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Old August 26th, 2006, 08:09 PM
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Question Feral Cat Capture...Part 2 (appreciate tips!)

I posted a couple of months ago regarding a feral cat and her 3 kittens living (off and on) in a deserted shed just off our rural property. At the time there was also a family of badgers in the vicinity, which complicated things. I was looking for any ideas/suggestions re: capture of this cat family (hope to spay/neuter and find homes).

There were a few replies, which I greatly appreciated; I've tried to find my original post and those replies, but I haven't had any success...it's no doubt due to my lack of computer skills.

I thought I would post a bit of an update, and explain my 2 month gap in posting; not to get into details, but I managed to get myself bitten in an unrelated incident (yes, I am a pretty experienced critter person/caretaker/slave...blush). I ended up having to get rabies shots, while also dealing with a bit of a family crisis, thus I am just getting back to the feral cat project now.

The mother and all 3 kittens are living in a different shed-again, just off our land-and are daily regulars at my feeding station by the back door, under a trailer. I have managed to [v. carefully] stroke 2 of the kittens while they are eating, but they are fickle i.e. I can touch them one day, but not the next.

There is absolutely no way I can just grab one, as I know they would shred me; from asking around it does seem that a livetrap is about the best option (I'd have to buy one, as there is no Humane Society etc. in my area...that is dealing with cats at this time). I'm prepared to try to do that ('trap'), but have never used a trap. Also, how might that work, in that there are 4 cat/kittens?

If it weren't for the breeding/overpopulation issue, I would be tempted to just keep feeding this family and do nothing more, but as we all know the family will expand exponentially. I am anxious to try to resolve this situation before winter arrives, and more importantly before the kittens breed.

If anyone has dealt with something like this, and/or has any advice, I would really appreciate it...and I won't just post and disappear this time. ...Look forward to any replies. Thanks.
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Old August 26th, 2006, 08:49 PM
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You ca try and do what CS did with her ferrals. She kept cat carriers out and put the food in them. Eventually the cats got use to seeing the carriers and started to eat inside them. Later CS just walked up to the cats and closed the doors to the carriers. I did miss most of the inbetween, but that is the jist of hoe she captured all the ferals. Stay on site long enough and you'll get many other ideas. Keep in mind it takes patience and time to get them to trust you.
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Old August 28th, 2006, 01:25 AM
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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!
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Old August 29th, 2006, 11:00 PM
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Sounds good!

I like those ideas of catching feral cats. I've got a lot of them and a litter of sick ones right now I am working with. (not feral) mama hid them within 24 hrs of birth and brought them out Sat am much to my horror...all 6 kittens were VERY ill. Took straight to vet but mama and 1 kitten of the surviving 4 is still not out of the woods yet. Vet saud 8% chance of making it thru Sat night so we are counting our blessings, but I think one of the feral cats is sick and needs attention too.
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Old August 30th, 2006, 12:56 AM
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Exclamation Feral cats continued...

Sparky (see above) is now out of the cage, and in a quarantine room; things have gone smoothly with him, thankfully. His 2 siblings and mom are still 'out there', and I do hope to bring in at least another kitten, somehow.

On the "oh, crap!" side, when I was coming in from giving my horses their supper hay I spied a ruddy huge tomcat (I'm assuming) under the horse trailer chowing down on the kitten food. Sorry, but I would rather track a bobcat than take on trying to 'tame' that guy...never say never, I suppose.

I sure wish folks would do the spay/neuter thing with cats (and dogs); they reproduce so much, so fast. It drives me nuts when I visit the horse farms of people with serious $$ and see litters of kittens running around; where are people's heads at??

When I lived near Winnipeg there was at least a lower-cost spay and neuter clinic. I have heard of places here and there that subsidize fixing esp. in the case of lower income folks...would be nice if that policy/set-up was more wide-spread.
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Old August 30th, 2006, 07:16 AM
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kashtin's kin,you are doing GREAT
Unfortunately with a big Tom around,mama cat will probably start the kitten-cycle all over again:sad:
Please keep us updated
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Old August 31st, 2006, 12:24 AM
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Smile Thx for feral cat encouragement...

Chico2, thanks so much for your encouragement. Although I subscribed to a 'feral cat newsletter' some time ago, I'm just trying to figure things out as I go along for the most part. No tomcat today...I am hoping he and the mom are not on a romantic holiday-arghh.
Sparky is doing great inside; I think he is going to be a fun housecat when he joins the general population. Tonight I managed to convince Sparky's two shy siblings to chow down just inside the back porch-with the door open. I'm hoping that as the weather cools down, inside will look better and better to them...
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Old August 31st, 2006, 09:23 AM
Ed U KayShawn Ed U KayShawn is offline
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Hi if your looking to rent a live trap out there there is a few pest control companies that may lend out traps and a couple of vets in simcoe have live traps they will lend out. pm me if you can and i will do my best to help! Keep up the challenging effort! The world can only get better with caring individuals like you.
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Old August 31st, 2006, 11:46 PM
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Smile Thanks, Ed U...

Thanks for your feedback, Ed U... (I get it-cute username!); that's handy to know that I might be able to borrow a live trap in the Simcoe area. I will definitely follow up your suggestion. Thx also for your general encouragement.
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Old September 1st, 2006, 07:04 AM
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Kashtin's kin,people living in rural areas(several on this Forum)are constantly dealing with"dumped"animals
Somehow,people think that cats will be fine living on their own,or some people just don't care whether the animal lives or dies,as long as they can get rid of it.
Some cats are lucky,like yours,to end up where people care,others not so lucky..
I hope you can catch all"yours"and get the mom spayed
It can be costly,but I hope you can find a vet giving you a break.
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Old September 2nd, 2006, 01:09 AM
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Smile feral cats, con't...

Thanks again, chico2 and Ed U... and cpietra16, for your encouragement/tips. It's been less than a week since 'Sparky' was inadvertantly trapped inside, and already it seems like he's been inside for ages.

After reading somewhere that some feral kittens (especially after a certain age, which Sparky is definitely over at 3-4 mos.) never really 'take' to life as a housecat, it's been a relief that he is such a love muffin. He's adapted so well-although we're not taking things for granted-that he is scheduled for his first shots next week...and neutering as soon as he is old enough.

Still haven't seen the mom for a few days, but the 2 remaining kittens are hanging out together, and have come just inside the back porch (with the door propped open) to feed at night for the past 3 days. I sit about 2-3 ft. away talking to them constantly, and they are slowly getting a bit less wary. I'm just hoping this will continue, and that somehow we'll get the 2 of them. Taking it one day at a time...
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Old September 2nd, 2006, 06:59 AM
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Sounds great,I wish you could get some pics
With the weather we'll be having this weekend,maybe they'll all come on your porch for shelter
No need to thank us,anybody trying to help stray cats/dogs is a hero in our books,every little life saved is a triumph over the jerks who dump them
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Old September 2nd, 2006, 10:11 AM
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chico2
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Old September 3rd, 2006, 12:19 AM
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Smile 'feral kitten newsletter'

Hi chico2 et al...you said "no thx necessary", but I sure do appreciate the support and ideas. The resources locally with this kind of thing are so thin on the ground, I really felt at a bit of a loss before I found this board. It's great to get feedback, and share the situation; I'm just hoping that the good news continues (I always convince myself that I am aware of the not-so-fun possibilities of just about anything in life...but if they happen it's as if all my self-coaching never happened, and I am so devastated...at least I generally pick myself up again pretty quick...an animal nurturer/slave is always needed).

Yes, the 2 kittens were around more today; came in the porch twice for big meals...they must be getting sick of my dinner table conversation (luckily I am never at a loss for words!). They didn't look too wet at all, so they're sticking to their 'nest', which is good.

The smaller of the 2 kittens is a bit bolder. It's funny to see the bigger one acually walk right under her? to get to the food without having to get to close to me. I sit on a stool a couple of feet away; as I chat, I'm trying to move around a little to get them less alarmed by the motion thing. I wish I had a big net that would just drop down on top of them...guess I saw too many cartoons as a kid!?

Hope everyone is staying relatively dry. I was busy getting my horses blanketed and then into their clean/dry stalls today; it was great that the rain didn't start too early, so I was able to get my chores done beforehand. Being in and out all the time doing horsey stuff has really helped re: my awareness of the 'feral family', and they are used to my regular appearances and routine.
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Old September 3rd, 2006, 12:38 AM
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I've been following this thread and just wanted to say, kashtin's kin, you are an angel. Good luck with the kitties.
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Old September 4th, 2006, 11:59 PM
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Smile feral kitty update...

Actually, not too exciting an update today; I think I've hit a bit of a 'taming plateau', but that's alright. The rain on the weekend had the 2 holdouts enjoying the back porch more than usual, and now they're back to seeing monsters in the corner. Patience, patience. They are eating like loggers?, and looking good; I will continue to try to visualize the invention of a fantastic 'kitty katcher' while I entertain the munching ferals with my endless soothing babble (you'd think I would have bored them into napping by now,
at least?!).

Their smart/charming sibling Sparky continues to thrive in his quarantine room...lots of toys and human visits. He gets his first shots on Wed., and then 2 more weeks till he can start to get integrated. Our other 3 cats are quite put out with seeing food dishes pass them by on the way to 'Camp Quadruped'; I have to keep reminding them all of their humble beginnings, followed by lots of attention...as if they don't run the household, as it is!
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Old September 5th, 2006, 07:33 AM
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One thing for sure,you have a great knack for creative writing,you gave me a needed laugh this morning
I can just picture my own 3 cats,following a dish going to a strange cat,in THEIR house
Having horses(lucky you!),you must also have a warm barn,right?
So even if it will take longer catching the other 2,at least they have a warm place to go to and hopefully,but most likely,no more pregnancies
Have you managed to see what sex the kittens are???
Is mama cat still hanging around?
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Old September 6th, 2006, 12:18 AM
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Smile ...from feral kittyland...

Hey chico2, thanks for the response; I am always glad to know when I am a source of amusement ; if ya can't laugh...yer in trouble!! I appreciate humour wherever I can find it, so it's nice to pass it along in some form. (As for the creative writing, good eye-I'm a proud? drop-out of the Creative Communications i.e. journalism program at Red River Community College in Winnipeg...circa 1990??)

To address your queries re: ferals (affectionately referred to as 'the Von Catt-as in Von Trapp-Family)...
BARN: Oh how I wish I had a traditional barn situation! When I lived just outside Winnipeg I had a nice ol' barn, and it was toasty at night even at -30 C, what with hay up in the loft and 6 horses warming things up; during really cold days, I had a heat lamp set up for my 2 barn cats. Now, I have basically a shed i.e. 2 stalls side by side with dutch doors and plexiglass windows in the back; I clean the stalls each day, so it's like a barn...only NOT warm, unfortunately. (Well, warm enough with a horse with a winter coat and good food, plus a blanket when needed.) If it weren't for the neuter issue, I would put a cat door in the hay shed, which is quite cozy; I will likely do that anyway.
MOMCAT: Have not seen her around for over a week now...seems too much of a coincidence that I last spotted her the day I saw the strange tomcat. 'Willi' is very canny, and has in the past roamed quite widely.
GENDER: I always figured Sparky for a male (correct); with the outside duo, I'm not sure, but I suspect the noticeably smaller one is female and the other male?

The last couple of nights I have left the back porch outside door open for an hour or 2; the 2 kitties come in to eat, and often nap on a horse blanket on the freezer (I can hear them hop off). I think they are figuring out that the weather is often nicer inside, and they are getting a bit more comfortable with the porch...that's how I nabbed Sparky.

I am just hoping that I don't open the inside porch door to find a raccoon or skunk?! We've never had either of those critters around, so I'm not too worried...although in the early summer a family of [protected species] badgers in the neighbourhood took to dining on the food I was leaving out on the stoop; I had NO idea this was happening until a Natural Resources biologist on 'badger watch' showed me a digital picture.

There was a tense week or so when the kittens were young, and the badgers were around; mama badger was rummaging through the shed where the cats lived at the time (when the biologist mentioned that badgers have been known to eat cats, I just about needed heavy sedation). Luckily, the badgers moved on...these ferals have beaten a few odds thus far; hopefully they'll keep it up .
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Old September 6th, 2006, 07:50 AM
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Kashtin, build a website and they will come. At least I will, to read about your exploits. No pictures needed, especially of you possibly under heavy sedation, it would be too sad.
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Old September 6th, 2006, 12:32 PM
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Thanks for the updates...they're very much enjoyed. Fingers crossed for the other two kitties and hope mom makes an appearance soon.
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Old September 6th, 2006, 01:54 PM
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Kashtin'kin,yes,please keep writing,mostly because I like to know how the kitties are doing,but also because you always make me laugh.
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Old September 7th, 2006, 01:08 AM
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Smile Further Ferals...

Thanks so much for the positive words, everyone. Regarding the humour thingy, I never seem to be at a loss for nutty things to relate; years ago I gave up on the whole 'appearance of normality' effort, and learned to almost look forward to the inevitable chaos in my life as an opportunity to have an endless-and I do mean endless!- supply of amusing anecdotes! (I have a friend who is equally gifted?? in the art of turning sort-of disasters into hilarious stories; she refers to herself as having the "Hoffman Curse").

But on to the kitties, which is the Issue Du Jour. WE'VE GOT THE OTHER 2 KITTENS INSIDE!!! WOW. I'll go into more details tomorrow-my nerves are shot right now i.e. I needed a good stiff bowl of ice cream to wind down. Suffice to say it was a carbon copy of 'Sparky's' capture; they were feeding in the porch around 10 p.m., and when I went to close the open outside door, the 2 critters were resting together on a horse blanket at the far end of the porch..I quickly shut the door, et voila.

There was a bit more drama than with Sparky (he's such a cool dude...went for his first shots today, and things went totally smoothly, no fuss/no muss). It will definitely take some time to socialize this pair of spitfires, but they're safe in their big cage with their 'box cave'/food/litter. When Sparky comes out of quarantine, they'll go upstairs to Club Quadruped; after shots and neutering, I'll have my work cut out finding them a good home (preferably together). After all we've been through already, you can be sure I will do everything in my power to find the right home.

Sooooo, th-th-that's all for now...I think I need another bowl of ice cream (perhaps combined with some powdered horse tranquilizer??!!). The posts and words of support, once more, are really helping me. Everyone has been so kind...'behind every person on a critter-assist mission are a bunch of other critter helpers'. I'd give you all a hug if I could, but I'm afraid you'll have to do that for me i.e. put one hand on one shoulder....and PATPATPAT!!
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Old September 7th, 2006, 07:39 AM
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Great kitty news,thank's!!
We have several people here,experienced in catching and taking care of semi-wild kitties,I was hoping they'd show up
But you seem to be doing great on your own..
I've been told I'm a little nutty on several occasions,mostly because of my passion for any critters wild or not,but some people don't understand do they..their loss.
How old do you think these little guys are??
Mama cat might be hiding away somewhere having another brood
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Old September 8th, 2006, 12:28 AM
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Smile ...and furrrrrther ferals

Whew, what a whirlwind day or so...along with the pleasant shock of nabbing the 2 remaining kitties at once, I also had to patch up a rather weird/icky wound my retired horse managed to acquire yesterday evening (whoever coined that saying 'healthy as a horse'? HA...if anyone tells you you are 'h as an h', book a dr.'s app't immediately). To express her gratitude to me for attending to her nasty wound, my loving mare headbutted me right where...you get your breath knocked out! Wheeze-so nice to be appreciated.

Alas/alors, I digress. The 2 kittens had a quiet day; 'shy one' ducked into the box cave a lot, while the small/bit less shy kitten often held her ground on the loft level of the cage. They are a bit off their feed, but have used the litter box and just now started to purr as I put out some fishy treats. Baby steps!

Best news: my sister-in-law (who is a highly trained cat slave, with 3 cats I aspire to be as pampered as!) said that she would take a female kitten. Fortunately, I recorded our conversation-verbal contract . If at least one of the 2 is not indeed female, I have the transgender team on standby...seriously, I have a feeling the smaller one might be a gal; she's so feisty!

If anyone has any ideas for names, feel free to suggest; both kittens are coal black with med. to short coats and no markings. (After his kitty wrangling stint last night, my hubby suggested we call them 'Tooth' and 'Nail'...accurate yesterday to some extent, but I think we want to project a more positive image .)

To hopefully address your points, chico2 , we figure the kittens are between 3-4 mos. old (the vet seemed to agree when he saw Sparky). Sooo, I guess I wouldn't have had to worry about them reproducing for a while had they remained on the loose. On the other hand, Wee Willi a/k/a momma finally showed up last night, and her boyfriend was not far behind .

Right now-for a day or 2 at least-I just want to wind down a bit and have a few more bowls of ice cream. I simply can't face the whole adult cat multiplication issue immediately; I thought I detected a bit of a radiant glow about Willi, from the wary distance she keeps .

Sparky continues to be an incredibly fun/sweet little nut...oooh, and speaking of nutty, chico2, don't you find un-nutty/un-animal people just a little, um, suspicious i.e. What's wrong with them, anyway?!
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Old September 9th, 2006, 01:20 AM
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Smile Feralville, Inc.

It's been a busy day...between the horses and usual indoor cats and the dogs, I've worn a path out to the back porch (keeping the caged kitties fed/litter box clean/chattering quietly away to them), and upstairs (Sparky is good at amusing himself with his toys, but since he's also in quarantine and new to indoors/people up close, he needs attention too).

The newer kitties secluded themselves a lot in their boxcave yesterday, their first day inside, and didn't eat much; it was heartening to see them up on their 'penthouse' level much more today, and eating and using the litterbox. I haven't yet put out a hand towards them but when I feed/clean, my head is often just inches from them, and they have stopped clamberig into the 'panic room' at the drop of a hat.

I've also spent quite a bit of time sitting close to the cage, but not directly facing them, and only making brief eye contact. This is one of those times when the ability to prattle on endlessly-and soothingly-is actually a very handy skill! The one drawback to switching from Sparky's Club Biped to the regular indoor critters to the back porch dwellers (phew) is the amount of soap I'm going through!
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  #26  
Old September 9th, 2006, 06:50 AM
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chico2 chico2 is offline
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It seems you lead a busy life
Wish you could take some pics,since I bought a digi-cam a few months ago,I have 3.503.004 pics of my cats and other critters
What colours are the little guys??Not that I am allowed any more kitties,just curious..
If you trapped the mama cat(preggers )would your local HS(humane society)take care of her and any kittens ,or are they euthanazia-happy?
I would think you don't want a new brood of kittens every few months
Reading your post in the morning,gets my day off to a good start after I've fed my ravenous crew
I've read about people catching feral cats and how wild and scared they are,yours don't seem quiet as wild..or am I wrong?
Thank's for the up-dates!
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Old September 9th, 2006, 02:26 PM
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rainbow rainbow is offline
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Thanks for the updates....I love reading them. Glad to hear your SIL will take a kitten. Sure hope you can trap momma soon as she is no doubt pregnant again by now. :sad:


Chico, I love the little flashing camera guy. I just stole him from you.
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  #28  
Old September 9th, 2006, 06:37 PM
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cpietra16 cpietra16 is offline
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Hi Kashtins kin. I missed most of your site somehow so its great ot catch up ; its like watching a soap opera....keep it coming. You sure sound like you have your heavenly hands busy with all these little critters Great job. Please post pics as soon as you can. I hope momma cat isn't too radiant and keeps herself away from the good old boyfriend
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  #29  
Old September 10th, 2006, 12:56 AM
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kashtin's kin kashtin's kin is offline
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Smile 'Human Vampire Cares for Ferals'

...Just can't seem to log on before 1 a.m.; I'm up at 6, but my flexible schedule allows for napzzzzzzz! Always nice to see your posts, chico2. Re: queries...Sparky is a tabby, and 'Cash' and 'Pepper' are pure black DSH/if we can catch mum, I'll take her to a nearby clinic that has a 'wildlife care license' to spay (the local SPCA told me they haven't dealt with cats for a while, and they have no shelter)/all 3 kittens were very wary outside (i.e. untouchable), but when Sparky came inside he was a lot calmer, and could be handled outside the cage within 2 days, while his siblings combination of colour and disposition lead me to wonder if they are part puma!!??

Obviously, we got lucky with Sparky-the-charmer; it's going to take a while to get his sibs to the point he was at on his second day in. However, as I mentioned above, they are a bit less puma-like each day! As for the pics, I promise to get my butt in gear when I have a chance to get to town; I do have a digital camera, but no computer/printer hookup (of course, I have taken pics of les ferals).

By the way, nice to see your post, cpietra16. I will continue to update 'Fostering Ferals'; everyone's feedback really helps me realize it's not just me and a couple of hostile little kitties alone in the back porch! In the next day or 2 I'd like to discuss the interesting logistical problems presented by having to clean litter/feed etc. cats in a cage, all through the bars (luckily I have scrawny, chicken-like arms).

If I ever get another cage, I would look for one that has some sort of smaller opening as well as humungous doors...many horse stalls have a small 'hatch' where you can pop in feed or water. Well, it may be 2ish in the a.m., but somewhere it's time for ice cream, so I'm just going to pretend that's where I am right now!
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  #30  
Old September 13th, 2006, 01:13 AM
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kashtin's kin kashtin's kin is offline
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Smile Encore, les fural-er-ferals...

As I write this, I can hear Pepper and Cash cavorting in the back porch; upstairs, Sparky isn't thumping around at present, which just means he's taking an intermission. There have been a few interesting developments, and things that I have learned this week (aside from the fact that there is not ALWAYS a pony when you dig to the bottom of EVERY pile of manure...if there were I'd have a LOT more ponies than I do, but alas I digress).

I now know that kittens of a certain size can fit through the bars of some dog cages ; I did know that cats can be a little 'boneless' in terms of tight squeezes (we should all be so lucky), nevertheless when I found one of the back porch kitties outside the cage on Sunday I just figured I hadn't latched it properly. So, husband-in the role of 'kitty police'-was dispatched to the porch to return Cash to the cage...it wasn't too traumatic for all involved.

However, when Pepper was found grooming herself on top of the cage the following day, the dots started to connect...OOOOOOOH! Sooooo, it was decided to kitten-proof the entire porch, leave the cage open-and restrict humans and dogs to exiting the house via the SIDE porch only. This is a bit of a pain, as I now have to tromp around the house to get to the horses (especially icky when I'm hauling water) instead of merely skipping out the back door and going a few feet into the paddock.

The Two Pumas are very happy with this arrangement, thank goodness. Cash is still quite aloof/shy, but Pepper and I had a real breakthrough this morning . I had been able to pat her carefully until then-but only while she was eating. But for some reason, this morning she had some food, then wound herself around my legs as if we'd been best buddies forever. Wow.

It's been a good 3 months since I first started feeding the 3 kittens outside, so we've been on speaking terms for a while, but these critters really were untouched by the human hand...and pretty determined to keep things that way. When I nabbed Sparky, I wasn't altogether surprised by his speedy transition to lovemuffin (although I had thought even Mr. Charm would take a bit more time).

Pepper was a different kettle of fish!! altogether-very wary, and had even tried to bite me when my hand lingered on the food bowl outside one day. So, to have him (pretty sure it's a 'him', after today) suddenly cozy up to me was quite a shock, albeit a very pleasant one-yay!!!!

Cash is the holdout now; s/he was quite distressed for a few minutes this morning as Pepper decided to accept me; s/he stood on a small table under the large back porch window and pawed the glass. Fortunately, this was a brief episode, and while s/he's not about to rush up and hug me (let alone allow me to touch him/her), Cash seems to have settled down and accepted her treasonous brother's capitulation.

Interestingly enough, Cash is the big purrmeister around here; perhaps when s/he 'comes around' she will be a real lovey-dovey??!! Sparky has almost exactly a week more of post-shots quarantine, so anytime after that it would be nice to shift the dynamic duo upstairs...and reclaim our back porch!

Speaking of Sparky, he continues to be a delight ; he's so upbeat , and cutely curious about everything. I was worried that he would be too lonely on his own, but between frequent human visits, and a selection of toys to play with he's doing fine. He has expressed interest in 'the world beyond the door', but has been very good about not making a break for it. We'll play the integration thing by ear (now THAT-unlike 'ferals'-we have lots of experience with), but I have a feeling it'll be a lively winter.

I'm REALLY curious about the gender of Cash, now that it appears that Pepper is a male; the litter had 3 kittens (that I know of)...so who out there is an actuary i.e. with 2 males, wonder what the odds are of Cash being female?? The wonderful catperson sis-in-law has offered to take a female, as she has 3 girls at present; we've always had both genders in the house with no real problems, but I do realize some folks have a preference (must admit that my first horse was a gelding, but I've had mares ever since...just something about sharing the whole PMS/crabby thing I guess?!).

Cash is a sorta med-longish-haired critter, so once s/he's nuetered, would sis-in-law even notice........hmmmmmmmmmmm.
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Don't be a critter litterer!! ...also, R.I.P. OTTB [severe neglect] 'Monte Devil'-unforgotten.

Last edited by kashtin's kin; September 13th, 2006 at 01:18 AM.
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