Urchin.

[farthing]

Well I think Urchin is going to be quite a challenge, at the vets they called him Houdini and we know why, he has escaped from his cage twice! It wasn't massively secure but he has squeezed out of gaps where there are bits of mesh tied on due to a missing door. The problem is he goes mental when you try to catch him. He will bite and scratch and the poor wee soul is obviously terrified.
I am also a wee bit annoyed at the info we have been given and don't actually know what is fact.
We were told he has a wound on his neck ( this complicates catching him because we don't want to scruff him) but I've also been told it is in his head! We don't know where. We can't look for ourselves because he is so wild and he is also black so its hard to see anything.
Roll on Thursday so I can find out what is going on and what we need to be doing. We don't even know if he should be on antibiotics or anything.

[dandysmom]

Challenge is putting it mildly, farthing! Poor thing is so scared, doesn't know you just want to help him get better. Sending calming vibes, hope it will go well till he's back at the vets. (((hugs)))

[angieh]

Poor little Urchin - sounds like you picked a good name for him. Calming vibes for him from me too.

[Liz]

I would pop him on Zylkene - some of my ferals started life worse than this and Zylkene worked on taking the edge of them = 2 capsules a day split on to wet food

Also ask for an ACP Tablet if you need to catch him will knock him out so makes it less stressful all round

I find that in pens they are freaky ours are all now mixed through and have their own spaces and the 2 I caught in July are no longer hissy but on Zylkene 3 meals a week just to help them adapt

Also carnip scats have never failed us and well just Moss Skye one of our fosters who loves honeysuckle and valarian sacks

Also rescue remedy in the water with the Zylkene helps

He will calm down but first order always for us is get he bits off then worry about them liking us :)

[Shelley123]

Sorry to hear about your problems Farthing, Liz has some good suggestions there. I do hope you get the info you need soon.

[farthing]

Thanks Liz,
I was going to get some feliway on Monday, and the zylkene is a good idea. I admit I haven't done much with him so far because I wanted to let him settled and get him 'done'. I suppose I feel a bit guilty because I haven't dealt with his wound, but I wasn't told I needed to do anything- and there may not be anything to do but he may well still be sore which will not help his temper.
He escaped again last night, and I have no idea how, but I've pretty much cleared the room except for his cage and a sofa and I'll now leave the cage door open. I used a long bit of wood to touch him and he was actually grabbing hold of it and holding on, like a bulldog. I will work away with this method this week before he gets done and hopefully he will learn to get used to being touched.
My concern is that it has been suggested he has neurological problems which will complicate the matter ( hopefully x-rays and an exam with let us know if that is likely). I really wish Mustard was here- hale and hearty- because I know he would have taken the wee lad under his wing, I don't think any of the ones here will- except possibly Pudding?

[Liz]

If you are having problems with him let me know - sounds like he would fit in here and be ok with ours

I usually always get the bits off, give them a full set of boosters, an ID Chip and a Profender - now you can see why some of mine are still work in progress!

GIve me a shout if you want to chat about him - having 30+ of the darlings we have used and tried most things - a lot of mine are now indoor/outdoor and come in every night with little or no issue

I am around all the time at the moment due to having either slipped or ruptured discs in my back and some lovely painkillers

You can come and see our set up for ferals, domestics and the pedigree and my 2 normal kittens baby Charlie with the damaged leg and baby Echo with a heart condition

[Velvet]

Good luck with the wee man.

[farthing]

I hope you feel better soon and thanks for your kind offer. I will see how we go, he's only been here a week so still early days. He now has access to the whole room but can still retire to his cage, and he is much happier with this, I guess he was going stir crazy. I just hope if he does have a fractured pelvis it doen't cause problems, letting him roam. I'm using a stick to rub his chin/ cheeks and he grabs it and holds on like a terrier, but eventually settles and accepts it after a few tries.

I am hoping he is fit enough for the snip, but I'm going to ask them to x-ray his head and pelvis and I guess it then depends on how long he is under and how he is coping. If not we will just have to get him better first and go ahead with the other requirements. I just hope his bloods are fine ( no viruses).

[angieh]

Liz - so sorry to hear about your back problems.

Farthing - good wishes for young Urchin. When is he due to be "seen"?

[farthing]

He's in Thursday morning.
Its been a bit of a rollercoaster week- Jimmy being poorly, Polly- rat in tomorrow to get a lump checked ( probably means an op), Katie- rabbit in to be weighed in the hope she has lost enough to be speyed and Winston, an ex-foster dogs comes back on Friday, for a few months while his owner recovers from an op. Hopefully the cage we ordered to take the kakarikis indoors overwinter will arrive this week too.

[Liz]

We have experience of brain damaged ferals we had Rio for 6 years and he sort of looked like Clarence the cross eyed Lion and was slow but had a happy 6 years - westill have his sister Sabrina and she is as sharp as a knife and is leader of our indoor only crew.

We had FIV ferals the late Holly and Sailor with ours so are used to that to - all ours are FIV Negative and we never had any issues with the ferals as ours live like a colony and welcome any newbies with no issues

[farthing]

Good news for Urchin, he is FIV/Felv negative, does have a broken pelvis but its healing nicely and he has been castrated. The wound on his neck is practically healed and all his other blood results are fine. The vet is just going to microchip him and we can collect him this evening- just waiting for Polly now.

[calismum]

Good news for Urchin then. He sounds so scared poor wee lad. Great advice and support from Liz.(Liz, hope your back improves soon)

Hope Polly is ok.

[Shelley123]

Good news for Urchin, poor little Kit having a broken pelvis as well as his other injuries.

[dandysmom]

Glad to hear the news about little Urchin ......

[angieh]

Glad that Urchin's injuries are healing and that his bloods were negative. Just have to get the wee boy settled. Liz's experience is invaluable.

[farthing]

Well both Urchin and Polly are home- tired and a little sore but bright. Urchin is back in his room, even the vets were surprised at his agression but he has to be kept quiet for another 2 weeks to allow his pelvis and castration wound to heal, after that we will try him with the others.

[farthing]

Urchin let me touch him for the first time tonight- I rubbed his head and chin while he was eating his tea.:D

[dandysmom]

Oh bless! That's a big step forward for him ......

[angieh]

Slowly and softly ............. good news.

[calismum]

That's good. Softly, softly seems to be the way.

[farthing]

I devestated, it looks like Urchin has escaped. I opened some windows to let some fresh air in today, they are ones that pull out so only a small gap is made. They are side by side so if one closes there is a gap down the side. I totally forgot when I went to work and remembered when I got home. They were both still open ( no gap) but I can't find Urchin. I can't see how he has managed to close one window, climb through the gap and re-open the window, but he is gone. I've looked everywhere, in the cupboards, pulled all the bedding off the top of the wardrobes and can't find him.
I feel so guilty, and he must be so scared and there will be fireworks starting this week. I can't believe I've been so stupid.:cry:

[calismum]

Oh farthing - I do hope he is hidden closeby. ((hugs)) you must feel awful.

[dandysmom]

Oh how awful, hope you can find him soon,,,,,,,,

[Shelley123]

Oh no, i'm sorry to hear this and hope that somehow he is hidden.
Somethimes they do get into impossible places.

[Velvet]

Hope you find the wee man soon xx

[angieh]

Hope you find him soon. Perhaps when he gets hungry, he'll come back or come out from wherever he's hiding. ((((HUGS)))) farthing. It makes you feel very sick, I know.

[farthing]

I can't stop crying, I feel so guilty. He's gone, I've looked eveywhere. I will put some food and a carrier outside so if he wants he has somewhere to hide!

[Shelley123]

I can't stop crying, I feel so guilty. He's gone, I've looked eveywhere. I will put some food and a carrier outside so if he wants he has somewhere to hide!

That sounds like a good plan, farthing

[calismum]

I can't stop crying, I feel so guilty. He's gone, I've looked eveywhere. I will put some food and a carrier outside so if he wants he has somewhere to hide!

Good idea - fingers crossed that works.

[angieh]

Yes, that sounds like a very good idea. Keep positive. I'll have a go home little Urchin chat to The Great Cat tonight.

[farthing]

he's not gone! Sorry for the panic, we have no idea where he has been, we had looked everywhere but I spotted a balck cat by the end of hall litter tray, was convinced it was too small to be Sooty. By the time we got into the bedroom, no sign. I have been keeping an eye open and noticed Fluffy jumping back from the the wardrobe, then the all familar hiss. He is under the wardrobe, we had checked there at leasr 3 times before so he must have been somewhere else- but where. We ahve been looking off and on since 5.30pm and only found him now.
So sorry for the fuss, but so relieved.

[Shelley123]

Phew, thats good news Farthing. I am so happy he has been found safe and sound. It's amazing how invisable Cats can be.

[dandysmom]

What a relief!!! We can exhale now..........

[farthing]

So sorry about the fuss, I feel a right fool. I was heartbroken to think of him outside alone, thank god I was wrong!

[dandysmom]

He is a little escape artist, and a really feral little feral, isn't he? I would have panicked too.

[farthing]

Thank you. Its so good to have folk who understand.:D

[Shelley123]

The relief i felt when you found him was great and he's not even my cat,lol

[cats' staff]

Oh my, another cat who can do a Schroedinger and don't they just give you heart stopping panic!?! So glad he has turned up, also glad Catsey exists because we all have to have somewhere to panic when they do this to us!

[angieh]

Amen to that! So glad the little escapologist who wasn't has been found safe and well. I have a smile on my face!!!

[Velvet]

Brilliant news!

[Liz]

Oh Farthing this did male me smile having been through it on so many occassions with our newbies it is surprising where they can hide and you will have looked there before

I am sure he will give you some more frights before he decides this inside thing isn't to bad - all of ours seem to have got the inside thing under control and can be found on the radiator beds and love the electric blankets

[farthing]

the little beggar is still hiding under the wardrobe whenever we appear, I was watching through the bedroom window and he is out looking around when we are not around. The only consolation is that he will soon be too big to get under soon and at least the others are ignoring him.:roll:

[Shelley123]

The little tyke :)

[calismum]

OH, I am sooo relieved - you must have felt such a sense of relief when you found him. He is not making it easy for you is he?

Glad he's where he should be.