My cat's scabby friend

[Chicanana]

I wrote on here a couple of weeks ago about my cat's scabby friend and what to do, some of you kindly replied.

We hadn't seen too much of him since, however today he has been playing with our cat. Our cat seems to like playing with it, they have some kind of pretend chase and jump thing going on.

I'm quite worried about this. He (I think it's a he now, from brief looks when the tail's up) is making a beeline for my male cat. It does this weird 'munching' motion with its mouth and then drools a lot. They have some little 'play' fights and afterwards its mouth froths up! He also is very interested in sticking his nose up my cat's bum... My cat had a go(in miaows) when it tried this.

We got our cat inside and it was by the back door, so I spent around half an hour with the door open trying to tempt it in with food, with the hope of getting it to a vet. It accepting soft cat food off a spoon (mainly the gravy part) and got a little closer but wouldn't fully come in. It miaows a lot too, which our cat also does (a black cat thing maybe? ).

I got a close look at it - there's some scabbiness on the back of the neck, and what looks like a shaved section on the right side between the head and neck. This suggests it must have been to a vet recently, doesn't it? The hair is very short there and all the same length. When it drools it hangs from his mouth almost solidly.

I still want to get it to a vet because there's some play biting with my cat and I don't want my little boo to get rabies. And I'm worried for Scabby's health too. Any ideas what that munching motion is about? How can I find the owner??

[thecatneuterer]

Rabies?? Are you outside the UK? And presumably, if you are, all pets have rabies vaccines don't they?

Munching/drooling I think signals a pretty major tooth problem. He will probably need some teeth out.

The 'shaved' patch is probably where he has had an abscess, caused by a bite. The hair comes off in a big circle.

Can you borrow a trap from somewhere?

[Chicanana]

In the UK, though rabies still crossed my mind - especially after seeing the munching motion. My cat's locked in at the mo and scabby is just miaowing outside, poor thing :-( when my cat came in he had Scabby's saliva on him, yuck!

I will see if it's still there when my husband gets home, he can help me catch it.

[thecatneuterer]

There is no rabies in the UK

I think you'll have a hard job catching him if he's a bit nervous and you're not used to getting hold of difficult cats. I think you're only chance is to lure him into the house and shut him in. Then you can chase him around for as long as necessary in order to get him into a carrier. A trap would be much easier though.

CPL can normally lend them. Often local vets can too.

[tomatodizzymum]

The saliva stage is usually the final one when they are on deaths door, I wouldn't think if it's playing with your cat that it's in the final throws of rabies. But then it's a cat right?

[AnneOfSleeves]

I think a cat drooling so that it collects on its muzzle is a sign of cat flu.

[thecatneuterer]

Drooling isn't a common sign of cat flu, and there are certainly more obvious signs. I think teeth/mouth problems is by far the most likely cause.

[cozietoesie]

It sounds to me as if he's 'excited' - and more than a little confused about your lad. (It happens sometimes.) Maybe all the (real) females in your neighbourhood have been spayed?

Try borrowing a humane trap and vetting him/rescuing him. It sounds as if he has some maladies which isn't surprising if he's living rough.

[Chicanana]

He's due his boosters in the next couple of weeks, just had the reminder through so will be booking him in (hopefully next Friday).

Scabby's now sat at our back door. Hopefully we'll get him to a vet tomorrow (I would try tonight but have spent all day in the minor injuries unit myself so need a rest).

[Chicanana]

Yes, I agree about the excitement. It's possible they have been spayed - we've lived here just under a year and I'm not yet familiar with the cat population. I also thought if he's got salivary problems his smell/taste receptors may be up the creek too (though my boy is gorgeous, in an androgynous cat way )

[Chicanana]

My cat also lies there in a 'come hither' way (like Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra) then tells Scabbs off for coming over! I think he enjoys it a bit...

[WixingMords]

Ah hope you manage to grt him checked.

The stray I trapped a took to the vet only went for the gravy, turned out the poor thing had no teeth and was starving.

[cozietoesie]

Hope you're recovering yourself, Chica ?

[RubbishMantra]

Little Monsieur does the munching thing when he gets excited - usually when he's chasing flies or his Flying Frenzy. Accompanied by a sort of nickering ack-ack-ack noise. No frothing/drooling though. Sometimes he gets a bit too interested in MCat's intimate area, who responds with his big yowly complaint miaow.

Well done for keeping an eye on Scabby. Leaving a trap out as TCN suggested is your best hope in getting him checked over. Have you left food and water out for him until he can be trapped?

[cozietoesie]

Out of interest, Chica, would you take Scabby in if he was found to be stray and then treated and neutered etc?

[Chicanana]

I'm ok thanks cozietoesie, caught my toe under an iron gate this morning and ripped the nail back. I think my pride is probably more injured! Though I now see why nail pulling is a form of torture...

Off to bed now, we'll attempt to take it tomorrow. Thanks for the ideas everyone.

[cozietoesie]

Ouch - in spades! That's about as painful as you can get for an accident injury.

Have as good a sleep as you can - hope they gave you some meds for it.

[WixingMords]

Oh holy smoly the thought of that!! Poor you!

[RubbishMantra]

Yikes! The memory of my own accidental toenail removal still makes me cringe. I learned the hard way not to play skipping-rope whilst wearing flip-flops.