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- Apr 25, 2018
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I currently live in Austin TX but I have quite often commuted to Atlanta GA for business and medical reasons. When I go to Atlanta I just stay with my mother until its time to leave, no point in paying for a hotel or anything. My mother ended up getting a new home right after I moved from Atlanta to Austin so the area is fairly new to us both.
Well, after she moved there my mother texted me often of a few feral strays living in the area, sending me pictures of them and what not. One was a beautiful Long Haired Calico and the rest were kittens, some presumably not even 4 months old. It was assumed the Calico was the mother.
My mother during her childhood had bad experiences with pets, she didn't feel comfortable attempting to take care of them or feed them but she wanted "someone" to feed and take care of them. Around Thanksgiving I had the opportunity to come back to Atlanta and I saw them for myself one day, by accident. She was beautiful. She had really long fur all sorts of colors and a long fluffy tail and she took one look at me... ...and RAN. That seemed to be the case whenever she or her kittens saw humans.
I didn't get to stay long during the Thanksgiving Holidays so I went back to Austin and returned during the Christmas Holidays which I took about 30 days off.
I once again saw her, and once again - she ran. So when I saw her outside the window, I would go out the back door and very...very...quietly creep up around the house with food...and when I came to a point where I could see her around the corner, I VERY carefully...and slowly... while squatting and keeping myself as low as possible so my height would seem least threatening as possible to her while gently and softly talking to her. I decided to name her Tara. On the first attempt for a moment she didnt move but if I started getting too close she would back off. I found a 'reasonable' distance and started tossing cat treats and cat food in her direction (as softly as I could as to make sure not to actually hit her or the area immediately around her) .. She was intimidated .. she would keep her eyes on me but slowly let up and grab the treat or kibble but making sure I wouldnt get too close to her at the same time.
After she had enough she would go to the side of the house and around the back where she could hide in the trees, although she didnt exactly run, you could tell she was far from comfortable near me.
So I left kibbles out on the front porch and either in the morning or at night, Tara or her presumable kittens. For days I watched through the door of her, and her kittens cautiously coming out to eat. If I ever tried to approach them however the kittens would immediately scramble... far... so I avoided approaching them so they could eat.
One day I came out and Tara was on the driveway. I was still within that 'safe distance' she developed so she didnt immediately scramble. I squatted down low and slowly approached her until that point where she felt that safe distance was being violated and stopped, and then continued to toss kibbles and cat treats in her direction which she would scavenge - and her kitten came out, who was startled to see me so it stood behind its mother at all times, but also went after the food. Afterward, the kitten ran... Tara casually left.
Over the next few days, I would see her outside near my car, and she would no longer immediately run. She'd let me feed her, but not quite get close enough to touch her...but she would allow me to be very close to her. I'd just talk to her and stay there near her. She would no longer run at this point, and she would be okay with me staying right by her, but touching her was still off limits and I didn't want to get bit so I didn't test those grounds too often.
Well, by now half my vacation is over and this place is right off a main road. I came out one day and found a dead cat on the pavement on the main road...luckily...it wasn't her...but I couldn't help but feel I was on borrowed time as for gaining her trust. I wanted to take her back to Austin with me to take care of her and her kittens as well but timing was generally not on my side as I often had alot of stuff to do during the week days which prevented me from setting up any feasible cat trap but I knew she wasn't safe here.
It came to a point where I could come outside, and Tara would start meowing at me and even approach me, she wouldnt allow me to touch her but she knew when I came out she usually got fed. I would leave food for her and her kittens. I was also attempting to find a way to catch them but I couldnt. I stayed up nights some times, they would eat but when I opened the door they backed off and got scared. I tried putting food in a kennel once and one of the kittens did go inside but as soon as it noticed me coming near the kennel it close the door, it scrambled.
I ran out of time before I could gain their full trust, and some of me feels I also probably began to push them away when I tried to take them in.
I left them alot of food and showed my mother how to feed them and then returned to Austin.
Well.
My mother texted me several times telling me the kittens seemed alot less shy than they used to be, and they were coming up to the door and looking inside the window and there turned out to be 3 of them. Sometimes she did see and sometimes she didnt see Tara. When they were present however, they no longer ran from her. Especially Tara.
One day I get this distress phone call from my mother. Like calling me up over and over again while I was at work. My mother left the front door open to bring something in the house but Tara found the door open and infiltrated the house. My mother saw Tara enter and freaked out... and stayed in her car (as I stated my mother is deathly afraid of animals) - it was a pretty cold day out there, below the 20's and my mother called my brother in law to come and help her remove Tara (I told my mom I highly doubted Tara would attack her unless she did anything stupid to her. I was kind of wanting her to hold onto Tara until I came back this February but I understand my mom isn't willing to do this.)
When my brother in law came, they found Tara sleeping on the couch just trying to stay warm, but she was still removed. My mom felt kind of bad about this afterward so she got Tara and her kittens a box and a blanket to sleep in.
Well.. ..something happened..not even 3 days later...my mother noticed Tara was crawling..like...barely able to move... up to the porch...and when she arrived she just collapsed and laid there for a long time. She mentioned it looked like she couldnt move her hind legs very well. She suspected Tara may have been hit by a car. This was exactly what I was fearing and why I was trying to befriend and rescue her. What sucks is, she even came in the house and we had one last chance to take care of her. She stayed there all day before finally Tara left... and when she did she hasn't been seen since then.
I personally havent seen Tara's recent condition. Im hoping she's okay but I fear the worst for her.
Her kittens however are still coming to the porch to eat. Maybe I will get a chance to rescue them when I return once more.
Well, after she moved there my mother texted me often of a few feral strays living in the area, sending me pictures of them and what not. One was a beautiful Long Haired Calico and the rest were kittens, some presumably not even 4 months old. It was assumed the Calico was the mother.
My mother during her childhood had bad experiences with pets, she didn't feel comfortable attempting to take care of them or feed them but she wanted "someone" to feed and take care of them. Around Thanksgiving I had the opportunity to come back to Atlanta and I saw them for myself one day, by accident. She was beautiful. She had really long fur all sorts of colors and a long fluffy tail and she took one look at me... ...and RAN. That seemed to be the case whenever she or her kittens saw humans.
I didn't get to stay long during the Thanksgiving Holidays so I went back to Austin and returned during the Christmas Holidays which I took about 30 days off.
I once again saw her, and once again - she ran. So when I saw her outside the window, I would go out the back door and very...very...quietly creep up around the house with food...and when I came to a point where I could see her around the corner, I VERY carefully...and slowly... while squatting and keeping myself as low as possible so my height would seem least threatening as possible to her while gently and softly talking to her. I decided to name her Tara. On the first attempt for a moment she didnt move but if I started getting too close she would back off. I found a 'reasonable' distance and started tossing cat treats and cat food in her direction (as softly as I could as to make sure not to actually hit her or the area immediately around her) .. She was intimidated .. she would keep her eyes on me but slowly let up and grab the treat or kibble but making sure I wouldnt get too close to her at the same time.
After she had enough she would go to the side of the house and around the back where she could hide in the trees, although she didnt exactly run, you could tell she was far from comfortable near me.
So I left kibbles out on the front porch and either in the morning or at night, Tara or her presumable kittens. For days I watched through the door of her, and her kittens cautiously coming out to eat. If I ever tried to approach them however the kittens would immediately scramble... far... so I avoided approaching them so they could eat.
One day I came out and Tara was on the driveway. I was still within that 'safe distance' she developed so she didnt immediately scramble. I squatted down low and slowly approached her until that point where she felt that safe distance was being violated and stopped, and then continued to toss kibbles and cat treats in her direction which she would scavenge - and her kitten came out, who was startled to see me so it stood behind its mother at all times, but also went after the food. Afterward, the kitten ran... Tara casually left.
Over the next few days, I would see her outside near my car, and she would no longer immediately run. She'd let me feed her, but not quite get close enough to touch her...but she would allow me to be very close to her. I'd just talk to her and stay there near her. She would no longer run at this point, and she would be okay with me staying right by her, but touching her was still off limits and I didn't want to get bit so I didn't test those grounds too often.
Well, by now half my vacation is over and this place is right off a main road. I came out one day and found a dead cat on the pavement on the main road...luckily...it wasn't her...but I couldn't help but feel I was on borrowed time as for gaining her trust. I wanted to take her back to Austin with me to take care of her and her kittens as well but timing was generally not on my side as I often had alot of stuff to do during the week days which prevented me from setting up any feasible cat trap but I knew she wasn't safe here.
It came to a point where I could come outside, and Tara would start meowing at me and even approach me, she wouldnt allow me to touch her but she knew when I came out she usually got fed. I would leave food for her and her kittens. I was also attempting to find a way to catch them but I couldnt. I stayed up nights some times, they would eat but when I opened the door they backed off and got scared. I tried putting food in a kennel once and one of the kittens did go inside but as soon as it noticed me coming near the kennel it close the door, it scrambled.
I ran out of time before I could gain their full trust, and some of me feels I also probably began to push them away when I tried to take them in.
I left them alot of food and showed my mother how to feed them and then returned to Austin.
Well.
My mother texted me several times telling me the kittens seemed alot less shy than they used to be, and they were coming up to the door and looking inside the window and there turned out to be 3 of them. Sometimes she did see and sometimes she didnt see Tara. When they were present however, they no longer ran from her. Especially Tara.
One day I get this distress phone call from my mother. Like calling me up over and over again while I was at work. My mother left the front door open to bring something in the house but Tara found the door open and infiltrated the house. My mother saw Tara enter and freaked out... and stayed in her car (as I stated my mother is deathly afraid of animals) - it was a pretty cold day out there, below the 20's and my mother called my brother in law to come and help her remove Tara (I told my mom I highly doubted Tara would attack her unless she did anything stupid to her. I was kind of wanting her to hold onto Tara until I came back this February but I understand my mom isn't willing to do this.)
When my brother in law came, they found Tara sleeping on the couch just trying to stay warm, but she was still removed. My mom felt kind of bad about this afterward so she got Tara and her kittens a box and a blanket to sleep in.
Well.. ..something happened..not even 3 days later...my mother noticed Tara was crawling..like...barely able to move... up to the porch...and when she arrived she just collapsed and laid there for a long time. She mentioned it looked like she couldnt move her hind legs very well. She suspected Tara may have been hit by a car. This was exactly what I was fearing and why I was trying to befriend and rescue her. What sucks is, she even came in the house and we had one last chance to take care of her. She stayed there all day before finally Tara left... and when she did she hasn't been seen since then.
I personally havent seen Tara's recent condition. Im hoping she's okay but I fear the worst for her.
Her kittens however are still coming to the porch to eat. Maybe I will get a chance to rescue them when I return once more.
