Got cats?

[Boneman]

Apparently, if you put a bell on, it works for about a week, and then the cunning feline just gets more stealthy - survival of the fittest... When Buddy adopted us after living wild for about 6 months in our back garden, he wasn't bothered about a collar after an hour or so, and we spent that hour reassuring him.

We have a catflap that works from their microchips, which helped enormously with the damn tomcat that was coming in and spraying. He now sprays the catflap in revenge...

[Gary Compton]

Cat-flap, micro-chip? You're so technologically advanced down south!

We have a hole in the door, cut with a chisel and hinged with a bit driftwood

Meeeeoooowww!!!

[The Judge]

We've tried collars in the past, but the cats somehow managed to pull them off...

Re the bird-catching, Moonbat, there are some steps you can take to minimise the problem. First, you keep her in first thing in the morning, at least a couple of hours after dawn when birds are (apparently) most active. I'm guessing that you have a cat flap which allows her in and out whenever she wants -- lock it, at least from dusk until morning, so you are in charge. Second, if you are feeding the birds in the garden, make sure the feeding station is well away from any bushes or trees, so the birds have a chance of seeing her as she sneaks up on them, and/or cut away low lying branches to reduce ambush cover.

Neither is foolproof -- we had two dead blackbirds deposited behind the bedroom armchair in one week recently, and we periodically find smaller birds decomposing under bushes.

Re the cruelty aspect of rescuing them, this is something we worry about, but in my experience, if a bird is strong enough to fly away, then it should be fine. It looks like Nina has a soft mouth, so the main problem might be shock. What we have done successfully in the past is to put an alive but unmoving bird in a shoe box (with the lid tied on the box, but air holes punched in it) in the airing cupboard. With shock, it's important to keep them warm. After an hour or so, they can fly off relatively unharmed.

[HareBrain]

The local wildlife trust magazine had an article on the dangers cats pose to birds, and it said research has shown that collars make no difference. Perhaps paradoxially, though, feeding birds can cut bird deaths (because there are more birds around to keep an eye out), but as TJ said, put feeding stations a good distance from cat-friendly cover.

There are also certain alarm calls birds make that indicate they think their young are under threat from predators, and which can mean fledgelings and cats are in the same area. If you hear these and can find your cat, it might be best to bring her indoors for a bit.

[crystal haven]

Originally Posted by anivid

Good Luck with tomorrow, Crystal :-)

Thank you for all the support.

We've had a long consultation with the vet and, after going through all that's involved, I am being shown how to give an injection to the cat tomorrow, using water first.

She will have to be monitered and have her blood checked for a day, so she will have to stay at the vets, probably early next week.

What do you think is the best time to choose for the twelve hours apart injections?

Crystal

[anivid]

Oh, thank you, Crystal - I'm so relieved :-)
Isn't she used to have her first meal when you rise in the morning or a little later with the family ?? - 6-7-ish ??
If YOU can decide, take a time where you're not stressed by other things.
I'm saying it this way because I cannot decide alone, I have to compromise with my male cat, who just loves to take the upper hand/paw IF allowed - so I sometimes need to lay down the law :-)
If yours is a little cutie, -- well after all she's 14 years old, eh ?? - she has her habits :-)
It's a discipline as brushing your teeth - it has to be done no matter what :-)
It's a good thing she's staying with the vet first, then the vet will give her the first injections, right ? - meaning the cat knows the drill when you're taking over - very smart :-)
I'll like to continue supporting if/when you need it.
Best from Anivid

[crystal haven]

Just an update - after seeing the vet I have started giving the cat injections myself at home. This morning was the first time and all went well, and in about a weeks time she will stay with the vet for day long blood tests.

I am feeling very positive about it all. Your posts have helped a lot. Thank you.

[anivid]

Feels good to have passed such hurdle, Crystal ??
- are you injecting with a pen ??
- which dosage ??
Is your cat an indoor cat ??

Here's my mini-lion, Rudy :-)

[crystal haven]

Originally Posted by anivid

Feels good to have passed such hurdle, Crystal ??
- are you injecting with a pen ??
- which dosage ??
Is your cat an indoor cat ??

Here's my mini-lion, Rudy :-)

The pens are a lot more money, so we decided against it for the time being. We seem to be doing alright with the ordinary needle, though. She's on a very low starting dose, one unit, but that might change.

She's mostly an indoor cat.

From your post, anivid, it sounds as though you have a picture - if so I can't see it, I'm afraid.

[anivid]

Now again, NO PIC :-)
Those Pre-Views cannot be trusted, eh ??
Is there ANYBODY out there, who can see THE PIC OF MY MINI-LION ??

Sorry Crystal - your vet seems to be fairly used to diabetic cats ?? - mine wasn't :-)

[pyan]

Originally Posted by anivid

Is there ANYBODY out there, who can see THE PIC OF MY MINI-LION ??

I can see it, no problem. In fact, I can see it twice, because it's come up in the post by crystal, as well...

[StormFeather]

Sorry - I can't see it in either post

[Ursa major]

Can you see this?

[Ursa major]

Or this?

[crystal haven]

Yes, both of those.

Such a lovely cat.