TB Cat people, I need your help ASAP

Marley's Ghost · #1 09-21-2009, 08:38 AM

Our 5 year old Blue Point Siamese Tiffany has been going outside despite our efforts to keep her indoors. Friday, she got bit on her hind area by an unknown amnimal. We brought her to the vet, and they informed us that she would have to be quarantined for 6 months in a state approved cage in our home, with animal control paying regular visits to inspect her. Her shots were apparently not up to date. Our only other option is to euthanize.

My two daughters are insistent that we bring her home. The latest update from the vet is that she is healing, and appears to be normal. What would you do? Quarantine or euthanize?

DeluxeRed · #2 09-21-2009, 08:47 AM

Which would you want done to you?

You made a commitment. Time to keep it. It's a better-or-worse kind of thing. Pets aren't something you just dispose of when they become inconvenient.

The 6-months seems a bit steep. I had to quarantine a cat a few years back, and I believe it was 6 weeks (in CA). But do whatever it takes. For the girls, the cat, and for your karma.

Jim Nazium · #3 09-21-2009, 08:51 AM

Definitely quarantine. 6 months isn't that long, really, and keeping her caged doesn't seem like it's much more work for the owners than normal care. If the cat's only 5, she has another 5-10 years of life ahead of her.

Unrepresented · #4 09-21-2009, 08:59 AM

+1 to all those above. Euthanizing an animal out of pure convenience seems absolutely draconian.

Marley's Ghost · #5 09-21-2009, 09:01 AM

Thanks. I am trying to locate a state approved cage. The thought of animal control showing up unannounced and accessing my house gives me the willies.

68Goldfish · #6 09-21-2009, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marley's Ghost

The thought of animal control showing up unannounced and accessing my house gives me the willies.

Uh, yeah. I think I'd move out of pricipal. I've never even heard of that. A couple years ago my cat, which goes outside constantly, got a gnarly absess from a scratch or a bite probably from a fight with another cat. Anyway I took him to the vet, they drained it, stitched and put a cone on his head that I had to keep on. Cost me 600 bucks which really irked me but what are you gonna do. No state approved cage, no visits from the animal cops. I guess you must live in the city or something.

bassteban · #7 09-21-2009, 09:54 AM

Laws/city ordinances vary. I'd go the lockdown route, as I'm a huge sucker for animals. Sucks, but I have to imagine that explaining the opposite(euthanization)to your children would be- unpleasant, to say the least. I had to bury a cat right in front of my 3 kids earlier this year- long story, NOT my decision, believe me- not fun. I feel for you.

MadMan118 · #8 09-21-2009, 10:50 AM

State approved cage - contact the state, or the animal control district they know just what cage you should get, and might have one available.

playinpearls · #9 09-21-2009, 11:34 AM

i'm guessing by the

that your family is emotionally attached to the cat. I would say cage it up. this six months will fly by, and then like Jim said, you have another 10 years at least to have it as a member. My cat i grew up with was 18 when she passed...

i'm guessing this is for rabies? kinda strange, i thought they had a vaccine for rabbies for after getting infected as in a just-in-case scenario...

Joe Gress · #10 09-21-2009, 12:02 PM

Dunno. Everything that bites our cats just eats the whole cat.

Marley's Ghost · #11 09-21-2009, 07:15 PM

Well, Tiffany is back home. She seems no worse for wear, excepting the shaved area where the wound is. Have her confined to the basement while we locate a cage. This is gonna suck for the next 6 months.

Marley's Ghost · #12 09-21-2009, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Gress

Dunno. Everything that bites our cats just eats the whole cat.

Killer rabbits will do that.

WookieeForLife · #13 09-21-2009, 08:01 PM

And there goes Marley's Ghost's bass fund.

J. Crawford · #14 09-21-2009, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WookieeForLife

And there goes Marley's Ghost's bass fund.

Bummer.

Marley, sorry for biting your cat.

Lurker79 · #15 09-21-2009, 08:14 PM

I have a chocolate point, I found him wandering the neighborhood. Siamese are awesome, like wolves with missile launchers shooting lasers awesome. I'm glad it's gonna work out for you.

Ericman197 · #16 09-21-2009, 08:23 PM

Just out of curiosity - and I'm not in any way implying that you shouldn't - but what are the penalties for not complying? What would happen if, for example, you told off the inspectors?

I don't know the laws where you live, but I can't imagine they would go to such lengths as to have a court order to have the cat removed and euthanized. Six months with random visits sounds a bit extreme. Sure, there are extenuating circumstances where the police and other authorities can go visit/inspect your house unannounced, but I've never heard of animal control doing a forced 6 month quarantine.

If you have to do it, you have to do it. But I too would feel really uncomfortable if for the next six months, random strangers could demand access to my house to make sure I was being compliant with their arbitrary cat cage quarantine rules.

**john turner** · #17 09-21-2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marley's Ghost

Our 5 year old Blue Point Siamese Tiffany has been going outside despite our efforts to keep her indoors. Friday, she got bit on her hind area by an unknown amnimal. We brought her to the vet, and they informed us that she would have to be quarantined for 6 months in a state approved cage in our home, with animal control paying regular visits to inspect her. Her shots were apparently not up to date. Our only other option is to euthanize.

My two daughters are insistent that we bring her home. The latest update from the vet is that she is healing, and appears to be normal. What would you do? Quarantine or euthanize?

quarantine. no question. that cat might be with your family another 20+ years, if it's ok. 6 months in a cage is no big deal.

tbh i'm sorta surprised you're asking (not trying to be critical, but euthanize? wow.)

**john turner** · #18 09-21-2009, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ericman197

Just out of curiosity - and I'm not in any way implying that you shouldn't - but what are the penalties for not complying? What would happen if, for example, you told off the inspectors?

I don't know the laws where you live, but I can't imagine they would go to such lengths as to have a court order to have the cat removed and euthanized. Six months with random visits sounds a bit extreme. Sure, there are extenuating circumstances where the police and other authorities can go visit/inspect your house unannounced, but I've never heard of animal control doing a forced 6 month quarantine.

If you have to do it, you have to do it. But I too would feel really uncomfortable if for the next six months, random strangers could demand access to my house to make sure I was being compliant with their arbitrary cat cage quarantine rules.

if he does not agree i imagine they will euthanize the cat immediately. it poses a potential health risk since it's shots were not up to date. animal control cannot allow an a potential rabid animal loose.

cassanova · #19 09-21-2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john turner

if he does not agree i imagine they will euthanize the cat immediately. it poses a potential health risk since it's shots were not up to date. animal control cannot allow an a potential rabid animal loose.

They will euthanize here in Florida if you don't comply with a potential rabies case. However, in all my years spent as a Vet tech and working for animal shelters, I've never heard of, or have seen a case of rabies taking 6 months to develop. So the 6 month quarantine seems a bit extreme to me. It was a 10 day quarantine.
Found this too and it seems to support what I said. A few other sources I found also said symptoms develop between 20 and 60 days. Even with that the 6 months seems a tad long.

http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/types.html#eda1

I'm going to play Devil's advocate here. Hands have to go into the cage in order to feed the cat and to clean its litter box. There is also the risk of the cat escaping from the cage when its door is opened for the feedings/cleanings. So one thing you do have to ask yourself is is it worth the risk of you or a family member getting bit or scratched, especially if the animal is rabid?

bassrique · #20 09-22-2009, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marley's Ghost

Our 5 year old Blue Point Siamese Tiffany has been going outside despite our efforts to keep her indoors. Friday, she got bit on her hind area by an unknown amnimal. We brought her to the vet, and they informed us that she would have to be quarantined for 6 months in a state approved cage in our home, with animal control paying regular visits to inspect her. Her shots were apparently not up to date. Our only other option is to euthanize.

My two daughters are insistent that we bring her home. The latest update from the vet is that she is healing, and appears to be normal. What would you do? Quarantine or euthanize?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marley's Ghost

Well, Tiffany is back home. She seems no worse for wear, excepting the shaved area where the wound is. Have her confined to the basement while we locate a cage. This is gonna suck for the next 6 months.

What state/municipality do you live in?

Perhaps I'm just old-school, but when I was a kid and collected cats, they'd mix it up with the local raccoon/muskrat gangs now and then. [Nowadays I live in a different environment and keep my cats indoors.]

Six months in solitary? No way. I'd find a way to confuse, obfuscate and even frustrate the government droid visits. TB TOS won't allow me to use the language I'd like.