There has been a cat around for several years who was always after food. It often didn't show up at weekends, but other times, appeared a couple of time a day. We assumed it was owned, but no very well cared for. Its fur was always matted. We called it Lazalike (as it is black and long-haired like our Laz) about 8 or 9 weeks ago I noticed it had a problem with its mouth and was struggling to eat. It got so bad that it would try to eat even soft food, but flinch, yelp and run off. I tried catching it without any luck, but in the meantime, I liquidised pate food with water to feed it 'cat food soup'. I borrowed a trap, but it wouldn't go anywhere near. I tried grabbing it one day, but ended up badly bitten and scratched, with swollen infected hands (I was on antibiotics for a week). I remembered that it wandered into the house a few times earlier in the year and always made a beeline for catnip toys (we put a stop to it coming in after it started spraying) so I ordered a yeoww banana and managed to enice it in the house. The first time, it bolted out of the cat flat, so I waited and tried again (by this time, it was in a bad way and it was skind and bone :cry: ) and locked the flap before enicing it it with the toy. I threw the banana into the shower room and the cat followed, so I closed the door. I had already set up a tray and a tent with a bed in + a water bowl and liquidised food. I took it to the vet the next day. It had a badly infected mouth. It was kept in for the day and was neutered (it turned out to be a boy) clipped, given a metacam jab and started on antirobe. The vet sent off bloods for FIV and FeLV tests, which she was amazed, were both negative. She thinks there is a chance he may have Calicivirus, which we will be testing for and he may need to have most of his teeth removed, but we have been giving him time to settle as he is still very hissy and skittish (he has our attic suite with his own bedroom and bathroom :D ) He is like a differnt cat though. He loves nothing better than lying on one of us purring and face rubbing. He is going to be on Antirobe and Metacam for a few more weeks yet, but I will take him back for testing then and take it from there. We can't risk letting him out of the room yet in case he makes a bid for freedom, although he seems quite happy and contented in the warm with a soft bed and plenty to eat :D
PS - when I was trying to find out if he was owned, it turned out that he just had another feeder.
Latest news is that his Calici test was positive, so the next step is for him to have most of his teeth out.
