A Lot Of (still) Newbie Questions

[MoonstoneWolf]

you're lucky - my boy won't touch anything like that no matter how much I tell him it's the same thing LOL


In her case she might be one of those rare felines that doesn't really like kibble, or maybe she doesn't like the size of the pieces?

Perhaps. I'm looking now into pet feeders. But with summer soon to come and it is already 85 degrees where i'm at, it's hard to know which one of these keeps the food cold. I"m still thinking I'll be out there every 2 hours changing ice so I'm in same situation as I am now

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

I hate to put out a lot of money on an automatic feeder if the ice is going to melt anyway and I'm still running out there every 2 hours like I am right now. Especially when I don't have the money. I don't know how long this arctic ice packs last in 90 + temps. Would using an old igloo cooler to place the automatic feeder work? Or no? The entire situation really revolves around sneaking from my Mom before I'm out there in the bushes with the cats.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

lol oh boy. When one cat shows up another disappears. Now Shadow is missing. But I am beginning to think this is a hobby of hers to go missing 24 to 48 hours and then stroll back demanding food. Either that or the 3 of them planned this ahead of time to see the human go crazy lol Sorry trying to find the humor in this

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Ugh not again. Is there a reason why every cat went to this one tree and looked up with curiosity to the point none are interested in food? They're all laying there looking up intensely. Sorry for maybe silly questions. Just that this seems odd behavior with these cats. I never saw them do this before, not even all last summer.

Ok this is getting weird. Each of the cats ran off frightened by the very same tree. I don't see anything in the tree that is scaring them. This situation gets worse every day. BTW: it's not the tree Shaman was in last night. It is her other tree she likes but she seemed scared of it as well. I'm getting worried by their behaviour.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Haha ok what? I set out 3 feeding stations one for Shadow, one for Shaman and Treasure and one up for grabs for either one. Shadow, the stinker, eats at each one and then takes off. And the food was all the same. I give up. Let them duke it out. lol

 

[Furballsmom]

LOL

It could have been a coon up in that tree

You know, a cooler could help a bit

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

I see there are good styrofoam coolers. I can turn upside down an all to keep ice in for their food, until I can afford an auto timed feeder.

I made a decision to stop running these cams 24/7. While I love watching the cats, I tend to stress out over everything that happens. So I'll just enjoy the cats when I see them. I'm getting familiar with their personalities and I know that Shadow is always the first one to come in the mornings. Right now, I put out some toys for Treasure and Shaman who were eating while I was inside the door watching. I know that feral cats find water funny tasting but would you say maybe a bowl of water now for with the warm weather coming?

 

[Furballsmom]

maybe a bowl of water now for with the warm weather coming?

I think yes

 

[JoyM]

It seems like the 3 consider you as their “home base”. Outdoor cats will have a pretty large area that they will consider their territory (at least a good bit larger than your yard). Unfortunately, you will consistently have to deal with one or more of them disappearing for a day or more (sometimes much more). That’s just a somewhat upsetting part of having outdoor cats. It will never have anything to do with what you did or didn’t do. It’s just part of their natural instincts. I’m sure your older cat didn’t but that’s because it spent most of it’s life inside and considered inside to be it’s territory. These 3 won’t be like that.
As for the fighting, it’s definitely a normal cat trait as well. Even cats that grow up together will do that and don’t assume they all speak the same language exactly. If they were inside, there are interventions to help them get along but outdoor cats don’t play by the same rules. I’m currently working on getting my two indoor cats to get along because my younger one enjoys making the older one his “prey” and stalking, chasing and pouncing on him. It’s really a normal cat behavior but my older cat cat tolerate it so I have to intervene.
Cats don’t “recognize” each other the exact same way humans do. Even siblings in the same house can “turn on” each other. Like if one has to go to the vet for a while and comes back smelling different, the other cat will hiss and feel like you are bringing a stranger in their house. Or they can be sitting side by side and something scares one of them and they associate the other cat with what scared them (redirected aggression). They could take a very long time to get back to normal and fight when they had been best friends before. Cats are highly intelligent but we often judge them by our standards and that’s part of why they don’t make sense to us.
Even their “language” is completely different. We rely on words and tones and while they do make over 100 different sounds, most of their communication is body language and scents.
You are already giving them so much more than they had since being “evicted”. That’s why they have started trusting you and continue to come to your house. They will continue to disappear from time to time but there’s nothing you can do about that. My grandmother raised 2 from before they had their eyes open and she owns acres of land and they came in and out but one day they went missing and were gone for more 2 weeks. One returned but a few weeks later he disappeared again for a few days. It’s nothing she did.
Usually I encourage people to keep their cats indoors BUT you are in a very unique situation between your mother and these not being completely tame cats. I don’t know if you could get them in, if they would want to be in, and your mother definitely wouldn’t be ok with it.


I didn’t know how to keep you from worrying except to assure you that you are doing everything you can.

 

[Furballsmom]

I didn’t know how to keep you from worrying except to assure you that you are doing everything you can.

exactly

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Well Shaman definitely wants to be in because she'll sit and meow by the door all the time. Treasure just started the same thing.

The person I spoke with on the phone who confirmed all 3 were fixed is calling me non stop to get the traps so they can be fixed. I'm a bit disappointed in my city's program on that. I took a good look at the 3 who come to my yard and they all have ears tipped. Why would I put out $50 each for cat ($150 I don't have) to fix cats that already are fixed? Something isn't right about that. Shaman and Treasure are the only ones that let me get close enough to photograph. Shadow runs as soon as I pull out the phone to take a photo although I've seen the tipped ear.

I hope this lady who keeps calling doesn't just take it upon herself to come and do it and then charge me for something that has been confirmed to have been done by her records and my visual of the tipped ear. But the photos I sent her of the ears tipped should be enough and I find her constant calling to be a bit unethical so who knows. Sorry but after that deal of the cat killer on Craigslist who was an employee at one of our best hospitals here I'm extremely cautious and less trusting of people who just say they are from such and such group. I'm even more wary than most as this guy is 20 minutes from where I live. I realize that sometimes fights between cats or defense against another animal can make an ear look tipped but I don't think it's that case when all 3 of these cats have same tipped marking on their left ears.

BTW: these cats can not hunt on their own. Yesterday I watched as all 3 were drawn to that tree and each one got scared off by a squirrel or in Shaman's case the baby squirrel. As soon as a squirrel came close they each ran with the frightened body language. I assume that after the man's relatives kicked them out they either raided garbage cans or begged off of people until they found me.

Friday mornings feeding are so rushed and I can't even stay outside with them as I have to hurry put the food out for them and lock up before Mom comes downstairs as she insists on getting her hair done every Friday (although she never goes anywhere so I don't understand that) and then grocery shopping til Noon or 1PM. I used to have the Prime Now delivery during the time we were gone so that she doesn't see the cat food but that does get a bit expensive after awhile. I don't make that much money from surveys and Swagbucks to do this every Friday

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

She’s getting quite snotty with me. I’m scared she’ll take them while I’m gone.

 

[Willowy]

That's just really weird. You think she'd be glad they were already done, especially since she's the one who identified them as being part of the TNR effort in that neighborhood. Does she give any reason for not believing they're already done?

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

That's just really weird. You think she'd be glad they were already done, especially since she's the one who identified them as being part of the TNR effort in that neighborhood. Does she give any reason for not believing they're already done?

She gave no reason at all so I don’t know why she’s so persistent.

 

[JoyM]

If you are concerned about them chewing on plants that they shouldn’t, you could put out some cat grass with a catnip plant to lure them to the safe items. I did that in my sunroom and my kitties loved them. Just be prepared for them to lay in the pot and roll on them. I have to replant them every couple months after they have eaten all the catnip and flattened all the grass.
One of my cats prefer my potted oregano to the catnip (he’s a bit of an oddball). Luckily, he hasn’t flattened it- just nibbles here and there.
As for keeping the food from going bad, I would just put enough wet food out for whoever is present to eat it in a sitting and leave a small bowl of dry food for the stragglers. Whoever likes the wet food best will quickly figure out what time dinner is and start showing up first. All I do is tap the bowl with a spoon and they come running no matter where they were in the house (even if they had been asleep).

 

[JoyM]

As for crazy TNR lady, I wouldn’t be too concerned. If she is trying to get $ from you, she will need YOU to sign that you will pay. If you got the # from your local shelter, it’s probably a legit group and she could be extremely forgetful or doesn’t keep records of who she has called and who she hasn’t.
What does she say when you tell her that SHE has already confirmed that these cats have been fixed and you have seen the ear tips? And yes, a clean 1/3 of the left ear being gone is a legitimate tipping. TNR groups chose it a long time ago to recognize cats who had been through the program already.

 

[Furballsmom]

Not that you aren't, but I guess just continue asking questions, such as "wait, you said they've been taken care of. Why are you saying they need to be done when they already are"?

Drat, that's too bad. I was hoping she'd be a source of information, but it sounds like not, I guess

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

As I said above the cat killer was employed by a legit company and look what happened. So I have no idea on that one or why she keeps calling/emailing/pm'ng. Our correspondence has been in email/pm so she can't be that forgetful. She won't answer me as to why she still insists on trapping these cats but she sounds suspicious or a rogue employee/volunteer. I'm not an overly trusting person to be honest especially this past week. The rest of the TNR shelter never talks to you in person. You just leave message and then they do like this person has done was get back to you.

I wish the food suggestion would work but we're right back to 2 problems. Shadow and my Mom. My Mom is constantly down here disrupting the feeding schedule delaying it by minutes to an hour. Also Shadow lays in wait. It makes no difference if she ate her usual 500 servings or one serving. As soon as I do the wet food thing, Shaman will start up to the area and Shadow would dart back in and start eating which then sends Shaman running the other direction. Right now I came home. Shaman and Treasure were in the back by the garage. Shadow under the porch. Shadow ate well and headed off. So I thought cool I'll get the food for Shaman. I fixed it took it outside and Shadow made a beeline back to the area. I even waited til Shaman was here by me before I put the food out. Of course once Shaman saw Shadow off she took.

I love the plant idea if 2 things were possible. 1 is if Mom would let me plant stuff in the yard and 2 if I didn't kill plants. Yes I tried with cat grass before and never succeeded. I can kill an artificial plant tbh so not trusting on that. This is a dilemma I face each day

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Oh no. Someone dropped off traps and my neighbor's house and he refuses to talk to me. I"ll lose these babies now. My heart is breaking in two.

 

[Furballsmom]

You don't know that yet, hang in there!!