This kitten KICKED MY ASS, so I have named her Skittles.

[Bertha Venation]

This is Skittles the Feral Kitten:



I took this picture last week. Today we began our week-long trap-fest. We have five adults and four kittens to trap. We got two of the kittens today.

My friends, I am an idiot of the first water. After we brought in the trap containing the kitten, I wanted to take her out of the trap and put her in a safe place behind a closed door. But Mrs. Venation said "she's too scared. Just let her go; she'll find a safe place and we can move her later." Well, I didn't listen. We'd already got her sister/brother in, and I wanted them to be together. She was in a great spot for the picking-up, kinda in a corner, so I didn't take the time to put on my leather gloves.

That cat drew more blood than Red Cross, and she chomped the hell out of my thumb. I worry about kittens becoming game for other critters, but let me tell you I'll worry less now: those kittens know how to defend themselves. She gave me three good stripes on my right palm, a deep bite on my right thumb, and two fabulously bloody cuts on my left index & pinky fingers. Serves me frickin' right.

Both kittens are now huddled together warm and safe in the master bath. (They have the run of the bedroom but they haven't moved yet.) Socialization begins in a couple of days. Tomorrow we might let in Uncle Petey, our gentlest, calmest, and most maternal cat, to see if they need a mommy figure.

Bertha Venation got her ass kicked by a six-week-old kitten. :dunce:

[Metatron]

1. She's so cute!

Great name, too :)

[Fenris]

2. She looks darling.

Getting your ass handed to you by a cat is nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to all of us at some time. I have the scars to prove it.:D

:hi:

[Bertha Venation]

10. Hey, Fenris.

I like the way you put it "getting your ass handed to you by a cat." LOL

Have I ever told you that I think of you sometimes even when away from here? Who knows why. Weird, eh? I like ya. I think I'll keep ya. :hug:

[Fenris]

16. Well, thank you very much Mrs. V!

I'm honored. Plum honored!

:hug:

[hyphenate]

36. Ditto!! eom

[MinneapolisMatt]

3. That kitty...

...has the most beautiful eyes. :)

[demgrrrll]

5. I had a feral cat once that bit the hell out of me at first. He became a

wonderful loving cat. RIP Snidely Whiplash we miss you still.

[Bertha Venation]

8. Thanks for telling me about Snidley. Gives me hope.

RIP Snidley.
:hug:

[FizzFuzz]

4. hahahah !!! don't you love being lacerated, while everyone says

"awwwwwwwwww, so cute!" ??

oh, btw,
awwwwwwwwww! she's a cutie! ;)

[Bertha Venation]

6. You read my mind, FizzFuzz.

Aww, so cute, yeah. Cute like a circle saw!

She is sweet, though, and so's the other one. Somewhere out there are their black and ginger siblings. Keep your fingers crossed. :D

[FizzFuzz]

24. crossing fingers!

Good luck and don't wait around on the bites.

[7th_Sephiroth]

7. awwwww such a cutie

dangerous too

[Cerridwen]

9. She's beautiful. And I hope you have plenty of peroxide for

those bites, cuts, and scratches. After all, you've more kitties to save.

:evilgrin:

Oh, and how is your baby whose temperature you're having to take on a daily basis? All is well, I hope.

[Bertha Venation]

13. Hi, Cerridwen. Richard is much better.

He's slowed down since recovering from those several days of scary lethargy and limping and not eating, but he is much better and I'm not worried about him anymore. Thanks for asking. :hi:

[Cerridwen]

20. I'm so glad to hear it. I meant to ask a couple of days ago

and was side tracked.

If you get a chance, would you please let Richard know some woman from waaaaay over in Nevada asked about him? I'm sure he'd think it was his due and I wouldn't want to disappoint him. Ya know?

:7

[Bertha Venation]

25. Goodness.. you sound as if you know him.

Where in Nevada? I was at school with a woman from Fallon (barely an acquaintance), and the first time I flew, it was to Reno.

[Cerridwen]

41. But of course I "know" him. He.is.a.cat. :-D

I'm in Las Vegas. Fallon is waaay north of me; thank heavens. I lived in Reno one year and in Carson City another year. I prefer Vegas during my exile here in NV. I was born here but I still feel I'm in exile.

:shrug:

[CO Liberal]

11. Better Get Those Bites Checked

One of my cats bit me accidentally on the thumb a few years ago. I washed it out as best I could, but when I woke up the next morning, my thumb was swollen and there was a line running down the inside of my forearm. I called the 24-hour help line for my HMO and they told me to go to an urgent care center immediately. I had a severe infection. There is stuff in cat saliva that causes horrible infections in people.

Please get it checked, Bertha. We need you here. And the cats need you, too.

[Bertha Venation]

15. I promise, CO Lib. Dr. Venation fixed me up,

and I continue to treat them w/ good washings and more Neosporin. I will watch the bite very carefully. Thanks & tell that Princess of yours I said hi. :hug:s

[alittlelark]

19. I had the same happen to me

3 shots of anti-biotic in the butt, and a round of some anti-biotic for 2 weeks afterwards did the trick. When I woke up the morning after the bite I thought my hand was broken for a few moments.... it was horribly swollen and there were streaks radiating from my hand to my forearm. Fairly Ghastly.

[CO Liberal]

26. I Was On Anti-Biotics For a Week and Had to Keep My Left Arm Elevated

It happened to be the week I was attending intense software training for Adobe FrameMaker. It was very hard paying attention and typing with my hand throbbing.

[Bertha Venation]

29. Oh, crap.

Really, I promise to take care.

[CO Liberal]

31. You Better!!!!

Or we'll tell Mrs. Venation to kick your butt.

:-)

[alittlelark]

33. I FULLY understand the Throbbing

Damn, I started making songs to the cadence, just to stay sane and off the percocet.

[miss_kitty]

12. Two Words

Leather Gaunlets. Find 'em around rose care stuff or welding equipment.

Thay can still go through them, but when they get to pink flesh, it won't go so deep. :)

You are a saint, ma'am for helping those kitties.O8)

[Bertha Venation]

17. That's exactly what I need.

I have heavy-duty leather gardening gloves, but of course they won't protect my arms. Thanks!

[Skittles]

14. it's a great feline name!

I am named for a 26 pound solid bundle of fomer injured stray feline love, Skittles. :thumbsup:

[Bertha Venation]

18. SKITTLES!

I was hoping you'd see this thread. :hi:

Twenty-six pounds?! Good lord!

[Skittles]

27. we can't figure out why he is so freaking fat

he lives with three other cats on a farm; unless he is chowing down on barn rats he doesn't seem to eat any more than the other three do

[Bertha Venation]

28. Is he really obese, or is he just solid?

Maybe he's just a big, big cat. Or maybe he chooses the fattest rats. ;)

[Skittles]

32. well, he feels solid

but he's got a major roll around his shoulders. I'll get Tombo to take a picture of him.

[Bertha Venation]

35. Can't wait to see him! n/t

[undergroundpanther]

21. Damn

adorable and tough

Anyways don't EVER mess with a cat bite.
I did what you are diooing now,the neosporin thing and it didn't do squat.
I had to spend two days in the hospital getting IV antibiotics.
It's because cat teeth leave deep tissue punctures that'seal' when the cat lets go of you bacteria is deposed in you almost like it was an injection.The wound does not drain it out really.The bacteria have a nice warm place to grow undisturbed. It's dangerous because cat teeth are needle like and not sterile. Cats don't have toxic spit,humans technically have nastier mouths that cats do but our teeth don't make puncture wounds the same as cats 'do..
The Doctor that was admitting me told me if I had not sat around messing with neosporin for a day and a half I wouldn't have had to go inpatient. Take it from me,IV antibiotics HURT because they keep it cold and veins don't register hot/cold just PAIN,no matter if it's cold it's pain.For those two days Torridol was my best freind. the bill came out to close to 3,000 bucks and I have no insurance. Fun.
Anyways...
Don't delay and fool around with peroxide and neo,please get your arse off DU and GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM...NOW!

[Bertha Venation]

34. Panther, although I know you are probably right

I'm waiting until morning. I will tell you if I learn I should have taken your advice. Thanks :hi:

[Tess49]

44. If you are not up to date, you need a tetanus shot.

Bites, especially deep ones, can transmit tetanus. Tetanus is a spore found everywhere. Take it from me -- been there a month ago. My son, a Doc, made me go to the AM/PM clinic that day and get a booster.

[barb162]

22. I took an adult male feral in, very beaten up. He became the best

cat I ever had in many many years of cat "owning" or whatever we call it when we take care of cats. I had him 2 years before he died of cancer at age 8. God I miss him every day. He was the SMARTEST, most grateful, caring, friendliest, funniest, most loving, human (I mean he was human in the range of his emotions), wonderful cat.

I want to tell you this is a very pretty pussycat and I hope these pussycats turn out to be wondercats for you too.

[alittlelark]

23. A neighbor and I have been trapping kitties in the creek

in our neighborhood for 3 years now. We have gotten 7 adults fixed and returned to the creek. 2 of our captures were even adoptable!.
Three years ago our kitten intake was 16..fortunately all were young enough to be domesticated.
Two years ago it was 10...2 were not domesticatable (9-10 wks at capture) and became semi-feral barn cats in Los Altos Hills.
This year.... only 5 kittens! And all were domesticated.

You are doing a wonderful thing. We can make a big difference in small ways if we try.

PS - that kitten pic is sooo sweet, and get the bite checked if it starts to get 'hot'.

[Bertha Venation]

30. You rock.

Dwindling numbers of kittens. Someone who gets what TNR is for! :yourock:

[alittlelark]

37. It's the only humane (and logical) way to deal w/ ferals

Plus, it's FUN... The kids and I LOVE the kittens. I have a 'maternal male' cat that really helps w/ domestication as well (but he HATES the adults we have over for 'fixing sleepovers). I wish I had followed my initial plans and become a vet. Low-No cost S/N clinics would be my gig.

[consciousobjector]

38. Skittles is a real cutie!

I learned my lesson from a 4 week old feral I originally named "Fang"
Her name is Sylvie now and she's the sweetest cat you could find. She loves to sit on the back of the chair and hug us around the neck...never a claw or fang since that first time.

Until you get to a doctor, try painting the affected area with goldenseal tincture if you have it.

[demgrrrll]

39. I forgot to tell you about Feliway.. It is a product that you plug into

wall like a glade air freshener. The product releases a scent that calms and comforts cats. I have a new cat that started biting and we were at our wits end until I found this product. Squidford stays in the room with the Feliway most of the time now and does not bite. It was really great to find this product and to be able to help him. Squidford was living outdoors until he wandered over to our yard so he was not completely domesticated either.

It is much less expensive to order from the internet than to buy from petco.

[Cadence]

40. I used to have a non-feral cat

that would do that to me. She actually looked a lot like that one. Ten years I went through this with her......I don't miss her.

[CatWoman]

42. awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

look at that face!!! :D

[pagerbear]

43. This of course begs the question....

what sort of temperament would cause you to name a kitten Pagerbear? ;-)