Conference misery::feline_v1

    As well as posting notices and calling shelters, place an article
    of clothing with your smell on it outside the house, or perhaps
    in an open garage.  That way she may stay there if she comes around
    to see if you're home.
    
    I sure hope you find her.  Good luck!
    
    Karen, Tenzing and Tristan.

    I am sorry to hear about you cat.
    
    If there are neighborhood kids around show them a picture of her
    and if that cat is in the neighborhood they will find her. Kids
    have a way of knowing every cat, dog, and kid in the neighborhood.
    
    When we lost Mocha for 2 days and three nights in February I told
    every kid, parent, posted pictures, and made calls to everyone on
    the list. It was one of the neighborhood kids playing out in the
    bitter cold that found him chasing after a female in heat. (Needless
    to say his next trip was to the vets.)
    
    Please leave water out for her as the heat is awful on animals,
    and that idea of an article of clothing is great.
    
    Keep us informed as we feel like all cats in the notes files are
    special to us also.
    
    Barbara
    

    Holly, if you tell the neighborhood kids, try not to mention
    the fact that she is a Korat (purebred) - maybe just say solid
    gray.
    
    E.T.

    Holly, I know this is what you do not want to hear but, DON'T PANCIC!
    Most cats that have never been outdoors stick pretty close to home.
    My sister's cat got out last winter and she spent one frantic day
    and night searching for her.  Everywhere but in the obvious places.
    Sophie was right next door the whole time hiding in the neighbor's
    bushes.  This is why it is very important to alert everyone in your
    immediate area, but, I agree with Elaine, don't tell anyone she
    is a purebred.
    
    I am sure Silver hears you calling her.  She's probably just so
    fascinated by the great outdoors that she is conveniently deaf right
    now.  Don't worry, I know you'll find her!
    
    Please keep us updated.  If we have to form a search party, we'll
    do it!
    
    /Roberta
    

    
    Just got off the phone with my mom.  She still hasn't found her.
    They made up posters and hung them around the neighborhood stating
    her name, color, eye color, and a $50 reward to anyone who finds
    her.  I'm going to call the animal shelters now.
    
    If she is going to be found, we'll find her.
    
    Holly
    

    A reward is a good idea, but I sure hope greedy people don't start
    snatching all the gray kitties they can get their hands on just
    to claim the reward resulting in more lost cats.
    
    I know you'll find her, Holly.  I'm really glad to see you are being
    optomistic.  That's so important.
    
    Good luck.
    

    Touey got out one evening several weeks ago and caused me to stay
    up all night and morning looking for him.  My *dog* smelled him
    out finally under the next-door neighbors porch.  He must have heard
    us calling him all those hours, but, as has been said, was conveniently
    deaf.  I'd go home before the commute-home traffic if I were you
    and comb the area again for peace of mind, if that's possible...
    Good luck!
    
    Maureen

    Holly, when we lived in Westford, MA, Nikki used to shoot out the
    back door - he was so proud of himself - I got so that I just would
    leave the back porch light on and go about my business and just
    wait for him to meow at the screen door.  One night, it was sort
    of spritzing and chilly - he shot out but I didn't even know he
    was gone - my daughter's boyfriend left the house - we were still
    home - I thought I heard a kitty meowing - of course didn't think
    it was one of MY cats - they don't go out - a little later heard
    it again - sure enough it was Nikolas - boy, was he ever glad
    to get back home and in, where it was warm!  It was a long time
    before he played "Let's shoot out the back door."  
    
    Holly, She will come home!!
    
    E.T.

    
    
    	Holly,
    
    	T.K. has gotten out a few times and luckily I have seen him
    	and given chase.  He is an indoor only kitty and although
    	the big outdoors is such an attraction to him, the second
    	he gets out he is scared.  He will run from car to car, always
    	keeping hidden but still wanting to run.  A few weeks ago 
    	I chased him around my parents house 3 times before I caught
    	him.  He acts scared and runs, but he doesn't run back to 
    	me.  Its really a strange reaction.  I have a feeling that
    	if I didn't chase him, he would just stick around hiding under
    	whatever bush or car he could find but would ignore me if
    	I called.  Needless to say, I'm not planning to experiment
    	with this.
    
    	Soooo, when you get home tonight, check under all the bushes
    	in your yard, under cars, and so on.  Like someone else said,
    	Silver probably didn't go too far and she should be hungry	
    	soon so put out some food.
    
    	Good luck and keep us posted!
    
    	Karen

    Holly, have you tried using an electric cat caller (can opener)?
    
    Edd

    Be sure to ask your neighbors to check their garages, sheds, any
    place like that Silver might have taken refuge (and gotten closed
    in).
    

    Holly, I am so sorry to hear about Silver.  I agree that she probably
    didn't go far (unless she was in heat when she shot out the
    door-instincts like that have a way of making kitties do things
    they normally wouldn't do).  Check all around your house. Call her
    name softly (she is probably scared to death) and then listen for
    a response.  Winston got out once and I took Monroe with me to look
    for him.  I would call and Monroe would meow.  We did find Winston.
    He was under some bushes near our house.  I have also found it useful
    to look at night after dusk and use a flashlight to search under
    bushes and shrubs.
    
    Good Luck
    
    Jo

    Holly, we live in you area and will keep our eyes peeled.
    
    Linda & Asia
    
    
    

    Last night I decided that I was going out to search for her and
    I wasn't going to return without her.  I was out for two hours calling
    her name and listening for even the faintest meow.  I had pictures
    with me and I asked every person I saw if they had seen a solid
    gray cat.  I had almost given up hope when I saw an old man coming
    out of his house.  He is our closest neighbor on the right side
    of the house (about 1/4 of a mile down the road).  I asked him,
    "Have you seen a solid gray cat?" and I showed him Silver's picture.
    He answered that he had seen her and that she had been hanging around
    the house all day.  He brought me through his garage and showed
    me where she had been sleeping and where she had eaten that afternoon.
    I stood in his back yard and called for her.  All of the sudden
    I saw a black and white cat in the bushes.  There was some movement
    at his feet.  I looked closer and the movement was SILVER!!!  She
    looked at me and started to walk toward me.  She then layed down
    on the ground on her back and said, "Look how cute I am!  You can't
    be mad at me!"  I then picked her up and brought her home.  I offered
    the reward to the man, but he refused.  When I got her home, Tabbatha
    was so glad to see her that she sat on her and cleaned her face.
    She slept with me all night and had to be as close to me as possible.
    I picked her up this morning and cuddled her and she just sat there
    and PURRED!!  She was VERY happy to be home.
    
    Thanks to everyone for all of your concern.
    
    One relieved mom, Holly.
    

    Holly,  I know how you feel....every once in a while (whenever he
    can) Rumtum darts out the back door and out into the woods...one
    day I spent about 3 hours looking for him and I was frantic...but,
    no matter what I did, he just wouldn't come back, so I gave up,
    sat down outside and just waited, about an hour later he came strolling
    back, looking like a great outdoor kitty...boy was I mad and glad
    at the same time!  I've learned that cats are pretty darn smart,
    even though Rumtum is strictly an indoor kitty, whenever he's gotten
    out, he's come back on his own.  They somehow know where they live.
    
    Don't worry, I'm sure Silver is fine and will be home soon.
    
    Please keep us posted.
    
    Good luck, Erin

    I'm so glad Silver is home!!  I'm sure she was having a blast during
    her adventure at Kitty Kamp.  If they only knew what we went thru
    when they pull stunts like that.....
    
    Mary

    Holly, Thank you for making my day. I am so glad that Silver is
    home and all is right again.
    
    What those kids put us through at times like that, they will never
    know.
    
    Barbara

    This conference is getting hard on the emotional constitution!!!
    
    Very happy to hear the happy ending.
    
    Gary

    Holly, I'm so glad Silver is home safely.  I had a feeling she wouldn't
    stray far.
    
    The first thing I did this morning was log into notes to see if
    any good news was posted.
    
    Now you can have a really nice, relaxing day!
    
    /Roberta
    
    

    If you haven't lived through it you can't imagine the emotional
    drain of NOT KNOWING.  When our Pusshy wandered, the posters plastered
    all over the neighborhood were what got him home safely.  A storm
    had come up while he was out and he took refuge in a tree and didn't
    know how to get down.  The people in that area were used to stray cats
    and never would have noticed him without the poster.
    
    Bet YOU slept better, too.
    

     WE are so glad to hear that Silver is home.. Pookie andhappy sid
    to tell silver the next time she wants to go exploring, to call
    them.. Pookie willl send the limo down to get her... !!!!!! :))..
    regards
    kate

    Cat lovers think *they* have problems???
    
    I've a friend who owns a large parrot. Although he had been very
    good about keeping the wings clipped, apparently he either lapsed
    a bit or the bird had a bout of SFG (sudden feather growth).
    
    Anyhow, while sitting on it's perch, the bird took a look at the
    window and whoooooosh.... $400 worth of feathers flapping into
    the sunset. 
    
    The bird stayed high in the trees around the complex for a few days
    but refused to come down. Finally, no more bird in the trees...
    
    On the slim chance that someone might report a seeing such a bird,
    my friend alerted the local dog officer, who basically said to
    kiss the bird goodbye. But....
    
    ...a full week later a woman reported a "large blue and green crow"
    eating all her chicken food and called the dog officer, who alerted
    the bird's owner.
    
    Ironically, my friend had to prove the bird was his by showing a
    receipt! Like there are lots of loose parrots running around...
    
    Edd

    
    	Phew!!!  So glad Silver is home.  T.K. wishes he could have
    	an adventure like that!!
    
    	Re: .23
    
    	Edd, great story!!  Lucky the guy still had his reciept!  
    
    	Karen

    Holly, I am very relieved for you.  I really hate to bring this
    up, but... was the black and white cat a boy or girl?  What was
    she doing down by its ankles?
    
    Should we start knitting kitty booties?
    
    Jo

    Yahooooo another happy ending!!! :-)

    RE: .25
    
    That's something we're not so sure of.  We think it is a male, but
    not quite sure.  It worries me even to think of it.  
    
    When she was by it's ankles, it looked like she was rolling around
    on her back.  Who knows.  We'll know in a few weeks.
    
    Holly
    

    That is what they do afterwards!!
    
    Jo

    Re: .25 and >28
    
    Jo, The exact same thing had occurred to me.  The Korats I have
    heard at shows tend to be very vocal and I would not figure them
    for a quiet heat.  Only Holly would know.
    

    She wasn't quietly smoking a cigarette, was she??
    
    Edd

    Is she glowing?

    I just found out that the cat that she was with was a male.  The
    good thing about it is that he is neutered!!!  
    
    So, there won't be the pitter patter of unexpected little kittens
    around the house.  (unless this was a different cat)
                                                        
    RE: a few back.  Korats are quite non-vocal cats, unless they are
    in heat.  Then all h*ll breaks loose!  Have you ever heard a siamese
    in heat?  Well double it and you've just about got the sound of
    a Korat in heat.  They sound like you're killing them.  They say,
    "OW!!  OW!!"
    
    Holly
                                          
                                                        

    Now we have another worry as far as Silver's adventures.  It seems
    that she has developed a rash just above her eyes and it is going
    into her ears.  I brought her to Doctor Mulcahey yesterday and she
    wasn't sure what it was.  She gave me some ointment to put on it
    and some antibiotic pills to give to her. (NOT FUN!)
    
    Anybody ever have anything like this?  It's sort of like little
    soars above her eyes and heading into her ears.  It is really
    concerning me because it is going into her ears.  Any other Feline
    noters know what this might be?
    
    Holly

    Poor Silver.  Please let us know how she's doing, and what this
    turns out to be.
    

    RE: Karen
    
    I asked the vet about poisin Ivy and she said that cats aren't
    susseptable to it.
    
    Holly
    

    Holly, when in doubt, go to the drug store & pick up some
    cortisone onintment.  Try a very small amount on a small 
    area and see what happens.  I use it if one of the kids
    get to playing a little rough and gets scratched .
    I also use the triple antibiotic ointment from the drug store.
    Keeps the infection down and saves trips to the vet for small things.
     
    Of course Pashenka & Misha really get down & dirty often,
    so of course since Pashenka has a show a week from
    Saturday, he now has two small bald spots & a tiny
    scratch on the very top of his head!  Do you think if I
    comb his hair over it, the hair will cover the bald spot??
    How long does it take for hair to grow?  Those two boys
    are really a piece of work!  When they are really going
    all you can see is red & black swirls rolling around in
    one tight ball.  Boys will be boys, I guess.  sigh

    I wonder if Silver could have walked against some sort of vine with
    thorns, and the places she got pricked all got infected?
    

    How is Silver doing?
    

    Well, I didn't want to reply until I heard something.  I brought
    her to the vet last week and it looked like a minor rash on her
    head.  The vet gave me some ointment and some pills and I gave them
    to her.
    
    Well, the rash got considerable worse over the weekend.  It was
    getting very flakey and was very sensitive.  I brought her back
    to the vets yesterday and she couldn't believe how much it had spread.
    She took a culture of it from the top and looked at it under the
    microscope.  She couldn't find anything.  She then brought out a
    book with a picture of a cat that had a rash that looked exactly
    like Silver's.  She said it was feline scabies (SP).  She took another
    culture from Silver, this time very close to the skin (she ended
    up breaking the skin) and looked at it under the microscope.  Well,
    that's what it was, feline scabies.  She had to stay over night
    last night.  They sedated her and had to scrape the entire rash
    to get all of the scabies off of her.  they shaved her head area
    and any other parts that they could find that had the scabies. 
    The first thing I asked is if it was contageous to humans or to
    other cats.  Her kind wasn't contageous to humans (Thank god!) but
    it was highly contageous to other cats.  I had to go home and use
    a lime dip on all of the cats.  I will have to do it twice a week
    for the next four weeks.  (The four weeks is up just before snooks
    and micki's first show!)  This stuff smells like rotton eggs and
    it smelled up the whole house.
    
    Well, I'm going to go pick up silver tonight.  Boy, I'll bet she'll
    be glad to see her mom.  Maybe she'll learn not to run outside anymore.
    
    Holly