Botched trapping attempt…

[txcats]

D dahlia i feel horrible for you too and I am so sorry for your loss. It is just heartbreaking. Our poor kitty was recovering so well on the antibios, we could have tried to trap him again soon. And what happened to his body was so ugly and undignified. All of this is difficult to process.

We started out with (presumably) a whole little family who would sometimes show up together, the poor tomcat, an obviously pregnant cat who had a tipped ear (?) and a juvenile with the same coloring and a tipped ear.

We planned to trap the pregnant kitty, but she appeared very inconsistently, then showed up obviously no longer pregnant and likely nursing, so local tnr advised to put off trapping and wait until she shows up with her kittens. She only showed up twice since and disappeared weeks ago and I am afraid she met the same fate as her mate.

We thought the ferals lived on our side of the state hwy and stayed here, but it appears they migrate from our neighborhood to the two neighborhoods across the hwy and back again.

The juvenile is who worries me now. Absolutely DO NOT want him to meet the same fate as his parents and we’ve been brain storming what to do. As he has a tipped ear it is pretty certain that he has been trapped once already for neuter. Will that make him harder to trap?

If we manage to trap him, what to do. We have 4 now, 3 girls and 1 boy, all spayed/neutered. One girl is ours and the other 3 belong to a relative who is very unlikely to take them back.

The male is very territorial and dislikes other males, but could come around. We had to keep him and our beloved old guy we recently lost separated for quite a long time when younger kitty came to live with us. And he regularly tries to beat up the (neutered) neglected neighbor’s cat who visits daily for food and affection.

So between socializing and integrating, it seems really daunting. But I cannot bear the thought of the juvenile also being killed and I feel like that is just a matter of time.

edited to add: sorry for the book, and thanks for listening.

 

[Margot Lane]

There are groups scattered hither and yon attempting to create wildlife corridors. I suppose this would also be great for ferals. It’s a stretch, obviously requires gvt. aid, and cats go where they please, but once created, animals respond positively. I managed to get this done for turtles once in a small town with a metal underground pipe, saving the lives of many turtles. A freeway is a different matter but you’d be surprised how many folks are into this idea.

 

[txcats]

Margot Lane That’s brilliant, kudos for saving the turtles. It’s actually not a freeway, it’s a state highway which connects several small cities. The part along our neighborhood is only 2 lanes and a median, and the speed limit is “only” 55 mph, but there are many speeding idiots who don’t care.

The main hurdle for a wildlife corridor is that no one in power cares. For example, in 2022 residents voted for a bond to build a new animal shelter and the texas good old boy county commissioners have pulled all sorts of stunts to hold up construction. One of them actually stated it’s “wasted money” and “strays should just be killed”. Absolutely vile.

 

[Margot Lane]

Margot Lane That’s brilliant, kudos for saving the turtles. It’s actually not a freeway, it’s a state highway which connects several small cities. The part along our neighborhood is only 2 lanes and a median, and the speed limit is “only” 55 mph, but there are many speeding idiots who don’t care.

The main hurdle for a wildlife corridor is that no one in power cares. For example, in 2022 residents voted for a bond to build a new animal shelter and the texas good old boy county commissioners have pulled all sorts of stunts to hold up construction. One of them actually stated it’s “wasted money” and “strays should just be killed”. Absolutely vile.

Sigh…I totally hear you. Was just struggling to figure out a way to honor your dear feral. In other states they’re even trying to make bison corridors, which sounds incredible. All we can do is try. I hope you never stop. Thank you for all you do.

 

[fionasmom]

I am so sorry that this happened. I’ve had the same experience here where a cat is torn apart after a coyote attack, and it is extremely upsetting and unnerving. You tried very hard and I hope that there is at least some consolation in that.

 

[Meowmee]

D dahlia i feel horrible for you too and I am so sorry for your loss. It is just heartbreaking. Our poor kitty was recovering so well on the antibios, we could have tried to trap him again soon. And what happened to his body was so ugly and undignified. All of this is difficult to process.

We started out with (presumably) a whole little family who would sometimes show up together, the poor tomcat, an obviously pregnant cat who had a tipped ear (?) and a juvenile with the same coloring and a tipped ear.

We planned to trap the pregnant kitty, but she appeared very inconsistently, then showed up obviously no longer pregnant and likely nursing, so local tnr advised to put off trapping and wait until she shows up with her kittens. She only showed up twice since and disappeared weeks ago and I am afraid she met the same fate as her mate.

We thought the ferals lived on our side of the state hwy and stayed here, but it appears they migrate from our neighborhood to the two neighborhoods across the hwy and back again.

The juvenile is who worries me now. Absolutely DO NOT want him to meet the same fate as his parents and we’ve been brain storming what to do. As he has a tipped ear it is pretty certain that he has been trapped once already for neuter. Will that make him harder to trap?

If we manage to trap him, what to do. We have 4 now, 3 girls and 1 boy, all spayed/neutered. One girl is ours and the other 3 belong to a relative who is very unlikely to take them back.

The male is very territorial and dislikes other males, but could come around. We had to keep him and our beloved old guy we recently lost separated for quite a long time when younger kitty came to live with us. And he regularly tries to beat up the (neutered) neglected neighbor’s cat who visits daily for food and affection.

So between socializing and integrating, it seems really daunting. But I cannot bear the thought of the juvenile also being killed and I feel like that is just a matter of time.

edited to add: sorry for the book, and thanks for listening.

If you can try to get him asap and socialize him. Maybe a one cat only family will adopt him.

 

[txcats]

fionasmom that’s just horrible, i am so sorry. I realize coyotes have to eat too, but still. I wish there were no homeless cats and dogs at all.

Meowmee we are making slow progress. Yesterday, he stayed in the yard when I put food out, but the neighbor’s neglected kitty stared him down and he fled. Then he returned and lounged under the rv port while I put out more food. Then he came to eat. He keeps looking at the window while eating, poor guy.

I ordered an insulated outdoor cat house with extra room, just have to measure and buy a pet heating pad once it arrives. Am hoping we can put it on the covered porch and he’ll use it and stick around. He has the clipped ear, so he is probably neutered and hopefully more likely to stay and be socialized. If not, the rv port is covered and there is lots of room for the house.