![\"Stray](\"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Stray-Cat.jpg\")
<\/a>Stray Cat<\/p><\/div>\n
Recently we hadn’t seen him for a while and then he turned up looking much the worse for wear with a nasty limp. \u00a0I couldn’t just leave him so after some advice from the RSPCA and the Cats Protection League we borrowed a cat trap and put together a plan to catch him and sort him out.<\/p>\n
This wasn’t going to be easy. \u00a0He clearly didn’t like people at all and never got closer than a couple of car lengths away. \u00a0We did have a cat trap but given the number of seagulls etc that have got used to us feeding the cat outside I was a little concerned we might catch a seagull instead and I hate to think what would happen if I got up one morning and had to deal with a cross seagull in a cat trap!<\/p>\n
We decided to give it a go so one night after Robbie was safely inside – we didn’t want to catch our own cat- we set up the trap. \u00a0First thing in the morning (before Robbie went out, so about 5am) I got up to check the trap and much to my surprise we had caught a Parkin! \u00a0He certainly wasn’t happy and it had been raining so he was cross and wet and VERY scared. \u00a0Every time we got close to the trap he’d try to get out and bash himself up against the side so once he was covered over with a towel and out of the rain we left him alone as much as possible until we could get him to the vet.<\/p>\n
The trip to the vets was uneventful. \u00a0We managed to avoid and cat wee in the car which is always a good thing. \u00a0The vet however had been called out to an emergency calving so I had a long wait ahead of me for him to arrive. \u00a0Cats Protection had said they would cover vet bills etc but this did come with a caveat. \u00a0Their rules state that any strays have to be tested for feline HIV and if the result is positive then they have to put the cat to sleep. \u00a0As the vet explained a cat can live a pretty good and long life with little risk to other cats with the virus so if we were happy to cover the treatment costs we wouldn’t have to have the test. \u00a0 Morgan was also adamant that he would rather pay for the treatment than let them put Parkin to sleep so that’s the option we went with. \u00a0The vet took one look in the cage and decided he would need to sedate Parkin to get a good look – and while he was at it why didn’t he castrate him! \u00a0This seemed a little severe given that poor Parkin only had a sore leg but he was clearly a stray with a scraggy coat and mangy ears so we went with the vets advice. \u00a0Hopefully this will stop him getting in to more fights and injuring himself again.<\/p>\n
So a few hours later and sleepy, wormed, fleaed and castrated Parkin was ready to go home under strict instructions to be kept in until the morning. \u00a0This was easier said than done and as soon as we were home Parkin decided he would do all he could to try and escape the cat box he was in. \u00a0He did settle eventually and I managed to give him some food but by 3am he’d had enough and was on an escape mission again. \u00a0We decided 3am counted as the following morning so opened up his box to let him go. \u00a0As soon as I walked away he made his break for freedom and moved faster than any cat I’ve ever seen.<\/p>\n
And that was it – we didn’t see him again…..for about a week and then he turned up one night for his dinner. \u00a0He looked so much better. \u00a0His coat and ears looked healthier but he was very wary of us… .and who can blame him!<\/p>\n\n\t\t