My Feral And Rescued Cats

[Jcatbird]

surya Tough one! It could be the neighbor tried to spare the girl the pain of thinking her kitty died. I think if I said anything to the child I would tell her that she should not get another kitty until she’s older. Explain that she is too young to understand all a kitty would need to live. If the father hates cats then I would not want her to have another until she is old enough to protect it or understand that she should not have one around her father. It could also have accidently been killed by rough handling by young siblings who did not know to handle it gently. My best guess is to keep cats away from that home or report possible animal abuse there if they get another. At least then someone would check out the situation. If you ever run into Mom you could just ask if she thinks a cat would be wanted there. I would not suggest talking to the parents unless the opportunity came from them. Worst case scenario and absolutely desperate to stop her from taking a cat would be to tell the child you are afraid it will die if she takes it. IF she really loves cats she might listen. I would try to lure cats away from there or even scare them away from that house. Sad to say, but abuse can happen to animals and children. When it happens to children they can then turn that on animals. I have seen this first hand. Sorry I don’t have a great answer for this. There are some evil people in this world. In my experience you need video or photographs of abuse happening to do anything at all , short taking the cats away to a safer place. That is why I brought over a hundred inside my house instead of just on to my land and outbuildings.

 

[Norachan]

surya That's a tough one. Could it be that the cat was sick and the neighbour took her in and got her the vet care she needed? Maybe the cat wasn't dead but was lethargic or semi-conscious?

Is it possible to speak to the neighbour?

I agree, that little girl shouldn't have any more pets with a father like that around.

Jcatbird Never mind, the installments can wait. I'm interested to hear all about this new kitten.

 

[surya]

surya That's a tough one. Could it be that the cat was sick and the neighbour took her in and got her the vet care she needed? Maybe the cat wasn't dead but was lethargic or semi-conscious?

Is it possible to speak to the neighbour?

I agree, that little girl shouldn't have any more pets with a father like that around.

Jcatbird Never mind, the installments can wait. I'm interested to hear all about this new kitten.

No, the child was clear the cat was dead with it's eyes open. I think she understands death, but the crazy lady convinced her she could do magic. But I will ask again to make sure. I'm not sure the dad killed the cat, the kids are really rough with them and don't have an inkling of how to treat them. It was a pretty calico girl and she may have been pregnant too. They were trying to heard my poor tuxedo boy Antonio inside the other day. But he was smart enough to get away. They wanted my help to get Indie, but I grabbed her and took her home. They think I am bringing her back after she gets fixed, so I have to explain why I think she is safer with my rescue friend in a way they can understand.

 

[Jcatbird]

M maggiedemi Just so you won’t worry about Shakespeare until I get back to the “Year in Review”, he did get adopted into the best kind of home.

Norachan I love the idea that maybe the neighbor got help for the kitty. That would be so wonderful and I hope she keeps the kitty elsewhere. If Dad truly hates kitties it would be better that way. I have seen cat haters converted to cat lovers once they got to be around them but I wouldn’t count on it without knowing more about the man.

On to the new kitty! Kitty is now settled in isolation in my bathroom. It’s either female or neutered male! Poor vision can be an issue! She is so excited to get attention she won’t hold still long enough for a good look but so far I see nothing back there! No ear tip though.
She is extremely affectionate. She is also starving. This is not a feral kitty. I called the nearby vet and left a message about finding her. I’ll try to see if she is lost but if she is then I’ll want to know how that happened! Most likely she was dumped in the area. There are rental places nearby and often when people move they leave the pets.So sad. I think they all end up here though.
The kitten has fleas so I gave her a Capstar. I can feel and see her hip bones. She is a little thin but I’ll quickly fix that. My vet is going to be booked solid until after the holiday but I’m going to see if there are any openings. It will probably be after the new year before they will see her unless she gets sick.
She is a little tabby and reminds me a lot of the Flower babies. She is so quick to come climb all over me I keep asking her if she knows me. Lol Do I know you Little Girl? Lol She was loved somewhere before. Poor lost baby. When I first saw her under my friends’ van I had just brought in my groceries and I thought that Flowers had escaped somehow. Then I realized it was waaaay to thin. Much smaller. I am guessing she is about four months old.
One last thing...... she knew what a cat carrier is. I don’t know what that indicates. I have had some in my yard the past couple of nights because I just cleaned them. Maybe she’s been sleeping and one of those. All I know is that when I put one in the bathroom for her she went and rubbed against it and then immediately went inside and laid down in it. She’s asleep in it now. Here she is!

I’m really grateful she came to me.

I put a dish of food out on my front and back porches after I found her. They remain untouched. If they are not eaten by morning then I will hope that she does not have siblings outside. I see no signs anywhere of other kitties. One other thought has occurred to me. Two days ago I had a delivery dropped off here. I hope she didn’t get in that truck at some other house and get here by accident. I have no idea how I could backtrack any possibilities on that to find her owners. I will get my vet to see if she has a microchip.At least she is safe inside now. I’m just going to focus on giving her lots of love right now. It’s going to be okay little girl. I’ve got you.

 

[Jcatbird]

surya Sounds like maybe you could give the kids some information on gentle handling of animals while you have a chance. I am glad you got Indie. Maybe you could also tell them the cats around there are yours?!?!? Antonio running away may be very good cat instincts at work. Let us know what you find out please. I hate the thought of the calico getting killed. Seriously, talk to the kids about cats getting hurt. Kids don’t know if no one teaches them. Cats break easily might be how you start that. You could just say that since the calico got broken and died you can’t let another get broken so Indie is staying somewhere to be safe and they should not bother your other cats unless they learn about them first from you. Maybe you could teach them to be future rescuers. They might look up to you! You could have them practice in front of you with a stuffed cat or doll. Then you could see how they handle things. I’m so sorry about the Calico. I know you put your heart into all the kitties around there.

 

[rubysmama]

Yes, a cat woman's work is never done. Where there is a lost kitten, we are there, where there is a hungry feral, we bring food, when there is a tom with balls, we are prepared!

The above (or a variation) should be your signature quote.

So sad about the little calico. Hopefully she is alive and with the neighbour.

On to the new kitty! Kitty is now settled in isolation in my bathroom. It’s either female or neutered male!

Awww... he/she's adorable. So glad she found her way to your place.

 

[surya]

I bet somebody dumped the kitten at your house because they know you take care of cats. I have had a few I suspected someone dumped by my colony. I hope she gets adopted quickly.

 

[maggiedemi]

he above (or a variation) should be your signature quote.

Minus the balls part.

 

[rubysmama]

Minus the balls part.

Yeah, that's the part I was thinking of when I mentioned the possible variation. Other than that, I really like the quote, and was serious when I said it should be surya 's signature.

 

[surya]

Yeah, that's the part I was thinking of when I mentioned the possible variation. Other than that, I really like the quote, and was serious when I said it should be surya 's signature.

Thank you rubysmama, I've been having a couple of tough months and haven't been feeling like a great cat mom.

 

[Jcatbird]

surya Let me tell you something. I understand the feeling. We want to and fully expect to save every one we see. If we didn’t expect that of ourselves we would probably stop rescuing. You are a great cat Mom! You’re an amazing cat rescuer, cat Mom, person and someone we all admire. I know it gets really hard. Sometimes it feels like we are fighting a battle but maybe you would feel better if you looked back for a minute. Ever taken a head count on how many tummies you have filled, how many pets of comfort you have given, how many you have pulled in, how much energy you have poured out of how much love you have spread around? Tons of all of it! Try counting some of the positives. We can all see them! It’s the glow of a super cat Mom!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It just flat infuriates me when animals are dumped. "Hate" is very foreign to my nature, but ever time I hear about a pet being just dumped, or mistreated, I manage to work up a quart or so.

Yeah, that's the part I was thinking of when I mentioned the possible variation.

Just change "balls" to "bits" and you have it!

 

[surya]

Thank you Jcatbird. I wasn't looking for sympathy, but you gave me just the boost I needed!

What's really bugging me today, is my flea situation. The cats and I are doing much better, thanks to the Frontlineplus an awesome forum person sent me. And my living room seems like its under control. But in my bedroom, new baby flea's keep hatching. I am moving into my living room, sleeping on the couch with the cats and I'm only going to go through the bedroom when I need to use the bathroom, so I don't bring in flea's with me. I have diatomaceous earth spread all over the bedroom and flea traps in there. I think it will work, but taking longer than I would like. I seem to be constantly doing laundry and other flea reducing activities. And I feel like I can't relax, because I'm in a construction zone. I have a very small apartment, but I have a lot of stuff which makes cleaning take a long time. On the bright side, I have decided to become a minimalist.

 

[Jcatbird]

surya I’m right there with you on the flea battle. Aaaarrrggghh! This has been the worst year ever for fleas! I am seeing lots of posts about them. I have become ruthless when it comes to getting rid of ,”stuff!” I come from a long line of historians. I was made guardian of ancient documents that are fascinating BUT good places to collect dust and fleas! Been sleeping and booking the important ones. All non essentials are going! Less Fabric furniture and more slick surfaces desired! I got rid of all carpet long ago. Still constantly battling. I got some of those flea lights by Victor and they really do help. I can also gauge the flea population by what turns up on the sticky pads. I finally bought some serious insect spray from the hardware store. I can’t let the cats in the room for a day after I use it but after about four rounds of it they were gone. Of course every new cat brings new fleas so now they get a Capstar with their first meal here! I read that vibrations like a vacuum make the eggs hatch and fleas are more active in dark places and at night. I vacuum at night and then spray! Gotcha! The DE just wasn’t enough here. I also drown my hard floors with dish liquid filled mop water and let it sit long enough to drown. A couple of days later I mop again with Clorox, but again, the cats must be out! Salt is supposed to dedicate eggs in the upholstery. Not sure if it works but I do that. Leave it two days and vacuum. Has to be colorfast fabric though. Live fleas do need a meal but eggs can lay dormant a very long time. I have a trailer here that I had cats in a little while. I am keeping a stereo going in there to “vibrate” the eggs into hatching?!?!? Lol I also spray regularly. Seems to have worked. One day I am going to live in an all, hard surface or machine washable world with nothing in it but me and the cats! Maybe a place I can just pressure wash the whole interior! I could buy that for what I spent on flea treatments for the 100 cats this year. Good thing I like peanut butter! Can you say.....”Sphynx cat?”

 

[surya]

Wow, thanks for all the good advice. I don't think the DE is doing the trick. I need some of that flea spray. I don't have a good vacuum. Mine is a lightweight one. I thought about borrowing one, but then it might have flea's in it, when I give it back and that would not be nice. The maintenance guy left his tracks in the DE yesterday when I was gone. They come in when you leave. I'm really embarrassed he saw my apartment like this.

A note about the little girl. I discovered she is not very honest. She acts nice, but when you turn your back she is just like all the other kids here, poking sticks at the cats. So I think she may have just made up the cat reincarnation to try and appease me. I am starting to dislike children.

 

[Jcatbird]

@sirya Nah! Don’t dislike children, just dislike bad people who raise children badly. ( It’s usually parents who were also raised badly. Terrible cycle) I know some children that are fantastic naturals with animals. I used to give talks to school children. There were a couple in every bunch that could be a problem but there were also many that blew me away with wonderful insight and pure hearts. I spoke to them about the rainforest and all things living there. My slides of Ocelots and Jaguars were a big hit! I was delighted to find that a great many were very interested in learning about and even saving the plants and animals there. I was in charge of some Orchid shows during that time period and some children even went to the trouble of getting their parents to bring them to the shows. I’ll never forget one little fourth grade boy who was too shy to approach me at the show. His Mom came and found me to tell me how much he had been interested in the information about the jungle. I went with her to talk to him and gave him a private tour. He was so great! Two years later he found me again and was excited to tell me about rescuing a lizard he had found trapped under a bucket. It was dehydrated and half starved so he “ nursed “it back to health before releasing it. He also told me he was studying to become a scientist to help the rainforrest animals! Ha! I often wonder where he is and what he is doing now. He made me very hopeful for a new generation of great adults! He obviously had great parents. Sometimes we can do a small thing like talking to a child that can make a difference we never even imagined. That little girl may be hurt or damaged some way and unable to be helped but another right around the corner may be watching you do rescues and saying to herself,” I’m going to save kitties like that lady.” You may be an inspiration without realizing it. If I saw you doing what you do, I would be inspired! I am! We can always hope that something or someone will come along and help that little girl at some point in her life. They say hope floats. Maybe some will drift her way. Certainly I was inspired to love by another who showed me. My own daughter used to amaze me as she was a magnet for animals. Especially cats and birds. Bet you would have liked her!

 

[surya]

I'm going to send you a private email Jcatbird.

 

[Jcatbird]

surya It’s going to work. Response sent.

 

[Jcatbird]

I’ve got an update on the newest arrival. I called around to local vets and shelters today as well as my neighbors and no reports of axmisding kitty. I put up information about her just in case someone is looking for her. Thursday I can take her in to see if she has a microchip. If not then I guess I have another kitty. She is starving for love every minute. She can’t get enough snuggling. They don’t get more affectionate than this. It’s hard for me to believe that someone would dump her. Time will tell. Tomorrow I will check with the next county over. This is the kind of kitten you would want to get for your child or maybe older family member to give them total love and devotion. A constant snuggle companion. Wow! It’s kind of different for me to find one already socialized. This is a domesticated kitty from birth. She would not had survived outside here. I am so, so grateful she let me get her.
She is content on the bathroom all by her self. She is litter trained.She sleeps inside a carrier on a blanket and I find her there everyone I go in the room. She comes running to me purring the instant I go in the room.
She was waiting for more snuggling!

She likes to talk too!

Getting love is better than food to her!

She likes for me to talk to her and stops wiggling just to listen. Lol

I think we are starting to smile!

She’s starting to really look at me in the eyes now. Trusting.

Even enclosing her in my arms doesn’t make her nervous.

Eating is nice too. Especially when you have to fill up enough for it to reach the tip of a verrrrry long kitty tail! What a tail!

This is one kitty that will be a lap cat!
I hope you can feel the love that this little one is sending out! Have a great night everyone!

 

[rubysmama]

Awwww, such a sweet kitten. I hope she has a family out there somewhere missing her, and that you find them.