How To Take A Stray Cat To The Vet

Stray, feline, or wild cats. These are the many names we often call the mysterious felines we sometimes see roaming around the neighborhood, at our backyards, or in abandoned spaces. A majority of these cats have been subjected to harsh weather conditions due to lack of proper shelter, poor access to good food, diseases, and sometimes, bad treatments from people. If you however come across a stray cat and feel a need to help, it is crucial to take them to the vet where they can get spayed or neutered and have access to other needed medical treatments. But before taking this step, it is important to determine if the cats are stray or feral.

Stray or Feral? What’s the Difference?

Stray cats are somewhat friendly cats that, at one point in their lives, have been a member of a household but currently do not have a home. They have been either abandoned by their previous owners, got lost, or left their owners due to maltreatment. Feral cats, on the other hand, have not been socially inclined to humans. A majority of feral cats are born outdoors by strays or other feral cats and have grown up fending for themselves, which essentially makes them more averse to direct contact with humans. It may seem difficult to tell stray and feral cats apart as a friendly cat may be antisocial at first until it learns to trust you. If you consistently provide food and water and it perceives no sign of threat from you, it will warm up to you in a few days. You can then take the necessary steps to take them to the vet.

Can I take Feral Cats to the Vet?

Feral cats, especially those more than eight weeks old, are very skittish. Many experts agree that feral adult cats cannot be tamed and are difficult to socialize when adopted. Thus, to avoid negative incidences, it is best to approach only strays.

Can I Take A Stray Cat To The Vet?

If you feel the need to help and are comfortable with it, you can take a stray cat to the vet. This is particularly important as it provides an avenue to get a microchip scan for the cat to help reconnect it to its previous owners, and also give the cat access to medical treatments where necessary. In a scenario where the cat is not chipped or the previous owners do not want it back, the vet can advise on the next step you can take depending on your region.

Things To Note Before Taking A Stray Cat To The Vet

Before deciding on taking a stray cat to the vet for identification and treatment, it is best to ask your neighbors if they know anything about the cat. Place a “Found Cat” sign around the neighborhood and post notices and messages on online social networks and pet rescue groups. If these yield no positive results, you can go ahead to take the cat to the vet.

What Happens When I Take A Stray Cat To The Vet

At your visit to the vet, it is important to explain every event that led to your visit and the observations you’ve made about the cat. This will give the vet a good idea of the best way to handle the cat. After the necessary protocols have been observed, the vet will firstly scan for a microchip. Afterward, they can check if the cat has been spayed or neutered and also scan for possible internal and external infections such as ear mites, feline leukemia, and feline immunodeficiency virus among others. After checking for possible infections, the vet may start the cat on immune-enhancing drugs. They can so recommend immune-boosting diets for it.

Steps To Observe To Take A Stray Cat To The Vet

Before taking a stray cat to the vet, there are some necessary preparations you’ll need to put in place. These will ensure safe carriage to and prompt response from the vet. They include:

1. Chose An Ideal Animal Clinic: After deciding to take a stray cat to the vet, you’ll need to choose a clinic that should not put unnecessary strain on your time. You can decide on a clinic where the vet attends to patients in the order of arrival. Booking an appointment may be disappointing for you and the vet if the cat does not show up for the planned day. You can only opt for booking with a vet if you’ve observed the cat comes every day.
2. Make The Cat Comfortable With You: Before taking a step to touch or carry a stray cat, you need to make it comfortable around you. Without this, the cat can become defensive and may attack you. You can consistently provide food and water daily for the cat to mitigate this. This will get it warmed up to you within a few days.
3. Have A Pet Carrier In Advance: Pet carriers are small portable boxes, crates, or cages that are used to transport small animals. If the cat is reluctant to go in a carrier, you can lure it in by putting tasty treats inside the carrier. Immediately it goes in, quickly shut the door securely. You can also put a blanket on the carrier to make the cat feel safer.
4. Trap The Cat: If you cannot lure the cat into the per carrier, you can use a trap instead. Place a small blanket to smooth out the wire floor of the cage. Place the treat at the far end of the cage to ensure it walks all the way in to eat it. You can also put a small amount of food at the entrance of the trap to motivate it to go in to get the rest. Once it gets in, the mechanism of the trap becomes activated to secure the cat in the trap. Don’t let the cat out of the trap or try to transfer it to a carrier, you may risk starting the process all over again.

Recovery after the treatment

After you visit the vet, the cat will need a comfortable place to recuperate from the medical treatments it received. You can take it into your home temporarily to nurture it back to health before sending it off to an animal shelter or you may choose to adopt it as your pet. In either scenario, you’ll need to observe the following procedures:

1. Release the cat from its carrier or the trap into a comfortable room with proper temperature prepared for it.
2. Isolate the cat from other pets, if any, until it fully recuperates.
3. Ensure it takes its meals and medication as scheduled.
4. Perform routine checks to observe its progress and promptly respond to anomalies.
5. Clean up its living space regularly to avoid more infections.
6. Introduce other pets to the cat slowly to get it better acclimatized to its surrounding.
7. Contact a local cat rescue organization or no-kill animal shelter after its recovery if you have no plans to adopt it.
8. Let your cat outside after a minimum of three weeks after recovery to allow it to bond better with your family and pets.

References
http://www.wikihow.com/Take-in-a-Stray-Cat#:~:text=If%20the%20cat%20is%20friendly,get%20it%20to%20a%20vet. www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/cats/straycats
http://rehome.adoptapet.com/
http://pets.webmd.com/cats/helping-stray-and-feral-cats
http://spcanova.org/resources/found-a-cat-or-dog/what-to-do-if-youve-found-a-stray-cat/
http://www.bustle.com/p/what-to-know-before-taking-in-a-stray-cat-18166003