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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

1926.0. "Tabby Kittty" by FSHQA1::RWAXMAN () Mon Oct 31 1988 16:08

    There is an unaltered male tomcat (one of the father's of Karissa's
    babies) that I have been feeding on my deck and finally had a chance
    to socialize.  I call him Tabby kitty, a not so unusual name for
    a tabby cat.
    
    Here's my dilemma.  Tabby kitty has this pitiful cry, more like
    a yowl.  He will sit on my deck and yowl at the top of his lungs.
    I'll go out with some food and he'll pick at it and I'll pet him.
    As soon as I make an effort to go back inside, he starts yowling
    again.  This is not a meow, he howls like a wildcat, and as I pet
    him he makes these growling noises that really scare me.
    
    Last night was the worst.  I looked out my window and saw him picking
    at the Iams.  I went outside and called his name and he immediately
    started yowling.  It was so cold and I felt so bad for him that
    I decided to see if he would come inside.  As soon as I opened the
    door, he made a lunge for Chauncey who was on the other side of the
    screen; good thing I hadn't opened the screen door yet.  I haven't
    had much experience with tomcats, but something about Tabby just
    doesn't seem right to me.  I want to help him but don't really know
    what to do.  I've contacted some local shelters and none of them
    want a semi-feral cat.  We're doing some renovations inside the
    house so there's nowhere to isolate him right now.  His yowling
    really concerns me; is this typical of some feral cats?  Does anyone
    know of some low-cost (real low cost) neutering clinics near Grafton
    that I could bring him to that will also do a felv test?  Perhaps
    I could justify him being in the house on a temporary basis if I
    knew he was leukemia negative and calmed down by neutering.  And
    with winter upon us, I am very concerned for his well being.
    
    I guess my questions are:  Is the yowling typical, and how can I
    help him?
    
    Thanks,
    Roberta
    
    
    
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1926.1Tabby Tom...DRFIX::IVESMon Oct 31 1988 16:5511
    My first thought would be he is in pain somewhere and knows that
    a human can make it better. He could be full of sores from cat fights,
    bad teeth, or something wrong inside.
    
    Have a vet check him out, see what's wrong and go from there. DO
    NOT take him into your house, and a cardboard carrier or one you
    could scrub with disinfectant would be best to transport him in.
    
    Tom do have an awful yowl.
    
    Barbara
1926.2Shootout @ the Waxman corralMARKER::REEDVote NO on Question 3!Mon Oct 31 1988 17:1036
    
    
    Roberta, it seems to me a typical response for a male cat.
    He is *calling* your Chauncey out for a fight.
    
    I had an absolutely WONDERFUL, super-friendly, adorable kitty
    named Harry.  He was so laid back, nothing bothered him, that
    is until another cat entered *his* territory.
    
    He did that yowling bit when my roomate and I first moved.
    We brought the cats home the same day and confined each to
    our rooms (their *home base*) and let them work out the rest
    of their space.  BTW, Harry was a neutered male and about 2
    yrs old.  He walked around the house *calling* Scooter.
    Needless to say, they ended up being good buddies and NEVER
    got into a real fight.  Harry just use to intimidate Scooter.
    (He'd sorta wait until Scoot was settled, relaxed and not
    paying attention and sneak up on Scoot and say BOO!. Then
    he'd watch Scoot hit the ceiling and take off so Scoot
    wouldn't catch him).
    
    As far as Tabby kitty goes, DEFINITELY get him neutered as
    soon as you can.  DO NOT let your males near him, this will
    more than likely cause a cat fight. Sounds like you are having some
    success socializing him and neutering will definitely help to
    calm him down.  The only problem you have with letting him
    in, is spraying, which he is bound to do since he's not
    fixed and there are other cats in the house.
    
    Maybe you could fix up a place for him to stay in, outside, 
    until off he's fixed.
    
    Good luck! Please keep us posted.
    
    Roslyn, Esco and Brandy.
    
1926.3Catch him if you can..PARITY::WHALENAnd may the traffic be with youMon Oct 31 1988 17:1118
      
              Toms really can sound just terrifying. He's probably 
    wanting to both come in from the cold and establish his territory
    at the same time. Or at least thinking about it. He realizes there
    is the other cat to contend with.
         But with the many experiences my family has had with toms,
    usually once they are brought into the home and fixed, they're ok.
    Not always, but almost always.
         Never bring a strange cat into your household without checking
    him at the vet, having him tested and vaccinated for all those horrible
    kitty diseases, I'm sure you already know that!
    
                                             
                            good luck! It's getting too cold to be a
                            homeless kitty!
    
                            denise
                      
1926.4Halloween Cat?WEFXEM::COTEThe Protocol Son...Mon Oct 31 1988 20:2312
    aja, a small, never-been-let-outside-much cat, once ran into my
    cellar. When I tried to bring her back up she let out the most
    unearthly yowl I have ever heard! This was not a loud 'meow'! It
    was a from-the-lungs SCREAM!
    
    Now, I'm no 98 lb weakling, but when she jumped at me after letting
    out that scream I went FLYING up those stairs like the devil
    hisself was after me!
    
    Scary stuff indeed...
    
    Edd
1926.5Another screamer....MAMIE::RUSSOTue Nov 01 1988 09:1616
    Hi Roberta,
         If it weren't for the fact that I live in Chelmsford, I would
    swear that we lived next door to each other...(I have the feral
    mom cat, wild kitten).  Now the father (I think) of Nellie's future
    kitties is still around and he is also a stray.  He hasn't uttered
    a meow all summer.  Yesterday morning when I was leaving for work,
    he was SCREAMING.  I feed him because he was hungry but he kept
    screaming.  He was doing the same thing last night and this morning.
    I don't know what to do with him.  He seems to be an unaltered male.
    I definately can't have him.  I'm even afraid of him (very big).
    It's a townhouse developement so it's only a matter of time before
    someone complains about him.  Another neighbor feed him this morning.
    
         Keep us posted on what happens with your tabby cat.
    
    				        Mary
1926.6FSHQA2::RWAXMANTue Nov 01 1988 10:2717
    Yup, Mary, it definitely is a scream!!  I hear they calm right down
    after altering.
    
    A fellow feliner has very generously offered to pay for Tabby kitty's
    veterinary expenses if I could provide shelter for him over the
    winter months.  I talked this over with my fiance last night, and
    he agreed that if Tabby receives a clean bill of health at the vet,
    is neutered, and doesn't show further signs of agresssion toward
    our present kitties, then we can go ahead and start letting him
    come inside.
    
    So hopefully, I can catch him very soon and start this process rolling.
    
    /Roberta
    
    
    
1926.7YOSMTE::CORDESBRO_JOWed Nov 02 1988 15:2211
    Roberta,
    
    The yowling is very typical of whole male cats.  He is calling for
    a mate.  Kalliste does this most of the time.  Whole male cats are
    very aggressive so be careful with him.  After you neuter him he
    should stop calling.  If he continues to act agressive, or continues
    to spray, talk to your vet about hormone treatment for him.
    
    Good Luck
    
    Jo
1926.8Update on TabbyFSHQA2::RWAXMANA Cat Makes a Purrfect FriendWed Nov 16 1988 13:0029
    Well, Tabby Kitty has received a clean bill of health at the vets,
    has had all his shots, was neutered, wormed, and bathed (compliments
    of the vet!) today.  He can come "home" tonight.
    
    They said he was in really good shape for a tomcat but definitely
    and outdoor cat (he "called" the entire time there).  When he was whole,
    he would come inside but freaked out if the door was closed behind
    him; I'm curious to see how he reacts now that he's neutered.  Think
    the yowling will stop?
    
    I am thinking of just keeping him as an outdoor cat (but of course
    he has an open invitation to come in from the cold whenever he wants),
    but would really like to find him a nice home where he could have
    a better life.  If my condo association finds out I have 5 cats,
    it's pavement time for my fiance and I.  I'm afraid to bring him
    to a shelter because I don't want him to be euthanized, nor live
    out the rest of his life in a cage if no one adopts him (he's doesn't
    have that 'pretty cat' look; he definitely looks like he came from
    the streets).
    
    Would it be cruel to just put him back into his environment and
    see what happens from there?  Please remember that my door is always
    open to him... I would never deliberately keep him outside in the
    freezing cold and snow.  All my feral cats have plenty of food
    available to them at all times.
    
    /Roberta (who's inn is full with 5)
    
    
1926.9CIRCUS::KOLLINGKaren, Sweetie, & Holly; in Calif.Thu Nov 17 1988 15:063
    I think the effects of being neutered may take awhile to show up,
    i.e. he may calm down gradually.
    
1926.10Another updateFSHQA2::RWAXMANA Cat Makes a Purrfect FriendThu Nov 17 1988 15:2228
    Karen,
    
    A friend of mine who works for a vet just told me the exact same
    thing.  But he *did* stay in all last night.  Was really too exhausted
    to do much else.
    
    He is a sweetheart, a real purrbucket.  He was so gentle with Chauncey
    and Nikki but they are still holding a grudge.  He followed me around
    the house, used the litterbox (yeah!), and slept right at my feet.
    My fiance didn't even realize that Tabby was with us until the next
    morning when I told him!!  When I picked him up at the vet, the
    tech. there said to me, "He's a really *neat* cat!"  She wanted
    to take him home but couldn't.
    
    He will only eat IAMS.  I have offered him canned on several occasions
    and he snubs his nose at it.  Wish all my cats were like him!  He's
    huge, too, the only shorthair among my brood, and the most colorful.
    He wanted out this morning and I know he'll be back.  So I'm just
    playing it by ear and will see what happens.  It might take him
    awhile to enjoy domestic life, the important thing is, to let him
    call the shots and I'll just follow along.
    
    Hmmm.... sounds like I'm saying he's mine, doesn't it??
    
    He's a great cat.  Thanks, Karen.
    
    /Roberta