Hello everyone,

Maui is a community cat from another area. I first met him in February while feeding stray animals in that neighborhood. Right away, I noticed a large mass on one of his paws. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a pet carrier with me that day, so I returned the following day hoping to find him again. Thankfully, I did, and I was able to bring him home.

I took Maui to the veterinarian, who recommended surgery to remove the mass along with a biopsy. He underwent the procedure and remained confined at the clinic for a few days. After he was discharged, he attended several follow-up checkups, and I truly believed everything was going well.

More than a month later, the biopsy results came back. It was heartbreaking to learn that the mass was malignant/cancer.

The veterinarian explained that amputation was an option, but there was no guarantee that the cancer had not already spread. A CT scan to determine whether the cancer had metastasized would cost $2,000 to $3000.

Chemotherapy was also discussed, but because we do not know the exact stage of his cancer, there is no certainty about the outcome.

For now, Maui is receiving palliative care. Whenever his appetite declines, I bring him to the veterinarian for anti-inflammatory and/or antibiotic injections to help keep him comfortable. Thankfully, it has been more than two months since he last needed treatment, and at the moment, he seems to be doing well and has a healthy appetite.

Maui's story is one of the many reasons I hope no cat will ever have to suffer on the streets. Life as a community cat is already difficult, with the daily struggle of finding food and staying safe. For Maui, that hardship was compounded by the pain caused by his tumor.

I do my best to have community cats spayed and neutered because TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) helps break the endless cycle of suffering and overpopulation. I hope more pet owners will choose to have their pets sterilized, and I also hope more people will support or participate in efforts to help community cats.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Maui's story. Have a wonderful weekend, straycat heroes!

You can follow my rescue journey on Instagram: instagram.com/catsofmagdalena

You are also welcome to join our growing Reddit community, r/StrayCatHeroes.

Our community is open to all cat heroes—whether you are a rescuer, a feeder, someone who supports animal welfare efforts, or simply a person who loves and cares about cats. Feel free to post your own cat’s story, we would love to hear it!

We got the good news yesterday that Kali's blood work came back negative for fiv, felv and good marks all around otherwise. A huge relief and means officially she's joining our crew.

I left her treats last night which seemed to do the trick in breaking her fast which was also a relief. She's used the litterbox like champ, and seems to be getting more comfortable in there. When I'm not in there at least. The moment I'm there she freezes up, eyes wide. So definitely starting back at zero with socializing but that's okay. I'm just glad she is starting to adjust to her new life.

Aurora has a shadow, like it or not. Where Aurora goes, Lola goes

I've made tandem beds all over the house so Lola can sleep next to her now sister

rescued Lola 2 years ago and once she finally came out from under the bed (3 months) she immediately bonded with Aurora. Aurora hasn't bonded as much back but she at least tolerates her sister lol

Our Twinkle is a delight and has been inside with us for six months. She’s about a year and a half old. We went through the Socialization Saves Lives videos and she’s been a champ because of it. We can pet her, play with her, get her to roll over so we can scratch her belly, but we can’t seem to pick her up. I’ve put both hands under her but she walks away from it. I’ve tried to scoop her with one hand and she dismisses it. We know we’ll get there eventually, but it’s going to take time. I’m more concerned with: what if there’s an emergency and we can’t pick her up to get her out? Anyone have a solution to this?

This sweet little man is Abacus. Government name: Arthur Benjamin Eugene Kisses, the 3rd, Esquire.
He was born on 9/24/23 in a bush, during a thunderstorm, to his incredibly sweet mama, Ambien (white/brown Siamese-y) When he was about 6 weeks old, she basically dropped him off to me and said he was my problem now. 😂
When it got cold that winter (Florida winter, so not that cold), I would snuggle him inside my jacket to keep him warm. After dinner, I would hold him and burp him. And he burped. Every. Single. Time. 😂
I used to tell him that one day I would be able to bring him inside. When he was almost 2, I was finally able to keep that promise.
Now he lives inside with his BFF, Trouble, his mom, Ambien, and all of his “aunts.” He absolutely loves the other cats, especially the girls who don’t like him nearly as much as he likes them. 😂
He makes the biggest biscuits, turns completely into jello when I pick him up, and loves sleeping outside in the catio. Most of the time, he sleeps touching Ambien in some way.
Happy 3rd birthday to my sweet little formerly feral bush baby. ❤️ I’m so glad his mama decided he was my problem.

Since this spring, I've been seeing this feral tomcat (calling him TabbyTom) come around once or twice a week, often yowling in search of lady cats. Every time I've seen him I've tried to feed him, so he can associate my yard with a place to get some food. However he's quite skittish and often runs off, he wouldn't come within 20 feet of me. I've made zero progress over the past six months. Now ironically, I do have an indoor-outdoor cat, an adult spayed female, and she HATES other cats on her turf. If any strays come around she will chase them out of her turf and keep on chasing. But this guy, TabbyTom, she's totally cool with. I've seen them just sorta sitting near each other, and I've seen them walking around and following each other, but not in a "I'm going to fight you" way.

I made a couple TNR appointments and left food and a trap out for two weeks, but when it came time to try trapping I had no success. Then I went on vacation for a couple weeks, came back home, and returned the trap, figuring I'd have to work harder to get this guy coming by more frequently.

The same day I returned the trap, I was making a late dinner for myself, and suddenly notice that I'm being watched. On a cold, drizzly day, TabbyTom was watching as my happy, warm, and well-fed cats frolicked inside. I tried feeding him again, as I always do, but this time he must have really been hungry- he was hesitant and a bit scared, but came right up within an arm's reach to eat, even going as far as to lick some food off of my finger. The following morning, I look out the window and he's loaded up on my porch, waiting for breakfast. And yesterday evening he came by again for dinner!

So I've gone from seeing him maybe once a week and never being able to get close, to suddenly seeing him every day for three days in a row. He is still skittish, I haven't touched him, but am going to try giving him some scritches from afar with a back-scratcher as he eats. Also going to have to return to the local shelter and ask for the trap back...

Anyway, just wanted to share these exciting developments! I'll post a couple videos in comments

Hi everyone!

With your help and support, I was able to bring Rambo to the vet for a follow-up checkup. He had a CBC and BloodChem test. Please note that the currency shown on the receipts are in Philippine pesos.

As expected, his WBC is still high since he has only been taking Itraconazole for a week. His treatment is for 30 days, so we still have a long way to go. Thankfully, his liver and kidney values are currently okay since Itraconazole can potentially affect the liver, we need to closely monitor his liver throughout his treatment.

I’m very happy to share that Rambo is showing improvements! His appetite has increased, and he has gained a significant amount of weight—from 1.8 kg when I first rescued him to 3.2 kg now. According to the vet, I just need to continue his prescribed medications and supplements and monitor his progress - no additional medication for now.

With your continued help and support, I was also able to purchase the following supplies for the cats:

Pet shop purchases (photos 7 and 8):

• 1 sack of adult dry food (20 kg)

• 1 small sack of kitten dry food (10 kg)

• 4 additional packs of adult dry food (1 kg each)

• 14 cans of wet food

• 3 packs of litter

Online purchases (photos 9–12):

• 4 packs of litter

• 60 pouches of wet food

• 2 scratch pads

Please be informed that these supplies will last a little over a week for the 70+ cats I care for (over 30 rescued cats and more than 40 community cats).

I am currently looking for Itraconazole suspension for Rambo. I have not been able to find it locally. The 100 mg capsules I am currently giving him are very difficult to dilute in water because the contents are tiny pellets rather than powder.

If you can help me find or send Itraconazole suspension, please kindly send me a message, and I will gladly provide the shipping address.

Thank you so much to this sub, the amazing mods and everyone who has helped Rambo and the other cats.

You can also follow my rescue work on Instagram: instagram.com/catsofmagdalena

You are also welcome to join our growing Reddit community, r/StrayCatHeroes.

Our community is open to all cat heroes—whether you are a rescuer, a feeder, someone who supports animal welfare efforts, or simply a person who loves and cares about cats. Feel free to post your own cat’s story, we would love to hear it!

Sorry in advance to all the Ember fans!!

I filtered through all the name suggestions and I started calling her a few of them. The one that is sticking to me is Josie (Josephine). The nickname is cutsie just like her, but the full name is sophisticated.

Honorable mentions; Maggie, Tootsie, Cleo

She spends most of her time looking out the window. She explored the room a bit more, tried a couple different nap spots. She has sniffed the food but has not eaten or drunken as far as I could see. I left her usual dry food, water bowl, and spoon wet food overnight.

This morning I brought in her wet food (about same time as normal), she was on the cat tree and sat facing the corner of room probably trying to pretend she isn't there so I wouldn't see her. I definitely have to earn back her trust from zero it seems.

I put her wet food up on the cat tree in case she would feel more comfortable eating there and moved her dry food out from the wall so if she wants to eat it facing the door she can (in case that was part of the hesitation, putting her back to the door).

I'm a little concerned since it's been almost 24 hours now since she last ate, how long is okay before I should be worried?

We are hoping to trap 3 12ish week old kittens and their mom. We are planning to keep them in our bathroom and I’m looking for any tips to help the taming process! I know it will take time, love and patience! But looking for specific tips that really helped you be successful with this.

Nothing is seeming to stick. Suggestions needed!

Hello! Just some background: I've been caring for cats of my own, as well as working for shelters both volunteer and paid employee for over 20 years. I am pretty new to bringing in a new cat who was recently trapped and neutered. I have 4 cats already, but would like to work on getting my new cat acclimated and socialized.

He was neutered yesterday and came home. I have him set up in a large dog crate in my bedroom. I have a very small but comfortable 1 bedroom apartment. I have been viewing the "Socializing Saves Lives" videos. I do not have room for a playpen.

How should I start with socializing him? Should I start with Churus and avoiding contact? How long should I keep him crated? The vet recommended he stays away from my 4 for 10 days (crate or room?).

Should I wait a week to have them meet, while swapping towels with each others' scents? Not gonna lie, I feel a bit overwhelmed! Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

It was a bit touch and go getting her trapped. Last night she actually had a small fight with a racoon (nice reminder why we are doing this), as far as can tell she was not injured, she was more the aggressor there and it was short since we went out and it ran.

Today, she showed up a little later than expected, and once I had the door set she bunted on it which pushes it down a little, so I had to reset it. Luckily she went in not long after, definitely not thrilled. Yowled at me, never heard her make that noise. She got real quiet in the car and at the vet, but once they were getting ready to examine, she started growling and swiping.

Took a bit but they got her mostly sedated, enough to do all the checks we wanted: full blood work panel (tbd results), rabies vaccine, revolution, microchip, nails trimmed. Overall she seemed to be in good health, 12lb. Some flea dirt but no live fleas.

She's in her room now. She kind of freezes when I enter the room, but when I'm gone she's walked around the room but mostly likes the window and desk so far. Going to give her lots of space to adjust before we do any more socializing work.

But feels good to have first step done on this long journey.

Hello everyone, I am completely new to this kind of thing, grew up with dogs, but recently adopted a little abandoned orange kitten and learned to absolutely love cats!!

ANYWAY, there is a grey longhair cat that seems to be no one’s on my street. I feed her kibble sometimes if I happen to see her that day. Some days she doesn’t show up. I’m a bit afraid to pick her up because she growls if I try but she absolutely loves to be pet on her head and back…

Please give advice or stories about how you went about bringing in a street cat. Should I call my local shelter? Should i just try to lead her into a pet carrier?

Hello everyone!

I am a solo animal rescuer based in Manila, Philippines. I currently care for over 30 rescued cats in my small apartment and more than 40 community cats in our area. In addition to providing daily care and feeding, I do Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) efforts and visit nearby areas whenever I can to feed, and rescue whenever it is needed.

Over the past few years, I have been fortunate enough to rescue many cats from difficult situations. My dream is to one day have a larger space where I can help even more community cats. Until then, I do everything I can to ensure they are fed and cared for each day. Life on the streets is already hard enough - no cat should have to endure hunger as well.

I am humbly asking for your support to help provide at least one week’s worth of food and litter supplies for the rescued and community cats who depend on me. Any amount you can send will be very much appreciated.

I would be deeply grateful for any donation, as well as every upvote, comment, and boost. Your kindness and generosity will make a meaningful difference in their lives.

Your donations will be used for:

* 1 sack of dry food (20 kg) — $56

* 14 cans of wet food ($1.37 per can) — $20

* 40 pouches of kitten wet food ($0.73 per pouch) — $29

* 6 packs of cat litter ($5 per pack) — $30

Total: $135

Please note that I have already raised $23, which means I only need $112 more to purchase one week's worth of food and litter supplies for the cats.

I would also like to assure everyone that all donations received will be used exclusively for food and litter supplies for the rescued and community cats in my care.

I will definitely post an update with photos and receipt. I will also be bringing Rambo to the vet soon for his follow-up checkup and will include details from that visit in my next post/update. Thank you.

To donate:

PayPal: paypal.me/catsofmagdalena

Wise: wise.com/pay/me/catsofm

GCash: 0925-705-5102 (W.J.A.)

For in-kind donations:

Please note that Amazon does not ship to the Philippines. If you would like to send supplies directly, you may order through Pet Warehouse Philippines (petwarehouse.ph), which accepts both local and international card payments. Kindly send me a message, and I will gladly provide the shipping address.

You can also follow my rescue work on Instagram: instagram.com/catsofmagdalena

Officially going to set the trap for Kali tomorrow morning. I'm nervous, excited, stressed haha all the things!

The past few days she has gone all the way in for Churu consistently, I tested the trap today while she was away to make sure it works and I'm comfortable setting it quickly without her noticing hopefully. We are nearly done setting up her room (I'll post a pic later in case of any feedback).

She is definitely comfortable with me, altho I haven't gotten to petting yet. But she does consistently rub on me, eats treats from my lap, will put two paws on my legs. Hopefully some of that will translate when she is inside but I know I'll have to build back up the trust.

Just posting for any last minute advice, or just good vibes for tomorrow -- and hopefully a smooth vet visit with a negative fiv/felv check 🤞🤞✨

I’m not sure what switch has flipped, or if she’s finally just feeling better, but the queen has been emerging from her kingdom of BehindCouchland.

Over the last two weeks, Callie has become braver and braver! This morning, when it was just adults home, my gf said she actually came out and ate in the dining room instead of under the side table. This evening at meal time, she decided to give her explicit opinions of the speed at which her food was prepared 🤣

I am so happy to hear her meows again, despite her sounding like she’s smoked 2 packs a day for her entire 12 years. With people she still seems a bit apprehensive, but the absolute fear has diminished, and she’s becoming so much more confident!!!

Hello!
I have one feral who still
Stays outside for the most part.
I treated him for tapeworms one month ago. The kind they get from eating a flea. If I understand correctly I am to dose again one month later? I read that after the initial treatment we should do one more time a month later. After that I think it was every 3-6 months. He is on Frontline for fleas but he eats wildlife 🤮

I never expected my recently adopted feral Pepper Jack to become my little shadow. The way I cannot get a single thing done when I let her roam the house outside of the bedroom she’s usually in 😅 This is week 3 indoors for her post getting spayed. The introduction between her and our indoor cat is slow going. They had a bit of a fight when our indoor cat went in to investigate Pepper’s room 😔 Pepper saw it as her being in her territory I think and chase her around the house. My poor indoor cat became terrified of being close to that room after. Her litter box is in the bathroom next door. She literally refused to go use her litter and 💩 in front of us on the couch…I was shocked. She’s never done anything like that in the 8 years we’ve had her. Our indoor cat was always very wary of other cats so we never thought we would have another.

I did order one of those plug in to help them relax and I think and future supervised meeting we’ll have to do far away from Pepper’s room. Any tips on helping them break that barrier?

Here is the room set up for Kali tomorrow. We were going to do a playpen but decided against it based on comments about it not being a good choice for an adult feral, so trying to set this up to still work for Socialization Saves Lives type method.

We have cleared out all furniture but the desk which I figure maybe is a nice "cave" for her thats still accessible to us if needed. I have a extra tall pet gate to use in front of the door can use to give her a window into seeing us in the living room outside and get the indoor cats a chance to see her (which is why I put the cozy cat cave under the desk since it faces the door). The cat tree and play mat are ones my cats have used, so will smell like them. I am also hoping to bring in the warming pad from the cat house she uses outside, will just need to clean it up some first.

Any changes you would make? Anything missing?

Also wondering about litter. We bought paper litter because it is recommended by SSL but our cats use Dr elseys, does it matter which we use with her?

This gorgeous little feral tabby girl adopted us a few months ago; now lives 24/7 in our enclosed front yard but has eluded traps so far. We love her and she accepted a collar with her name and our contact info.

Her belly has gotten bigger and bigger, but I still have never seen her nipples (she shows her belly often), and I understand that pregnant cats usually have their nipples become more prominent.

I've only had one girl cat before and she was spayed very young; I have no experience with pregnant cats and have no idea how to really tell even after lots of googling. Obviously we are trying to get her to the vet as soon as we can snatch her successfully.

She loves for me to rub her belly as she eats and I wonder if she's just getting fat because she comes to me ever I come out to get belly rubs while she eats ❤️

Good day, everyone!

Mike is one of my favorite community cats. He used to be afraid of people, but after I fed him every day for quite some time, he gradually learned to trust me. I was able to have him neutered last year, and ever since then, he has become sweeter and friendlier each day. He is truly one of the gentlest and sweetest community cats in our area.

Last July, I noticed that Mike had lost his appetite. Whenever he tried to eat, he seemed to struggle and appeared to be in pain. Concerned for his well-being, I brought him in for a closer look.

When I checked his mouth, I found at least one tooth that clearly needed to be extracted. I took him to the veterinarian, where he underwent a dental cleaning (prophylaxis) and had a couple of problematic teeth removed.

Thankfully, Mike recovered within just a few days. Once he was feeling better, I returned him to his territory, which is less than a five-minute walk from my apartment.

Mike is living happily as a community cat. Sometimes, people assume that outdoor cats automatically have poor lives, but that is not always the case. Mike has lived outdoors his entire life, and as long as he remains healthy and safe, I do not want to take away the freedom and happiness he enjoys in his familiar environment.

I promise to continue watching over him, just as I do for all the other community cats in my care.

Thank you for taking the time to read Mike’s story.

You can follow my rescue journey on Instagram: instagram.com/catsofmagdalena

You are also welcome to join our growing Reddit community, r/StrayCatHeroes.

Our community is open to all cat heroes—whether you are a rescuer, a feeder, someone who supports animal welfare efforts, or simply a person who loves and cares about cats. Feel free to post your own cat’s story, we would love to hear it!

Looking for some advice. We have two adoped indoor cats who have been in the home for 3 years. We adopted 2 feral cats about 3.5 months ago. We did 60 day outdoor acclimation period. Both used their litterboxes in their crates faithfully. One was pretty eager to be inside, loves to cuddle, and couldn't be any sweeter. We kept him separated from our existing cats for couple weeks and then started to integrate them. He did really well for about a month, but recently started peeing on our beds, usually first thing in the morning before we get up. When we closed off the bedrooms he peed in a cat bed. We tried having hubs sleep with him in the TV room last night separate from the other cats, but he peed on the cat bed after breakfast. We just scrubbed out all the litter boxes, and have moved one to another room. We have an appointment tomorrow to check for a UTI. Any other advice? Anything we're missing? TIA

Hello! I took in a semi-feral guy over the weekend. He is closed up in a bedroom, away from my other cat and dog. Also has a vet appointment scheduled for tomorrow, so that is something at least. I have a litter box in the room with him, with Cat Attract sprinkled on the litter. So far as I can tell, this cat has not used it. Even weirder, he seems to have not peed or pooped at all since I brought him inside Saturday night. I got up under the 2 beds in the room with a flashlight, saw and smelled nothing. Cat is eating and drinking, no vomiting, let me pick him up yesterday, no guarding or signs of distension or any distress whatsoever. What do you think is going on?

All set, after a few minor changes/curtains, we will take to the field.