Mama and her kids

catlady76paws

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So I did it again....

Three years ago I helped a family on a farm with tnr. Great experience, 4 real ferals went back and the kittens found their home here plus one adult who gave up the feral life and is now a spoiled house cat.

Yesterday at 7 pm cet I got a phone call. The farmers wife needed my help as they had taken on a cat with her 3 kittens from her son, who couldn't keep them. Worried about having the farm overrun with cats again, she dug up my number and asked if we could help.

Of course we said yes and picked mama and kids up. They were scared but we managed to get them and they are seriously decompressing right now. Mama decided her kids were unwanted so I gave her her private apartment and she stopped hissing and growling.

We're hopefully going to work with the shelter to get them fixed and try and find homes for them but for now they're sleeping it all off.
Kids, 2 girls, 1 boy
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Mama
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I'm hoping they'll give me their names soon but I'm open for suggestions:purr:
 
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catlady76paws

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Ooh, maybe a baking theme. I have all sorts of names here, including TLK, movies, LOTR and some are named because of an ailment, like Warts(Wratje in dutch). She had warts and I lovingly called her Wart and it stuck. I also have a Gandalf and Mithrandir, both white tomcats.
 
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catlady76paws

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So mama, who I've named Cookie for the time being is under the weather. I gave them metacam yesterday as they were all feeling feverish.
Cookie isn't eating so I called my own vet...she had some things to say about Cookie's former owners and how they shouldn't have dumped her on me, but anyway, she gave me advice as the shelter is not officially in yet.

So Cookie stays on metacam, I force feed her a bit and hopefully she'll perk up. I also noticed marks in her neck, like scratches so I think she already met up with a Tom...some might find this cruel but I hope the shelter will spay abort..if not it's on me...we really don't need any more kittens...
This year has been crazy with abandoned kittens, shelters are overrun....
 

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So mama, who I've named Cookie for the time being is under the weather. I gave them metacam yesterday as they were all feeling feverish.
Cookie isn't eating so I called my own vet...she had some things to say about Cookie's former owners and how they shouldn't have dumped her on me, but anyway, she gave me advice as the shelter is not officially in yet.

So Cookie stays on metacam, I force feed her a bit and hopefully she'll perk up. I also noticed marks in her neck, like scratches so I think she already met up with a Tom...some might find this cruel but I hope the shelter will spay abort..if not it's on me...we really don't need any more kittens...
This year has been crazy with abandoned kittens, shelters are overrun....
So is she at a shelter now? It’s not your fault that the Tom got to her, I’m more concerned that she might have gotten pregnant again, a female cat can get pregnant up to I think like 3 time in a year, but I don’t know how long it’s been since your cat had kittens. My advice is make sure you watch her and keep the Toms off of her. Also I appreciate how you are calling her cookie.
 
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catlady76paws

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No still at my house, inside. The shelter was going to confer with their manager on Monday, seeing as it's not owner surrender but we need some help. Officially she and the kittens are no ones cat right now.

No toms can get to her now, but she was at the farm for who knows how long, the kittens were already starting to distrust people.
But I am already thinking about other solutions to at least get them fixed and then the rehoming part. I am worried I might have bitten of more than I can chew but something will come up.

Oh and I love the way Cookie sounds plus it fits her:blush:. She has not disagreed with me yet. I call the kittens Biscuits until I have a moment to think of a name for each.
 
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catlady76paws

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Cookie is feeling a bit better today. But she reacts when we touch her back and lower region. Could be a Tom was rough or perhaps pyometra. I really hope we can get them fixed next week. I am anxious for the shelter's answer...

The Biscuits are doing well, the boy loves me already because you know food, his twin sister is wary but she purrs when I stroke her. The other sister is a funny one, she 'attacks' me but more in a play kind of way. She hasn't purred yet but she has also taken it upon herself to protect her siblings from our cats outside their 'cage'.

But they're doing well, they were also dewormed and found a roundworm in some puke but the poop actually looks great, considering the farmer's family gave them semi-skimmed milk.
 
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catlady76paws

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We got a call back from the shelter and sadly no concrete answers😐. So we've decided not to drag them around again until they're spayed/neutered. I can see especially Cookie has been affected by what happened. Can you imagine being taken from your home, dumped in a hayloft with your kids and then these strangers come and take you away again?

In the meantime we called my vet to call us back and made a plan for the spay and neuter. Right now, Cookie is most important and we're also bringing the 3 boys in with the most viewable 🍒. And then make a plan for the rest.

So yeah....

Oh and Cookie's son is now Adam and one of her daughter's I named Lily. Just one left, but she hasn't really given me anything yet. She loves the attention but is giving me the side eye

IMG_20220920_105758.jpg
Left is Adam and right the unnamed sister, see that look
IMG_20220920_105924.jpg
And Lily doesn't want to sit still. She wants cuddles and out
 
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catlady76paws

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Spoke to my vet today and they are willing to help through a payment plan for the bills I had but I have to pay for the surgeries immediately. Anyway, Monday Cookie, Adam and 2 other boys will be fixed. That leaves 6 girls and one smol boy but I'm hoping to get at least 1 or 2 fixed a month. Hoping with winter coming up, they won't go into heat early and they don't have to suffer through that.

And then on to the hopefully re-homing and otherwise they're welcome to stick around but I won't be able to take on any more cases. I have to be adamant...either with re-homing or not taking in more cats.
 

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They are beautiful house panthers! Does the unnamed sister respond to "Biscuits" or "Mittens"? My Deep South TNRers call those little girls with the white tips "Sugartoes" or "Sugarfoot". You're right - it shouldn't be your burden alone. Maybe you can set up a PayPal or CashApp fundraiser and try to get donations to help with the spaying. Did the vet recommend an antibiotic for Cookie, to help get her health back before the spay surgery? I have had to get spay/aborts done and it pangs my conscience, especially if the cat is far along - ferals seem to know that they have babies inside and want to protect them - but so many feral kittens suffer horrible diseases, it's the better thing to do, until there are enough safe,loving homes.
 
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catlady76paws

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The unnamed sister is responding to Missy as it turns out. It just came to me. Cats tend to do that to me.
Last year I got a cat who was called Snowflake by the previous owner, I walk in one morning and say: good morning Rose...eeer snow oh wait.
This year I rescued a cat from the streets with large wounds and as we left the vet for the first care suddenly Tommy or Tom popped in my head, so I turn around and go: is your name Tom? And he meowed. He didn't make it sadly, sepsis from being out with those wounds got to him within a week of rescuing him...poor guy.

Cookie does seem to have something going on. Rose and Molly also had pyometra when they came here and the behaviour is a bit similar. I'm keeping a close eye on her, looking for fever, discharge or smell. If it changes before Monday we'll have to act immediately.

To raise money would be great but I tried in the past and it didn't work. Plus I like to do something in return, usually art if people want. But hopefully we'll manage the costs, I calculated to the last penny
 

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Great minds think alike! I let my cats choose their own names, too. A great horseman once told me to speak my thoughts to cats and horses and somehow they understand; he said that cats and horses could also communicate with each other.
There are so many dangers lurking for feral cats. I wish that more communities would fund spay/neuter programs. I am so tired of finding out about kittens thrown in the garbage and puppies discarded in suitcases and trash bags....there's got to be a better way. The logical country girl in me thinks that it is smarter to turn off the faucet of an overflowing tub than it is to keep mopping up the floor!
 
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catlady76paws

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Horses are great, I ride a Belgian Draft(not the american kind and she's only 1.66 or so at the withers). But you have to have some uderstanding when dealing with horses too.
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Right one is mine, we had a meeting with sister(left) and her foal and mother of both horses, middle. Good thing we did, few weeks later she sadly died at 21. Mine's gonna be 19 next year

I wish normalizing spaying/neutering your cats was a thing. I see so much suffering, either first hand or second hand, like all the rescues I follow on Instagram..It is so heart wrenching...Like you said, turn off the faucet...because people like us and rescues are mopping up after other people's irresponsibility to fix their pet...and it's not only costly on our wallets, but the emotional baggage when one dies is something we also carry with us.

We let Cookie out of her 'cage'. She was very unhappy with the arrangements, throwing the waterbowl through the cage, meowing non-stop. She's still in a seperate room save for one our seniors, Baby. Because of her arthritis she has made this room her own with several low platforms to get up higher and she get's upset when she gets taken out of her space. But Cookie leaves her alone, she's busy sleeping half of the time, which makes my suspicion something is up worse. But she's not ill, no fever and she's eating.
IMG-20220922-WA0011.jpg
That little black thing is Cookie, my husband took the picture🤭

When they're out and about I'll try to make better pictures, but it's hard when every cat comes bunting and purring and ooh what's that😆
 

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Wonderful pictures! Your draft horse is beautiful and that broad back must be most comfortable - does she pull a cart as well?
Cookie is lovely! She probably needs extra rest to rebuild her body after giving all her nourishment to her 3 cuties. Thank you so much for giving them safe haven. :rock:
 
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catlady76paws

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No she doesn't pull a cart.The previous owners did try but she didn't really understand what they were trying the do, so they gave up. I'm fine riding her or just walking. She was trained in western actually and I do have the tack but we also ride with just a bareback pad, rope halter. Very chill horse, except with white fences or a funny rock:evilgrin: :frustrated:

Monday is spay day for Cooks and her son and 2 other older boy kittens. I managed to arrange all to have the necessary funds. I have another small kitten, his post is up in the kitten care section☝. He was started on a different dewormer and if that doesn't work he comes along for a check-up when I go and pick up the newly spays.

Cookie is still mostly sleeping during the day, her kids just want out of confinement. They have become very cuddly so I might let them out before Monday. They need to be able to play and avoid eachother as they have serious scuffles in there.
 
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catlady76paws

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Well that was a surprise. The farmer's wife called and offered to help with covering some of the costs. It's hard for me to just accept help as I'm used to dealing with stuff myself but we accepted their help.
So we told her we accept and she'll confer with her sons on the amount, but every bit helps. I just glad she brought it up
 

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It's great to be reading all these wonderful updates!
.....side note: I prefer to ride with a bareback pad, too. The western saddle blocks the feel of the horse's muscles and that blocks communication especially if the horse is tensing up.
 
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catlady76paws

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Some fresh pic of Cookie and Lily, who was on walkabout. At one point she went back in with her sister, Missy.
IMG_20220924_183213.jpg
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Adam was already having fun in genpop. He's trying to make friendship here and there. My 2 big boys love the kittens so they're welcoming to him. I have several cat groups throughout the house by the way, this population is affectionately called, the 'backroom group'.

Cookie is hanging out with one of my senile seniors. They're doing ok together, but if Cookie sees any of the 'hallway group' she lashes out and lunges herself at the door, which we covered up for now.

And bareback is great, I love the feel of the spine, the muscles. You can feel when they tense up or if they relax. I use a bareback pad with saddle pad with shock absorbing foam on either side of the spine, or my Barefoot Treeless Saddle. My balance isn't the best yet so sometimes we break out the Western so she can get a proper workout.
 
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