Feral Cat Capture...Part 2 (appreciate tips!)

[kashtin's kin]

Interesting point, Miss Peabody! Years ago my father adopted a 'friendly feral' street cat, and one of her male kittens. If I hadn't seen pictures of the incredibly elusive "Lone" (perhaps he wanted to live up to his name?!), I really would have wondered if dad had an imaginary cat .

I suppose that can I lay claim to two sightings of Lone over the years, but they were so fleeting and peripheral ; if I hadn't always been on the lookout for ze phantom cat, I would likely have concluded that those brief glimpses were a figment of my rather undisciplined imagination.

Of WW's three progeny, only Sparky could be said to be a truly sociable feline at this point. Little Pepper is more outgoing than Big Pepper; I think they both have the potential to be more trusting and friendly in general, but I also feel Big Pep may always be a bit more aloof (she does have a much-read biography of Greta Garbo...).

WW, as is fitting for a good feral mom, really instilled a significant inclination towards wariness in all her kids. In Sparky's case, it would appear that his sheer inherent zest for adventure has eclipsed much of his natural caution; it seems that he has also figured out that a little charm goes a long way!

I think that some cats (even ones that are 'domestic' from the get-go) are naturally a bit on the shyer side, and if they end up a quieter household, may bond fairly closely to their principal human handservant...while avoiding contact with people they are unfamiliar with.

In the case of the [very] Lone Ranger, my father's house was in general only visited by a handful of people; Lone allowed himself to be admired by these select regulars. I know of another devoted cat person who has 2 out of 4 cats who would have to be classified as exceedingly timid; none of these cats is from a feral background.

Just as in the case of us lesser (as opposed to felines) mortals, I feel that some cats born feral can become quite trusting, and seek out human company. On the other hand, a domestic cat may be very much inclined towards shyness (or just not terribly interested in hobnobbing with human hoi polloi!?).

I guess it's all somewhat down to the old nature vs. nuture issue: given certain innate characteristics-combined with a specific environment and/or care, all creatures have their own personal evolution of 'self'. ...Now, if I could only figure out how the heck I ended up with a 3-way split personality: waitress, rural 'horse [+cat+dog] frau', and plastic surgeon (apologies to the cartoonist Nicole Hollander).

[kashtin's kin]

...made the mistake of running out of WW's special high-calorie food for a day; it's quite remarkable just how effectively a 6ish lb. cat can harangue from 15 feet away. Thank goodness for fresh rations, as I am not altogether comfortable with being pierced by the laser Guilt Eye for extended periods.

After resolving the above situation, I decided to go for maximum stress saturation, and let Little Pepper out of the kittie gym for a while (les Peppers final quarantine is finally up). Predictably, LP disappeared into the chaos of the adjacent storage room, with Sparky chaperoning...and moi over-chaperoning, so to speak.

LP had a stimulating hour or so exploring the nether regions of Storage World; the three 'senior-er' cats were all napping downstairs, so no exciting confrontations. Big Pepper was not thrilled to be solo for a while, but she survived with some reassuring chat...I'm not planning on any 'expeditions' for BP, as I am not QUITE able to squeeze through 4" openings in hot [cat] pursuit.

BP will just have to wait until she moves-sniff-to s.i.l.'s Cozy Catarama...

Below: Sparky stars in "I DREAM OF TUNA" (the remake).

[kashtin's kin]

..."I Dream of Tuna", starring the Sparkster.

[MissPeabody]

Cute picture! I have no idea how you find time for all the things you do. I wanted to thank you for your reply to my last post re: Miss Peabody being terrified of EVERYONE. I think you were correct in that she has not been socialized well. When I was living with my husband, she was a tad friendlier. We had a lot of people coming & going. She still hid when they came over, but she would sneak out to peek at them now and then. Since I've been alone (2 years) I don't have a lot of company, and she has reverted back to her feral alter-ego. I need to start having more people over. I haven't done so because I don't like where I'm living right now. Guess I'll just have to make the best of it.
Anyway, thank you again. Did you know you're also really funny? Maybe you could start yet another sideline doing standup.
Miss Peabody
Bert
And their human

[chico2]

Love the pic of the Sparkster:love:
I am a great fan of James Herriot(sp?)and his catstories,you should collect all your posts and have a little book published.
I am certain it would be a bestseller among cat-lovers
I am glad WW is still around,at least you can keep an eye on her over the wintermonths,I am thinking daddy is around lurking too

[kashtin's kin]

After a bit of tweaking here and there, Casa WW is in permanent place (for the winter, anyway). I took a couple of pictures of the insulated boxcave before el hubbo afixed it to a small platform a foot or so above ground...and then almost totally enclosed the house/porch etc. ! It's great-all nice and cozy (and yes, he did leave room for a cat to wend it's way in), but all I can get a pic of is the plywood surrounding the residence .

I haven't gotten out there with the camera yet, but I will do so soon; I'll take a shot from the rear of Casa WW, as there is an covered patio where I put the food/drink bowls. It may look like Fort Knox, but at least we can be sure that no snow or rain will be getting inside...not to mention nothing larger than a cat .

With Casa WW being so secluded and all, there is no way to see if Willi herself is in residence, but she is definitely availing herself of the dining facility. My faithful carpenter did offer to pry one piece of plywood off for a few minutes while I put in a few more wood shavings; perhaps WW will leave me a note (doubtless full of demands for improvements by the landlord ).

Today was 'spay day' for the 2 Peppers. Although I am totally PRO S/N, I confess to a twinge of anxiety especially when critters are spayed; just that whole notion of slightly more invasive surgery (hmm...another area where guys have it easier?!). Les Peppers are healthier and of course younger than momcat WW...mom came through okay back in Oct., and when I called the clinic after lunch I was reassured that the leetle girls' surgery went fine.

The clinic is keeping them overnight, which I don't mind-a bit more time to recover in a medical setting, and the girls are together (or at least 'adjacent'). Crating them at 7 a.m. actually went better than it did for their last booster shots , which was a relief. Sparky followed the progress of his sister's crate from the Pepper Gym to the back door, and appears to be missing his sibs (especially since I've been letting Little Pepper out to play with him for a few hours each day recently).

Having the girls away for a day or so allowed me to clean out the gym more thoroughly, and put a few of their larger 'apparati??' away, as they will hopefully refrain from performing their more difficult routines (i.e. flying trapeze) for a few days at least. It certainly has been strangely quiet around here today without the periodic thuds of the Highflying Felines.

Below, is a picture of WW's winter digs from the front, and one from the side-with Sparky on top of the boxcave to put the size in context (pics taken in kitchen prior to Casa WW being set up outside).

As mentioned in the 'Feral Shelter' thread below, the 'box' is insulted with 2" styrafoam, covered in mactac sticky stuff, bound with duct tape, and furnished with wood shavings (till Ethan Allan can stop by)...

p.s. before the boxcave was exterior-ally?? finished by the mactac/duct tape/ham-fisted princessa (alias moi !), it actually looked very, um, NOT unprofessional !!

[MissPeabody]

How sweet! A Chateau for the lady. Those kitties are so lucky you found them (or vice versa)

[chico2]

Looks like a great house for WW,a hug for hubby the carpenter
I am sure the girls will be ok
I keep trying to picture your household,with how many cats?? Dogs???
As usual a great morning-read,thanks!
The Sparkster is getting big,isn't he,wonderful Tabby:love:

[kashtin's kin]

Well, I've been a bit preoccupied with some other pressing issues lately, but rest assured, I am still playing handmaiden (can 'maidens' have wrinkles ) to Famille Feral. When I picked up Les Peppers from their spay day a while back, I was all psyched to NOT have another vet vist for the forseeable future; forgot about suture removal (WW had dissolving stitches for obvious reasons, and I just sort of assumed...).

Wrong-o! Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to the vet we go tomorrow. Les Peppers are still not overly fond of men (need more socializing with hubby), and also not inclined to react well to restraint ; Little Pepper loves lolling in my lap, but if I held her down, all bets (and much of my skin) would be off. And I don't even entertain the thought of interfering with Big Pepper's 'at large' [in the Kitty Gym] status-shudder.

We have admittedly made it through 2 app'ts for shots etc. without moi being significantly shredded, but that involved a female vet, and more fleeting restrictions on movement. Oh well, as Vincent Van Gogh [apparently] once said, "What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" ( ...Um, quieter????)

With the rather unseasonably warm weather that southern Ontario has been experiencing for the past week or so, I've gotten lots of fall barn chores and gardening done, and have seen quite a bit of WW . For a very elusive gal, Wilhelmina has a surprisingly effective way of communicating her dining requirements; when she hasn't got me scrambling to freshen the buffet, I often spot WW in the field honing her mousing skills.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I did take some snaps of Wilhelmina's insulated chateau in it's outdoor incarnation-mounted a couple of feet about the ground on a petit 'deck' avec roof. Please do be forwarned that although WW's digs are furnished by Ethan Allen and boast a jaccuzzi (sp?)/home gym/theatre/Sub Zero kitchen, her casa is fairly rudimentary-think Extreme Home Makeover BEFORE Ty et al. attack-so as to not invite jealousy, and attract the criminal element .

I would have liked to have been able to take a pic of WW herself delicately consuming my gourmet offering; alas WW refuses to be photographed eating (doesn't show her off to an elegant enough advantage, even when she's nibbling on cavier)...and I lack the telephoto lens that would allow me to capture her image from a discreet vantage. Whatever...

[chico2]

KK,that is a great shelter
I know with Allies passing,it must have been very,very difficult to do all the things you need to do,but I am certain,you never for a minute forgot about"your"kitties:love:
I would love to see a pic of WW..
I am a pic-nut and wish I had a camera I could use to take pics of my birds and other critters while standing 30 feet away.
My husband has a good camera,but by the time I get the right lense on and adjust the setting my object would be long gone

[kashtin's kin]

I don't know how the holiday season gets so busy, what with having a family circle that takes no time to draw-i.e. pretty smallish-and being somewhat inclined to the [friendly ] hermit lifestyle...but it nevertheless does. The biggest challenge this year was the transition of The Two Peppers from the kitty gym to the general household.

As discussed above, I was sorely tempted to put my visiting kin in the unheated sunporch with a good!! electric blanket, rather than deal with introducing les Peppers to the entire house during a slightly hectic time of year (the timing of the girls' spay meant that I had only about 3 days to turn Chez Kitty Gym into a passable version of Le Guest Room).

However, I did reconcile myself to the duties of a not altogether laissez faire/slatternly hostess-moi?!-and round about the winter solstice began to [outwardly] calmly do the big changeover. "On the first day..." of Operation Kittenshift, I basically moved most of les Peppers 'amusement park' (bazillion toys of all description, play boxes/paper bags, high wire, safety net, rings et al.) and left the door to the gym OPEN.

(I then moved a bunch of stuff around and out of the NEW kitty quarters in an adjacent room...this portion of the second story of itsybitsy farmhouse is more or less our 'basement'; in other words the home of bikes/skiis/storage boxes etc. etc. So, this was the most aerobic-puffpuff- part of the whole logistical exercise.)

That went quite well, much to my relief; Little Pepper had been out of le gym for lots of visits, so was keen to explore (chaperoned by larger bro' and already assimilated ex-feral Sparky), while the less adventurous Big Pepper chose to remain inside. Heartened by this success, on day 2 I took various Pepper Beds into the rearranged room that incidentally has no door; hey , this ain't the Hilton, as previously noted!

Day 3 was the real acid test, as at this point it was necessary to literally shut the door on this stage of the Pepper saga, in order to vacuum/mop/reinstall bed and so forth. Big Pepper had ventured to the doorway of the room fairly often by then, but still retreated to her 'security seat' on the window ledge for much of the time.

Just when I was agonizing over if/when to attempt to lure/lift her from her perch, Big Pepper soooo serendipitously! casually followed me OUT!!!! Before she could reflect and regress on this huge development, I quietly shut the door behind us, and slowly ushered her towards the doorless room filled with kitty Pepper accoutrements galore.

I had envisioned Big Pep flinging herself at the window in this new place in a mad scrabble to escape (her initial reaction to being trapped in the back porch WAY back when) and my simultaneous nervous breakdown, or some such manifestation of panic x 2, but my Garbo-esque gal did herself proud with her adaptation to a strange new world...yet again.

After that, it was largely a matter of spending quality reassurance time with Big Pepper in particular, and doing all that kitty gym cleaning like an amphetamine-stoked housekeeper. My perhaps excessive kitty-proofing/prepartion of the 'open room' seemed to pay off, as the Peppers settled right in.

I guess! I tend to imagine worst case scenarios (although I do hope for the best at the same time!!), because I was further pleasantly surprised by the speed with which the girls proceeded to explore the downstairs a/k/a main living area, complete with 2 dogs. It definitely helped a ton that for the most part Sparky was there to shepherd his female sibs around; all in all what could have been a bit of a traumatic time for all concerned went incredibly smoothly. WHEW.

Next, on KAT Network..."GIRLS GONE WILD!!!!"

But first a couple of pics of the Peppers (Lil Pepper on my lap with Sadie the JRT! and Big Pepper on the kitchen table beside catboxbed...I do scrub the table and banish cats for quick human meals!)...

[TeriM]

Love the updates and the pics. The peppers look like they are very content. When does the other pepper (sorry, not sure which one) go to her new home with the inlaws?

[chico2]

WOW,you have made amazing progress with these formerly feral kittens,seeing one of the Peppers very relaxed with you and your JRT is unbelievable and Big Pepper is stunning,really beautiful,you get a for what you have accomplished..:love:
About cats on the table,in my kitchen it's the place where Rocky can lay and keep an eye on me,what goodies I might be dropping,expecting a little cuddle every time i am ear him,no place is off limit for these guys:love:

[Dracko]

I'm relatively new to this board and hadn't seen this thread until today. I read the whole thing! Awesome except I'm supposed to be working.

Keep updating us and posting the pictures. Lovely to hear about what you have done for this family of cats.

[jawert1]

I was hoping there would be a post holiday update on your crew Kashtin I'm home sick today, so your fabulous writing is keeping me laughing as always. Congrats on transitioning the girls, amazing how they surprise you at the weirdest of times

[kashtin's kin]

Well, after the minor chaos of Christmas, followed by our dog Freyjya's 'mystery affliction' (see health forum, if inclined) AND losing power for almost 2 days after the recent ice storm...here's hoping for a few crisis' that don't make a beeline for Chez Tiny Farm ! After spending a short time NOT preening in the spotlight, les Kittens are threatening to sue for neglect and alienation of affections; they've always been a bit self-centred, and a LOT litiginous.

Since my most recent?? post back in early January, Sparky and Sisters have really settled in. Although the 2 pics attached to that post portrayed the Two Peppers looking quite comfortable in their nouveau habitat, we were still somewhat under frisky kitty siege at the time. Offsetting those rare moments of calm were long periods of Kamikaze Kitten Kapers; I was frequently under the impression that we were home to at least a dozen supercharged teen felines!!

Even my previous busybusy incarnations as playground leader/daycare worker/ski instructor/museum guide/horse stable operator/professional puppeteer ETC. barely prepared me for KittyRide Inc.-"hold on, you're just along for the ride!!" Accustomed to socializing/intergrating one animal at a time, I found myself bitterly envying the multiple arms of an octopus, as I attempted to keep up with the Tempestuous Trio.

Fortunately, Sparky was well past his initial assimilation days of rushing up to each 'resident mature cat' in turn, standing on his hind legs, and flailing his front paws in the manner of an aggressive bear. And, the girls were of course not testosterone-fuelled; thus, they were less aggressive...towards the other cats, at least! Their youthful spirit of adventure and discovery manifested itself more in attacks on inanimate objects.

Electrical (and other cords) were energetically chewed, the kitchen counters doubled as a racetrack, blinds were rattled and bent, knickknacks were assualted and broken, charming carpet patterns were created by yanked- out strands of yarn...and that was just the daily warmup!! I grew to loooong for the mercilessly brief moments of CAT-atonia, when I could stop lovingly murmuring "NO, kitties!" , and not be sideswiped by galloping furballs while I rather hopelessly attempted to restore some order?? to the house.

Just when you thought your place was pretty much critter-proofed... I had a deja vu re: when after years of boarding horses, I bought a pony-and stood in mesmerized shock as said equine-on-amphetamines proceeded to limbo under fence rails, and squeeze beteen 2" gaps in trees !? I'm constantly caught flat-footed , and humbled in my relationships with quadrupeds-all that in spite of being UNsmugly prepared.

Thank goodness, the eye of the most recent critterstorm seems to have passed; we've all settled into a much less tumultuous-for the most part!-existence....just in time for me to gather my shattered little nerves and escape categorization as a 'chandelier UTTERLY devoid of bulbs'!!!! Yay!! The next challenge on the near horizon is Big Pepper's move to my sister-in-law's luxurious catabode (I think she's already got a college fund set up for BP). But that will be another story for another day...

Below, 2 pics of 'Trio Busykitty' (one, lounging/debriefing in the living room after a wild romp, and the other, exploring the potential for havoc-wreaking in the bathroom)...rare to catch all three close enough for me to get them all in the frame!

[jawert1]

Awesome Kashtin!!! Glad to see everyone's keeping you, um, busy?

[Inisfad]

WOW!!! I just saw this post for the first time today, and sat down with a cup of tea and read all 5 pages of it. what a great saga!! And great pictures too. Those cats are really lovely, and very lucky to have found you. Actually, I don't believe in 'luck'. I think this was meant to happen, they were meant to find you (and vice versa), etc. I was happy too, that you let your cats on the kitchen table (I do also, as it's by the window, they seem to congregate there - all 6 of the inside ones, at least - my neighbors think it's disgusting. Ha! too bad...Your histoire reminds me of when I lived in New York and would come across feral cats near where I lived. They seemed to be wilder than the ones I find here in Ireland, maybe because life for a suburban or urban feral cat is so much scarier. I also have a theory about more skitterish cats having bad eyesight and so are more nervous because they don't see things as clearly. Anyway, I know that I've come into this at the very end, but I really enjoyed reading all 5 pages, and seeing the pictures, etc. It was great!

[chico2]

As usual,thank's for the entertaining read
You really have kitty-behaviour down pat and an amazing talent for putting it in to words.
Did I understand you got another pony???
Good Luck to Big Pepper on her move,I hope she will not be too stressed out
Thank's for the pics LOVE to actually see the little monsters,they are sooo cute

[kashtin's kin]

I forgot to mention one of the more dramatic effects of Girlz Gone Wild et al.; our Christmas tree spent all but about 20 min. of the holiday season in 'protective custody', through no fault of it's own. We've-not surprisingly!-had issues with kitties and the Christmas Conifer before, but have generally been able to leave our 2 ft. artificial on display at least when we're right there to supervise...with tasers at the ready !

This past holiday, however, found the poor little tree-thing viciously attacked by all 3 kittens simultaneously, who despite entreaties and threats would not agree to back off on their mission to annihilate Oh Tannenbaum. Thus, we put the tree out for 15 minutes on the 25th (while the tannenbaum trashers were occupied with a meal); we did the present thing as expediently as possible, and quickly locked le tree away. ...Kinda detracted from one's vision of a leisurely gift exchange-sigh.

Thanks again to folks for their kind comments; one's petit travails are always more bearable when one is made aware that others are enjoying witnessing one's challenges vicariously!! When I read other people's responses, it allows me to gain another perspective, and enjoy things more myself...at least in retrospect!

Re: pony, chico2-I'm still workig on pony number one (after 6 years, I'VE finally become almost 'bombproof', which is a term commonly used to refer to fairly unflappable equines!). I was just recounting the state of shock I found myself in lo those many years ago; even though I take La Ponita in stride now, that initial reaction is still etched in my teeny brain! I do hope to find a pony companion this spring for LP, although I've heard 2 ponies are rather MORE than merely twice the trouble (all that Pony Solidarity stuff).

p.s. it's sooo nice to hear of other critter servers who are only able to regain the use of their kitchen tables for brief human meals; I've been inspired to come out of denial, and just state unapologetically, "Yes, my cats DO have sovereignty over the table-what of it?! "

Below...Les Peppers on a break from Operation Arboreal Assault (BP examines bath, while LP inspects laundry)

[heyjude11]

I've so enjoyed reading your wonderful tales (tails?) of the Animal House! Please don't stop!!.
When my cat's birth mom, who lives down the hall from me, used to come by daily, I'd often walk into the dining room to find her stretched out on the dining room table. She would never lay on the bare table, however. She would either be lying on top of a newspaper or, more often than not, a place mat. I always found that terribly amusing.

[kashtin's kin]

Sigh-just when ya think you're due at least a teeny bit of 'smooth sailing'... out comes a tapeworm eww!! I had just about assembled all of Big Pepper's personal accoutrements on Wed., in preparation for the scheduled Thurs. move to her new home when I spotted BP having a sick-up right by one set of litter boxes. No biggy/it's a cat thingy...until I bent down with the paper towels and was immediately put in mind of 'Tremors' (that goofy movie from the early 90's where huge earthworms run amok).

I've wormed lots of dogs, cats and horses over the years; it's been a while since I've seen a disgusting intestinal sort of worm up close and personal (I'm rather fond of the little helpers in my garden). Peppers and Bro' were wormed twice in early November, and live indoors; I haven't seen or heard any evidence of mousey buffets. Nevertheless, it would appear that at least Big Pepper is harbouring a nasty parasite or two.

Alas, this does kind of fit, as just in the past week or so it seemed that perhaps Big Pep and Little Pep had switched bodies . They both sport fairly long hair (and BP doesn't care to be picked up), thus they still look about the same size; upon closer examination however, I was able to deduce BP had definitely lost a bit of weight. She can't have done it for her modelling career, as we had agreed she would finish her degree first...ergo, cherchez la tapeworm!

According to my vet clinic, it is usually roundworms that are upchucked, whereas tapeworms prefer to take the back door, but this was definitely a tapeworm via mouth. Needless to say, I hastened to the clinic to pick up enough feline Drontal pills to dose all six cats twice (the young'uns were wormed by a different clinic in Nov., who gave me Interceptor...apparently Drontal is very thorough and specific).

So, another merry evening at Club Critter; hubby and I each did 3 felines, and I STILL have a splitting headache. I've said it before, and I'll say it again-I'd rather worm a 1000 lb. horse than a 3-12 lb. cat any day!!
The only cat who has been easy to do-so far-is Sparky. We know the basic technique, and we've had some practice over the years, but el hub and I still feel like we're suiting up for a WWF Cage Match when it comes to cat pilling.

Once we had completed our Herculean task (could this be a version of "Survivor: Feline Island??"), removed leather jackets, goggles etc./applied polysporin to our oozing wounds, we relaxed by doing some re-bandaging of our 'SLO' dog, Freyja-who is doing well. If I had received a cell phone call from a certain pony at that stage of our jolly evening, I'm afraid I might have been less than polite!?

Looking on the bright side, Big Pepper will be a member of our household for another couple of weeks (pill #2 is in 10 days, during which time I hope to regain whatever semblance of sanity I may have possessed prior to MegaDose Day). I think when I first reported Le Worm to huberino, he interpreted it as just another ploy by me to hold on to all 3 kittens; so sad not to be trusted !

...below, 2 pics (NONE of ze evil tapeworm!): Sparky and a Pepper-can't tell which one!-playing King of the Kouch, and Senior Senor Odin and Sparky sharing everyone's favourite tuna boxbed (trust me, Odin smartens young Sparkler up when he wants to!).

p.s. Senor Odin was missing an eye when we adopted him from a humane society about 14 yrs. ago; he may only have the one eye, but he has always been frighteningly-some might say dangerously!-brilliant.

[chico2]

KK,I have no eperience with Tapeworm,but I would think it's awful stuff
I was reading your post LOL and hubby made me read it out loud
After all the problems you've had lately,I suppose a sense of humour is vital,or you would be pulling your hair...
Pilling 6 cats I am pilling one,twice a day and it is easy,but SIX,wow!!!
Good luck with the evil Tapeworm

I also think it's time your luck will be turning,I can see a multy-million $$$ winning in your future

[kiara]

This is an old request and I am a new member and experienced with trapping. First of all you must not try and approach a feral or semi-feral cat because they bite! And if you have your own cats at home and bring a feral home instead first to a vet. you may be exposing yours to all kinds of diseases. Even vaccinted and unvaccinated cats should not be together in the same room. I have a few tricks that might help. Usually before trapping I phone the local vet who is very experienced with treating feral cats and I tell her that I might be bringing a feral "tonight". Then I set up a trap with sardines in it and wait, depending on the weather I put a towel on top of the trap (if it is winter I put a white towel, if summer a green one). I find that this really helps because the cat cannot actually see the trap! Also never leave the trap unattended if it is very cold. If the "right" cat gets in, it goes to the vet. And all the necessery treatments are done. Also very important is that the vet. puts a tatoo in the cat's ear in case it is ever trapped again. Then we know it is already fixed. The best places for these ferals is to be released in barns and on farms but usually these places are already "full", so we bring them back to the area they were trapped. I hope the information will help.

[jesse's mommy]

Ummm, she's already caught the cats, had them spayed/neutered and took some in.

[kashtin's kin]

Yeah, I know-Casa Willi has been set up for quite some time now. I was hope, hope, hoping! that WW was availing herself of her custom chateau, but until tonight I did not have absolute proof of any sort of residency. She was definitely eating on the adjoining 'porch', but the the actual entrance to the interior is sort of around a sharply-angled corner (good protection from the wind etc.).

It is therefore pretty much impossible to ascertain whether or not a cat is indeed inside (unless you witness it exit or enter, and WW has been too canny for any such sightings), without reaching way around that corner into Chez WW. Frankly, even if my somewhat stick-like arm was able to contort itself enough to be able to flail the attached hand inside WW's recreation room...well, let's just say I'm trying to keep my critter-bite quota to a minimum this year.

Tonight, though, I discovered an impromptu method of 'cat-in-the-house' detection; some snow had drifted onto the outer edge of WW's porch and gotten into her empty food bowl, and without thinking (one of my more outstanding skills, if I do say so myself ) I grabbed the bowl and knocked it vigourously on the roof of the chateau to get rid of the snow.

...et voila-who WAS that masked, er, BLACK CAT??!! WW just exploded out of her cosy retreat, and had bounded half-way across the snowy farmyard before I managed to attract her attention by rattling her gourmet kibble. She paused briefly, so I shoved the food on her porch and made tracks in the opposite direction...dashed into our modest ol' farmhouse and extinguished the outside light poste haste.

When WW and I very occasionally meet up, I back right off; I'm pretty sure that once I'd flung myself inside, WW felt able to return home and partake of her buffet. Just a teensy bit of a surprise for both moi and WW, who was no doubt kicking back and relaxing with one of her series of mouse-themed DVDs i.e. Mouse of La Mancha, The Mouse and I, Little Miss Mouse, Gone With the Mouse, Star Mouse, Thelma and Mouse, About a Mouse...

Perhaps?! I am too easily thrilled-ya think-but it really is a huge deal to actually KNOW that WW is using her casa, especially during the -20ish celcius at night cold snap we're in the middle of at present. Les ferals and I have been through a lot these past 7-8 mos.; tonight was one of the more gratifying moments. (Just yesterday I was 'cursing' The Spawn of WW as we were doing the de-worming routine, but this WW housing info has overridden that *#%!&* cat pilling nightmare...yahoo!)

Below, Sparky and 'A Pepper' say, "Our mom is cozy...and we hate de-wormer!!"

[badger]

Having just given a cat Drontal for tapeworm, I'm interested that your vet prescribed a second round. Is this normal, or did he have a particularly bad case (as if vomiting one up wasn't enough)? Was it the vet who suggested you dose them all?
Hoping our friends in far-flung time zones are not eating breakfast: twice now I've spied parasites surfing in freshly delivered cat poo, conserved a sample and rushed to the vet, and they saw NOTHING. The second time they humoured me with Drontal, because I am a very good client . Is this possible?
I know what I saw, up close and gagging as I was. They were not round worms - been there, done that. They almost reminded me of snails without their shells, short not nearly as narrow as a roundworm. The cat was recently treated with Revolution, which takes care of a couple of common parasites and tapeworms seemed the logical conclusion, but I really have NO idea.

[chico2]

KK,as usual,love to read about your kitty-adventures never a dull moment at your house!
In all my years of having had cats,I never had to deal with worms I guess it was just luck
Love the pics of Sparkster and one of the Peppers,I hope mama and papa cat are ok out there in these arctic temps, I know you are doing your best to give them shelter

[kashtin's kin]

It's been a reasonably uneventful?? couple of weeks out here at the [Mostly EX] Feral Funhouse. Considering the human nerves left shattered in the wake of Operation Worm 6 Catz (TWICE!!), I think that at least a brief period of time without some sort of critter mayhem was somewhat deserved!

Thank goodness it's apparent that despite les catz best efforts, they ingested enough drontal to annihilate that nasty worm burden. I was quite concerned about Big Pepper, who had with the help of her friendly personal tapeworm been transformed into Slightly Wraithlike Pepper.

It took well over a week to be able to tell that BP was definitely trending upward on the weight front; her sibs are still a pound or 2 ahead, but BP no longer disappears when she turns sideways, so to speak. She's still the 'fey-ist' of the feral kids, but I was able to sneak BP regular extra meals (she relaxes more when she eats with her sibs).

Actually, we've sort of discarded the BP and LP designations due to the former BP's pre-worming weight loss; we now refer to BP as 'Hairy Pepper', and LP as 'Plump-ish Pepper'. Once HP makes the transition to s.i.l.'s, we'll be able to dispense with this whole Two Peppers situation ...reminds me of the Dr. Suess story where some mother names ALL of her 20-odd sons Dave!

HP's departure has been deferred a few times; I got sick just before the first scheduled 'au revoir'...then came the tapeworm saga...and now we're on hold for a bit as s.i.l. had to say good-bye to the oldest of her 3 cats a week or so ago ('Millie' had a wonderful cat life; s.i.l. just needs a little time to adjust).
Millie will always have a very special place in s.i.l.'s heart, but I'm sure HP will be a welcome addition.

Meanwhile, the Sparkman is busy 'alpha-catting' it up; the only other male, Odin the Gentle Genius couldn't be bothered with a Macho Contest! Of course, the 'twin' Crabby Queens (Goose and Sally) aren't about to let the young scalliwag give them any grief...better watch it, Sparks !!

With the colder weather, I've been keeping a close eye on the outside feeding station; we've spotted WW at least once in the past week, and the buffet table needs frequent replenishing. And so, la Famille Feral [and not so feral] continues to grow-as in 'grow up', not grow in number!

below: a pic each of HP and um, Plump-ish Pepper!! (HP has a slightly longer, 'duller' coat with a very distinctive 'mane', while her sis has shorter and glossier hair, minus the ruff/mane...they both look a tad 'ragged' due to the dryer winter air/static electricity).

[chico2]

KK,I was wondering how you and your furries were doing,but I suppose you had your hands full with worms
They all look wonderful to me worm-ordeal or not,HP especially,but they all are all really sweet.
Sorry to hear about your S.I.L's loss,but I am sure HP's arrival will help.
It will be a little sad for you to see her go,but you've done wonders with this whole little kitty-family
The second pic is the best,we even get to see a glimps of one of your pretty doggies and another one of your cats
and Sparky,well,he has to be a tough little Tabby-boy with all those females around