My Feral And Rescued Cats

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tabbytom

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I don't know that Thrasher is scared. I think she's "reverting to feral" and because she's been at large and on her own for this amount of time, she knows she can survive that way. Not to say she won't change her mind. Praying she WILL change her mind. But if she's subsisting on rodents and able to hide from any dangers, she's probably feeling pretty confident.
But even though lets say if she's 'reverting back to feral' mode, she should at least be able to recognize Jennifer and the kitties, at least for a little bit.
 

tarasgirl06

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But even though lets say if she's 'reverting back to feral' mode, she should at least be able to recognize Jennifer and the kitties, at least for a little bit.
I think she does. But she's very conflicted right now. Whatever it was that scared her, she associates it with the house.
 

tabbytom

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I think she does. But she's very conflicted right now. Whatever it was that scared her, she associates it with the house.
Yea, I guess so too. It's just like a bad experience. Just like my boy, he's weary of certain things especially loud noise and thunderstorms. I don't know his history as he was rescued off the streets at 3 weeks old with a gaping wound near his anus. All these noise and sounds make him worry and probably reminds him of he past. It's been 5+ years already and he has not gotten over it.

I hope Thrasher's case is not so serious as she has been in the house long enough.
 
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pearl99

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I had to check before bed in case news about Thrasher, and look! News!! I’m so happy she’s been spotted for sure. Waffles is on my lap purring and sends purrers to Thrasher and to Smokey for her appointment (the first puppy I ever had was named Smokey.)
Waffles knows what it’s like to be living on own outdoors.
 

tarasgirl06

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Yea, I guess so too. It's just like a bad experience. Just like my boy, he's weary of certain things especially loud noise and thunderstorms. I don't know his history as he was rescued off the streets at 3 weeks old with a gaping wound near his anus. All these hot and sounds make him worry and probably reminds him of he past. It's been 5+ years already and he has not gotten over it.

I hope Thrasher's case is not so serious as she has been in the house long enough.
I have vivid memories from being in my crib, so it's not surprising at all.
 

Jcatbird

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tabbytom tabbytom I May be heavily occupied shortly but you bring up a good question and I wanted to address it. tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 is right. Thrasher is back in strict feral mode. She has started accepting food from me but will remain very suspicious of any human movements. Any dog too. She does recognize me , it did my heart good that she looked at me with recognition and no fear, and I fully expect her to follow her previous habits in the wild as cats are creatures of habit. While I had hoped her newer habit of being a couch potato would be dominant, she could not immediately get back inside so she ran for her life. She has spent more of her life in pain, abused, pursued and trying to heal than she has in safety. I had hoped to get her quickly and before feral instincts kicked in but I am guessing that , like Mackie, they were immediate once fear took hold. There is so much to her story of survival. Each time I came near to getting her, she was caught by others again. I can tell you of what I witnessed but it is the things that nightmares are made of and I hesitate to put that here. The most heartbreaking of the feral stories here, although Flowers had similar tragedies. One incident even brought tears to the eyes of hardened police officers. All the more, this rips my heart out that she is in survival mode again. It took me years to gain and regain her trust as she was harmed and then dumped back out in the swamp. I have never seen anything so horrific as what she experienced. The fact that she returned here to recover each time is something I consider no less than a miracle. The fact that she recovered at all. More than once I thought her beyond recovery when I caught a glimpse of her. Cats are the most amazing of creatures. I expect that if they have nine lives, she has used up at least four in the time I have known her. Maybe more. So, this is going to be like starting over again except that she sees the front of the house as a place of intruders. She does still know that I am a safe human. She just needs to be sure that nothings else is going to grab her. My best guess is that she recognized the person at the place she exited as being associated with her bad experiences. Couple that with the fact that they had a hunting dog in tow, no wonder she fled. That person was outed when I caught them here a couple of days later. They were inside my fence that time! Another reason why Thrasher would avoid coming to the door. They dare not set foot near here again. The dog is no longer in the area from what everyone here can determine. So..... I must be extremely patient. I have to be very quiet and let Thrasher see me without pursuing her. When she saw me I remained seated and did not move other than to say her name. She must see that I have cleared the area of risks. I can only hope that the shelters I have up will help to keep her safe and that she will remember to come there as she did in the past. They are new in one sense of the word since I had to re erect them but I am seeing other cats come so that should demonstrate to her that they are good places. The neighbor cats seem to be keeping her company. That’s a big plus. Thrasher came from a line of ferals. That’s far different than a cat that comes from first or second generation of ferals. Her mother taught her well. Her instincts are very strong. That’s a good thing. She will have to keep herself safe until she is back inside.
I have had others get out a time or two. Mitsy went out after a kitten although I didn’t understand that right away. She returned after leading the kitten here. (Wanda Heart) However, Mitsy has been terrorized but never physically harmed. Big difference. Banjo got lost after being adopted but she came right to me when I traveled to try and find her. Also very different because I had gotten Banjo while she was still a kitten. She came to me but so terrified she walked with belly touching the ground. Will I get Thrasher back? I can only say that I will devote every resource I have and spend every waking moment watching for an opportunity to show her that I can give her safe passage through the land again. It’s more about trusting putting herself in the open than anything else. Outside is dangerous. I have faith in her though. My heart is with her every second. For anyone else working with ferals, patience is key.Give them all the time they need.
 

dustydiamond1

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I need to post very early today. Tomorrow is a very important vet appointment. It’s a quality of life exam. I need every second of time here today. I am hoping test values come back good.

The other news is this. Look close. See the outline of a cat in the dark?
View attachment 378772
Obviously ,I could not tell any more than anyone else there but I sat motionless. After about a half hour, a cat emerged from under a shed. Into the bright sun of day, without any doubt at all, there was Thrasher. She spotted me and circled right back under the shed to emerge on the side where I had placed a third dish of chicken. I had placed the dishes according to my observations and BJ’s indications. Spot on! The sun lit up the gold in her fur and I saw her face clearly. I had watched a cat moving through the underbrush but until she emerged, I could not be sure. Now I am. Thrasher lives. I say still long enough for her to eat and I will repeat this routine at each meal. Never pursuing until she indicates she recognizes me again. I tried to take BJ back there but he got spooked by a lawnmower across the road and fled back into the gate. Then he held up his paws for me to pick him up. He was willing to circle around and go close to where Thrasher had been. He marked a trail for her and then returned towards the house so I brought him back inside. He is an amazing cat. He does love his Clowder. Cats are the most devoted of creatures. I am guessing he will want to do another search late today. My heartfelt thanks to everyone for holding out hope that Thrasher is still out there. Hope paid off. Never, ever give up.

If I may, I would like to ask for very strong hope, purrs and paryers for tomorrow. The appointment is for Smokey. She is a tough girl and my hope extends to her.

Now, how about a smile?
When I returned last night after crossing over the paths that Thrasher has been traveling, Banjo got very excited. After she released her Dad from his harness, she turned her attention to me.


Being sniffed intensely! Lol
View attachment 378787
Do you recognize something Banjo?
View attachment 378789
Checking to be sure.
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No doubt about it!
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Head butts all over for you! You may not know it yet human but....
View attachment 378793
You found her! You found our Thrasher! I such a happy cat!
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Making biscuits for you like I did as a kitten!
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This is what joy feels like.
View attachment 378808
Now it’s time to be thankful.
View attachment 378807
Indeed. And we are.
Smiling a smile of great relief. I have a place to start.
:dance: :cheerleader::bliss::clapcat::beerchug: THRASHER GET YOUR HINEY IN THE HOUSE!
For Smokey 🤞🤞🙏🙏🙏
:clover::purr::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::goodluck::sunshine::touched:
 

dustydiamond1

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dustydiamond1 dustydiamond1 So cute! They both look so blissful. Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure! A friend shared it with me on Instagram and I just had to share here. The fleece is so deep that at first it looks like there is something wrong with the cats leg. The biscuits must be so comfy for both! There is just something so soul satisfying about this video to me.:heartshape::grouphug2::grouphug::touched:
 

tarasgirl06

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dustydiamond1 dustydiamond1 So lovely! Cali is obviously blissed out thinking that the fleece is reminiscent of Mom's soft fur. All in all, not baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad :cloud9:
Jcatbird Jcatbird YES on all. *I can't believe you typed that whole post on a phone. I can barely type a short text on a phone. I need my big keyboard!!!* *PRAYERS* for sweet, sweet Smokey :hearthrob::petcat::hearthrob:
 

tabbytom

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Thrasher is back in strict feral mode. She has started accepting food from me but will remain very suspicious of any human movements. Any dog too. She does recognize me , it did my heart good that she looked at me with recognition and no fear,
It's good to hear that she recognized you and that'll probably build up her confidence and I hope that she don't take too long and accept it as a norm by not getting back.

Please Thrasher, come on home! :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs:
 

Whenallhellbreakslose

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So happy that you spotted Thrasher again. I will continue to pray that she finally comes home and that Smokey's wellness check turns out good tomorrow . 🙏:vibes::redheartpump::redheartpump::redheartpump::catlove:
I read your post about Thrasher returning to her Feral roots. I hope you can trap her and bring her in. I wish she could understand that she has a better life at Chez Catbird with you and the Clowder, than being out and about in the swamp. :lovecat:

I hope Smokey's wellness check up with well. Still 🙏. I went for a walk around my neighborhood and saw some gorgeous flowers I thought you would enjoy. Something to smile at. :heartshape:
20210503_181015.jpg
20210503_181005.jpg
 

tarasgirl06

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I read your post about Thrasher returning to her Feral roots. I hope you can trap her and bring her in. I wish she could understand that she has a better life at Chez Catbird with you and the Clowder, than being out and about in the swamp. :lovecat:

I hope Smokey's wellness check up with well. Still 🙏. I went for a walk around my neighborhood and saw some gorgeous flowers I thought you would enjoy. Something to smile at. :heartshape:
View attachment 378906View attachment 378909
Do you know what those are? They are beautiful! Thanks for sharing with us!
 

maggiedemi

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these are for you
Thank you. She's lovely. 😍

Lelia says "hey, I'm a rainbow kitty, too!"
Don't worry Lelia, you're on the list too. ❤

Tomorrow is a very important vet appointment. It’s a quality of life exam.
Prayers for Smokey. Hope the vet visit went well. :crossfingers:

Hope paid off. Never, ever give up.
Hoping is so hard for me, because I can't see the ending. But I will get up & keep trying again. :hugs:

This is what joy feels like.
Good, cause we need more joy around here. ☀

It’s more about trusting putting herself in the open than anything else. Outside is dangerous. I have faith in her though. My heart is with her every second.
Hmmm....are Thrasher & I living parallel lives? :think:
 

dustydiamond1

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It is a type of Carnation. The full name of it is PINK CARNATION Dianthus Caryophyllus Chabaud Flower. I found it on a flower seed site. I was completely taken in by them. Very exquisite.
Carnations, Lilacs and Lily of the Valleys are my favorite flowers.
:wave3:
 
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