Remember Max, my stunning eight year old puss cat? His picture graces the first page of this site, along with photos of our crazy greyhound.
He is a sweetie and very loving but has been having a very bad time lately.
Another cat, a stray I think has been trying to move in, and Max has been defending his property with a vengeance. The fights have been ferocious and completely unstoppable – eventually my boy had to go to hospital with broken teeth and abcesses. After surgery I decided to keep him in, which drove him mad but I could think of no other way of protecting my boy.
The stray continued to visit and to be very fair I could only think that he was a monster, the vets bill had been £200 and Max was a mess.
Last Saturday I decided to let Max out for short periods in the day and it went quite well. He went back to sitting on the roof, viewing his garden, and there was no sign of the stray …. until last night.
I was sorting out the recycling for our refuse collection today and was in and out of the car port with plastics and paper when I noticed Max behaving strangely near to our indoor dog kennel which is kept in the car port until we have to leave Hippie alone in the house.
On closer inspection I saw that the stray cat was inside the kennel and Max was growling at him from outside.
The kennel is a thick wire construction and obviously large enough for a greyhound….
I leaned forward and shut the kennel door, effectively trapping the stray inside …. sorry no photos here, I was thunderstruck, and Max was now spitting and hissing while the stray just looked at him!
On closer inspection this cat was in a sorry state, broken teeth, nicked ears and abcesses – he was also very thin and unkempt.
I rang the local animal hospital for advice, after all they had dealt with Max’s problems. They were brilliant and asked me to call the RSPCA and get a log number, then I could take the stray to them for treatment. I did this and was then left with the problem of getting this cat out of the kennel and into Max’s travel box.
But there was no problem – he went straight in after I put a dish of cat food in there. Then all I heard was frantic eating followed by the noisy licking out of the dish.
Suddenly he wasn’t a monster just a misguided cat looking for help and food.
I took him to our vet’s hospital and they booked him in – I also took a can of Max’s food which they said they would give him.
They will treat him and if they cannot find his owner, they will send him to the RSPCA where he will be re-homed. If they do find his owners I hope they give them the bill for his care.
Anyway, back home and at first Max was scared to go out, walking very gingerly and checking out each area of his domain.
But, today he is back to his normal self – a little battle scarred but as loving as ever.
Until the next time!!!!
Poor old Max, but you have to feel even sorrier for the stray. Max has a loving owner to look after him, feed him and shelter him, while the poor stray has to fight for everything. I am glad that you managed to catch him and hopefully he will find his own loving and caring home. I used to have a stray cat come round – we called him Bruce and he looked quite similar to Max. I always worried about him fighting with my cats, but they are scaredy cats and they just avoided him. I started to give him some food, even though I knew I shouldn’t and then one day he just stopped coming by. I like to think that he found a nice new home, but, well, the alternative is just too sad to think about.
Oh I know it is sooo difficult …my animals are all rescue pets – Max, himself was abandoned after breaking his leg so badly he has had to have a long pin in it. The problem was this stray was an un-neutered Tom cat and they can become such dreadful fighters – he was okay with me though and happy to be fed and taken somewhere warm -I just hope they can fix him up, a least he now has a chance. Let hope Bruce has a new chance too!
What a lovely heartwarming post Kate! I’m so glad you were able to help the ‘monster’ and equally glad that Max has recovered – and is once more King of his Castle!!
Hi Geri – he has been in a state again, it really hasn’t been his year – but, bless him he is becoming his old self again. I rang the vets today to ask about the stray – they have done all they could and the boy was not chipped so they couldn’t find an owner – the RSPCA are picking him up later today and he will be rehomed.
Hope you’re okay?
Oh max is just adorable. i hope he gets better soon. give him a big hug from me. I love that photo of hippy its like shes saying well im asleep now darling but you can take my photo. i have fed cats that we in my garden in the past but they have always disapeared. So now im feeding snowy my neighbour down the road owns her. So she usually comes in and munches on sheps food when hes not looking and i also give her a little sip of milk. I hope max gets better soon. shep sents hugs to the model in training i mean hippy.
Oh – sorry that Max is among the walking wounded. Poor guy – well he looks gorgeous now! Glad he has gotten past it. I kind of feel for the other kitty, he was just wanting the good things Max has…food, warmth, love…a good home. I hope they find a good place for him. It does sound like a very trying experience to be sure, I think you did well with everything you did for the stray.
BTW – thank you for stopping by my site Kate, yes we are keeping Lemme (the new kitty). He is in solitary confinement for a few days until we get his eye infection cleared up. It is looking good so should only be a few more days before he can begin meeting Fidget, Renner and Scooter. We just got him Sunday evening from a shelter. He seems a very good boy and we are hoping he likes being part of our family.
You take care and scritches to Hippie and Max!
Looks like Maxy needs to get rough and tumble and pretend he’s a dog again to protect himself !
I’ve always sworn he’s more like a dog than a cat – he’d fetch slippers given half the chance, as he can’t do that he seems rather keen to sit on my laptop all the while when I’m there!!
Oh brilliant! I was going to suggest a trap and getting the stray to the RSPCA for some much needed TLC and neutering, but he trapped himself!!
Poor Max. I assume he’s neutered, but it’s most unusual for a neutered cat to get that ‘into it’ with fighting. The stray must have been ferocious indeed! I’m glad Max has his garden back and is feeling better.
Now, did you deflea everywhere? 😉
Awww poor Max, it sounds like he has been in the wars.
It also sounds like he gave as good as he got.
I hope the stray gets a new home or is returned to his old one.
Poor cat. I know that this kind of thing can be traumatic for ones cat, expensive too and often so difficult to resolve.
I am so glad that you found the cat especially as it seems to have had a traumatic time itself. Goodness knows how badly it has been treated. I have always thought that animals that are vicious have usually been treated that way themselves. Hope all goes well for your dear kitty from now on.
Thanks Vicky – Maxie is really on the mend now – though he keeps going out to check on his domain. Hippie’s fine too and sends scritchies to the gorgeous Shep.
Sistertex: I did ask and the boy was going to the RSPCA for rehoming – bless him I hope he finds a good one! just like Lemme has!! hope he’s all okay now?
Keiron: Well you better bring your laptop at Christmas then although I suspect Max will choose something more precious to sit on then – you know what he’s like x
Jay – oh yes he’s neutered, just protecting his own territory – the stray would even come close to the back door to pick a fight – it was quite scary at times – and yes we are flea free!
Thanks Val – its not the first time i’m afraid – all strays seem to want to live here… and Maxie says no!!! He’s a lot better now.
Do you know Barbara, once we had got that ragamuffin into Max’s carrying box – he was quite a sweetie – he ate the food i gave him and was quite happy waiting in the box at the vets – I think he just wanted a home and food. I hope he finds a nice one!
Oh, this is exactly how we got our Spooky – she belonged to our neighbors, but THEIR neighbor’s look-alike bully cat took over Spooky’s living quarters and Spooky decided our house would make a fine new abode! Lucky for you, you found out about the imposter before Max moved on to greener pastures!
Ethelmaepotter: I don’t think Maxie would ever move out – he defends his rights so well but boy does he suffer for it. But every night he sleeps on my bed just like a dog (as my son said)!!! He doesn’t write as well as Spooky though… 🙂