 Purred: Sat Jul 7, '12 9:46pm PST |
 | |  | | It's Stella. I was a feral cat in the summer, although it was not nearly as hot then [2006] as it is now. My person didn't know where I went during the hot parts of the day, but there are a lot of woods and shade and a creek near, so I could go and lay on the wet sand if I wanted to. I was just a young cat then, so it was a lot easier. Delyte ran off into the woods when he was ten and recovering from an operation, and we don't know where he went either, or how he survived. He was covered with fleas when he returned and seemed really happy to be in the air conditioning again.
I am not sure what the cat will allow you to do for him. Cats naturally seek out warm and dry rather than cool and wet, so even if you put a damp towel outside for him to lay on, he probably will not lay on it. They tell you to hose down outside animals in this heat, but very few cats will tolerate this. If he will allow you to get him wet without getting angry at you, that's an idea.
The worst of the heat wave is supposed to break tomorrow night, so we hope he can make it through that. You do realize that if he feels that he is ill, he is likely to go out and hide and not come back, rather than coming home to you to die. It is just the cat way, and you cannot take it personally or feel that you have failed the cat. We lost a feral cat that way, and we never found out what happened to her, which is very hard on people.
Most vets are not very good treating indoor outdoor cats. Our vet will no longer treat a cat who is allowed to go outside on his own. You are lucky to have found one that will work with you. We know how hard it is to keep an outdoor cat indoors even when it's best for him--you can't explain it to the cat!
Good luck getting through this and through the illness. We are all purring for you, having all been feral kittens here.  |  |  | |  |
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My Nommie was in same purrdic-ament with me , I was declawed, lived outside under a R.V. trailer for about 4-5 yrs. it took noms awhile of bringing me in and not letting me out until she wanted too or I got ready to eat noms before she would let me out, I bellowed alot and she would hold me & tell me it was O.k.When I did go outside with my feral defender Morso he was 14 & I was 8, she made an insulated cat house with a bed & would put a wet towel in our bed, we were hot & we really liked it in. She put ice cubes & some gatorade in our water.(Don't know how she got the gators in there 
And she also would bring us in and wipe us down with a wet cloth. WE cats do not pant to keep cool like a dog, we sweat through our feet we don't have some kind of regulator Noms says. I no longer want anything to do with outside it took her about 4 mos. straight of bringing me in but I would not go outside now for anything cuz someone cut my toes off & I can't climb or defend myself & my feet hurt a lot outside it's much softer inside.BE VIGILANT & you can make this cat an inside cat were it belongs.If you need any pointers on how to deal with declawed cats & how to make life easier inside, Noms says let her know & she will give you some pointers what ever they are.Purrs to you.
Why Does My Cat Always Use the Litter Box Right After I've Cleaned It?
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