I'm still not sure of the gender, but given the fact that it hasn't left the yard in days, I'm guessing female. The males tend to roam, even if they're fixed.
Anyhow, I think this little kitty has been running on empty for some time now, because it's eating like a horse. Seriously, it's eating at least twice what my indoor kitties do. But for the time being, anyhow, I'm content to feed it as much as it will eat. It's probably behind on nutrition, plus it needs extra calories to stay warm at night, and since feral cats often end up with tape worms, I'm sure it needs the extra nutrition.
I still can't get very close to it, but I went out with my telephoto lens yesterday and got a few shots.
So that's the pretty kitty report.
Meanwhile, CatMan and I have been riding up a storm. So here are a few snapshots from recent rides.
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| View of the Foothills on a cloudy day |
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| Chatfield Reservoir |
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| Downtown in the Distance... WAY off in the distance! |
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| The crabapple trees are in full bloom! |
Can you slip any kind of wormer into the food? Or maybe leave out some buttermilk with chopped walnuts? Just to be sure that gorgeous kitty doesn't have any intestinal parasites. I was told about the buttermilk/walnuts combo by Jean Dodds at a conference I attended. I always gave that to my fosters to help with the worming process.
ReplyDeleteHe/She is really pretty. I bet there is some sort of Siamese in the mix there.
I am jealous that there seems to be so much more sunshine and warmth where you are -- TBG has only been able to ride outside once this year so far!
That's an interesting idea worth exploring. I think that for tape worms it requires a shot - been through that one several times - but it wouldn't be a bad idea to treat for the kind of worms that you can treat orally.
DeleteI don't think I'd handle the weather in your neck of the woods very well. CatMan and I have been riding all winter long. As long as it's 45 or warmer and the paths/streets are clear, we're riding! I think Denver has something like 300 days of sunshine per year, and I'm very spoiled!
There are some oral meds that you can get for worms OTC. That kitty looks like one I found in a shelter in Florida after a bout of bad hurricanes. I flew her home for my sister. She is an American Bob-tail and aside from your kitty's tail, the two look very similar.
DeleteAlong with whatever you are feeding, I'd suggest adding some oil in too. Any sort of blend with olive oil, safflower or sunflower would probably help too.
I used to feed strays in my old neighborhood too. They aren't an issue where I am now, but I always wanted to look out for them here since since we have this horrid winter weather. And yes, I envy your warmer climate for sure!
Pretty kitty is very pretty! Hopefully, if you decide to try and treat the worms you can treat orally, it’s hungry enough to devour food with wormer!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check with my vet to see what's recommended because I have no evidence that s/he has worms. But they do now make a tape worm treatment in pill form! Hooray!
DeleteShe (I'm going with your theory that it's a she, and I hate saying "it" about pets) is so pretty. I think her fur already looks a little better after some decent nutrition. I'm so glad you're feeding her and giving her shelter from the weather.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you've already had several suggestions for trying to treat the worms, so I'll just throw pill pockets out there as a suggestion in case you do end up needing to get any pills down her. We've had mixed results with the pill pockets; some of the cats won't touch them, even without a pill, but the cats who like them will eat just about anything if we put it in a pill pocket. That's something you could easily mix in with her food.
The crab apple trees are gorgeous. I love this time of year when everything is blooming.
Oh, I have a system for pills. Pill pockets work great, but I always put the pill in a capsule before putting it in the pocket, so they can't taste it. Sometimes you have to cut it up to fit it in the capsule, but I've had much better luck that way. Smoky thinks the gel caps are sooo delicious that he'd eat them without the pill pocket!
DeleteAnyhow, the crabapple trees are everywhere this time of year - like giant pink and white puff balls decorating the city.
Oh, kitty cat looks like a completely different cat already! "Her" fur is sleeker and she has filled out nicely. You have some fantastic photos of her.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been on a bike yet this year but I enjoyed your ride vicariously!
Well, s/he sure seems to be enjoying his/her newfound security. And I just LOVE the way those photos turned out. The telephoto lens always gives things a bit of a professional look. Perhaps if I actually read the instructions on my camera, I could figure out how to get that look with the regular lens too! :-)
DeleteYes, I was impressed with your photography. What kind of camera/lens do you have?
DeleteThe kitty photos were shot on a digital SLR Canon Rebel. It was Canon's bottom of the line SLR camera from about 5-6 years ago, so I'm sure the bottom of the line stuff of today is much better. The lens is a Canon 55-250mm zoom lens. It's also pretty much the bottom of the line telephoto lens, but it works OK. Maybe someday I'll make enough money on my photography site to afford to upgrade!
DeleteThe bike ride photos are all just from my phone. :-)
DeleteAw, thanks for sharing these photos of your pretty kitty. What a sweetie! Can't wait for more updates. It's fun to see your bike photos, too. We are having such a gorgeous springtime this year. Enjoy this beautiful day! xo
ReplyDeleteShe looks like a Tabby-Point Siamese - very pretty!
ReplyDelete[Valerie]
Those photos! I especially love the ones of the crabapple trees and, of course, the very pretty kitty.
ReplyDeleteIt warms my heart to hear how you care for animals. Thanks for doing that, seriously.