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Cats/stray kitten

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Expert: - 2/28/2009


Question
i found a 6 month old cat at the end of December at a local farm but the farmer said it wasn't his. She was so thin with a scruffy horrid coat.I took her to the vet and had her spayed de flead wormed and inoculated and i brought her home.The vet said she was about 6 months old. After 2 weeks she was clearly not happy in the house with my 2 cats. We have a smallholding with horses and i spend hours at the back if my house with the horses so i put the cat"lulu"in the hay barn which is like a 5 star hotel.
She has been there for 6 weeks and is fine,fat and happy and she lets me pick her up and purrs all the time.
Only problem is she doesn't really want to come out and just sits at the door when i open it. I bring her out and she goes back in.As i say i do spend lots of time with her but she has to come out at some stage because she cant be a house cat in a hay barn
I wish now i had left her in my house because at least there it would have been ok for her to be a house cat.
Would you leave her where she is and give her more time or would you bring her back in the spare bedroom which she hated.Thnak you Ali,Sue

Answer
Sue,

If your kitty is happy and healthy in the hay barn and you don't poison rodents in your barn I think it's perfectly acceptable to allow Lulu to live there full time if that's what she wants. Obviously she's comfortable living in farm buildings, maybe a house isn't something she's ready to adapt to right now. Just be sure that she isn't going to get caught in mouse or rat traps and of course keep poison out of reach. If Lulu catches a rodent of any description I'd recommend taking it from her because cats can catch tapeworms by eating rodents and if your neighbors poison rodents it's possible that Lulu may end up being accidentally poisoned. I know that you'd like it if Lulu was a house cat, but it sounds to me like she's already made up her mind about what she wants. Maybe you might consider adopting an older cat or even a kitten from your local shelter to be your house kitty - it's a great way to save a life and I'm sure that you've got lots to offer to an indoor kitty.

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Ali

Expertise

I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

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