to care for the forgotten stray cats that many people view as pests or nuisance animals. It does sound as if this cat was probably abandoned and he is most likely a stray who has fallen on very tough times. If this cat hasn't been surgically sterilized it's possible that he was injured in a dispute over territory with a larger, tougher male. Based on my personal experience I would guess that the injury to his back may be a draining abscess and if this is the case this little fellow will need to have the wound properly treated by your vet as soon as possible. I would guess that he will require a course of antibiotics to clear up any infection that could be lingering within the wound due to lack of care. If your family vet identifies this injury as an abscess that has burst it's possible that he/she won't stitch the wound or if stitches are required that a surgical drain will be stitched into place within the wound so that any pus or other fluid is allowed to drain freely. In this case I doubt that the vet will stitch the wound simply because the original injury most likely happened a few weeks ago.  

I would suspect that this kitty will need to be treated for external parasites as well as intestinal parasites. If the vet finds that this kitty hasn't been neutered it would be a good idea to do so prior to bringing him into your home because intact male cats tend to mark their territory with feces or a rather foul smelling urine. Having this kitty vaccinated as soon as he is well enough is also a wise decision in order to prevent him from contracting common viral infections like distemper, certain types of upper respiratory infections and in most jurisdictions having pets vaccinated against rabies is required. I recommend that you have this kitty tested for a couple of potentially serious viral infections including FIV and feline leukemia, your vet will determine whether or not testing for other serious infections is required. It's extremely important that this stray cat be tested for feline leukemia and FIV if you intend to introduce him to your elderly cat once he is well enough. It's a very good idea to isolate your new feline friend behind a closed door with separate kitty necessities (including food, water, a bed, a litter box filled with unscented clumping kitty litter and a few toys) for a period of 2-3 weeks or more depending on his health.

There are two reasons that I recommend isolating new cats or kittens coming into a household. Firstly a quarantine period makes sure that any risk of viral or bacterial infections that your new foster/family member may have been exposed to don't get passed on to your other cat. It's very important to make sure that the two cats don't have direct contact for at least 2 weeks after the vet has given the stray kitty a clean bill of health, especially in your case because elderly cats are more susceptible to illness and there is the very real potential that a severe viral or bacterial infection in a 19 year old cat could result in secondary health issues that could have a devastating effect on her health and possibly even prevent her from recovering. It's very important for the first few weeks to make sure that anyone handling the foster kitty wash their hands thoroughly in hot, soapy water before touching your Siamese girl so that the risks of illness spreading are further reduced. The second reason that I routinely recommend a 2-3 week isolation period once the cat has been given a clean bill of health is to allow you to become properly acquainted with this new fellow's personality and what normal behavior for him is when he is healthy. An isolation period gives this kitty a chance to show you what his appetite is like as well as revealing his litter box habits. It's quite possible that this kitty will settle down quite a bit and start sleeping a fair amount once he has been rescued and is receiving treatment for his medical issues. This is usually related to the fact that stray cats must be alert at all times to prevent injury inflicted by other cats, larger animals such as domestic dogs and sometimes even cruel human beings. A homeless cat who doesn't pay attention to his surroundings at all times can miss out on opportunities that may arise to hunt small prey animals, mate or eat food that's been thrown away.

It's quite possible that you will see a few different things happen with this cat when you bring him into your home and he becomes familiar with your routines and being handled consistently again. It's been my experience that rescuing a stray can sometimes cause him to develop issues like separation anxiety or even persistent fatigue. If your new friend develops separation anxiety you can try treating him with a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a blend of flower essences designed to calm and reassure. I have personally used Rescue Remedy for a number of years to treat a variety of issues including anxiety, excessive fear resulting from a cat being in an unfamiliar situation or even emotional/psychological trauma related to having been abandoned or abused. In this case I would suggest that you pick up some Rescue Remedy to have it on hand just in case you need to calm or reassure your new foster kitty. I would suggest that you try a dosage of about 8-9 drops in a bowl of fresh water each morning. Rescue Remedy is very safe, quite safe and is used by some pet parents and veterinarians to help an animal get through tough situations.

If your new house guest shows other symptoms like being consistently tired, coughing, sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever it's important that you have him assessed promptly because cats can become quite sick just from the stress of living on the streets after being abandoned. Some cats will have a clean bill of health and want to be allowed to sleep for large portions of the day. This can sometimes be related to changing the cat's environment and providing him with a stable environment where he doesn't have to concern himself with the pressures of living on the streets and this can be an indication that his body is healing from any physical ailments and his mind is in the process of recovering from the usually tough existence of a stray cat. It's very possible that your vet will find other injuries or illnesses resulting from this cat's  life on the street. I think that it's only fair to warn you that rescuing this lonely stray and providing for his basic needs as well as his medical expenses could prove to be costly.

It's so very nice to know that you are a cat lover who is willing and able to offer a helping hand to cats that find themselves on the streets regardless of why. Every time that I'm able to rescue and rehabilitate a stray or abandoned cat or kitten the most amazing part is that I am repaid beyond explanation. It's truly incredible that little beings who were thrown away are able to learn how to become loving, loyal pets. It's truly amazing to me that cats and kittens who have been discarded and/or mistreated by human beings in the past can find it within themselves to trust again. Rescuing, rehabilitating and re-homing "unwanted" cats and kittens is rewarding and humbling at the same time because these special felines are willing to forgive and be loyal, loving members of a family once again. Hopefully one day there won't be a need for people willing to rescue and rehabilitate unwanted cats and kittens, but for now keep up the good work!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ali,

Your response was very conprehensive.  I think that after some careful thought I am going to continue to feed him and work on finding him either a foster or permanent home.

Although, I would love to take him in I do not want to cause trauma or infection to my baby. I do not think she will take well to a kitten let alone a little maturer cat.   I have also looked into no-kill shelters to see if they would take him in.

I have attached some pics of him and Felicia (my siamese).

Thank you
Evelyn Ramos  

Answer
Evelyn,

Hopefully this kitty will have luck on his side. If you have decided to provide him with medical attention and you continue to feed and socialize with him he will be better prepared for family life. It looks as though this little chap is in desperate need of a good friend. It is possible for your veterinarian to rule out infectious viruses like FIV and feline leukemia, however with a geriatric cat in your home I would tend to agree with your assessment of the situation. After all the important thing is to be sure that your cat is happy, healthy and has as stress free a life as it's possible for her to have, especially considering her advanced age. Hopefully with you advocating for this cat he will be accepted into a no-kill shelter or a new home. Good luck with your compassionate mission to help this abandoned cat who is so dependant on the kindness of others for day to day survival.