[Felvtalk] Just tested positive

Marsha martia at lynxe.com
Fri Jul 25 18:17:19 CDT 2014


On 7/25/2014 12:51 PM, dlgegg at windstream.net wrote:
> I have noticed that most ferals turn into cuddlebugs.  I have noticed that they are the most anxious when you leave home.  It seems they have found a good hoe and person and don't want to loose them.
>

They also don't tolerate being boarded.  BT was an old feral tom who 
lived a hard life before I saved him from a catfight battle wound that 
would have killed him.  I visited with him every day in the hospital, 
and they said his demeanor was totally different when I was there.  
After he recovered and was well enough, he was neutered, and lived in my 
house under construction, where he enjoyed climbing up in the rafters, 
hunting mice, or curling up on a heated mat or a soft cat bed.  He had 
kibble to eat whenever he wanted, and I would bring him canned food each 
day when I visited, and he would cuddle on my lap or stomach and purr 
for an hour.

Then came the day I had to board BT for a few days while the house was 
being insulated.  The stress pushed his fragile internal system over the 
edge.  He had hemobart on top of barely functioning kidneys and poor 
heart function, and soon developed a bad heart murmur.  When they 
brought him to me for a visit in a room, he was developing pulmonary 
edema and was having trouble breathing.  They gave him oxygen while we 
waited for the vet to come examine him.  There was no saving him this 
time.  He probably would not have lived a whole lot longer even had he 
not been boarded.  After I got the results from the necropsy, I would 
guess he would have had only a few months.  But the stress from being 
boarded greatly accelerated his journey to life's end.

BT was OK with the guys that were working on the house, and I saw him 
rub against one of their legs and enjoy some pets.  Most of the time he 
would watch them work from the rafters.  I was going to keep him in a 
10' x 10' kennel outside the house during the insulation phase, but the 
clear tarps that protected from rain and wind would still flap or 
vibrate in the wind, and frightened BT. I thougt it was pretty nice out 
there with 2 dog houses, donut bed in one, blanket in another, lounge 
chair, picnic bench, but BT seemed upset, so I made the mistake of 
boarding him.

Marsha



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