My Feral And Rescued Cats

[M Thomas]

I've done it twice! And they say it can't be done.

Only thing THOSE experts are expert in is IGNORANCE!
No shortage of fools in the world.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.
I have eight former ferals currently, and over the past sixty years have had <mumbley-mumble> former ferals, as well as socialising more than four dozen over the years, to go to Forever homes with Loving families.

"Tame," might be in question, but, "Loving," never is; former ferals are the most Loving cats I've ever known. As to, "tame," there's a verse from an old cowboy ballad - Big Jim Bailey, Or The Zebra Dun - that addresses it pretty well, in plain language.

Big Jim is a puncher who walks into a drivers camp one evening. He says he's lost his job, and wants to borrow an horse to head for the 7D Ranch, across the Texas Plains. The cowboys give him an horse, of course - one who's never been ridden, and who has killed two men who tried. The stranger sits him, and waits him out while he bucks and sunfishes for two minutes, before leaning down the horse's neck and whispering something in his ear. Years later, one of the punchers asks how he "tamed" the horse.

"One evenin' as we sat to chuck, old Shorty asked for fun,
How was it that Big Jim had ever broke the Zebra Dun;
And Jim replied, "man cannot break no mustang in the end;
The closest thing a man can do is to make that horse his Friend."

White Tip is the wildest feral I've ever known - years living outdoors by her wits alone, and four years to convince her that "inside" was best. She purrs like a lion when I hold her - but still has the Heart of a lion as well, and anyone else she'd sooner tear to pieces than look at.

Former ferals are different - but that day when they realise that the food and the Love won't ever stop, something magical happens - and there's nothing else in this world that even comes close to that magic.
.

 

[Norachan]

It says right on their website that feral cats can never be tamed, they don't want to live with humans.

I keep telling my wild and feral beasties that, but they keep coming back in for the warms and the tunas.

 

[Jcatbird]

@Pook I love it! “Litter box Queen” you have me a great laugh! Glad you find these kitties amazing. I love them too!

Mamanyt1953 and M maggiedemi
Well nobody told us that ferals would not like us! News to me! A whole lot of other folks too! Maybe my kitties are faking it. Lol
Love is all I have to say.

How about an update to back up the love?
Flowers did not eat me today.
She even let me photograph Violet so I could send a picture to M maggiedemi for her birthday. Violet posed beautifully.
Here is her birthday sentiment!
Happy Birthday to Mew!

Violet sent kitty cute greetings!
I also got a shot of another flower baby emerging out of the lattice work along the bottom of the back of the house and I caught a third at the back door.
Violet ate solid food with Mom today. Something I rarely get to see so far. Good kitten! Now if I can just see them all do that we will be on our way to getting Mom and babies to come and live inside.
You know I have to tell you what I think the kitty expressions indicate so.....

What is she looking at?

Maybe if I look away she’ll stop staring and going, awwwww!

I don’t think she sees me yet.

Yes she does! Tail fluff!

Now for those of you wondering about the Gingerbread babies, they let me get a little closer this morning. I am a little concerned that they are nervous tonight. I sat with them a long time in the dark as gunfire sounded in the woods by the house. I hope my prescence reassured them since their Mom has not returned.(I still do a twice daily) I did not leave them until the gunfire stopped.
They did have a good day though. I wanted them to stay under the tarp I put up to be hidden from the hawk but they like to climb up on things during the day so I pulled out an old office chair and a few other things from the shed behind the property. They took turns playing there until Avatar decided to make it a napping spot. They all settled down under the cover of the tarp. They were willing to eat at the edge of a trap this morning so...... hopeful!

More kitties tails later!

 

[Norachan]

Violet is so pretty! What a sweet little face. I'm glad the Gingerbread Family are getting used to the trap. Sometimes you have to move at glacial speed when you're trying to trap some of the very shy ones.

Hope that hawk stays away.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Baby steps for the babies! So precious. And Violet reminds me of little Spryte, one of Little Bit's kittens from last year. Alas, I haven't seen any this year. I'm afraid that with all the torrential rain, there was some catastrophe. But it is a wonder than any of them are able to rear a litter!

 

[maggiedemi]

socialising more than four dozen over the years, to go to Forever homes

I never knew that. That's amazing. I'm very impressed.

Violet ate solid food with Mom today

My kitten is growing up. Good job Violet on eating your first solid food.

 

[M Thomas]

Violet is so pretty! What a sweet little face. I'm glad the Gingerbread Family are getting used to the trap. Sometimes you have to move at glacial speed when you're trying to trap some of the very shy ones.

Hope that hawk stays away.

The hawk is NOT staying away. I stand by my position - and legal does not equal moral.

 

[M Thomas]

.
I have eight former ferals currently, and over the past sixty years have had <mumbley-mumble> former ferals, as well as socialising more than four dozen over the years, to go to Forever homes with Loving families.

"Tame," might be in question, but, "Loving," never is; former ferals are the most Loving cats I've ever known. As to, "tame," there's a verse from an old cowboy ballad - Big Jim Bailey, Or The Zebra Dun - that addresses it pretty well, in plain language.

Big Jim is a puncher who walks into a drivers camp one evening. He says he's lost his job, and wants to borrow an horse to head for the 7D Ranch, across the Texas Plains. The cowboys give him an horse, of course - one who's never been ridden, and who has killed two men who tried. The stranger sits him, and waits him out while he bucks and sunfishes for two minutes, before leaning down the horse's neck and whispering something in his ear. Years later, one of the punchers asks how he "tamed" the horse.

"One evenin' as we sat to chuck, old Shorty asked for fun,
How was it that Big Jim had ever broke the Zebra Dun;
And Jim replied, "man cannot break no mustang in the end;
The closest thing a man can do is to make that horse his Friend."

White Tip is the wildest feral I've ever known - years living outdoors by her wits alone, and four years to convince her that "inside" was best. She purrs like a lion when I hold her - but still has the Heart of a lion as well, and anyone else she'd sooner tear to pieces than look at.

Former ferals are different - but that day when they realise that the food and the Love won't ever stop, something magical happens - and there's nothing else in this world that even comes close to that magic.
.

I really enjoyed this story. May I add, back in the 70s I learned the deeper, truer meaning of real love. I also know, like others, it can never be forced. It must be won via real friendship. I bought a halter broke only, horse. I slowly, via loving actions "broke' her to ride (this was long before the time to 'break horses' with LOVE, others failed to practice). From the very first time I got on her back, she NEVER offered to buck even once. Never did thereafter and she lived to a ripe old age with me (I don't abandon the elderly, people or animals). True friendship can't be trumped (no pun intended), because it's founded in God's love. Prov. 12:10

 

[Jcatbird]

Well, the news for this morning was that my ginger was missing. I knew they were nervous last night. Happily I found him fairly quickly and he was willing to follow me back to his siblings. None of the Gingerbread babies were willing to eat in the trap this morning. I tried to insist but by late this afternoon I became worried that they would seek food elsewhere. I fed them beside the trap and they devoured the food. I did too it with a little extra incentive. Meat baby food. I decided not to push them this evening for any close activities. I am feeling pressured to get them quickly since we have bad weather looming but I think if it rains they will retreat to the little house. Last night and this morning they preferred to be out under the tarp. The noise from last night left them upset and I think they felt a need to be where they could make a quick getaway from any invaders to the property. They seem calmer now and they are all accounted for as dark falls.
I took some pictures that I think will show their body language well. Not as happy. Reading the kitties expressions does help to understand their needs.

Hopefully they are trusting me more each day.
On a happier note, Flowers allowed me to pet the kitten named Violet today. She did watch me carefully as I did it but I was shocked that she neither based or scratched me. All I got was a look that made me smile. Good mama kitty! I do love Flowers!

 

[M Thomas]

Well, the news for this morning was that my ginger was missing. I knew they were nervous last night. Happily I found him fairly quickly and he was willing to follow me back to his siblings. None of the Gingerbread babies were willing to eat in the trap this morning. I tried to insist but by late this afternoon I became worried that they would seek food elsewhere. I fed them beside the trap and they devoured the food. I did too it with a little extra incentive. Meat baby food. I decided not to push them this evening for any close activities. I am feeling pressured to get them quickly since we have bad weather looming but I think if it rains they will retreat to the little house. Last night and this morning they preferred to be out under the tarp. The noise from last night left them upset and I think they felt a need to be where they could make a quick getaway from any invaders to the property. They seem calmer now and they are all accounted for as dark falls.
I took some pictures that I think will show their body language well. Not as happy. Reading the kitties expressions does help to understand their needs. View attachment 252039View attachment 252040
View attachment 252044
Hopefully they are trusting me more each day.
On a happier note, Flowers allowed me to pet the kitten named Violet today. She did watch me carefully as I did it but I was shocked that she neither based or scratched me. All I got was a look that made me smile. Good mama kitty! I do love Flowers!View attachment 252046
View attachment 252047

Did I forget to mention, animals often have "ESP" with certain humans. They can read our minds. I speak from experience.

 

[Jcatbird]

M M Thomas Too bad we humans can’t do that when we need to. Could come in handy at times.
I am swamped right now doing quarterly paperwork and estimateds. Yuck! Spent the evening working on plumbing too. Lol Not fun. Got some good news coming! Going to take some kitty picture first though. Back later with the news.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

BOY don't they! I THINK about "flea treatment" and Hekitty heads for high ground!

Jcatbird , I'm so relieved that little ginger is safe with his sibs again! You'll get there with them.

 

[maggiedemi]

True friendship can't be trumped (no pun intended), because it's founded in God's love. Prov. 12:10

I love Proverbs! I was just reading that yesterday. Thanks for sharing.

 

[maggiedemi]

Got some good news coming! Going to take some kitty picture first though. Back later with the news.

Can't wait to hear your news!

 

[M Thomas]

I love Proverbs! I was just reading that yesterday. Thanks for sharing.

Such good ne

 

[M Thomas]

Such good ne

Such good news to my ears. Proverbs, Romans, John - if "the world" would just read, absorb and follow it's great TRUTHS, we all would be better off as a nation and a world.

 

[Jcatbird]

Just a note about rescues. For those of you who do not know, a hurricane is aimed at some of our dear TCS members. I have heard that shelters don’t accept all pets. They do take service animals but space is limited. Other support animals cannot go. Who among us would leave our friends? I have evacuated with a van full and no place to go and I have had to stay put alone and hope for the best. I have waded through water to save trapped a feral you all have met. The mother of the Gingerbread babies. Kelly. I was injured during a storm two years ago and had someone not come looking for me.... well my cats would have been alone. This storm was aimed right at us but has now turned a bit towards others. I ask that we all gather our good wishes, prayers, vibes, hopes or anything you believe can help and send it all to those in the path of this storm. I know others have faced this. I am still sending all I can to them. Voluntary evacuations have begun. Once mandatory evacuations begin then we can no longer travel into that area. Roads will be closed. Please help.

Bow your heads in prayer or

Raise your eyes to the sky and send what you can. Thank you to all who do.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Thank you, Jcatbird . Those pictures made me cry with happiness, just a bit. I am one of the members, there are others. There is now one shelter I could go to, but...I am not concerned about wind, but with flooding, and that shelter is even more prone to flooding than my area is. I'm going to ride it out with Hekitty, and remember that the pair of us are riding on the wings of a LOT of prayers and good wished.

 

[Jcatbird]

Sorry everyone. Time ran out on me yesterday. I went out last night hunting Kelly and by the time I came in I was really tired and had to rest. Somehow I missed hitting , post reply, although I had already composed the following...
I’ll start with a Flower update. All is okay with that little family. I caught all four kittens out playing as I looked out the window. I will have a truck on the property tomorrow. I have prepared several areas for them to retreat to if they get scared. I just hope Mom does not move them. I tried to catch them today but they didn’t fall for it.
The good news is truly good though. The Gingerbread kittens are now inside! I finally convinced them to come in. They are very nervous but they are finally safe. I know that everyone will celebrate their safety along with me. Now on to socializing them and trying to catch Flowers.