Fostering Cats|Meet my foster Noah!

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Name: Noah
Age: 1-2 Years
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
Intake Date: May 1, 2018
Favorite things(so far): Food, the laser pointer and being called handsome

On Monday, I was messaged by the rescue that I’m working with to let me know that a woman had trapped a cat in her baby barn that she had been feeding all winter. She wasn’t sure if he was a stray or someone’s missing pet, so she kept feeding him and posting about him on some Facebook pages that are for lost and found pets in my city. After way too long, she finally decided to get a rescue involved.

So this morning, the rescue went there and after some time, finally got him out and into a carrier so he could go to the vet.

He was tested for things like Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency and tested negative for all! Which is extremely exciting because that means he got to come to be my foster.

Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency are both extremely contagious, life threatening conditions in cats. Although they can live a very long and healthy life, if the virus becomes active, it can be extremely dangerous. Vaccinations are available for these diseases, but unfortunately, most outdoor cats don’t get vaccinated. Noah will be getting vaccinated soon, and since he tested negative, there is no risk to my two kitties who still need their boosters.

When he was brought here, Noah was a pretty upset little kitty. He had a long day of being poked and prodded at and just wanted to be left alone for a while.

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I tried to provide him with some wet food, which promptly made him gag. This is somewhat normal, as being upset and nervous can cause cats to get nauseated and they’ll gag at the smell of food. So I ditched that one and left him some kibble and treats out.

Now the lady who had been feeding him was giving him dog food. And as wonderful as it was that she was feeding him, dog food is not meant for cats. They do not have the same dietary needs whatsoever. Dogs require much less protein than cats and dogs also don’t require taurine, which is an essential amino acid in a cats diet. A lack of taurine can cause things like blindness and heart conditions. So definitely not the right food for them.

As the day went on, the more I got a little nervous that he wasn’t eating. The woman from the rescue ended up coming back so that she could treat Noah with revolution and then she went out and bought some more food so we could try a few to see which one he liked the best.

He was hanging out in the hideaway, so I left him a few pieces of kibbles and went back to work. A little while later, I heard crunching, and a few minutes after that, Noah stuck his head out of the hideaway and meowed at me. So I gave him some more, which he ate happily. He then bathed himself and went back to sleep.

When I was done work, I sat in front of the hideaway and just talked to him for a few seconds. And then… he came out to see me! He was rubbing himself all over me, purring and wanting all the attention. So he got a wipe down with some baby wipes, a nice brush, a run around with the laser pointer and then I had to leave because I had to have supper.

Noah is approximately one to two years old, but being outside for so long, he looks like a much older kitty. He’s skinny, has a scratch on his nose and is very dirty. I still need to try to take a baby wipe to his paws, because they’re stained with mud. But he is a gorgeous big alley cat and just a huge cuddle bug.

This past few days have been fantastic. He’s still spooking at some things.. particularly outside. I was holding him and letting him look out the window and he pretty much panicked. I’m not sure if cats can actually be traumatized but it was as if he was terrified that I would put him out again. According to one of the ladies at the rescue, someone had actually rescued him before but then put him back outside when they realized he wasn’t their cat. I spent 20 minutes feeding him treats and rubbing his little paw until he finally relaxed enough to fall asleep.

It’s going to be slow going to get him to trust everyone again, but I’m hoping I can have him trust me so he can eventually trust his forever human. This again goes to show that cats belong inside. As much as people may say ‘well, they’re wild animals’… we domesticated them, we have to help them. And although cats do still have their natural instincts, we still dulled them enough that they can’t survive with all the other dangers that humans have put out into the world.

I can’t wait to keep you all updated on Noah’s progress. Hopefully he will get adopted quickly, he deserves it.