# Cat!



## Clodagh (26 October 2020)

As I often say on here, I don't like cats and have no idea why anyone would want one.
I have got a feral though, unwanted and unasked for but now part of the furniture. I have mentioned her on here a long time ago when I trapped and neutered her, that was the last time she was seen at anything closer than 50 yards. I do see her on the cctv every day, and also when I feed her she will come and get on the wall where her bowl is while I am still in sight.
I have no idea if she is fat or thin, although she looks good so far as I can tell.
She has a felix pouch (she doesn't like anything cheaper) with IAMS biscuits (won't eat anything cheaper). I know, how can a feral cat choose it's diet!? Is that enough? In the summer she looked pregnant but was eating so many baby rabbit's heads she probably didn't need any food at all. Does what she is getting now sound enough? She is just a normal cat sized cat.
She lives in a hole in the wall next to the hot water tank so has a heated bedroom!


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## BeckyFlowers (26 October 2020)

Clodagh said:



			As I often say on here, I don't like cats and have no idea why anyone would want one./QUOTE]

Exactly how I feel about dogs 🤣

It sounds like you're doing a good job with her and that she's getting plenty of food - both provided and self-caught.  Do you ever give her worming tablets in her food?  If you don't, and you don't think she will eat one, you could try grinding one up and putting it into something like a bit of tuna or a tube of Lick-e-lix (meaty yoghurty stuff).
		
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## Meowy Catkin (26 October 2020)

As she's also catching her own food, I'm sure she's getting enough.

Our ex-ferals/farm cats also like the good stuff. I opened the fridge the other day and I had to stop one of them from getting in it! Cheeky so and so.


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## Clodagh (26 October 2020)

Beckyflowers - how very dare you! Dogs are best!
I do worm her but she's an expert at leaving any bits bigger than powder. She had the last one in sardines. Will maybe try pate - do cats like pate!?


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## Clodagh (26 October 2020)

Meowy Catkin said:



			As she's also catching her own food, I'm sure she's getting enough.

Our ex-ferals/farm cats also like the good stuff. I opened the fridge the other day and I had to stop one of them from getting in it! Cheeky so and so. 

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I kind of wish she was a bit tamer, although I don't want her in the house or anything.


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## BeckyFlowers (26 October 2020)

Assuming you're talking about human food pate, I would avoid it just because it's so rich. You can buy cat food pate in the little tins, so I would choose one of those.  Although if she successfully ate the last one in sardines then stick to that - why tamper with a winning system 

Sounds like she's doing a good job in pest control for you, and good for you for looking after her the way you have done 👍🏻


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## Equi (26 October 2020)

My cats 5.5kilo so I have no authority in saying how much a cat should eat 😳


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## HollyWoozle (26 October 2020)

Clodagh said:



			Beckyflowers - how very dare you! Dogs are best!
I do worm her but she's an expert at leaving any bits bigger than powder. She had the last one in sardines. Will maybe try pate - do cats like pate!?
		
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I would buy some Lick-e-lix treats and crush a worming tablet with the back of a spoon into powder and mix with one of those. They are a godsend!


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## BeckyFlowers (26 October 2020)

HollyWoozle said:



			I would buy some Lick-e-lix treats and crush a worming tablet with the back of a spoon into powder and mix with one of those. They are a godsend!
		
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They really are aren't they!


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## honetpot (26 October 2020)

My semi-feral kittens have a basic but good quality dry food, and they did start on proper wet kitten food, Felix then more expensive stuff because they had the runs, think they have been trying to eat things they find, like worms. They have now decided they would rather eat the cheap stuff, which they get two pouches a day each or half a tin.
  The house cat who hunts, and ate a bird this evening complete with feathers and feet, officially gets a pouch a day, dry food and anything she can steal off the kittens. I find they get fatter in winter because the just get somewhere comfy and sleep, and when it's warm they can not be bothered to eat.


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## Clodagh (27 October 2020)

If she didn't have a heated bedroom I would up her food, but as it is I will go with it. She only has a really small handful of biscuit though...is that enough? I don't want a lot left because chickens and rats.


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## BeckyFlowers (27 October 2020)

I would say that if she isn't looking skinny then she's doing just fine, and topping up her diet with self-caught critters 👍🏻

If you're able to get some photos of her then the cat-people on here might be able to tell you if we think she's looking good weight-wise.


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## Mrs B (27 October 2020)

Clodagh said:



			As I often say on here, I don't like cats
		
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Are you crazy?! 
They are the finest creatures on the planet! 

*wanders off muttering about Marmite, the finest spread on the planet ...*

(but I'll forgive you because you neutered her AND you're feeding her x  )

Seriously, if she looks a normal cat size on what you're giving her, then it's about right. If she's looking scraggly, like an abandoned piebald pony, you'll recognise it. Agree that if you can get a wormer into by whatever means, it'd be great but on behalf of all cats everywhere ... thank you!


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## Keith_Beef (27 October 2020)

Whatever kind of medication you want to give, mix it in with whatever food you normally put out for her, but put it somewhere so that she has to find it and climb or jump for it... so that she thinks she is stealing it.

Because as far as dogs and cat go, stolen food tastes so much better that given food.


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## BeckyFlowers (27 October 2020)

Keith_Beef said:



			Whatever kind of medication you want to give, mix it in with whatever food you normally put out for her, but put it somewhere so that she has to find it and climb or jump for it... so that she thinks she is stealing it.

Because as far as dogs and cat go, stolen food tastes so much better that given food.
		
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🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣


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## Mrs B (27 October 2020)

[QUOTE Because as far as dogs and cat go, stolen food tastes so much better that given food.[/QUOTE]

Why stop at dogs and cats? When you KNOW that someone else's chip is better than a portion of your own


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## Clodagh (27 October 2020)

Mrs B said:



			Are you crazy?! 
They are the finest creatures on the planet!

*wanders off muttering about Marmite, the finest spread on the planet ...*

(but I'll forgive you because you neutered her AND you're feeding her x  )

Seriously, if she looks a normal cat size on what you're giving her, then it's about right. If she's looking scraggly, like an abandoned piebald pony, you'll recognise it. Agree that if you can get a wormer into by whatever means, it'd be great but on behalf of all cats everywhere ... thank you! 

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Now I love marmite! 
CPL have been amazing, I borrowed a trap from a local rescue, for a donation, and CPL sent me a neutering voucher which made caring for an unrequested animal much more palatable. TBH I'd have neutered her anyway, we don't want 500 cats, but it cost very little.
Shes very pretty, grey tabby and white.


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## Clodagh (27 October 2020)

I will try to get a still from the cctv, but am a complete technonumpty.


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## Blanche (27 October 2020)

I’m going to go against everyone else and say that she isn’t having enough. One sachet and a small handful of biscuits isn’t very much at all. It does depend on her size to an extent though.


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## Meowy Catkin (27 October 2020)

If she was an indoor only cat I would absolutely agree with you that she needs more food. However from the description she's a good hunter so that makes me far less concerned as she can top up her meals herself (we have one that feeds himself almost completely despite being a pet cat - apparently mice and voles are far nicer than cat food).


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## Clodagh (28 October 2020)

Perhaps I will up the biscuits as she seems to eat pouches even when I know she has had a rabbit but biscuits she only eats when she’s hungry.
Will let you know. 
She doesn’t drink anything from her water bowl, but has easy access to a stream.


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## Archangel (28 October 2020)

The ferals here are aged from 1 year to 2.5 years and get 200g wet food plus 2 handfuls of biscuits and cat milk a day each spread over 2 meals.  As soon as the clocks changed their appetites increased dramatically.  

In the summer it drops to about 150g wet food a day as they often miss a meal when out hunting. 

Butchers Cat food is the best of the cheaper foods I think - I get through 6 tins a day so have to keep it affordable.  They have managed to communicate that they like Gourmet Melting Hearts and Sheba as a treat.


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## Clodagh (28 October 2020)

Archangel said:



			The ferals here are aged from 1 year to 2.5 years and get 200g wet food plus 2 handfuls of biscuits and cat milk a day each spread over 2 meals.  As soon as the clocks changed their appetites increased dramatically.  

In the summer it drops to about 150g wet food a day as they often miss a meal when out hunting.

Butchers Cat food is the best of the cheaper foods I think - I get through 6 tins a day so have to keep it affordable.  They have managed to communicate that they like Gourmet Melting Hearts and Sheba as a treat.
		
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OK, good to know. I went to pouches as I HATE the smell of cat food so liked something that didn't have to sit in the larder, but if it will go over two days I could do that.


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## JennBags (21 November 2020)

I never venture into Pet Box usually!  Like Clodagh, I'm not s huge cat fan although had one years ago that I rescued and was very fond of.
I adopted a feral cat a few months ago, he's around 10yo and I rarely see him, he's terrified of people. My livery caught him once as she thought he was limping and crated him overnight, when I tried to get him out the next day to examine him, he scratched me to bits and escaped.  He disappeared shortly after this for about 3 weeks but then returned.
I feed him a pouch of Felix and about 2-3 handfuls of meowing heads dry each day.  I've no idea if he's a good weight or not, when I glimpsed him a couple of weeks ago I thought he looked fat but he moved so quick I thought he can't be too overweight so it must have been his fur.
I've not considered flea or worm treatment previously as assumed I'd have to catch him to do it, but looks like I can get tablets or granules and have got some good ideas from this thread, think I'll mix up with some tuna or pilchards.
He has a crate which I leave open all the time, where he's fed plus his litter tray is in it.  He only wees in it now, he used to poo but stopped, I never find his poo anywhere so he must have a secret toilet somewhere 🤣. I've put in a self heating bed but I've no idea if he uses it or not, maybe I should set up a wildlife camera.
I'm just having a stable yard built and am supposed to be getting rid of the (mobile) stable that is currently home to his crate, feed, bed, and am worried about where he's going to settle.  I guess I'll have to get a hole cut in my (lovely new) barn for access for him.
I'd hoped when I got him that he might become more friendly as he got used to me feeding him and leaving him alone but it's been about 6 months and he scarpers as soon as he sees me. Still, the mice and rats have disappeared which is what I got him for!


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## Archangel (21 November 2020)

JennBags said:



			I'd hoped when I got him that he might become more friendly as he got used to me feeding him and leaving him alone but it's been about 6 months and he scarpers as soon as he sees me.
		
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It took a year with Fenella the feral. She just decided one day that I was OK and is now a regular on the sofa.

I worm using Pilchards or Gourmet Melting Hearts but don't do flea treatments (mainly because I am a bit nervous of flea treatments) and no one is scratching.


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## Goldenstar (21 November 2020)

Dont over think just give a few more biscuits.


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## Clodagh (21 November 2020)

Clodagh said:



			OK, good to know. I went to pouches as I HATE the smell of cat food so liked something that didn't have to sit in the larder, but if it will go over two days I could do that.
		
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Well I had to give up with the tins, half a tin was way too much and thirds not more than a pouch, so we are back on a pouch and if it is really horrible weather she gets one and a half. I have increased the biscuits slightly.


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## Clodagh (9 June 2021)

I have become a stress head about the most ridiculous things.
We are moving, LG is coming, but I think next door has cats, will they beat her up?
I can rehome her up her to my sister in law but she already has ferals too. Do cats always fight? What do you do about it?
As a dog person it seems wrong to me to leave a defenceless animal to be attacked but I assume that’s what you do?
I know to keep her in for 2 weeks after moving.


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## Archangel (9 June 2021)

Feral cats seem to rub along OK with new arrivals, mine eat alongside the visiting toms who swing past to check for potential mates (my lot are neutered) so hopefully yours will be OK.  I do have a visitor that is a pet cat and s/he is causing a bit of trouble.  I have started patrolling the farm late evenings when the cat tends to visit to let it know my ferals have shouty, arm waving back up.


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## Clodagh (9 June 2021)

Ok, that sounds fair. Maybe, like dogs, ferals develop better social skills than domesticated.
Although I don’t think LG has any, she turned up here as a half grown kitten and there’s no cats nearby.


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