Feral cat resists attempts to take her to veterinarian

Dear Cathy: I recently adopted a feral 6-month-old snowshoe kitten. I was given a report that she had been treated for a urinary infection.

A few days later, I noticed some thick, yellow gunk on the floor near the litter pan. A few days after that, she let me pick her up very briefly, then sneezed and a whole lot of this gunk went spraying all over.

I have tried all week to get her into a carrier, but she goes ballistic. She bit me so badly I had to be placed on antibiotics.

She stopped eating over the last 24 hours. No drinking either. I have tried all the suggestions. How can I get her to the vet? — Patti, Nashville, Tennessee

Dear Patti: If she will let you touch her, reach down quickly and scruff her neck. She can’t bite or scratch when you scruff her neck, and then you can put her in the carrier. A carrier that opens from the top is the easiest to use with an unwilling cat. Then let the vet staff know she is feral, so they don’t get injured trying to get her out of the carrier.

Another option for the future (when she is better and eating again) is to buy or rent a humane box trap. Put a very aromatic, high-value food in the trap. When she goes into it to eat, the trapdoor will close behind her, and you can take her in the trap to the vet’s office.

If you want to eventually socialize her, sit near her while she is eating but maintain a distance she will tolerate. Each day, inch a little closer to her. Eventually, if you can sit right next to her, you can try to train her to accept petting. This training will help when you need to take her to the vet again because you will be close enough to scruff her.

Once she is clear of this infection, make sure she gets spayed as well.

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