Tuesday, September 25, 2018

My Feral Cat So Far

Raleigh continues to settle in at the cosy apartment. He seems to have found a favourite spot in one of the cat-beds. It provides a view of much of his new home and, though most of the other cats have to pass by it to get somewhere, there is plenty of space so no one has to come too near the new boy. This does not prevent hissing and growling, just to be on the safe side. For the most part, the other beasts are ignoring the Raleigh, though Renn did sniff noses with him.

He doesn’t play, which is not surprising, but I am demonstrating to him how cats can have fun by letting him see how I play with the others. I think he is curious about it; he is certainly watching.

The little peachy-boy had his ears cleaned again on Saturday, which set his trust back a bit. He now thinks that half the time I am going to grab him and perform some sort of very uncomfortable hygienic process on him. But if I approach him with some warning, he isn’t startled and enjoys a human’s touch. One of his ears is much cleaner than the other, and the debris in it is not the usual left-overs from ear-mites. I wonder if he has an infection.

His weight was registered at 4.7 kilograms (10.34 pounds) at his neutering. I think that’s a good weight, though he looks a bit too slender. He is currently on just soft-food, and that may not be providing enough bulk. It does seem, however, to be giving him all the moisture he needs, as I have not yet seen him drink water. Nonetheless, his use of the litter-box shows that he is getting the fluids his body requires, and some it does not.

His right eye continues to run goopily, though this is probably a chronic condition. I am more concerned with his mouth. He drools when at rest, and, after eating, his mouth is messy with food. I suspect his teeth are not in good shape, and he may be experiencing some discomfort because of it.

Raleigh will be going to the veterinary in the next few weeks. With the drooling and the ears, I want him to have a fuller examination than he received at his neutering. I expect that he will need some dental surgery, and antibiotics for his ears, but I don’t think he will face serious problems. He’s a good little fellow, and he deserves a good life now.

15 comments:

  1. He's a lucky boy to have you on his side, John. Love the photo.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, look at that photo of Raleigh sacked out on your lap! He seems like a mellow fellow, and I want to give him smoochies and hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm so glad Raleigh is settling in. I love the picture of him in your lap. He certainly looks right at home. I'm sure that eventually the Permacats will accept him, and once his dental and ear issues are treated he'll be feeling a lot better.

    ReplyDelete
  4. poor boy - he looks so stressed :)

    *something to ask the vet: if the teeth, ear and eye are all on the same side, they may be related (we are sure you thought of that, but wanted to mention it just in case)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great idea! I would not have thought of that. If it every happens here I will recall this comment.

      Delete
  5. dood....anda good life ewe will haz frum now on.....may we pleez say welcome...home ~~~~~~~~~ tell dad ta look inta sum lysine; him can get paste ore treetz....mite help with yur eye buddy...☺☺☺♥♥♥

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear boy! He is certainly enjoying the good life with you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. That is a sweet photo. I am glad he is settling in. I am sure you will get him in tip top shape.

    ReplyDelete
  8. That picture is wonderful, and it has me wondering. Are any of your permacats also lapcats?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tucker and Renn will lie on my lap now and then, but not often, and they won't stay long when they do. Tungsten has been my only real lap-cat until now.

      Delete
  9. What a comfy cat! I'm sure he's enjoying every minute!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh he is so beautiful in color I cannot wait for his to see the Vet and learn about his mouth..bless him so much. XXX to him.

    ReplyDelete
  11. He’s so happy to have a home and a dad to love.
    What a great cat.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a handsome boy (I do have a soft spot for orange kitties). Hopefully the dental and antibiotics take care of his issues.

    Eileen

    ReplyDelete