View Single Post
  #3  
Old August 28th, 2006, 01:25 AM
kashtin's kin's Avatar
kashtin's kin kashtin's kin is offline
Critter Cult Peon!!
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: small, decrepit-but improving!-farm in Southern Ontario
Posts: 563
Smile further 'feral news'

Thanks for the feedback, 'cepietra16'. Wow, what a crazy day since I posted (a bit over 24 hrs ago). One of the feral kittens is actually safe in a large cage in a quarantined bit of the house as I type; what a relief to have at least one...although I do hope to bring in at least one more, with any [good] luck.

It was raining when I went out to do horse chores a bit before 7 this am; I put out food etc. for the ferals, and went inside, leaving the door to our back porch ajar. I've been doing this a bit, when the bugs aren't too bad...with the rain this am, I figured the kittens might check out the porch (one or 2 have in the past little while).

After an hour or so, I went to close the door; I saw one of the kittens in the doorway, and s/he skedaddled so I just closed the door. I don't know who was more surprised when I glanced at the far end of the porch and saw the largest/most 'approachable' kitten still inside.

I closed the door into the rest of the house, raced upstairs to grab a large spare dog crate (had to put it together)/small litter box/large shoebox 'cave' with towel combination. Carefully got myself and above into the porch, where 'Sparky' had taken refuge behind the freezer.

Left things as they were for the am, and hubby went to TSC for a large wire dog crate. Sparky moved to behind the boot rack for the aft., then under the freezer; I moved the cage with food/cave etc. in front of the freezer and by suppertime kitty was in the cage with the door shut.

Sparky spent a couple of hours in the 'cave', but by later in the evening had turned into a lovey-dovey...at least behind bars! I guess all my hours of feeding/playing with (had a fake mouse on a string outside)/talking to the cats sorta paid off. I know Sparky would still likely scratch me and try to escape with out the cage, but what a love bunny (reaching out paw to touch me, giving me v. gentle nibbles, licking my hand, meowing).

I am assuming that Sparky should stay in the cage fulltime for a few days, then be brought (in cage) to another quarantine room with no difficult hiding spots; once s/he seems okay with not panicking i.e. going back into cage, I'm thinking it's vet time...in a week to 10 days or so??

If anyone has any advice re: this flexible plan, please do let me know. For now, I'm just so happy to have one of the cats hopefully on the way to a safe domestic life (kinda think we may adopt this one, having lost 4 elderly cats in a 6 month span last year...2 I'd had for 17 years; miss them, so it feels good to rescue one...still have 3 cats, all indoors).

I'm still feeding the rest of the feral, and am more hopeful now of perhaps bringing in another kitten or 2 (the mother is very canny/wild). For now I feel like a 'scrub nurse' what with the constant handwashing as I go from visiting Sparky back to the main house and veteran cats!
Reply With Quote