As soon as the local mice saw us building our new barn, they were calling friends and relatives and planning wild parties. When the first can of grain appeared, their little mouse planning commission came up with an aggressive ten month growth plan. So, we needed a barn cat.
We planned on visiting the local pound for a suitable candidate, but at church, we heard about another kitty in dire straits. She was an apartment complex cat. Someone owned her but turned her loose when they moved away. She was the friendly kitty that greeted everyone in their carports and wandered around the complex looking for food. However, she was plagued with health issues. Her coat was scruffy and falling out in patches. She was dangerously skinny. The nasty neighbor that hates cats threatened to "stomp on her head" if he saw her again. So, she was hidden in someone's bathroom until a home could be found. The timing seemed perfect. We set up an extra large dog crate in the horse barn with food, water, a bed and a litter box. When Delilah arrived, she was in bad shape. She was constantly licking, scratching, and sneezing. Her skin was swollen and puffy and her feet were especially large and irritated. She had several open wounds from scratching or chewing on her skin. I added a box of disposable gloves to be used until the vet could see her.
The vet squeezed her in the next day. The news was as bad as it gets for stray cats. She not only had scabies (which is wickedly transferable to other cats) but hookworms, (which are transferable to humans). Hookworms can live in the soil where a cat uses the bathroom. In fact, we immediately called our friend from church to tell her to make sure the people, especially the kids, at her apartment complex know to keep their shoes on outside and why this was important. Of course, that nasty neighbor should be encouraged to walk barefoot as much as possible! We also found out that she was spayed and only 2 years old.
Poor Delilah was already effectively quarantined in our barn, so we could continue, but we needed to ensure we wore gloves while petting or touching her or her cage. We used bleach to keep things clean. (Pictures taken 8/14/18)
Her quarantine would last for 30 days and she needed several treatments to be clear of both illnesses. Her improvement was amazing. We didn't even know what color she was. We thought, she was a grey calico. Her next vet check went very well. You could see the changes and she was much more comfortable. Best of all, we could finally touch her without gloves. She had shown us a sweet personality from the first day, but now we found out how cuddly she is. (Pictures taken 8/28/18).
After a full month, several treatments, and vet checks, she was cleared to be released into the barn. The mice had long ago given up their dreams of paradise. The few mice left were quickly dispatched and given as tokens of appreciation (yuck). Delilah rarely leaves her barn and we have gates and fences to keep her safe. She even has her own kitty door into the tack room where her food and water bowls are kept. She is a lovely, long haired, black calico. Her fur is soft, shiny, and tangle free. (Pictures taken 9/18/18).
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