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#11
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My outside cat has an electric blanket
Before I started taking care of it, it had been in the neighborhood for
years. Unfortunately, it was part feral so it wouldn't make a good pet. And a few days ago, it disappeared. I was thinking of ways to keep it warm during the winter. You know, boxes or whatever. I bought an electric blanket and it hasn't left the area since that day. The weather hardly gets below freezing, so I'm hoping for a cold night I think it will work at least down to 0°F. One night was about 30° and it was no problem. Since then, I put it in a larger box that is only half covered. It's kind of paranoid, like half feral, it cringes when it's petted but it enjoys having its head scratched. So if it gets near zero it will probably move into that covered half of the box. Still on the electric blanket, that should keep it warm and cozy. Since the electric blanket is folded up, it generates concentrated heat and must be left on the lowest settings. As with all of their bedding, clean paper towels are used like sheets. |
#12
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My outside cat has an electric blanket
Thomasina came back!
I was feeding it Purina Pro Plan and Purina Veterinary Diets DH. It liked the five dollars per pound DH. But I am not going to feed a (neutered) stray cat five dollars per pound cat food alone. So I was trying to mix in the relatively cheap Pro Plan. Being feral, it might prefer wet food, but that wouldn't explain why it likes the DH. It definitely likes Fancy Feast. I might try Friskies or some other ordinary canned cat food with some DH for a tooth-cleaning dessert. Before I started taking care of it, it had been in the neighborhood for years. Unfortunately, it was part feral so it wouldn't make a good pet. And a few days ago, it disappeared. |
#13
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My outside cat has an electric blanket
Yes. Feeding it Friskies (plus some Purina DH for tooth cleaning) seems
to have solved the straying problem. Apparently it wasn't so much my interaction with it. Apparently it couldn't handle the moistened Purina Pro Plan. I now have a (big) housecat that likes the moistened Purina Pro Plan. The outside cat's problem might have to do with its feralness. Thomasina came back! I was feeding it Purina Pro Plan and Purina Veterinary Diets DH. It liked the five dollars per pound DH. But I am not going to feed a (neutered) stray cat five dollars per pound cat food alone. So I was trying to mix in the relatively cheap Pro Plan. Being feral, it might prefer wet food, but that wouldn't explain why it likes the DH. It definitely likes Fancy Feast. I might try Friskies or some other ordinary canned cat food with some DH for a tooth-cleaning dessert. Before I started taking care of it, it had been in the neighborhood for years. Unfortunately, it was part feral so it wouldn't make a good pet. And a few days ago, it disappeared. |
#14
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My outside cat has an electric blanket
"Mack A. Damia" wrote in message ... On Sat, 20 Dec 2014 22:20:17 +0000 (UTC), John Doe wrote: "Christina Websell" Ignore this poster. She is a notorious drunk and shrew who never changes her underwear. -- Plonk |
#15
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My outside cat has an electric blanket
On Thu, 18 Jun 2015 20:04:50 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote: "Mack A. Damia" wrote in message .. . On Sat, 20 Dec 2014 22:20:17 +0000 (UTC), John Doe wrote: "Christina Websell" Ignore this poster. She is a notorious drunk and shrew who never changes her underwear. -- Plonk This idiot, Webfeet, is plonking something from last year? I think you must be developmentally-disabled. I taught enough of you during my career. -- |
#16
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My outside cat has an electric blanket
On Monday, December 15, 2014 at 6:18:36 PM UTC-6, John Doe wrote:
I was thinking of ways to keep it warm during the winter. You know, boxes or whatever. I bought an electric blanket and it hasn't left the area since that day. The weather hardly gets below freezing, so I'm hoping for a cold night I think it will work at least down to 0°F. One night was about 30° and it was no problem. Since then, I put it in a larger box that is only half covered. It's kind of paranoid, like half feral, it cringes when it's petted but it enjoys having its head scratched. So if it gets near zero it will probably move into that covered half of the box. Still on the electric blanket, that should keep it warm and cozy. Since the electric blanket is folded up, it generates concentrated heat and must be left on the lowest settings. As with all of their bedding, clean paper towels are used like sheets. -- Since it's kept outside, of course it's neutered. Your feral cat reminds me of something I have to relate. A few years ago, my friend started feeding a stray cat in her backyard. The cat was very friendly but no one was looking for it in local ads. She didn't want to take it inside because she had 2 cats already so she looked around for a home without much luck (very pretty long haired blue tortie). Winter came so she fixed up a box with plastic to protect it and blankets inside. Then came a weather report of a huge snowstorm coming. She was so worried about the kitty that she put her in the garage. There was a huge amount of snow, so she kept her in the garage for over a week. The cat acted very fearful while in the garage and hid from her whereas before she could pet her, but she ate her food. She didn't run out, even when my friend had to take her car out and lifted the doors, but one day she did go out. My friend put the box out again and the cat went inside. My friend had a neighbor over the next day and my friend decided to get the blankets and clean them. When the cat left the box, she pulled out the blankets and.....two newborn kittens fell to the ground. My friend froze in panic, but the neighbor picked up the little things which were OK and found three more in the box. They restored everything and waited for the mother to return. When she went back in the box, my friend blocked the entrance with her body and carried the whole thing to her extra bedroom. Well, this is a long story, but that's how Blue and her kittens came to live with my friend. And that's how I got my cat, Flag, one of her kittens who is now a huge gray tabby. Some kittens got other homes and some live with the mother, Blue, at my friend's large house with her other 2 cats. Blue has zero interest in going outside ever again - she stays far away if a door is opened. Happy ending. |
#17
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My outside cat has an electric blanket
On Wed, 17 Dec 2014 18:52:35 +0000 (UTC), John Doe
wrote: dgk wrote: John Doe wrote: I was thinking of ways to keep it warm during the winter. You know, boxes or whatever. I bought an electric blanket and it hasn't left the area since that day. The weather hardly gets below freezing, so I'm hoping for a cold night I think it will work at least down to 0°F. One night was about 30° and it was no problem. Since then, I put it in a larger box that is only half covered. It's kind of paranoid, like half feral, it cringes when it's petted but it enjoys having its head scratched. So if it gets near zero it will probably move into that covered half of the box. Still on the electric blanket, that should keep it warm and cozy. Since the electric blanket is folded up, it generates concentrated heat and must be left on the lowest settings. As with all of their bedding, clean paper towels are used like sheets. I made a home out of a styrofoam box with those cheap stick-um tiles to keep them from scratching through the styrofoam. I also installed a heated pad designed for outdoor use by cats, something like this: I was thinking about using Styrofoam, but it's probably not as cold here. http://www.amazon.com/3093-Extreme-W...ng+pad+outdoor Thanks, I was wondering about that. I did look briefly before buying an electric blanket. Sorry if that URL breaks but just look for "pet heating pad outdoor". I put lots of straw in the house and change that yearly. I don't recommend blankets because they get fleas and such. This looks like a nice way to build a shelter: You are worried about fleas and you only change the bedding once per year? I use clean paper towels, changed at least every few days, as a cover on all of their bedding. The blanket can be folded up in many different ways, and it is washable. Fleas will always be a concern since it's an outdoor cat. One marvelous thing about using clean bright white paper towels is that you know what's going on with the cat. You can see all of the dirt and any blood. And it helps clean your cat. Hopefully your outdoor cats are neutered. The outdoor cats are neutered and they seem not to get fleas. I'm moving in a few days and was worried about one of the outdoor cats, Baby. She's around 6 years old and I've been handling her since she was two weeks old. She lives in the box and hangs around the front of my house much of the time. Since the other main feeder is also moving out of the neighborhood, I was really worrying about Baby. I never took her in the house because she often hangs out with her mom, Jet, and Jet is much too feral to take in. I didn't want to break them up. But since the two main feeders are leaving, I took Baby into the house a few days ago. She yowled the first few nights but last night she was mostly quiet. There has been no conflict with my other three cats. I took her to the vet and she is still tiny (8.2 lbs) but in very good shape. No fleas and she got her rabies vaccine. I know from five years ago that she was HIV and Leukemia negative. So in a week or so we all get into a rented minivan and head for Florida. I will donate the heated box to some TNR person nearby. |
#18
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My outside cat has an electric blanket
On Thu, 25 Jun 2015 13:44:25 -0400, dgk wrote:
So in a week or so we all get into a rented minivan and head for Florida. I will donate the heated box to some TNR person nearby. I was going to post a question about traveling with cats. I have two, and I would like to take them with me if and when I go away for several months. Do you keep them in separate carriers? What about feeding and litter during, say, a two or three day driving trip? -- |
#19
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My outside cat has an electric blanket
On 6/25/2015 2:07 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote:
Do you keep them in separate carriers? What about feeding and litter during, say, a two or three day driving trip? ..............I'd say yes to separate carriers. Take them out of carriers in motel room at night, set up litter box in bathroom and feed as usual. Bring a little whisk broom and pan to clean up before you leave. You can offer water and litter box during the day, but I bet they won't be interested and it increases the chances of them getting loose and lost if you open the carriers before they're safe in a room. If there's a way you can put water in the carrier w/o it being spilled all over during the ride, I'd do that. Cats can hold it forever. Ever take a cat into the vet to stay overnight to get a urine sample? Good luck with that! Alternatively you can get a big crate and put both of them in with a litter box and water during the ride, but, take it from me, that's hard to haul in and out of the car. buglady takeout the dog before replying |
#20
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My outside cat has an electric blanket
On Thu, 25 Jun 2015 18:03:53 -0400, buglady
wrote: On 6/25/2015 2:07 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote: Do you keep them in separate carriers? What about feeding and litter during, say, a two or three day driving trip? .............I'd say yes to separate carriers. Take them out of carriers in motel room at night, set up litter box in bathroom and feed as usual. Bring a little whisk broom and pan to clean up before you leave. You can offer water and litter box during the day, but I bet they won't be interested and it increases the chances of them getting loose and lost if you open the carriers before they're safe in a room. If there's a way you can put water in the carrier w/o it being spilled all over during the ride, I'd do that. Cats can hold it forever. Ever take a cat into the vet to stay overnight to get a urine sample? Good luck with that! Alternatively you can get a big crate and put both of them in with a litter box and water during the ride, but, take it from me, that's hard to haul in and out of the car. Thanks! Good advice. -- |
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