Matted Cat :(

[ClaimedByMe]

One of our cats is 95% ferral, never comes in, is fed by everybody, I had seen her out and about and she was looking scruffy and I asked everyone to stop feeding her, eventually she came back home, I am shocked and ashamed, she is matted, has possibly an infection under the matts, we tried to have a good look at her this afternoon, my hands are ripped to shreds as you cannot handle her, she's hiding and wont come out, and she will take any opportunity to escape back outside. We will take her to the vet tomorrow, I am shit scared of getting into trouble, we also have 2 other cats, a dog and 3 guinea pigs and they are all in perfect health.

I am disgusted at myself for not trying harder with her.

It'll be ok. The breeder of our chinchillas had elbow length leather gauntlets for wearing whilst combing her cats.

We really ought to have taken the hint then.

Or just stuck to one cat.

The vet has used gauntlets before for her, we warn the vet that shes violent and they kinda laugh till she gets out the box then go and get a nurse and the gauntlets, lovely dp is actually going to take her for me in the morning, as I will get in a state and probably cry in the vets.

She and the young cat are currently attacking/chasing/winding each other up the stairs and making crashing and banging noises which is making the dog bark down here, long day me thinks!

Cat box is out the loft, mental is hiding under a bed, I feel sick! :(

I'm a vet. Seriously, they won't judge, most vets are very used to seeing matted cats & know how difficult it can be. They will want to sedate her & shave her, and she will come home looking very odd with bald patches. If she does have an infection she will probably need antibiotics - if she is that feisty it would be worth asking the vet to use a long-acting injection. Good luck!

Thanks SpanielFace we got her in the box after a it of a comedy sketch of me chasing her with a towel, DP has just left to get her to the vet, she will probably pee and poo in the car, my other cats are normal....honestly!

When dp took her in the vet never even took her out the box to examine her due to her having 'previous form' on her record, shes going straight for sedation!

'previous form' !

How did she get on?

She got on fine, she now looks totally silly, she's managed a fight with one of our other cats, she has one sore that she got an anti biotic injection for that, she will be attacking outer ankles in no time!

Yes - she will look a bit odd until she grows back her fur a little. Only one sore is not too bad though - better than you feared, maybe?

Yeah she's not as bad as I though, they also done a full health check when she was sedated and she's a fit as a fiddle, dp is away to the shops to get her posh cat food to see if she will forgive us :)

pilchards rule

Sedation has fully worn off, physco cat is back, long day ahead I think!

How long are they recommending she be kept in for?

They didn't say, but I am going to try to keep her in a few days, at least till the redness has gone down a bit, she has been for a post op poo in the tray, that was interesting->

Bit chilly overnight to be nekkid, where does she sleep usually if she's feral?

She sleeps outdoors unless its snowing, she will only come 'home' when it snows, I think last night she slept under my bed, she has been hiding there since we trapped her on sunday to a put blankets under there yesterday when she was at the vet, but from about 3am on she just ran about mad!

We couldn't keep her in any longer she was attacking everyone and everything, we let her out earlier, she came back once but wouldn't come in the house, she has me a bag of nerves :(

She'll likely be desperate to check that her territory is still the same and still under her control.

You did what you could, Claimed. Some cats just aren't sociable.

Sounds like she is ferral tbh, she'll be fine and come back if she really needs to or it starts snowing again!