Stubborn Cat

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by krdahmer

Deal with the landlord later.

Landlords fault for having that hole in the ceiling in the first place.

[badger]

I agree, time to saddle up. Don't you have a couple of strong, long-armed friends who can help you?
I'd rig up something with a long handle that could scoop him forward and out of the hole, with someone standing by to catch him. Of course he'll freak out big-time (wear gloves, maybe a hat) but he has obviously decided that coming out voluntarily is not an option, even if it means starving.

[Gibbons]

If he is definitely not eating- then yeah, this isn't just nervousness, this has turned into a phobia about budging and he's not getting over it on his own. Poor baby. If the landlord is nervous about holes in the ceiling.. well.. it's just going to get worse if the cat doesn't eat! Then the landlord will really have something to be upset about.

Time to make some more holes, I'd say.

[Kristin7]

How about banging on the wall or ceiling near where the cat is? If that doesn't work, then try making a hole in the ceiling. The cat has to come out, and if he won't on his own, you will have to take more drastic measures than you have been. The cat will get over his scare after he comes out with love and food. Maybe the cat is ill and that is why he hasn't budged. Regardless, he needs to see a vet asap.

Is it possible to make the hole where he went in bigger, rather than making a new hole? i looked at the pics and I can't tell....

[duttypaws]

what baout a fishing net?! can you go in from the top? i think its time to drag the kitty out.... this cat is wanting to be boss!

[rainbow]

I agree with everyone.....you have to get him out NOW. Good luck.

[dustybird]

I am with everyone else you need to get him out now any way you can.

Once a cat has started to starve himself for whatever reason getting them to eat is very hard. They reach a point where the smell of food makes them nautious and he may want to eat but just cannot bring himself to do it. He needs veterinary care...now.

I know this has been hard on you and very hard on him and I am sorry this happened but you need to take action now. You've tried the waiting game and it didn't work and waiting longer is just not going to end well.

I don't mean to be harsh but I am really worried as I am sure you and everyone on here is about him.

[Amy P]

I agree with duttypaws...fishing nets come in different lengths and sizes. If it is not long enough tape a broom handle to the end of it. Heck even nudging him with bristle end of a broom at this point. The broom bristles won't hurt him...and at this point light bumping from a broom to get him out is for his own safety! Even if you can't get him in the net getting it next to him you could gently nudge him toward you. I would wear safety goggles if you can't get your face away from him on his way out. Have someone at the end of the hole to close it up immediately. He probably should be forced into a carrier from the hole and taken directly to the vet. I would imagine he needs fluids by now. Good Luck!!!

[danaekitty]

He is DEFINITELY needing fluids!!!
I agree with the fishing net idea, and I also thought your idea of not being around when it happens is a good one, so he doesn't associate you with the ordeal, although he mey be so weak he won't recognize it as such.

Please DO something, nikkol! Standing there and wringing your hands while waiting for him to die will not solve any problems. I will drive there and help you MYSELF if you have no-one that is able to help you with this problem.
I can imagine how upset and frantic you must be feeling at this point... but I think I can say with confidence that we who have been following this from the beginning are getting very frustrated with your situation and the fact that it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. This should have ended a long time ago.
Do you realize it has been nearly THREE WEEKS since this cat has taken up residence and hungerstrike in what could end up being his grave?

I'M BEGGING YOU, PLEASE TAKE ACTION, BUY A NET, CHOP HOLES, BANG DOWN DOORS, YELL AND SCREAM AT ANYONE WHO HAS REFUSED TO HELP YOU BEFORE!!!

[krdahmer]

You'll have good news for us soon....

[Dutchess' Human]

Because the cat has been going to the washroom up there, even ignoring the needs of the cat the drywall needs to come down. As others have said, start taking it down ASAP.

You don't need a saw to cut drywall. A putty knife does the trick quite well enough, but takes a little time. If you don't want to do it more slowly, make a hole big enough to get a plumber's hacksaw into, then cut out the drywall with that. Here's what one looks like, bring the picture to Home Depot and they'll set you straight. There's nothing sharp here so unless the cat actually pushes with force against the side of the blade it'll be impossible to hurt him. Start cutting from the back towards the front, as that might scare him out.



Good luck with the cat. Drywall repair is really easy FYI, you can have it back to 100% for about $50 and a few days work (re-painting is the biggest time component).

Seriously, if you haven't already you have to act now for the cat's sake.

[nnikol]

he is eating and drinking...as long as i put it up there with him.

The net idea will not work, the entrance is at a right angle so any pole that's not flexible and that is at the right length will not be able to reach were he is.

Also, the ceiling is not drywall, it is wood! So cutting a hole at the moment is not high up on my options list. As long as he eats I'm not cutting a hole, he's not in danger of dieing.

I'm going to attempt to slowly move the food further and further away I have got him the point where he comes really close the exit. The next step is the electric box and then I'll go from there.

I also have bought a humane trap so if he does come out, i will be able to trap him.

[clm]

OK, this is going to sound cruel to some people I'm sure, but get the humane trap and set it somewhere in the room where he can see it if he pokes his head out. Get yourself a live mouse and put it in a small cage inside the trap. Make sure there's lots of bedding in the cage with the mouse so he can hide and not see the cat when the cat pounces on it trying to get at him or a small hollow piece of wood or bark that he can get into to feel safe away from the cat.

You might be able to try a remote control mouse as well if you can buy one, put it in the humane trap and having it motoring around. You'll find both ways faster with the lights off in the room. If you have a closet or something you can sit in to watch all the better.

Cindy

[danaekitty]

Imagine the poor little mouse!
At this point, I doubt the cat would notice the mouse, what with his insistence of staying in the hole, nor would he have the energy to stalk the mouse, considering he's been malnourished for three weeks.

[chico2]

Wow,lot's of advice nnikol,if you are sure he is eating and drinking,he will be ok,but still needs to come down.
I would try HS again,you can always lie and say he is not eating(me bad)..and it's been a long while now.
They have the right stuff to drag him out,I think.
We have our electrical box pretty well the same way,but with sliding doors so it's closed.

I hope that when and if he comes down,you'll still keep him,after this ordeal,for both you and him

[Dutchess' Human]

Not drywall? So is it just plywood that's painted? If so, can you see the edges between the plywood pieces? If you can, just locate the screws and unscrew the entire piece.

More ideas:

Drill a hole behind the cat (measure about 10 times to make sure it's right, maybe even try to access from the next room). Put a tube whistle in the hole, blow. Or put something that will squirt water up there (parts from a watergun), be careful with this though as those wires could cause a problem. Or get a tube with high pressure air and use that to scare him out the other end. Or try to get a vacuum up there. Basically, anything to scare the cat out the other end. Whatever you do, DON'T try to scare the cat from the front.

Can you get a laser pointer? There aren't too many cats that can resist a laser pointer. Or throw a piece of string towards him and drag it back towards you. Try and get the cat playing with you.

Other foods that may attract interest for a cat are yogurt, deli meats, anchovies/sardines, baby food (esp. fish or poultry), cheese, hard boiled eggs, tuna and salmon.

If none of that works (try scare tactics as a last resort as it will reduce the effectiveness of any other tactic), I'd be absolutely all out of ideas. If it were me though, there'd already be half my ceiling missing

[14+kitties]

Just as a side note..... the longer he is up there the harder it will be to socialize him.
I pray every night that I will see good news when I see this thread. So sad. :sad:

[nnikol]

I was thinking of drilling a hole, but my landlord will hear nothing of it. I will try that only as a last resort. I've tried all those foods he eats them and goes back in to his corner and when i put it outside, they just go dry.

I've also tried the laser...he looks at it is interested in it but wont follow it.

Trust me if it where my house they would be a ceiling missing, my landlord told me i would be facing possible eviction if i did anything to his ceiling without his consent. And i have no time right now to move.

Of course I'm going to keep the cat i understand what he's going through but its been three weeks..I'm feeding him good food saying nice things being very quiet. Why wont he trust me and see that I will not harm him if he comes out!

I've never seen this before and I have taking care of 5 animals in the past 4 dogs and a cat. I thought a cat would be easier to take care of!

[loopoo]

this has me so upset... only because i really want that kitty out there he must be so terrified.. every cat is different.. who knows what he went through before..
someone made the suggestion of putting something really enticing a bit farther out, tuna, sardines, try whatever works have you tried that instead of the usual cat food or treats? i really hope to hear good news soon. and when he is out, monitor him closely, and a vet visit would be a very good thing.

[loopoo]

okay, i went through the threat again.. you said you did try every treat known and it didnt work, my apologies.. you did mention something about a certain type of pole though.. what if you got someone else to use that pole to get him out.. this isnt something that would hurt him obviously just startle him right? then you take him from there and keep him in your room till he has time to adjust. poor thing, some cats are just much more easily traumatized..

[BusterKitty]

Wow, he still hasn't come down? Have you tried banging? You never commented about that..and it's not gonna hurt the ceiling so your landlord can't say anything.

If you stick yourself in the hole, would he come up and sniff you at all? My friend let her cat smell her like crazy on the first few days and they bonded pretty quickly.

[Amy P]

What kind of wood is your ceiling? Is it plywood that has been painted...knotty pine (tongue and groove)? We have knotty pine ceilings the are connected and held together with small nails, is it possible to take down a section and put it back up without any cutting...maybe just new screws or nails?
I know this is so hard for you and you are probably getting frustrated with all he questions...just trying to help.

[Amy P]

Do you know a handyman that could come look at the ceiling and make any suggestions for removing the wood without harming it and replacing it again? What's wih the landlord? Why would he want the cat filling up the ceiling with feces? It will beging to smell eventually. Just wondering.

[Okami]

=) how about using those swiffer poles
they can be dis assmbeled and brought up in smaller pieces

[Amy P]

Don't know why I didn't think of this before!! (Thanks OKAMI you gave me the idea)

What about a tent pole. They are connected by bungies and you could assemble it in the hole. They are long and if it is too long you could leave the end unattached and let it hang down! Just another thought! Good Luck

[I_love_mischa]

Wow, that poor kitty. I cannot believe how long it has been! I really don't think he's gonna be enticed out of the hole. You're going to have to force him out! He wouldn't stay in there this long if he had any plans of comeing out! Bang like crazy and get him out!!!!

[cpietra16]

I know this may be creating a bigger problem, but what if you add another cat up there, He may follow the other cat out...Use a very social cat...maybe a friend may lend you hers????? Just my thought...

[kit1469]

has anyone concidered that this cat might be hurt????! that could be a reason why its not coming down ... and eating aside its sitting in its own waste so its probably sick .. do u know of any person that can do that with out getting really ill and not having raw infected sores eveywhere ... you no what this may sound harsh but DO SOMETHING ALREADY .. if this was a human child would u leave it up there .. STOP BEING SO SELFISH and have some respect for this poor kitty .. who cares if it dosent like you after its dragged out of there? obviously it dosent like you right now . im sorry i no this sounds mean but u have to get it out this cat is definately in pain and ur being cruel . .. if ur willing to let the cat live in pain and eventually die maybe u shouldnt own a pet .

[dustybird]

I agree with calling the humane society again and sure lie(the lie has good intensions). Tell them your really worried, cry if you can to be more effective.

I also agree that if the ceiling is wood you should be able to find where the different parts are nailed or screwed into the studs/rafteres and unscrew or gently use a pry bar, you can easily put it back up and with a little paint ....mean landlord won't know.

I really do think you could get the wood panels off the ceiling without much damage, at least you would have more flexability of getting to him and possibly be able to clean up what he's left behind and you wouldn't be cutting a hole.

Again I agree that he needs to see a vet once he's out of there.

I wish I had more to add but everything has pretty much been said or suggested.

[Okami]

=) I believe nnikol is has done and is still doing things already. Lets not rush to conclusions here, what may seem the quickest route may not be the safest.

I was wondering if you by chance could give me a little info about how big this hole is to your roof
how large is the hole leading to your roof, and how large is the hole(um little corridor) your cat has made a camp in =)?

From the pictures I'm guessing that you're cat is stuck way down at the end of what seems like a small horizontal hole.

Here's a few ideas I came up with.
Grab swiffer sticks and attach a net to the end of it, the poles can be taken appart to fit through the hole and then re assembeled in the hole.

Scaring him (though I don't really recommend it) You can get one of those toy remote cars, or if you're really good.... mini airplanes and try to heard him out (I'm not exactly sure how big the space is up there)

Make another hole. Maybe your cat feels that open spaces are hostile. Setup a small crate with a blanket over it or a number of small long boxes with a towel inside, put a bit of food and water in each. Put these near the hole your cat is in and try to stay away from the boxes as much as you can. Go only to provide food and water. Seeing another safe quite place nearby may provoke him to travel down more often.

=P just some things to do until the humane society starts thinking right.