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Photo by Steve Johnson This ring-tailed cat, a wild creature rarely seen because of its nocturnal habits, is being cared for in Rogue River after ingesting rat poison. Poison traps wrong prey Sends wild ring-tailed cat to Rogue River vet hospital By PAUL FATTIG ROGUE RIVER -- It wasn't curiosity that nearly killed Roscoe the ring-tailed cat. Instead, it was poison set out by well-meaning homeowners in rural Grants Pass that nearly ended the life of the seldom-seen wild critter. He's now being nursed back to health at the Rogue River Veterinary Hospital. "People need to be alerted to the dangers of the different ways poisons can be accidentally ingested," veterinarian Ron Dickey said Monday, noting that a little poison can quickly work itself up the food chain, bringing a slow death to animals not intended as targets. Roscoe was seriously ill when he was caught in a live trap Jan. 16 by volunteers from Wildife Images Rehabilitation & Education Center near Merlin. The homeowners, who were trying to get rid of mice, had alerted Wildlife Images after spotting the sick ringtailed cat. Dubbed Roscoe, the cat-like creature was brought to Dickey, who does volunteer veterinarian work for Wildlife Images. "In another 24 hours, he probably would have been dead," said Dickey who put Roscoe on an antidote which includes vitamin K. "He'll need to be on this medication for about a month," Dickey said. "The newer anticoagulants in these poisons are much more toxic. They stay in their systems for a month or more now. "It builds up in their systems, prevents their blood from coagulating. They start bleeding through their intestinal tract or their lungs." Roscoe, who apparently had eaten the poison as well as mice which were also dining on the toxins, was already suffering intestinal bleeding when he was caught, Dickey said. The ringtail is a nine-month old male with a long tail with black and white rings and an elfish face with catlike whiskers. Southern Oregon marks the northern range for the nocturnal creatures who inhabit the southwest. They usually feed on mice, insects, birds and fruit. "They are around, you just don't see them," Dickey said. "People see them from time to time." Contrary to their names, the wild creatures are not cats, Dickey said. "They are related to a raccoon," he said. "They have a long tail like a raccoon and the body of a very small cat." Unlike a cat with retractable claws, the ringtail has semi-retractable claws, he observed. The veteran veterinarian, who says he has seen an increase in cases of accidental poisoning of pets and wild animals, reminds people to use extreme caution when using poisons. An animal can die after swallowing or breathing poisons, or by absorbing them through the skin, eyes or mucous membranes, he said. "But it isn't just poison," he stressed. "For instance, most people don't know that Tylenol is extremely toxic to cats. One or two Tylenol can kill a cat." Other products dangerous to animals include aspirin, chocolate, cigarettes, some flea killers, gopher and snail baits, antifreeze, some cosmetic and human hair products, fertilizers, fiberglass insulation and household cleaning materials, he said. Moreover, Dickey has grown weary of removing foreign objects such as cigarette lighters, small rubber balls, fishing line and hooks, needles and other materials from animals. The point, he said, is that humans need to be more considerate of pets or wild creatures. Meanwhile, Roscoe is being transported today to Wildlife Images from where he will be released to the wilds once he regains his health. In addition to his medication, he is being fed a diet of cat food and frozen mice. After a month, Dickey will check Roscoe's blood to ensure that the poison has been flushed from his body. Once he has been given a clean bill of health, he'll be released back to the wilds, Dickey said. The prognosis? "He should be fine now," he said, then added, "as long as he stays away from poisons." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA