Found a Lump on My Cat

We have a semi-socialized feral cat that shares our home with us. She is not what you would call affectionate. She spends her time being stand-offish but at night when my husband is asleep she will come and sleep on his head and he can hear her purring.

Daisy on my husband's pillow

We trapped this cat when she was 4 months old. We felt we needed to because a neighbors dog had killed all of her litter mates and thought she would be next. As a rule, when feral cats come into a home and are socialized they tend to overeat. Our cat is now older and overweight and due to this, she has developed a lump.

We found the lump yesterday when my husband held her down and I examined her fat belly. The lump is solid and the size of a Kiwi. It could be a fatty tumor called lipomas. This tumor will show up anywhere on a cat and even though they are not cancerous they do not need to be removed unless they hinder the cat from getting around, or make the cat feel uncomfortable.

As a rule, this type of fatty tumor is common in overweight older cats. I made an appointment at the veterinarians because I need to know what this lump is. My veterinarian will do a wellness checkup and may do a biopsy with a needle to get a sample to test fluid inside the lump for cancer.

I think it is a good idea to examine your older cat once a month for lumps and bumps and if you find them to take your cat to the veterinarians. Best to get your cat a checked to know if the bumps are cancer or not.

Learn more about cat lumps or bumps by viewing this video.

Moved Shelter Cats to Warmer Location

The two neighborhood stray cats that have been hanging out in my yard all summer have entered my shed and are using it as a shelter from the cold. The shed has heat lamps and a space heater and it provides the cats with a windbreak, protection from the rain and snow but it is not insulated and is cold.

 Last night we used a space heater and heat lamps and the shed was 56 degrees. The cats had cozy self-warming beds but with tonight's low in the single digits, we decided to move the shelter cats to a warmer location.

cat tree

It is not a good idea to leave a space heater unattended so I stayed awake last night to check on the unit hourly. I did not get any sleep so my husband and I decided to move the shelter cats to our attached sun porch.

The sun porch is insulated but has no heat. It also has an exterior door that leads to our fenced in patio and dogs kennel. The sun porch is primarily all windows and this room is quite enjoyable during the daylight hours. The sun from the south keeps the room warm and cozy but at night it does feel chilly to cold.

We like that the stray cats can go outdoors during the day and come into the sun porch at night. Overall by allowing the stray cats access to this room we will save on energy because we will not have to use the space heater during the day and I will not need to check on the heater all night long because the room is insulated and we will not have to set the heat thermostat at a high setting.

Another benefit to moving the cats to this warmer shelter is ease of access for my husband and I. We will not have to get dressed, put on rubber boots, coat, hat, and gloves to walk 150 feet to the shed. Now we can walk across the house and look in the glass panel on the door that is located at the entrance of the sun porch. It is a room that was added onto the house that is closed to us and our other cats by a door. An ideal shelter for stray cats during the cold winter months.

About the Cats

The stray cats have homes two blocks away but their people put them outdoors when they got kittens. The older cats did not get along with the younger cats and when the cats were not allowed to go back into their home the cats found their way to my yard.  The owner knows they are in my yard, know that we feed them and give them shelter.  The owner never came to get the cats.  So they are now neighborhood cats, they visit my yard and my neighbors yard, busy being social during the day but come to my shed for shelter at night.

Getting the Room Ready for the Cats

The only thing that we did was remove the drapes, and the furniture and replaced it with self-warming cat beds, cat toys, litter boxes, a cat tree and food and water bowls. We also added a Feliway Multi cat diffuser to the electrical outlet as this will help the cats to adjust to their new shelter without feeling stress.

garden shed for stray cats

* We would like to buy a window unit heater for our shed in the yard.  Because I think it is a better shelter for the neighborhood stray cats.  But in the meantime, the sun porch will have to do because it is too costly to run a space heater 24/7.

Cat Virus is Serious / Rescue Kitty Euthanized

It is never easy to have to put down a rescued kitty. But that is exactly what needed to be done today. For the last month, I have been working to get a pretty calico kitty to become dependent on me for food and water because this kitty was abandoned when her people moved away and was not doing good on her own.

Most cats when abandoned are stressed out and do not trust other humans. When we tried to trap her we found that she ran and hid in the woods and instead of trapping a cat we got a raccoon and a possum. Two weeks ago we were able to get a hold of her long enough to get flea control on her. But at the last minute, she jumped from my arms and got away.

We finally made headway and this little kitty came to us and we put her in our garden shed where there were self-heating cat bed and a space heater to keep her warm and cozy on a cold winters night.

I checked on the kitty and the space heater many times during the night and noticed that she was not eating or drinking from her bowl. I figured it was stress so I plugged in a Feliway diffuser to aid in calming her since she was in a new area. By early morning I noticed that the rescued kitty was hiding, in a self-heated bed behind a storage container and that her eyes were draining and there was a discharge from her nose. I suspect a cat cold and planned on calling the veterinarian as soon as the office opened.

At 9:00 AM I noticed that her breathing had become labored and I called the veterinarian. They saw her at 2:00 in the afternoon and told us that she had Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis. An infection that had gone into her lungs and caused fluid to build up. He also suspects Feline Leukemia or cancer. Her teeth indicated that she was a very old cat and being abandoned and getting beat up by other cats put her at risk for cat disease.

There is no cure for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, all you can do is provide your cat with comfort, keep your cat warm and treat the symptoms. Your veterinarian may give you a prescription for antiviral medication. But in our case the veterinarian recommended euthanasia.

We stayed with the little stray kitty throughout the entire procedure, I held her paw and kissed her head told her she was a good kitty. Even though I had not known this kitty for a long time I did feel attached to her. I had thought we could get her the medical treatment she needed, and give her good food and make her a healthy and happy kitty again. But I guess she was outdoors too long and had to too many cat fights, lack of food and shelter and the stress was too hard on her.

We buried her in our yard with all the other stray cats that we could not save.

Know that the only way To prevent your cat from getting infected with Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis or feline influenza is to get your cat vaccinated. The best way to prevent Feline Leukemia is to get your cat vaccinated and keep your cats indoors. A cat that is permitted to go outdoors may easily come in contact with a cat that has infections feline disease:

Learn more about Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis here

Cozy Beds for Stray Cats

Tonight is the first cold night and we have three stray cats in our garden shed. This shed is not insulated, but it is dry and protects the cats from wind, rain, and snow.

All cats prefer to be warm, they are heat seekers and that is why you will view them lying on the hood of a newly parked car or lying in the sun on a cool day. I have also viewed cats tunneling under a pile of leaves because the leaves block the cold air. So when it comes to stray cats that are in a cold garden shed we made sure that they all had cozy beds that would keep them warm when temperatures dipped into the low 30’s.

We have dog houses that are filled with straw and self-warming beds that are up off the cement floor. Then one of my neighbors gave us a high-quality space heater that has a thermostat, timer, and automatic shutoff when it overheats or is knocked over. Then another neighbor gave us insulated drapes for the windows and my husband picked up a few Berber area rugs to cover the cold cement floor and heat lamps for the ceiling lights.

Presently the temperatures outdoors is 41 degrees and in the garden, shed thermostat indicates that it is 61 degrees. I am thankful to my neighbors for giving us the products to keep the cats cozy and warm on this cold night in autumn.

Here is a photo card that I created from one of the neighborhood cats that goes to my garden shed for shelter. We call this cat Bob and he is sleeping in a bed of straw.

Feral Cat Sleeping in Winter Shelter Post Card

by Susang6

View video to learn how to make an insulated winter shelter for stray or your outdoor cats.

TOP PICKS for Cat Houses

When it comes to shopping for cat houses for the winter season I tend to shop offseason because the selection is better and prices are lower. 

I will shop in town before I shop online and will look for quality made houses that are not drafty. Many pet houses look great and you think they are made well but you really need to check them out because not all cat houses are made well.

My husband and shopped locally for an outdoor cat house. We went to Walmart, Pet Smart and did not find quality outdoor houses. What we found was flimsy wood houses with drafty floors or plastic houses that really were intended for a dog. Since the selection in town was poor I shopped online at Chewy Pet Supplies. It did not take long as I found a few cat houses that were suitable for outdoor feral and stray cats.

Here are my top picks for outdoor cat houses. 

I recommend these houses because they provide the cat with their own space and the houses were insulated to keep the cat cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Plus they were waterproof. The houses offered year-round comfort and safety for the outdoor cats.

I really like the New Age Pet ecoFlex outdoor cat house at Chewy .com.  This is a well-made cat house and the interior is roomy enough for two stray or feral cats. Unlike other cat houses, this one comes with a front door and a side door so if there are any predators the kitty can get away from the side door.  The interior of this cat house is roomy enough for two cats.

Putting the cat house together was easy.  The front door flap is a good grad plastic but I did leave off the front one because the feral cats by me are turned off by door covering. 

Since this cat house does not come with a heating pad I opted to cover the walls and floor with K&H self-heated cat pads.  The pads made the cat house more cozy and warm.  In addition to the cat pads, I did add some wheat straw.

straw keeps outdoor cats warm

This cat house is low to the ground so I set it up on some cement blocks. By lifting it the water runoff from a hard rain will not get into the house and neither will snow.

The ecoFlex outdoor cat house but do think that the roof needs an overhang to help divert the sun from making the cat house hot in the summer and also help in keeping snow and rain out of the house.

We also bought a Trixie outdoor cat house that was made of wood. This is a small house for a cat under 8 pounds.   A larger cat would not be comfortable in this house.

But in spite of the small interior space, this Trixie cat house got good customer reviews. So we bought this house for the feral and stray cats that we take care of.

This Trixie cat house is drafty. A chalking gun was used to seal the gaps. Then we applied a water seal to the outside of the house. Since this cat house is not insulated we used a mylar blanket to insulate the cat house. 

The blanket was cut to size and glued the ends for a snug fit on the ceiling
and side walls of the Trixie cat house. Next we added a thick layer of
wheat straw and set this house in our shed.

The house comes with a plastic door covering but I removed due 
to the cats in my area being fearful of door coverings. Overall the cat that
has made this house her home seems to really like this cat house.

If you were to use this house outdoors I would recommend that you set 
this cat house on a covered porch or deck. It is also a good idea 
to keep it close to the side of your house because it provides wind 
break.  I read a customer review on Chewy.com that said the Trixie cat house 
did not hold up in the rain. It would be a good idea to use this cat house 
on your covered porch, garage or basement.

Helping Baby Kitten to Pee or Poop

When it comes to caring for baby kittens that are rescued you must feed, keep them warm and teach them to pee or poop. Newborn or baby kittens do not go to the bathroom on their own, so if you are the foster kitten mom then caring for them means helping them to go to the bathroom

A mother cat will stimulate the kittens by grooming them, so the best way to replace the roughness of a cats tongue is to use a soft washcloth that is dampened with warm water.  Use a new cloth, and designate this washcloth for kitten use only

After you bottle feed the baby kitten, set the kitten on a towel or small blanket. The kitten should be on their back. Then use a soft cotton cloth that is dampened with warm water and gently massage in a circular motion the kitten’s anus and urinary areas. If the kitten is wiggly you may have to hold him in one hand and use the other hand to stimulate the kitten.

A circular motion with the damp cloth will stimulate the area and enable your kitten to go pee or poop. Wipe the kitten clean with the damp cloth and then put the kitten into their warm box so that they do not get a chill.

When your kitten is older (2-3 weeks) and going to the bathroom on their own you will be able to teach them how to use a litter box. I recommend that you buy a litter box with a covering and natural litter like Feline Pine. There are many natural litters available, choose one that you like.

Learn more about helping your kitten pee or poop by viewing this video

Found Cat / Seeking Pet Owner

Two weeks ago we observed an adult fox chasing a gray and white tabby Cat The cat was running for its life down the middle of the street at dusk. People who were close to the chase did run toward the fox waving their arms, this of course scared the fox and he gave up the chase. The same cat that was chased by the fox ran for its life and ended up at my house 5 blocks away from where the chase began.

It is safe to say that this cat was found because the cat ran into the open door of my basement and commenced with a sorrowful meowing. My husband and I investigated and found a friendly kitty, that is well groomed and nails trimmed. We decided to keep the cat in our basement overnight to prevent it from getting chased by another fox. We were certain that in the morning the cat's people would be searching for this very well groomed and cared for cat.

Nobody was looking for the cat. So my husband and I went door to door with a photo of the cat asking if anyone had lost their cat. To our surprise, not one person in a 5 block radius knew the cat, but all agreed it was a very nice looking cat and that there was a problem with foxes in the neighborhood.

When we could not locate the owner we took the cat to our veterinarian so they could check for a microchip. None was found. Then we learned that the cat was sterilized, nails clipped, no fleas and if the pet owner does all that, then the cat is current with vaccines. We also learned that the cat was in excellent health.

The next thing that we did was see if the kitty would go home on its own. Nope, it laid in my catnip garden most of the morning then laid by our pond or chased lizards in my wildflower garden. The following day I posted a found cat classified ad in our newspaper. No calls were received. Posted on a public cat rescue on Facebook and on the Humane Society Facebook page.

After having the cat for a week, we looked for flyers for a lost cat, when none were seen we posted a found cat flyer. We spoke to so many people that we made new friends. Everyone says it is a nice looking cat and did you find the owner?

We know that most people do not realize that their cat is missing until the cat has been gone for 10 to 14 days so we are still hopeful that we will find the cat owner in our neighborhood or somebody will know the person who lost their cat.

Rescued Abandoned Orange Tabby Cat

In April my husband and I learned that a family in our neighborhood had moved and left their 8-month-old orange tabby cat at the house.  At first, we thought maybe the cat was outdoors and that they would come back for the cat so we located the house and watched for the cat.  The cat returned in the early evening and sat by the front door.  The cat sat and waited for somebody to let it in, we observed the cat sleeping on the porch by the front door. We fed him and gave him water.  His people never returned.  They had moved and abandoned their cat.

Cats rarely come to strangers, so coaxing the cat to us with food was not going to happen.  We tried to catch this young tabby cat for the next two weeks.  We set up a humane live animal trap and caught other cats but not the cat that we wanted.  We left food and water for the cat and saw that the food was eaten.

We eventually rescued this cat but it was only because he had gotten into a horrific fight and sustained many injuries including deep puncture wounds.  My husband was able to pick him up easily and we rushed him to the veterinarian where they stitched him up, gave him a shot of antibiotics, neutered him and administered full vaccines.

Then when we picked him up we learned that he tested positive for FIV.  Learn more about FIV here.

I have no idea why the veterinarian did not call us and tell us that this cat had an incurable disease that occurs when an infected cat bites another cat and inflicts a deep puncture wound. The virus needs to be transmitted by blood contact to infect another cat. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is a cat disease and is not transferable to humans or other animals.

 For the past several weeks we have been caring for an injured cat.  A cat with bite wounds all over his body, a ruptured eardrum and bad scratches close to his eyes.  His bite wounds will heal, however, we are not sure if he will regain his hearing.

We will continue to care for this cat and have a follow-up appointment with the veterinarian in June.  Hoping that we will be able to find him a forever home.  It is not easy when a cat has FIV with a disability not many people will adopt a cat that has a special need.

Do you adopt cats with a disability, disease or special needs?

Learn more about FIV here

Hawks Attack Neighborhood Cats

There are many reasons why you should keep your cats indoors but the one that most people overlook is keeping your cat indoors due to hawks flying low.

"Red-tailed hawks and great horned owls are two of North America's most common and widespread raptors. Red-tailed hawks mainly eat small mammals like rodents and rabbits, plus birds and snakes, and aren't considered a threat to most pets. That said, some larger red-tailed hawks may be able to carry prey weighing 5 pounds (2 kg), according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which could include not just puppies and kittens, but also some adult cats and dogs from small breeds. “ Quote from https://www.treehugger.com/how-much-weight-can-hawk-carry-4868712  

All about birds states that Most dogs (and cats) are large enough to be safe from hawks and owls. Even very small dogs may be too heavy for a hawk or owl to carry, although it’s still possible that large raptors might attack them. For instance, black-tailed jackrabbits can reach the weight of a small dog (6 pounds) and are a fairly common prey item for Red-tailed Hawks in the western United States.  Birds of the World. 

If you reside close to a wooded area, or state park then chances there are hawks that are foraging.  Spring is the worst time of the year due to the feeding of their young.  

Today I received a text that was an alert of the hawks flying low to the ground. An adult red-tailed hawk will swoop down and grab your cat with its talons, or the hawk will land in your yard and kill your cat by strangulation or they will fly high enough to drop your cat, then retrieve the prey.  We have observed this firsthand a 4-pound feral cat was grabbed by the hawk air-lifted before being dropped. The cat survived. (we knew the weight of the cat from TNR records) 

Know that in the wild the prey is uncertain and even though small cats and dogs are not a hawk's diet that isn't a reason to dismiss that the cat could be an occasional food source for the hawk.  Both hawks and cats come in different sizes/weights so it comes down to size and opportunity.

 

We always know when the hawks are flying low to the ground because the squirrels and feral cats are hiding, but the domesticated cat may approach the hawk that is on the ground to investigate. The hawk has the advantage please keep your cats indoors when hawks are flying low in your neighborhood.

Caring For Injured Outdoor Cat

We rescued one of our TNR cats because he was injured, limping due to a large wound on his leg. A humane animal trap had to be used to catch this cat and while the kitty was in the trap I contacted my neighbor and she said she would call her veterinarian. The cat was rushed to the veterinarian for medical care.

Photo of Sylvester the cat.

Sylvester the cat was at the veterinarian hospital for a week and is now recovering in my heated garage for the next ten days. You would not know that there was a cat in this garage because it is hiding behind boxes. Occasionally there is a meow but other than that no cat can be seen.

I stayed in the garage for an hour to set up the insulated cat house with new self-heated bed, then added an elevated chair with a cat bed that was directly under the heat lamp. I also filled a litter pan with feline pine and set up a feeding station with dry cat kibble and a fresh bowl of water. When all my tasks were completed I turned to face where the cat was hiding and found that he came out and was sitting behind me. He showed no aggression and this is a good sign.

No medication needs to be administered only rest until wounds heal. We thought two weeks but have changed our minds due to the coyote in our neighborhood and decided it would be best to socialize the cat to be more friendly with humans so we could put him up for adoption.

My neighbor who helps me with the neighborhood cats told me that if I could socialize him then she would take him. Hoping that there is a happy ending for this rescued cat.

Cat Ear Mites Symptoms and Treatments

When a cat has ear mites the ear will look dirty/black

An ear mite is a spider-like parasite that you cannot see.  These mites are attracted to the wax in your cat's ear, When it comes to a cat the mite will bite the cat's ear, or around its neck. The mite will cause bites that look like a blister that are small and red.  

These bites are annoying to the cat and the cat will shake its head and scratch its ear. Your cat's inner ear may look bloody or swollen. Ears that are infected with mites must be cleaned to remove the mite and a veterinarian may prescribe an ear drop treatment. 

View this video to learn how to clean the ear. Treatment for ear mites.

Recently we took in a rescue cat that had mites in its ears and on the body. We knew this because another symptom of mite on the cat's body is to look for dandruff-like flakes in your cat's fur and there were large patches of hair loss. These symptoms are due to the Demodex mite and this mite bites the cat's skin. If you have a multiple cat home where cats are indoor / outdoors chances are you have this mite.

Know that if one cat has ear or skin mites then all of your cats and even your dog has mites. Mites can also get into human hair and this parasite will cause a real problem so I would recommend that you contact your veterinarian if you suspect mites.

See the photograph of the rescue cat with mites, you can see that she is missing fur. She had mites around her neck, in her ears, and on her backside. I suspect she got them from being out in the woods or spending time with other cats that were infected with mites.

From our experience in taking care of the rescue cat that had mites, we learned that the best way to prevent your cat from getting mites is to apply the topical Revolution monthly. Revolution will prevent ticks, fleas, mites, and sarcastic mange. Revolution will also prevent internal and external parasites including heartworm. You can also give your cat a sulfur dip.  My friend told me that she has used sulfur for the treatment of cat mites, that it does work but you must put a cone-shaped recovery collar on your cat to prevent them from licking their fur and ingesting it.

This rescue has a cone-shaped recovery collar on

 

About Heat Lamps For Cat Shelters

Heat lamps with a reflector are a good way to keep cats warmer in a garage, basement or a shed. My friend raises small farm animals and told me that I should buy heat lamps with a reflector for my garage because it is a good way to keep the feral and stray cats warmer in winter.

The lamp reflector and clamp can be position easily but must be used with a heat lamp and a porcelain socket. Position the lamp to where you want it. I have two in my garage where the feral and stray cats go for shelter during winter.

The lights are 5 feet above the cats in one section of the garage I have self-warming beds under the lights for the cats. The heat lamp is a good way to provide warmth in garages, workshops or sheds.

My garage is 475 square feet and I have 4 heat lamps with reflector plus one space heater. This garage is 98 years old and is drafty, is not insulated but I did hang thermal insulated blackout drapes in a variety of colors, bought inexpensive ones at Walmart and king-sized fleece blankets over the interior walls. Then added carpet remnant on the floor.

The space heater is set at 59 degrees and the lights are left on throughout the night. The other night the temperature was 11 degrees with a windchill of 4 degrees. The thermostat indicated that my garage was 39 degrees. For a feral cat that is accustomed to living outdoors, this space is warm. Although along with the heat lamp and another form of supplement heat, you should also provide the cats with self-warming beds and insulated cat houses or doghouses filled with straw.

Feral Cat Sleeping in Winter Shelter Post Card

by Susang6

Do not use blankets for cat bedding in the garage, shed or cold basement because the blankets will retain the cold.  

Garages Can be Deadly For a Neighborhood Cats

Many people have indoor/outdoor cats. And these cats usually go outdoors on a warm day and return at the end of the day to go indoors. But what happens when the weather is rainy or cold, will your cat go in an open garage or shed? Most cats when they enter a garage they will investigate and some may lie down to go to sleep especially if it is raining or cold outdoors.

Garden shed can also be deadly for a cat.  If the door is left open

The homeowner will have no idea the cat is in their garage because when a human approaches the cat may hide. The garage is closed because they are unaware a cat is in their a garage.

Now, what if the homeowner goes to work and returns 12 hours later and do not open the garage. They park their car in the driveway go to the back bedroom to take a nap or watch TV and do not hear the cats meow.

Know that a cat can go without food but they cannot go without water. Water is a necessity. What happens to the cat if the homeowner closes their garage door and leaves for vacation?

An open door is inviting a cat to come indoors

Garages that are left open then closed at some point with a remote are dangerous for a neighborhood cat. My neighbor leaves his garage open for many hours then closes with a remote. He told my husband that where their garage is situated that they would never hear a cat meow. He also said that they went on vacation and came home to a horrendous stench. They opened their garage door and found the remains of a cat.

This is why I say an open garage can be deadly for a neighborhood cat.

Garages can be deadly for a neighborhood cat and I am hoping that everyone spreads the word, people know to sound their horn in winter for cats that may climb into their engine block for warmth. Maybe we can get the word out about garages that are left open and that everyone should check for a neighborhood cat or leave a bowl of water.

We always leave a bowl of water and some food, especially if the garage door is left open. It is the only way to know for certain that no cat or other animal is inside. If food and water are missing then you will know to leave the door open and watch for the animal to come out.

If you leave your garden shed open, be sure to check for animals by leaving food and water and closing the door, then recheck the next day.