I have a 'ghost' cat, and likely a problem soon

[blackcat]

Yes I thought some underlying disease could cause the smell. Diabetes? Urinary tract? Food will change the odour to some extent but DM seems to be suggesting a major difference and that will only come from a disease or a different sort of animal ... But I suspect that DM is very good at reading tracks in snow, so knows her cat-prints ... so that leaves us with possible disease methinks ...

[Bazsmum]

I wonder if he/she maybe has a urine infection?

This cat is sounding more and more like a true shy and retiring feral....I do hope Ghosty is ok and dont cause too much disturbance to your kitties! 

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

siamese cats leave footprints in a single line.

They try to minimise the amount of contact they have with the nasty white stuff so as the front foot rises the back foot goes in it's place 

[Dark Moon]

I have no idea...........  Can't imagine it's anything he is eating. It truly is a v-e-r-y different (and bad) smell. I have had strays around before. Lots. Most now live here.   Never had anything like this, though. Not the smell, nor the fear the animals are showing. Poor Edgar didn't even want to go out this morning. You have to understand how odd that is. Edgar is one of those wanderers who wandered on into my life several years ago. Remains the wanderer. Cannot be kept inside. Has torn out each and every last screen I have - repeatedly. Always comes home at night and/or for snacks during the day. Loves to help me garden and such. But hates to be in. Having him hesitant about going out is more than odd.

I would try to film except I don't have a camcorder. Trapping (live, obviously!) is out as it is just to cold to do that (hard enough being outside, but to be trapped and not be able to find shelter even for an hour....)

The paw prints in a straight line are normal for a cat. The six foot horizontal then vertical leap, though, is amazing! Seems there may be 'ghost' creatures all over the place!

And, see, that's really the one thing about winter I DO love. I get to see who has been around. Even when I go for my walks - I am never alone. See the prints. Coyote. Fox. Deer. Grouse. Partridges. Bunnies.....  Sometimes even see them while they are still standing in their prints!  

[blackcat]

siamese cats leave footprints in a single line.

[CarolM (Wendolene)]

Could the strage smelling urine be due to something he's eating (other than your food)?  I can't imagine what, as with the world covered in thick snow there can't be many opportunities for him but a hungry cat will eat whatever he can.

I was intrigued by some pawprints in the snow we had recently.  They were definitely paws (not birds) and the right size for a cat but too far apart and in a completely straight line (not offset as youwould imagine for a four-legged creature).  They were always in the same place and went diagonally across the garden from the border with the field to where the bird feeders are.  And there they stopped, despite the fact that to get out of the garden from that point without making further prints necessitated a horizontal jump of about 6 feet to reach a 6 feet high fence.  The snow melted before  got to the bottom of it 

[Indys Mamma]

could you aim a camcorder at the food? or place it in half light and watch for yourself?

spooky....

[puddypaws]

I do love as good mystery Dark Moon.  Hope you see this ghost cat soon to put all your minds at rest.

[Dark Moon]

'tis curious. No there would not be any such breeder around. I live so totally rural most folks would not even recognize it. That also means we all know who and what.... We'd know if there was one such around - and by 'around' I mean like in a 100 km radius.

I know that my ghost is a 'regular' cat. But the urine scent is so strange. And... well... I've had lots of strays around before. And they are always un-neutered males. Edgar came that way. As did Ozzie. And Bogs (now there was a strange cat! First appeared as a short hair gray tabby with (of all things!) a red tail. Has turned into a gray tabby with incredibly l-o-n-g fur and, yes, a regular gray tail...)  And none have ever caused the 'upset' I see in the kitties (and, apparently, my neighbour sees in her dogs.).  We are used to the coyotes. Foxes and badgers and skunks and raccoons and all..... None have ever caused such fright.

I would like to see my ghost. Must be one H of a cat! For now, though, I'll just keep putting the food out for him (yes, I know, I know. But what can I do????) and hope that things don't eventually come to the blood-letting stage.

[blackcat]

yes, I imagine Lynx prints would be a bit noticeably big. Very odd - I wonder if there is someone around who is breeding those cats (forget their name - and no, I don't mean bengals) that are wildcat crosses? If one escaped that might be an answer or two? Or it could just be an entire tom who is ill and so his pee smells odd. But then, how would a sick cat survive your sort of winter on whatever it could scrounge from the neighbours ... very odd indeed ...

[Dark Moon]

No. But that's precisely what I thought. And still wonder about, even though I know it's not possible.

(keeping in mind that nothing is really impossible. But the smallest wild cat we have here are lynx - and those prints would be w-a-y larger!)

It's just odd.

[blackcat]

very strange - are there any wildcats in your part of the world that might have small enough footprints to pass for a domestic cat?

[Dark Moon]

There has been a cat around the place all winter. I have never once seen him (hence have taken up calling him the 'ghost cat'). Just see his paw prints in the snow. I must shamefully confess that I have put food out for him. Our winters are desperately cruel enough for wildlife without the added burden of hunger, and he has eaten. Sadly now....

I know he's a 'he' because he has taken up spraying my doors. Neither I nor my kitties are pleased with this. And it is such an odd smell - not like 'normal' cat spray at all.  I would actually think my 'cat' was more fox than cat, were I not so sure of the prints. But anyway.....

My kitties are beginning to think that spring might eventually come. I am not so certain, but we all have taken up going out for a little while. Mostly we just sit on the steps as the rest is still under snow - but Edgar goes wandering. He came as a wanderer and has cotinued in that vein. After a couple of months of relative quiescence, he has decided that spring must be coming and so he has to be out on his 'rounds' yet again. Wandered off yesterday morning and didn't come home last night. I worry, but not too much - as he tends to hang out down the road with the neighbour's dog a lot. But I have noticed during the past several weeks when he has wandered out, that he has come back looking hesitant. Well, he finally wandered on home this afternoon looking more than hesitant. Stilted walk coming down the driveway - as if frightened. Saw his 2 brothers on the porch and froze. Walked a bit - even more hesitantly, and then I just went and scooped him up - glad to have him home.

He has asked to go out since and I have refused. There are no signs of any injury nor any of fights, but I am pretty sure he and the 'ghost' must have met last evening.

When Edgar's hesitance first began, I thought maybe it was because of the coyotes (they are around, but always have been). But yesterday when gathering the newspaper, my neighbour also said that her animals lately had been behaving 'spooked'. Seems an odd reaction to a wandering Tom, but that's all it could be (I AM sure of the prints!).

I expect trouble ahead. Can't stop feeding the 'ghost' - he likely has come to rely on it. And I don't mind such wandering in (indeed, my last 3 came that way - Edgar being one such). But none have ever caused this much 'upset' in kittydom.

Odd.