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DasKatzchen
Welcome to TCS and THANK YOU for caring about this little family! They are absolutely beautiful. Other posters have already given quite a few great suggestions and links, but here are a couple more: www.bestfriends.org/resources has MANY links to cat behavior and cat rescue groups. And www.alleycat.org is the site of Alley Cat Allies, the national, and increasingly international, database for all things "cat" with a focus on TNR and helping outdoor/free-roaming/feral/community/stray/street cats. All the BEST to you, and may you be able to find help for this beautiful little family! They deserve no less.
Many thanks for the welcome and also for these resources! I am glad to hear how often cases of rabies are in cats, but since I live in forested area with other wildlife (already seen a raccoon and just last night an opossum on my porch) I still worry about them getting in contact with one another.
As for the rabies issue, rabies is in fact very rare in cats. Your family look very healthy. I would not worry at all.
Cats who live outdoors will often do this. I would not worry too much. Hold out hope! Because there is a very good chance they will return in due time. As for the wild creatures, they live here as well. We co-exist very well, with no problems whatsoever.Many thanks for the welcome and also for these resources! I am glad to hear how often cases of rabies are in cats, but since I live in forested area with other wildlife (already seen a raccoon and just last night an opossum on my porch) I still worry about them getting in contact with one another.
For a bit of an update, the cats still have not returned and I am starting to get seriously worried they have moved on or become far too disconnected from my property to return. Their random and continued disappearance after last afternoon is getting me even more anxious. I need them back!
Oppossums are omnivorous and LOVE dry cat food, in my experience anyway. Cats are frightened of them because of their big mouths full of teeth and their hisses, but as far as I know, they do not harm cats. None at any of the locations we've lived ever have. Cats will hang back if a possum comes close and starts eating.
It was honestly surprising to see it eating the cat food, but I guess that's normal! This one was kinda big, fat, and slow, so I'm not sure if it would have spooked the kitties outside of its size (and maybe hisses). That being said, I would imagine they're night animals and they left about Sunday afternoon, so I don't know.
That would be a good idea,
DasKatzchen
, because yes, oppossums do love dry cat food and they'll eat it all! Plus, they're messy eaters, and a lot of times cats won't eat food the possums have been into, because of their saliva being on some of the food. Cats and oppossums are basically crepuscular (meaning most active at dawn and dusk), but of course you can see them at any time of day or night. Everything revolves around food, and being able to access it. Cats being obligate carnivores and their main prey being small rodents, hunt when those animals are active -- at dawn and dusk. Possums are omnivorous and mainly vegetarian/insectivorous, but they do enjoy the easily available, high quality calories in dry cat food.
*PRAYERS* and hoping that they will,
DasKatzchen
. Generally when feral cats have a steady source of water and food and are not threatened, they will return.
DasKatzchen
I totally agree with
W
Willowy
about the possum. We have lived with them at several houses and they not only harm no one, they eat harmful insects by the hundreds and thousands, eat fallen fruits, and generally are friends to all creatures. They are absolutely harmless to you and to cats. Please just leave them be.
