How Do Wild Animals Deal With Fleas

I have owned cats for over 60 years. Betwixt them and their vets, I have learned a great deal about how they tick.

Is it safe or good to help out stray animals? Learn all about that here. — Is it safe or skilful to help out stray animals? Learn all about that here.

Pixabay-public domain

What Should You Do About Strays?

I have seen stray or abandoned animals ranging from an angora true cat to a xanthous duckling. I even saw a baby bunny that was obviously an Easter gift since it still had a ribbon on its neck.

I was horrified to see these poor things. Many were skinny, muddy, plain hungry, and/or injured. I couldn't just stand up at that place or walk by without doing something. Merely what should I exercise? I had no clue. I wasn't an animal program expert. I didn't know whatever of the available groups that could help. I certainly wasn't going to trounce out my good money to feed them, was I?

Well, really, that was simply what I idea I needed to exercise: beat out out money to give them food.

The Usual Strays: Cats and Dogs

The two strays that are near ofttimes seen are cats and dogs. People get them as babies and are then overwhelmed by vet and grocery bills. That is ordinarily when the grown-up version is tossed out on its ear in favor of another cute and cuddly footling ane. The animals, having been fed and kept warm and comfortable during their babe years, don't know how to survive exterior. They tin't hunt and don't know how to fight for shelter. They are basically left to die. That is a horrible death for any creature.

Unusual Strays

Other types of strays are even sadder. Virtually domesticated feed animals lack the cognition and instincts they demand to survive in the wild. They only know they are cold and hungry. I once saw a baby rabbit sitting just exterior of my fenced garden. I didn't touch information technology because I thought the mother would exist shut by and would soon lead it away. All the same, when the babe remained for more than a day and dark, I knew information technology had no mother. Okay, what now?

This is Salty. His mother was also a stray I helped. — This is Salty. His mother was besides a stray I helped.

Copyright Cheryl Simonds

Should We Assist Strays?

The instinct for survival in dogs and cats is potent, and some can adapt. Just feeding them now and so only encourages them to remain nearby to acquire easy nutrient rather than seeking it for themselves. Cats will often 'mark' a home where someone feeds them to warn off others. Dogs will fight (to the death on occasion) because you set out scraps for them now and so. Any outside animal that finds a food source volition remain near that source. This means they will non seek better shelter, they will not seek aid elsewhere, and they may die because they are trying to remain near a source of nutrient.

This scenario means animals could be driveling by neighbors who don't want them effectually. It ways the animals could exist injured by traffic. They could freeze without proper shelter. They may grow weak and become the victim of other animals. They may be shunned past their own mates or families considering they acquire a dissimilar olfactory property from eating near humans.

This is Cocoa. His mother was taken in by a neighbor. She gave the neighbor seven kittens. But isn't he a beauty? — This is Cocoa. His mother was taken in by a neighbor. She gave the neighbour seven kittens. But isn't he a beauty?

Cheryl Simonds

If Y'all Feed Them, Tin can Stray Animals Become a Danger to Humans?

Yes because devious animals option up diseases of all types. They get parasites similar ticks, worms, and fleas. They can contract rabies. They may have other diseases that tin exist transmitted to humans or to your ain pets. You tin pass diseases on to your pets if you touch a stray or something a devious has marked in some way (usually with their urine). Your pets might fight you lot, or each other, considering they can smell a stray on your peel, clothing, or a bowl used to feed the stray. Believe me when I tell yous that I often found it too hard to see an animal suffering and not want to help, and my animals let me know all nearly my wrong ideas. (Simply I usually found some style to help anyway.)

You could use a humane trap to catch the animal so you can take them to a vet. These traps catch the animal without harming them. Be sure to check often so the animal doesn't fall prey to other animals in the area. — You could use a humane trap to catch the animal so you can take them to a vet. These traps grab the animal without harming them. Exist sure to check ofttimes and then the fauna doesn't fall casualty to other animals in the area.

Pixabay-public domain

So What Should You Do for the Cats and Dogs Yous Come across?

In that location are ways to help that won't cause problems depending upon the animal and your help. For instance, helping a stray true cat might cause the cat to mark your doors (so they now smell of strong urine) in an attempt to keep other cats abroad. You can usually avert this by feeding the cat far away from your door. Also, if you program to feed the cat(s) on a regular footing, you volition need to do a few things to protect yourself and your family and, of course, the true cat.

One footstep would exist to utilise a humane trap for the cat and so yous tin can get the cat checked past a vet and treated for parasites, diseases so on, as well every bit getting the cat stock-still to avert marking and mating issues (and more kitties). Also, create a shelter for the cat near where y'all feed it. A dog house will piece of work, just equally a styrofoam cooler that has a hole cutting in one side will work. Put a rock or two on summit to go on it from being blown away by the wind. Put hay, not blankets or whatever blazon of fabric, inside. Fabric volition blot h2o from the air and will freeze in the winter. If y'all wish to help a stray dog, the steps would basically be the aforementioned.

Should Y'all Endeavor to Help Other Animals?

Some animals, no matter how much you would like to help, would be amend off left to fend for themselves. Squirrels, birds, wild dogs, and chipmunks are examples of animals you lot should leave lonely. These animals are much more probable to have diseases or parasites that are dangerous to humans. Of form, specific wild fauna like horses, crocodiles, lizards, snakes, and turtles to proper noun a few should definitely be left alone.

Ringlet to Continue

Warnings

Never endeavor to feed or put a leash on a domestic dog that is growling or baring its teeth.
Never arroyo any animal that appears to be ill, is foaming at the mouth, or appears to be mean.
A growling cat for instance would not be ane you should arroyo.
Teach children non to approach or bear on animals that are not family pets.
Leave birds and loose feathers where yous find them considering birds have parasites that could be dangerous to humans.
Always remember that though it is tough to get out them lonely, the law of the animal kingdom is 'survival of the fittest.' So please think twice before attempting to assist a wild creature by yourself. If you lot feel they demand help, call beast command.

Cats my family and I have rescued over the years. Ash's babies-Misty, Dusty, Knight, Salty

Cats my family and I have rescued over the years. Ash'southward babies-Misty, Dusty, Knight, Salty

So Can You Help? Should You Aid?

I e'er assistance if at all possible. To find help, I have called local shelters, used the internet, chosen my vet, and called local animal hospitals. At the very to the lowest degree, you can call the local animal control officer to meet if they will come up out to get the fauna. Sadly, near beast control shelters euthanize strays after iii days. I don't like that, but I recollect information technology is meliorate than freezing or starving to death. They can besides put yous in touch with shelters in the area that take a no-kill policy or deal with unusual strays similar skunks or birds.

So should yous help? Dogs and cats can be helped (only make sure the vet sees them earlier the family or your animals do). They can be helped within or exterior, depending on which yous choose to practice. If you can't help them every twenty-four hour period from now on, don't help at all. That way, the animal will instinctively seek another source of nutrient and shelter. It gives them a improve gamble of survival.

As for the other animals, sometimes survival of the fittest is the manner to go. If the fauna isn't badly injure or isn't foaming at the mouth, then calling someone to assist would exist your adjacent step. Sometimes the animals become nutrient for other animals trying to survive. This is the manner of the animals which is sad but true. And so with unusual animals, if you don't know, call and ask your locate animal control officer. They tin can tell you if you lot should help and how.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge and is non meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Cheryl Simonds (author) from Connecticut on Feb 20, 2020:

Thanks Anonymous, I was trying to prove how dangerous things can get with animals and how they behave subsequently beingness abused.

Anonymous on February xix, 2020:

Good job for letting the world know near what bad people practice.

Cheryl Simonds (author) from Connecticut on August 11, 2018:

Lsn, thanks for the compliment. I am glad my commodity helped you with your situation. Practiced luck with the kittens, Cherylone.

Lsn on Baronial 07, 2018:

Astonishing article. I have some cats and kittens well-nigh my apartment whom I feed everyday.. so it'southward a bully intuitive understanding on how to move forward. Lovely article. Regards

Cheryl Simonds (author) from Connecticut on January 20, 2017:

FlourishAnyway, thank you so much. I dearest each and every one of my cats. Ane of my daughter-in-laws once told me that I "grew the cats big". I am glad to run across in that location are others out there helping when they can. I know that if we don't feed them they volition eventually find something else, but I'll bet you feel better knowing that they are safe in your oasis (I know I practise). Thank you for your comment and your feline assistance.

FlourishAnyway from United states of america on Jan 19, 2017:

Your cats are cute.

Helping is an essential role of my makeup. I wouldn't have whatever pets if it weren't for the lovely strays who have come up into my life over the years. I am a spay/neuter advocate first so that is the very first thing I do, along with testing and vaccines, etc. We have a low-cost dispensary in a nearby metropolis that has fixed 100,000 animals since information technology'southward been opened. I often fix animals that aren't mine then that at that place won't be more to feed, and I likewise feed a pocket-size feral colony that is well managed and protected from the elements. I've been doing that since 2002 and never miss a day. When the concluding true cat died at the colony in 2014 (nosotros had to get him euthanized at the emergency vet), I kept on feeding because I knew other feral cats would come, and they did. This is my contribution to making the world ameliorate. I cannot aid every animal, only there are some I can aid every day with a dependable source of nutrient, gentle churr, water, and medical care when they demand it.

Source: https://pethelpful.com/pet-ownership/Stray-Animals-Should-You-Help-or-Ignore

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