My Feral And Rescued Cats

[Norachan]

I'm glad to hear the bear family are all neutered and back home again now. How long was Black Bear separate from the rest of the family?

I had a similar situation a few years ago. Three siblings were all spayed and neutered at around 5 months of age but one of the girls, Freya, wasn't as friendly as the other two. She stayed around until she was about a year old, then wandered over to the colony that one of my neighbours was caring for.

Actually the two colonies were of related cats and I TNR'd the whole lot of them, but one group stayed in my neighbour's back yard and barn and the other in my house and the fields next to it.

Freya seemed to get on really well with her mum and another spayed female, so when I moved house I left her there. About a year after I moved I heard that Freya was being bullied by some of the other cats and her best friend had disappeared. I decided to trap her and move her up to my new place. I kept her confined to one room for a few weeks, then slowly reintroduced her to the group.

She settled in really quickly. She got on so well with her brother and sister that I felt guilty about not bringing her with us when we first moved.

Hopefully the bear family will soon be happy together too.

How did the kittens for the rescue/adoption group do? Did they all get accepted as potential pets?

Sending you happy trapping and re-homing vibes.

 

[di and bob]

Just wishing you all the luck in your adoptions and getting resources to care for your 'herd'. I have one of my own, though much smaller, around ten cats. Everyone is neutered/spayed except for one old eleven year old Tom. It's heartache and costly, but the satisfaction in seeing a little one go to a good home is worth it. I have found homes for many, TNR'd the rest. No one is turned away, and until TNR becomes common, I have a feeling there will be many more in the future.
You are doing good work! My thoughts and prayers are with you!

 

[Jcatbird]

To Norachan, what a great story about Freya! A happy ending. I am so glad you went back for her. Black Bear was separated from his family when he was only about 10 weeks. I was very surprised to find him again about four months later. He had found other kittens to hang out with. I was so happy to discover him. I brought him in with the kitties he had survived with as his adopted brothers and sister. He is now about a year so he has been away from his family for about 5 1/2 months. His adopted sister has been rehomed already. One adopted brother, Twilight is the one that died recently. Two others are supposed to go to a rescue/ adoption home this week. That leaves two of his adopted brothers still here. I am having a hard time figuring out if I should keep him with his adopted kitty family or his original family. I am going to introduce everyone and see what happens. I would like to blend both groups but we will have to see if that works. That is a lot of new introductions at one time. Sometimes that works better though. Just have to try it and see. Whatever makes them happy is how I will leave it. I also have to keep in mind that any one of them could go to an adopting home so I don't want too much new stuff to go on at once. It's a tough call. I have two buildings on my land and I am hoping to consolidate all the kitties in my house if possible. It might be easier to care for them that way and it might not. It just depends on how well they all get along. Wish me luck on that! I'm probably going to need it. As for the kittens I caught, they are doing very well. It's a good thing I caught them when I did. They had Coccidea! They have been treated and are growing, happy and running around playing. I just got some video from their foster Mom and they are hilarious kittens! I was very lucky to find temporary foster care for them since they had to be isolated from other kitties until the Coccidea was gone. I always isolate new kitties until they are tested for illness. It isn't fool proof, sometimes testing gives a false negative, but so far it has worked well. I strongly suggest that everyone who brings in a new kitty has them tested for illness BEFORE introducing them to other pets. Even if you have to just shut them in a bathroom or other separate room for a few days. It is worth the precaution. Years ago I dealt with a colony that had a lot of Feline leukemia. It was devastating. I have been very thankful that almost every one of these kitties has tested as healthy with the exception of fleas and worms. I am hoping that six kitties will be going to the rescue center this week. They have to be interviewed to see if they are socialized enough to meet the standards of this shelter. It will be a shock for them to leave the only home they have known but I have great hopes for them. It's hard though. My beautiful Maine Coon cats are going along with their family members. Mom, two of her children and Uncle Mitty. Also my buddy Backpack and the part Savannah cat, Manny. If they get accepted and adopted I will be happy but also sad. I let them go because it is best for them and there are others that I need to work with so that they too will have a chance at a home. I wish there was more of me to go around! I should know by tomorrow night if they got accepted. If not, they will come back home to my welcoming arms. Thank you to everyone for the support! It really does help me to keep going!

 

[Jcatbird]

di and Bob! Thank you! I welcome your thoughts and prayers. They are needed. You are right that we each have a herd! Lol As for resources, they are sometimes available from outside sources. More and more the attitude about spay and neuter is spreading as well as no kill shelters. If everyone does TNR then more shelters could go no kill and more kitties could be taken in instead of having to be put back outside. That would be great! It snowed here around Christmas and the kitties outside suffered. I couldn't stand it. I caught all I could and brought them in. For the others, I provided heated shelters and I shoveled the snow from the pathways they traveled. We don't have snow shovels where I live so it was a long day clearing snow! Lol if you need resources for your own efforts, network! Call, text, email everyone and then do it again! Ask pet food companies and supply companies that you buy from. Call every pet related shelter in your county, your state and the states that surround you. It took me a while to find any help but I am finally getting some relief. Not to cover everything but it certainly has made a life or death difference for some kitties. I will keep looking and asking and keep rescuing as long as I am able bodied enough to do the kitties any good. I am glad that you are out there doing it too. It always helps to know we are not alone. Thank you for rescuing too and for posting so that I know we are doing it together. Feels good! Your prayers must be helping. Bless you both for your kindness.

 

[Jcatbird]

Three kitties that adopted each other as lost children. Left to right they are,

Man, Black Bear and Backpack.

 

[Norachan]

They look so sweet together! Very similar markings, they almost could be brothers, couldn't they?

Good luck with the adoptions. It is sad to let them go, but it's a happy kind of sadness because you know they will be in loving homes.

 

[Jcatbird]

Have been having technical issues here but wanted to dash off some info while things are functioning. My six kitties got accepted and passed the interview process just fine. They are at a center for adoption that has a great chance at getting them great homes. However, if they don't get adopted I can reclaim my babies. It was extremely hard to load them up to go. A wonderful lady came to get them. When they were hanging on to me she was a comfort to me and the kitties. That helped us all. I had raised all of these kitties from a young age so they are family to me and I am sure they feel the same. Two of these were the very first of the cats I brought in from the colony. The male, Uncle Mitty had shown up with an electrical tie wrap fastened tightly around his neck. He was thin and in rough shape. I had seen him on my property previously with his Sister Beauty. He had been missing and his sister had been frantic so I had searched for him for many weeks. I had decided that he must be gone for good when he finally showed up. When I saw what had been done to him I made up my mind that I would not stand by and do nothing. I brought him and his sister in as soon as I cut the tie from his raw neck. That started my massive rescue attempt. I became very protective of the kitties that showed up over the next months and became a mother to them all as fast as I could persuade them to trust me. So, even though it was very hard for me to say goodbye, I know that it will be better for them. They deserve a home where they can be more the center of attention and can be the kitty soul mate for someone. I remind myself that because of the fact that cats can live long lives, it is quite possible that they will outlive me. That helps to motivate me to find homes for them now. I worry about what would happen to them if something happened to me. Doing the adoptions for them now gives me the chance to insure that they are going to loving homes and will live out their lives in safety and comfort. They will not be left behind one day. I called today to check on them and though they are still adjusting they are doing well. One of them has been featured on something called Petwatch and something called Petango as well as her info being used by a pet insurance company that both insures pets and promotes adoption. Maybe that will help to get Bee and the others adopted. Spreading the word! That makes 44 kitties rescued and I can try to make sure the rest of the colony is rescued too. Tomorrow I hope to convince a pregnant kitty and the kittens she already has to come to me. They are some of the last that are still at risk outdoors. I also take three more to be fixed tomorrow. Things are moving along. If I do finish this colony rescue I will probably be wondering what to do with myself! It has kept every waking moment occupied but in a positive way. I still have a lot of kitties to find homes for but I can see that I might actually complete this rescue. No one who was around me when this began ever believed I would make much progress. Their opinions never really figured into what I was doing though. We all just have to try. I am thankful that I have tried and thankful for all who have encouraged, supported offered or given help. The losses may hurt me but the kindness, caring and love I have seen warm me to my soul. I am just praying that Bee, Beauty, Uncle Mitty, Emoji, Manny and my dear buddy Backpack go somewhere wonderful!

 

[Jcatbird]

Goodbye to Backpack

 

[Jcatbird]

Farewells to Bee and her Mother Beauty

 

[Jcatbird]

One last, longing look from Uncle Mitty

 

[Jcatbird]

One final tummy rub for Emoji and my last loving caress of Manny. May their little paws find a path of grand adventures!

 

[Jcatbird]

Had an inquiry about the last kitties that went up for adoption! Yay! I am hoping they get homes quickly. I have been checking on them. It was an adjustment for them to leave home. They were not thrilled about it and I was worried they would be very sad. They are settling in though. That is great news because it means they will have a good chance at someone falling in love with them just like I did. It’s hard to be patient and wait to see how they do. I hope I prepared them well. I am still pursuing more kitties outside. The last ones are more aware of my removing kitties from out in the area and they are wise to my desire to earn their trust. There are three females present, one female that comes and goes and one male that comes to date the ladies. I would like to get him soon to stop the kitten production but he never comes too close. One of the females is very pregnant. I don’t think I will get her before she delivers. I hope she will not hide away with the babies. I will get her and the kittens if I can. Mom will let me pet her now. A huge jump in her trust of me so I hope I will get her soon. If I can get the last one fixed then I may see the light at the end of the tunnel! With the latest kittens the original total of kitties went to 88. Still have some more to find homes for by my ads have been getting a couple of calls a week! Not all adopt or adopt here but I have helped some find kittens from other rescuers. Been trying to help the county shelter place some barn kitties as well. Actually have had some luck with that. I am happy about that. If not placed they could be put down later on so it is crucial they get homes. I have spread the word here and up to the middle and northern part of the state. If I finish with the kitties here I hope to continue doing rescues by trying to help them. I am beginning to start looking back a little. Remembering the first kitty I let go of was hard. That was just the start of this journey. From one to 44 seems like nothing now but in the beginning it seemed impossible to get this far. I am so glad I kept trying! I now have hope that all may get homes! There are a lot of great kitties parents out there. I never dreamed I would find so many. I am grateful to each and every one of them!

 

[Norachan]

Oh, that's great news about the adoptions!



You're doing such a fantastic job with them. It can seem a daunting and totally impossible task when you start, but even one cat TNR'd or re-homed means there will be a lot less kittens around a few months down the line. And step by step you start to get the situation under control.

It took me a couple of years to get the colony I care for all fixed. I don't think there are that many people who can understand why we do it. One of my friends once told me cats are a waste of money. (But then he had to pay a lot more in compensation than I ever had to pay on spays and neuters after his dog attacked someone so, ha! Karma!)

I hope you find some good places for the barn cats.

 

[rubysmama]

Jcatbird , I just read through this thread and wanted to thank you for all you've done and are doing for those cats. You are making such a difference in their lives, as well preventing more unwanted kittens being born.
Wonderful job.

I loved all the pictures you've posted, btw, but my favourite is Domino. What unique colouring on his face. So adorable.

I don't have any experience with ferals, strays or TNRing, but I do enjoy reading these threads and celebrating along when kittens and cats get new homes.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

How on earth did I miss this thread for so long? I am so grateful that there are people like you in this world, you know. You give me hope.

Now, should you ever need to transport a cat a considerable distance to a new home, PM me. I can get you in contact with some reliable folks. And will be more than happy to do so.

 

[Jcatbird]

I am getting so much support here. It sustains me! I continue my attempts. Now I will share some very good news! One kitten got adopted today! Yay! Want better news? One of the kitties that got accepted to the rescue center also got adopted today!!!!! I get attached to them all but I had Beauty in my home a long time. I have been missing her and worrying about her adjusting to the rescue center but now I know she was doing well enough to form a bond with a new family. I am so happy she will have a home where she gets far more attention than I could give to her. She deserves it. She is a beautiful kitty and a real sweetheart. I know her new family will find her to be a joy in their lives. I imagine that she is getting lots of love and purring with contentment. I even have a little more news. I made progress tonight with one of the remaining feral Moms here. She Is allowing me to keep her company right now. She is laying beside me in the dark. I just got to rub one of her babies on the tummy. She was keeping the babies from me before now. The babies are playing near me. Oh! Ha! They just chased a frog onto my knee! One baby is black and I am calling it Coal. The other is black and white and runs around super fast. I am calling it Jet. Their Mom is Jazzy. Mom has allowed me to pet her. I hope to convince them to come to my arms. Jazzy is an older and very wise kitty so it may take time. She has been an observer as I have been doing the other rescues so she is aware that I want her to let me come close. She is a very smart kitty and has been wary. I am so happy she is finally trusting me. She has survived a lot living in this area so gaining her trust is a very big deal! I hope this makes others feel as good as it makes me feel! I will be trying to bring her inside as soon as possible. The babies too. I adopted out her last litter at the end of last year but could not get Jazzy. She really does not need to have more litters. I think she is getting a little old for that and she is already pregnant again! I really want to save this cat and stop the cycle of endangered kittens. I have pursued her for a long time so I am greatly relieved to be sitting with her now. I wasn’t sure if she would ever allow this. A friend tried to trap her but she understood that it was a trap and evaded it. I don’t know anything about trapping kitties. Maybe there was a way Jazzy could have been fooled. I am very pleased she has decided to be friends though. I feel like she will allow me to rescue her. I have started feeding her babies inside a carrier and now Jazzy doesn’t seem scared of it. If all goes well I will bring her in before she has babies again. Three Yays for today! Oh boy! Frog on my screen now! Black kitten in pursuit! Jazzy is not thrilled. May be time to let them play. I will come back at breakfast time.

 

[Jcatbird]

Look at the bottom right corner of the first pic. Frog face just at the edge of my screen. Pursuing Black kitten invisible in the dark! The second pic is of Beauty as a very young kitty. She and her brother started my attempts to rescue the kitties of the colony. I hope you all laugh at the frog and smile at the Beauty! The frog escaped by hitching a ride on my shoulder! Lol

 

[Norachan]

Wow, beauty is gorgeous! That's great news about the adoptions.

So, you're not trapping the cats, you're just making friends with them and coaxing them into your home?

We have a lot of experienced trappers on these forums. If ever you need advice about how best to use a humane trap or a drop trap just ask.

 

[rubysmama]

Yay, for more adoptions. LOL, at the frog face. And, yes, Beauty is a beauty.

Just wanted to add the link to an ongoing thread by another person who is very busy TNRing and socializing ferals. It's a long thread now, but if you have a chance, you might want to check it out.
Wild And Wonderful Animal Rescue's Feral Cat Tails...

 

[Jcatbird]

I know that I may need to trap and I will check the suggested posts and other members. Most of the kitties were very willing to come if I put the effort in. I was able to get 60 + in the last few months by myself. Outside here is a very dangerous place and they know it. The last of the kitties are the most feral or the most frightened so I changed what I had been doing. One was hurt by someone in the past. I have a friend who is now with a rescue program where I used to live. I have been involved with the program since it began but from a distance. They TNR ferals. When she learned of my problem she came out with traps. She has experience with them that I don’t have. She set the traps and I tended them. Two kittens were caught and I managed to scoop up two more but Mom got wise. She won’t eat there or let them go near the traps. She even went to the bathroom on them and tried to cover them. None of the remaining few ever went near them. They packed up and left. I was frantic! There is a neighbor who just leaves food out for animals and I knew they would go there. We tried baiting the traps with all sorts of goodies. We tried camouflaging them, moving them and anything my friend could think of. Jazzy and one other would show up at times in the woods but stayed outside my fence. We finally stopped putting food in the traps and have left them near the kitties favorite places. I do put the food at the entrance to them but it goes untouched and is given a wide berth. I am now going back to the cat carriers and that is working with Jazzy and babies. Babies now play beside it. The Moms have finally come back but are wary. I suspect a couple may have been trapped in the past. The remaining kittens from the litter we got are not here. I feel like I ran them off. I have spotted them twice so I know they are okay but they are now scared of me. I just feel like I failed them. I have not given up though. I convinced Jazzy to trust me again so I will use every trick I know to get the others back. We may need to use the traps again. I will hunt this site for tips and new advice. I know there are other tricks we may not have tried. I desperately hope that since the Moms are coming back, the babies will too. Currently they are in the most dangerous place they could be. It is even a bad place for me to go but I will if I see they are there regularly. I did call the neighbor to request she pull the food up at night. I don’t think she did. She is feeding a baby possum with her own cats. She says she has not seen these kitties at her house but I figure they go late at night. I have never had a problem getting kitties to come to me before we set the traps. I was just trying to speed up the rescue. I worry if I did the right thing or not. I feel that I would have , at least, gotten all the kittens by now if I had not frightened the Moms. It is a dilemma. But rest assured that I will do whatever it takes to get them. I won’t give up until the last cat is safe, vetted and spayed/ neutered. I am too close to that to give up now. Thanks for the help and encouragement. My hope that trapping may speed things up is renewed. I will do my homework!