Barn cat vet care

[PonyRiderMom]

Now that I’m in possession of barn cats, I’m wondering about taking care of them. These cats were part of a feral cat colony. They were trapped, neutered, vaccinated, and brought to me all on the same day, last month. So they are at least good for vaccines for now.

These are not friendly cats. They are starting to come around, but they are still fearful. So for vet care, I expect that I would need to live trap them. I have one live trap and have gotten them used to it. But except for the one very hungry cat, I am not confident that I could live trap any particular cat on any particular day.

What do people do about bringing fearful barn cats to the vet? Our local vet makes you make an appointment and they ding you if you can’t keep it. So what if I make an appointment and then I can’t trap anyone that day? Even if I had four live traps, I doubt they’d all be cooperative enough to go into them on any particular day. So that’s my question about routine care.

I’m also wondering what people do about specific concerns. Like, one of these cats seemed to have some digestive issues for a while (seems mostly resolved now) and another one appears to have some respiratory issues. Do you just basically ignore this? Do you only take barn cats to the vet if there is something critically wrong with them? I don’t even know if this vet will take cats in a case like that if the cat doesn’t already have a history with them. But I worry that if I live trap the cat and take it to them to “establish care” that the cat will not go back into the live trap the next time.

We do have an emergency vet clinic, but they’re a bit far from them and absolutely everyone hates them.

[luvmyhackney]

I feed them in my bathroom with a litter box for about a week before my equine vet is scheduled to come.

Then the day of, close the bathroom door to keep them in until she comes to give vaccines.

Then long gloves, thick towels, and lots of tuna, we get it done. I catch and vet injects.

Now they are friendlier it’s easier but not by much.

[GraceLikeRain]

The barns I’ve been at kept them contained until they were fairly friendly and set up a strict twice a day feeding routine. When vet care was needed they got contained a few days before or were then friendly enough to be scooped into a carrier. Thankfully I’ve never been anywhere that just ignored the medical needs of barn cats.

[trubandloki]

@PonyRiderMom

Now that I’m in possession of barn cats, I’m wondering about taking care of them. These cats were part of a feral cat colony. They were trapped, neutered, vaccinated, and brought to me all on the same day, last month. So they are at least good for vaccines for now.

These are not friendly cats. They are starting to come around, but they are still fearful. So for vet care, I expect that I would need to live trap them. I have one live trap and have gotten them used to it. But except for the one very hungry cat, I am not confident that I could live trap any particular cat on any particular day.

What do people do about bringing fearful barn cats to the vet? Our local vet makes you make an appointment and they ding you if you can’t keep it. So what if I make an appointment and then I can’t trap anyone that day? Even if I had four live traps, I doubt they’d all be cooperative enough to go into them on any particular day. So that’s my question about routine care.

I’m also wondering what people do about specific concerns. Like, one of these cats seemed to have some digestive issues for a while (seems mostly resolved now) and another one appears to have some respiratory issues. Do you just basically ignore this? Do you only take barn cats to the vet if there is something critically wrong with them? I don’t even know if this vet will take cats in a case like that if the cat doesn’t already have a history with them. But I worry that if I live trap the cat and take it to them to “establish care” that the cat will not go back into the live trap the next time.

We do have an emergency vet clinic, but they’re a bit far from them and absolutely everyone hates them.

I typically keep my TNR cats caged for a month or plus until they have gotten used to me.

Then I spend lots of time with high value food making them my friend. Figure out where they like to be touched and touch there and gradually expand until you are petting them like a normal cat. Gradually working to the point of being able to pick them up.

Some never do come around and those vet care is limited to true emergency care, because the ability to trap a truly feral cat becomes very limited the more you trap them.

For taking a nervous cat to the vet, talk to the vet about mild sedation. Gabapentin works amazing in most cats. Can be hidden in high value food. The only down side is I have to keep them caged for awhile afterward. (An evening appointment I leave them caged until the next morning, for example.)
I keep a large dog crate all set up with a litter box and a cat bed, door wide open, so it is just there when I need it for such times.

I have taken some pretty timid cats to the vet and it has worked out just fine, because the vet was very understanding.

(edit to clarify - Keeping cat caged at my place = the above mentioned large dog crate, with a shelf, litter pan, bed, box, and some open floor space. I don’t want people thinking I keep them in the trap.)

[Ghazzu]

When I had an ambulatory LA practice, I did a fair number of barn cats/dogs.

[PonyRiderMom]

These cats have been very slow to trust. I was told that they came from a situation where humans were actively harassing them. I’ve had them for 4-6 weeks and it’s just this week that they were all willing to come down and eat with me there. I can touch one of them, but not much. They’re all moving in the right direction, but they’re mostly older cats and it’s possible they won’t all be pickup-able, ever.

I agree about the live trap having declining usefulness, and that’s what really worries me. I’m guessing I will let them wait two years between vaccinations, as I’ve been told that that is acceptable for cats. Hopefully there will be no emergencies between now and then. But, we do have coyotes. And I remember from our old pet cat that cat cuts tend to heal too quickly and then abscess underneath. I guess I need to learn what constitutes a feline medical emergency, just like I had to learn what constitutes an equine medical emergency.

[trubandloki]

I find that as soon as they are willing to be around me at all, up the value of the food you are giving when you are there and just hang out. Sit on a stool and talk to them while they eat. Moving your stool closer and closer to the high value food.
Good wet food can do lots to make them give in.

The fact that you care enough to want to get them vet care makes me think you will have them friendly in no time.

[luvmyhackney]

@PonyRiderMom

I’ve had them for 4-6 weeks and it’s just this week that they were all willing to come down and eat with me there. I can touch one of them, but not much.

That’s great progress. Took 3 months to be able to scratch 2/3 cats and 5 months for cat 3.

Tuna on a spoon was popular.