my little stray

da hoomin

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I'm so sad.

Stinit hasn't been by for his dinner in over a week. I hope he's ok. 

I'm telling myself that he really does have a home and he's all warm and toasty and his belly's nice and full. 

 

StefanZ

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I'm so sad.

Stinit hasn't been by for his dinner in over a week. I hope he's ok. 

I'm telling myself that he really does have a home and he's all warm and toasty and his belly's nice and full. 

Or perhaps he has also another one whom is helping him.   I know for sure such happens.
 

trudy1

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How long have you been feeding him? If just a short time he might have just been making the rounds including your place. If you have been feeding him for quite a while then has he been gone/missed meals before, just not this long?

The reason for all the questions is either way he could still show up. In one of my cat colonies I have trapped and neutered cats who hung around a few days to eat, then just disappeared. But I have also had some who are just wanderers. Some of those may be gone for 2-3 weeks. They always seem to come back fat and happy. My colony cats urge to roam was always kind of weather dependent. Warmer days and cool nights.

Don't give up. You may be right...he could be a neighbor cat who found you. Just keep the food out at the regular time.

Don't forget in addition to feeding and loving on him the other objective is to trap and neuter him . If he is truly feral it will make him less apt to want to roam.
 
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da hoomin

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Hi! I just read your posts about your colony last night. I am SO glad all of your fur-babies are safe now! I know you will miss them terribly tho.


I don't think he's feral. I think he got dumped in my neighborhood. I first saw him in May. Standing in the side yard looking very confused. If I' had crouched down and called to him, I'm pretty sure he'd have come. I really, really wanted to! But realistically, I have more than enough expenses keeping my 2 feed and healthy.
  I guessed he was about 9-10 months old then. Not quite an adult. 

     

The way he suddenly appeared looking so lost, I'm really sure that a university student from 20 minutes away, dumped him. It was the end of the semester, timing was right and it happens alot, unfortunately.

Every afternoon for the longest time, Malý and Hezký would freak out, run to the living room window that looks out to the side yard and then fall over each other getting to the bedroom window that looks out to the back yard. It took me a while to figure out what was up - Stinit was visiting. The 3 of them made friends some how - Malý and Hezký still go to the windows, but not as frantically as they used to. I think Stinit must've gotten up on the chairs the are outside the bedroom window and the 3 of them had a nice chat.

I'm not outside very often and of course, rarely at the right time, but he and I have had a couple of conversations from across the yard. I all of a sudden realized it'd be getting cold and snowy and the hunting might not be as good so the next time I saw he was there, I went in and got a bowl and food and showed him where I was putting it for him. He was under my duplex-neighbors truck and I put the bowl under the evergreen bushes so he could go under them and eat in private. I put food out every afternoon - and brought it in every day at dark so the fat raccoons wouldn't eat it. It took a week, but the food started disappearing every day after that.

I haven't been feeding him for very long - only about 3 weeks or so. But it's strange that he all of a sudden stopped coming by when he'd been a regular in our yard for months. He's all grown up now and so handsome! He's all black and looks very healthy. But he has no collar.

He has that "tummy fluff" like Hezký, my male, does and so I'm thinking he very well could be neutered already. I keep saying "he" because of the tummy fluff.

Yes, the food will definitely still be there every day! I also have a little shelter I'm almost finished making to put under the bushes for him. It'll be pretty much invisible unless you know it's there and it's very sheltered.

I just joined my neighborhood's website and I'm going to ask if anyone knows about him. This is his first winter and I'm worried that he's just holed up somewhere not knowing quite what to do. Yeah, I'm a compulsive worrier. I blame it on the "mom gene."

I really want to bring him inside and have him be an indoor only with my 2. But I don't know how they would feel about that and I don't know how happy Stinit would feel about all of a sudden not being able to roam outside.

Hugs and head bonks
 

StefanZ

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Hi! I just read your posts about your colony last night. I am SO glad all of your fur-babies are safe now! I know you will miss them terribly tho.


I don't think he's feral. I think he got dumped in my neighborhood. I first saw him in May. Standing in the side yard looking very confused. If I' had crouched down and called to him, I'm pretty sure he'd have come. I really, really wanted to! But realistically, I have more than enough expenses keeping my 2 feed and healthy.
  I guessed he was about 9-10 months old then. Not quite an adult. 

     

The way he suddenly appeared looking so lost, I'm really sure that a university student from 20 minutes away, dumped him. It was the end of the semester, timing was right and it happens alot, unfortunately.

Every afternoon for the longest time, Malý and Hezký would freak out, run to the living room window that looks out to the side yard and then fall over each other getting to the bedroom window that looks out to the back yard. It took me a while to figure out what was up - Stinit was visiting. The 3 of them made friends some how - Malý and Hezký still go to the windows, but not as frantically as they used to. I think Stinit must've gotten up on the chairs the are outside the bedroom window and the 3 of them had a nice chat.

I'm not outside very often and of course, rarely at the right time, but he and I have had a couple of conversations from across the yard. I all of a sudden realized it'd be getting cold and snowy and the hunting might not be as good so the next time I saw he was there, I went in and got a bowl and food and showed him where I was putting it for him. He was under my duplex-neighbors truck and I put the bowl under the evergreen bushes so he could go under them and eat in private. I put food out every afternoon - and brought it in every day at dark so the fat raccoons wouldn't eat it. It took a week, but the food started disappearing every day after that.

I haven't been feeding him for very long - only about 3 weeks or so. But it's strange that he all of a sudden stopped coming by when he'd been a regular in our yard for months. He's all grown up now and so handsome! He's all black and looks very healthy. But he has no collar.

He has that "tummy fluff" like Hezký, my male, does and so I'm thinking he very well could be neutered already. I keep saying "he" because of the tummy fluff.

Yes, the food will definitely still be there every day! I also have a little shelter I'm almost finished making to put under the bushes for him. It'll be pretty much invisible unless you know it's there and it's very sheltered.

I just joined my neighborhood's website and I'm going to ask if anyone knows about him. This is his first winter and I'm worried that he's just holed up somewhere not knowing quite what to do. Yeah, I'm a compulsive worrier. I blame it on the "mom gene."

I really want to bring him inside and have him be an indoor only with my 2. But I don't know how they would feel about that and I don't know how happy Stinit would feel about all of a sudden not being able to roam outside.

Hugs and head bonks
Its usually easier to adapt en ex stray to be strictly indoor, than a home cat who is used to go outside at will.   The ex-stray knows the outside can be horrible.

I think if you ARE considering this, its worth a try.  At worst, if he cant adapt, you can always release him, and let him be your outside kitty.
 

kittychick

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Check with as many "cat friendly" neighbors as you know......someone may know of someone who took him in, or is, at the least, feeding him. If he's NOT neutered (fixed) he's definitely of the age of being pulled further and further from home to find a mate (and unfortunately make kittens that will either add to the population of unwanted kittens, or they'll add to the large numbers that don't survive past first few days or weeks, be it temperature, predator, lack of food, illness. I know it's so sad - - - but if you do see him soon again, if you can do your best to get him to a vet or a less expensive Spay-neuter clinic and have him taken care of -- - he'll live longer AND roam ALOT less. Unfortunately the "Fluffy Tummy" look isn't always translated into fixed :( 

Hopefully he'll come back on his own! Our feral babies throughout the years disappear periodically - particularly when weather gets rough (something I don't think I';ll EVER understand. Especially our current TNR group - - they've settled at our house as base because we make it as good as we can (would love to bring all 5 in, but we already have 4 inside, plus we foster often, and money is tight). We give them a garage (detached and unheated - but leave door just barely cracked for them to get in and out so wind isn't a factor, and other than cold, elements aren't a factor at all. Plus they have 4 heated shelters inside (2 of which hold 2 cats easily!), plus two outside heated, insulated shelters. And feeding stations, and an electric water bowl out 24/7. Yet still, when the weather gets really cold - and particularly if you throw in really low temps - - -some take off for days. I worry, I cry, I fret. Most do come back. Some in half a day, some in a few days, some in a week, and one took over a month and a half! But they came back. One of ours right now, Cody, the very very most skittish of all, had finally gotten to the point of, after a year of feeding her 2 x DAY AND giving her treats - often turkey or chicken - - - and by end of summer she actually ate out of my hand, and would finally let me touch her back and stroke her chin!!!!!! Then this weekend - first snowstorm and she's bad to TOTALLY terrified of me. We can't get her to eat soft at all -- - - hopefully she eats hard when we've gone back inside. 

Anyway - we're all in this together. This forum is a great place to find a shoulder - chances are someone's been through the exact same thing!!!! Two or three times!

Talk to neighbors - - if you have a picture of him - - take it with you (in our neighborhood discussing missing grey cats is hopeless since 9-% of the TNR ferals are almost identical grey kittties!  

Good luck - we're all thinking about you!
 
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