> How do I rescue this flea-ridden male kitty? I found an

>>2247381
call humane society

>>2247411
Actually that was the first thing I did as soon as the neighbors told me he had been out there a month and had no owner. Then the guy started to win me over so I'm very tempted to save him somehow.

Any way you slice it (keep or send out) I will need to find a way to crate the cat which hasn't been easy so far. As much as he wants love and to be indoors he doesn't want boxes or cat carriers at all. I have never seen a cat hate boxes as much as he does.

None of the local animal organizations do pickups except for Animal Control and they only pick up sick or injured animals.

> ASPCA
3 month waiting list. I would need to take the cat in myself and care for him during that time. If I'm going to have to invest hundreds of dollars to keep the cat while the list opens up I might as well keep the cat.

> Local Shelter
The kitty would have three weeks to be adopted or be killed. I'd feel terrible if that happened. He's so sweet. Dying outside is even worse, though, so this is what I will have to do if I can't find an answer.

>Animal Control
Also a long waiting list around 3 months for healthy pet animals. Only injured or sick pets get fast attention.

>>2247415
Assuming you wouldn't be allowed to adopt him if you are the person to surrender him,
>get friend who will adopt him (for you) before his time is up
>take to local shelter
>let them treat his fleas
>he gets treatment, housing, food, socialization
OR
>rough kitty up
>take to animal control

First of all, if you're too moved by a cat freaking out (if it's for his own good) you might not be fit for owning one. Giving pills, sometimes trimming nails, holding during vet visits... all those things involve stress for the cat and if you can't handle it then give the cat to someone who can. My cat is the sweetest thing but when inside a crate she flips and spins like a fish out of water. She has never been abused and I have no idea why crates freak her out so much.

What you gotta do:
>grab cat, put in crate
>with a bedsheet large enough, wrap it JUST ONCE and tie at the top (so that oxygen can go through the single layer of sheet, but the fleas that jump out of the crate can't)
>take him to a vet AND groomer (if you can find a clinic/shop that has both it will be way easier)
>ask them to give him a flea bath, flea meds and deworming, then fixing.
>worst case scenario, you'll have to schedule the fixing, but the flea bath and med should take care of most of the fleas so you can take him home to wait
>fleas rarely infest a house on a level that isn't manageable, unless you're a filthy person. Two or three fleas should not pose a threat. Fleas (when having a cat source) rarely jump onto humans with the sole objective of biting, it's usually panicked jumping when the cat scratches

sauce: Cat rescue NGO owner

>>2247422
Thank you!

That's actually a very clever trick! I should see if the always neuter all found animals. If so, then that could fix both problems and I can always donate to the shelter to cover the fees required to take care of things. I know they can do it cheaper than the vet would either way.

Roughing up the kitty with stage blood and a beard trimmer would be as far as I would be willing to do there, but it is an idea.

>>2247431
I grew up with cats and have done nail trimming, given pills and other things as well. All past cats were from shelters or were adopted so young there was time to get the kitty fixed. I just never have rescued a cat before.

The blanket around the crate makes sense. I don't know why I didn't think of it myself. It's good to know the idea of getting it all done at once (or close to it) is the best answer. Thanks for the information!

Do you have a product called CAPSTAR in your country, OP? It's a pill that will kill all the fleas on him, and kill anymore than find him for ~36 hours. If you can give him a pill in some wet food, and then do as >>2247431 suggests, you may be able to minimize the chance you get any fleas.

Some shelters let you adopt the animal after surrender. What will really help is if OP notes that it is not his cat (he must also not have been caring for it for more than 2 weeks is the general rule of thumb). If he says the cat isn't his, the cat may have to wait in stray hold anywhere from 3 days to a week. After that, the cat may have to stay longer for fix or other medical treatment. During this time, the cat may get URI and from there, may need more time to treat it (sometimes months) or may be chalked up as a lost cause and euthanized. You can always ask if the shelter will keep you updated on the cat or let you know if it is deemed unadoptable so you can take it back, but they are not required to do that once you sign the animal over.

I don't want to scare you OP, but just realize that if you surrender the cat you may still not see it again (if not euthanasia, it could still be adopted by someone else) and it may take a long time before the cat is available for adoption.

>>2247472
Capstar isn't sold locally but I could buy it online. Definitely worth looking into.

>>2247473
I don't know how long they hold animals at that shelter. They do mention to check the shelter every three or four days if they have lost a pet, though. It would be another thing to keep in mind. Thanks for the extra info.

Bullet to head