Uuuuh ... well ... what shall I tell you?
After 12 bottles of cheap vodka and my aide ménagère scrubbing away inhaling the lovely boozy fumes in order to get rid of the odour of the stray ginger WITH crown jewels, marking his territory all over the house + my own cats doing the same now + some of them even beginning to poo...
...after having three traps set (humane ones) which caught my own cats, but NOT the ginger beauty...
...after calling left and right asking for help and getting it ... even one offer to shoot the beast (by a hunter, of course)...
I give up
NO
I don't know what to do anymore ... apart from getting pissed on ... red wine. NO VODKA!
Hope you are all well and thank you again for all the advice.
PS If you read about an old lady in a yellow electric wheelchair getting arrested for drunken driving:
That's ME!
Tranquilizer dart or pill is out of the question.
Problem is that the OH was the one who gained the cat's confidence, who tamed him, fed him and could touch him (all WAY beyond my reach, of course). Same OH now won't do a thing about GG and doesn't even clean up the mess during the weekend. The cleaning lady can do that on Monday, he finds.
That cage is fabulous, Lynn, very handy ... if you can move around freely. Wheelchairs are not very inviting for wild cats and my stinky health does not allow me to stay outside for hours, waiting for him to come close enough, waiting for him to COME at all during the day. He usually comes in during evening hours and during the night.
By the way: that hunter meant 'shooting' him, kill him. Over my dead body!
I do what I can to stay strong, Melissa, and thank you for your compassion and the Limoges vibes.
If only I would NOT be handicapped and NOT dependent on O², things would have been taken care of long ago and Gorgeous Ginger would be without crown jewels, but very welcome in my house.
The 'Get Ruth Out of Jail Support Group' is a super idea. No fun being locked up all day, not being spoken to and having pissycats giving you naughty grins when they pee, knowing you can't get to them and getting out only when I scream and throw things at him.
Could the hunter shoot a tranquilizer dart? Is that totally inappropriate Lynn?
Totally inapproriate and quite dangerous!
There is no tranquiliser that works instantly and none which can be accurately measured in this way, so unfortunately no. Same applies to the sedative pills that some vets may recommend. With a wild/outside cat it is a huge risk, as how can we know how much has been taken, when it will take hold etc etc
Believe me, Melissa, we have discussed this matter long and hard, making the same suggestions out of desperation, but unfortunatly there is no quick fix. Patience is the key and time to gain the cat's confidence. We now have what look like ordinary, wire cat baskets, but with loose bottoms(no jokes please!!), if you can get a cat close enough to you to feed from a bowl, you just place the basket over him and slide the bottom on - job done!
If anyone feels the need to buy one of these take a look at http://www.mdcexports.co.uk, they are called 'Nurse's best Friend'
Oh Ruth, I've thought about you and this situation so often. I've only lived through "light" versions of peeing invadors, and that was very upsetting, so I want to cry for you (I don't drink).
I second Lynn - you have to just keep trying - and maybe demi measures all around? Block the cat door when it least upsets your own lovies / feed your cats in a room where you can shut the door / deprive Ginger of food / put stinky food in the trap / say yes to all help and keep asking new recruits too.
Could the hunter shoot a tranquilizer dart? Is that totally inappropriate Lynn? Where does Ginger sleep? Could you shut him in that room, put a tranquilizer in his food? Can you shut him in a room at all? (Have you totally lost respect for me Lynn?)
Stay strong Ruth, you'll win this one and then be able to provide amazing advice and suport for the next forum friend with a similar dilemma. Do you want us to start a "Get Ruth Out of Jail Fund"?
Strong vibes coming your way from Limoges!
Say nothing, dear Lynn. Let's just hope the Gorgeous Ginger will go for the food in the trape before one of mine does. Poor beasts don't understand what is happening.
Me? High on the fumes? Ha! I have a hard time breathing as is, so I'm very careful. Pity, though, that the vodka didn't work. It seemed like such a super idea. Maybe I should have bought Smirnoff instead of a cheap bottle?
Hi Ruth,
What can I say!!
I deeply sympathise and some cats are just so canny, taking weeks and weeks to eventually catch, but I can only advise to keep trying. If you are setting traps for cats, it is essential that food is availble to them ONLY in the trap - a hungry cat is a less wary one! It also depends on the size of the trap. Some are made for rabbits and rodents, and are just too small for a cat to feel safe entering (except silly domesticated ones!!)
Keep trying and try not to get too high on the vodka fumes!