Spot and Friends

Here's Spot, napping on the back steps. She had a friend over this evening. Jorge, who was here for amorous reasons a few months ago, returned looking sadly beaten up today. Skinned up from ear to one eye, bare patch of pale white skin on one haunch, trying not to limp, but licking one front paw every few steps. I told him to spend the night in the garage if he needs to do so. He accepted some food, but kept his distance. Cats do that. Unless a cat is really bleeding or looks like it has a broken limb or a damaged eye or something, it is not safe to try to help them. If you do try, wear leather gloves with long cuffs ( like welding gloves) if the cat is conscious, and grab it behind the head where a mama cat grabs a kitten to carry it. You cannot and should not attempt to carry an adult cat by that fold of skin, but the reflex to go limp still works partially, and you can generally put one hand on the neck, the other under the abdomen or the hind legs (glove this hand, please), to get it into the carrier and to the vet. Have the carrier set up and open before reaching for the cat, and stuff it in the carrier quickly. Mine never liked the vet, and learned to associate the carrier with getting poked and prodded. Like I said, with an outdoor, semi-feral animal, I would not bother with a vet unless you suspect life-threatening injury. God provided these animals with amazing healing capacities, so we leave them to their own devices.