About Button....

[IluvABbeef]

Found out that Button got hurt real bad this weekend...hate to complain but there are times when I just hate being so far away from home....

She's at the vet's right now, with a large abcess in her shoulder being taken care of. She got into a nasty fight with a feral tomcat that's been hanging around the farm this winter. When mom found her she was very weak, and wouldn't eat or drink. Her brother Spider knew something was up because when she had been gone a few days ago (for a couple days, mind), he was looking around for her, and appeared just as worried when she wouldn't come down from where she usually likes to rest (on the counter in the garage) to join him for meals when they're usually fed.

I know she's in good hands but I can't resist being worried about her.

Onthe other hand, we gotta do something about thatwild black tom cat that's been causing trouble around here...he's so hard to catch, let alone shoot at if we even had a gun (he knows your there before you know he's there), so a skunk trap or three might be the only way we can catch him and have him put down. I see that the only time we can catch him is in the dead of winter, when animals are most desparate for food....it probably sounds cruel (some of you would think otherwise I know), but something has to be done...

Anyway, my thoughts are with my miss Button today...sounds like she'll be couple more days at the clinic and then she'll be home.

 

[LoveMoo11]

Sorry to hear about Button, hope she recovers quickly and fully...and good luck catching that wild thing!

 

[hillsdown]

That's odd . Is Button spayed ? Is Spider neutered ?

I always worry about Toms coming around and fighting with the Kit Cat, he is neutered but is a scrapper, he lost the top of his ear last year and that for me was horrendous.

I wish Button a speedy recovery and hope she comes home soon, I also think it's time you and your mom get a dog .It will help against predators (animals and humans) and keep stray cats away..

 

[IluvABbeef]

Thanks...

Yes HD, both Spider and Button are fixed. Seems like the things that attract those feral cats is the food put out for these two...we don't feed them out in the open, they're fed in the garage, but still that wild one is brave enough to go in and gobble up the food while our backs are turned...

Mom won't have a dog around while I'm away at school 8 months of the year, unfortunately because she says it'll be too much for her...lol its enough with 4 cats for her to look after right now...though I totally agree with you HD. But for now, a few skunk traps and some convincing bait are going to have to do to catch the cursed beast.

Update: It looks like Button won't be coming home for about another week, as the abscess was a bit deeper than the vet had anticipated. So it sounds like she won't be coming back until maybe Monday. At least it sounds like she's doing alright...

 

[kenny thomas]

Buy or borrow a live trap. Usually used to catch racoons but a lot of ferel cats caught in the process. Bait with tuna fish.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Thanks kenny...we'll try the tuna bait method...live traps are also very much being considered to catch this guy.

 

[chrisy]

Sorry to hear about Button and wish her a speedy recovery....We have a big tom cat that comes and attacks one of my cats, the Tom has had the hose on him at full pelt and buckets of water thrown but still he comes back for more....I have to keep Jake in most of the time now as unfortunatly we found out last week that he has cancer, and that old tom has not been back in the garden since.

 

[rusty]

Buy or borrow a live trap. Usually used to catch racoons but a lot of ferel cats caught in the process. Bait with tuna fish.

Best way i've found to set live trap.
Get a 8inch cinder block put holes up put tuna in one hole put live trap on top of block with open end away from tuna.You also may want to weight trap down to keep trap from falling off when animal gets caught.Had a coon getting in trash and always took bait from side so I did this and caught him first night also they don't get bait if you need to catch another.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Finally caught that nasty black cat!!! Took it to the vet to have its nuts cut off and send it as far away from our area as possible. :banana:

When mom first tried catching the cat she just left the trap out in the open inside the garage where the two barncats are fed with a bit of tuna (thanks for the suggestion!) and kibble as bait, but that darned cat wasn't fooled. I suggested she conceal it with a blanket and put one of the beds that Button and Spider sleeps in on top so it doesn't look obvious. A piece of carpet inside on the floor of the trap kinda also helped conceal the wireiness of the cage and "wouldn't be so hard on the big kitty's paws" as she put it, lol.

Anyway, lo and behold, the trap held a spitting and hissing black tom cat the next morning. Probably the daddy of the two farm cats (spidy and button). But she says she ain't done trappin' yet; there's a black-and-white tommy that she suspects is the instigator of the fights that have been going on and the real reason button's in hospital. I think she'll get him pretty quick too, with a bit of patience. ;-)

 

[chrisy]

Glad to hear your Mum has caught that feline fighter, but you never said how Button is doing..is she home yet?

 

[IluvABbeef]

Button's doingso much better. I dunno when she'll be able to come home yet, but I have a feeling it'll probably be in a week or so.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Update: Button finally came home today. Just keeping her in a cage in the garage for a couple days, letting her out for a little bit at a time.

Soon she'll be back mousing again.

 

[hillsdown]

That is good news AB, hopefully those nasty toms are all taken care of..

 

[chrisy]

That's good news Karin sure she will be upto mousing very soon.