Need Advice From the Feral Colony Experts

[vyger]

I finally found what looks to be a good heating pad for pets. It runs off of 12 volts, from a wall transformer so there is no danger from the wires getting chewed or frayed. 12 volts can't shock animals. In addition the cord is armored anyway. The cover on the pad is removable and the pad itself is waterproof. It has a digital on off unit. It only uses 20 watts of power but supposedly can provide a lot of heat. I ordered on to try, it should be here anytime. The downside is that it comes direct from China so shipping takes a while.
Here is a link to it so you can get an idea. By the way, another plus is that it is a standard 12 volt transformer so if it burns out it can be easily replaced.
Winter Pet Dog Cat Reptile Rabbit Safe Electric Heated heater Warmer Bed Pad Mat | eBay

 

[orange&white]

Thank you Vyger for remembering I was looking for something less expensive to heat Misfit's shelter. We had snow a couple days ago and our first freeze, so I was shopping again. I was actually thinking of this reptile aquarium heater is the small size, so that she could get off of it if she got too warm:
Zilla Heat Mats Reptile Terrarium Heater

I notice two of the reviewers were using it for cats instead of reptiles.

Anyway, I got worried about Misfit experiencing the first freeze of her lifetime, even though it didn't get cold for long. I fixed up my guest bathroom for her and she came inside for the last 3 nights.

Now that I brought her in, I've decided that my money is better spent buying things to keep her cool in our long, hot summers rather than spending on heaters I only need maybe 12 days a year. I may still pick up a heat pad next summer....when they are half the price.

 

[orange&white]

Update on Misfit:

As I just mentioned, we had our first night under 32 degrees for the first time in two winters. Since Misfit is only one year old, it was her first freeze. I brought her open cat bed from the patio and also put a clean oval cat bed in the spare bathroom, plus water and a temporary litter box. She came in around 7pm Thursday evening for a "trial run" to see if she'd meow or throw a fit and be bouncing off the walls. I went to check on her, sat down on the floor, and she surprised me by climbing in my lap, purring and requesting petting. She was actually friendlier and more affectionate than she has ever been. So she stayed in until around 8am Friday morning. She slept through the night and was a nice house guest. She didn't spray urine-mark anything as I had feared. There was one pee ball in the cat litter.

She's come inside and slept in the bathroom 3 nights now, even though last night's temperature was back to normal with a low in the high 30's. The last 2 nights, she hasn't been as happy to be cooped up and made a dash out as soon as I opened the door. But, she still has slept all night, used the box, and no spraying.

Today the weather is beautiful and she is playing the ancient cat game "Let's Make the Human Crazy". She'll sit by the patio door or on the ledge by the kitchen window meowing, but when I open the door, she stands right on the threshold, neither in nor out. She just wants me to stand there with the door open telling her that I'm not going to just stand there with the door open. She has come in a couple times and watched me cooking in the kitchen. She'll take treats out of my hand, but if I reach to pet her it's "No, don't touch me."

I managed to get her on the scale yesterday and she has gained quite a lot of weight for a tiny cat. She's at 8.25 pounds, whereas her normal weight has been around 7.5 pounds. She still looks quite lean, but I can tell she's got a little extra pad over her ribs. Probably a good thing for the cooler months. I've never heard of an obese outdoor feral cat, but I will watch her weight. She is eating between 200-300 calories a day (usually closer to 200), which is a lot of food for a cat her size.

That's all I can think of worthy to report.

 

[surya]

That's so nice you could bring her in. One of my neighbors let some of the kitties I feed into her apartment on the night it snowed here.

 

[orange&white]

I got my old camera working this morning and got this shot of Misfit. It's a little blurry, because she was about to run when I pointed the camera at her! She's doing great. Since I started feeding her, she has gained from 7.5 to 8.5 pounds, but still looks lean. She's been spending nights in the house since the weather got cold. She's growing more confident and trusting all the time.

 

[shadowsrescue]

She is a tiny one! So happy to see your gang!

 

[vyger]

So we have entered our perma snow phase. Six inches on the ground already and it will possibly be here for as long as the next 4 months. When it gets windy the snow moves around forming drifts much like light sand. But it won't melt. The last 2 nights it has gone to 40 below zero, that is straight temp, not including wind chill. Tonight is about -30 and then finally for the first time in a week it will warm to above zero. If you have never experienced that kind of cold it is a bit amazing. Everything becomes brittle. Extension cords actually break if you try and bend them. (they have special ones that are rubber that will bend). Snow crunches with a squeaky sound when you walk on it. So the cats have been cooped up for more than a week and while long naps at first were a good activity the novelty of that has worn off and now the desire to go outside and run is building. But when the door opens and the super cold pours in everyone retreats. However in cats hope and expectation get reborn every few minutes and the idea that the next time the door opens it will be nice and summery again continues, no matter what the frost on the door tells them. So one of my very curious and adventuresome cats, Snoopy (so named because of his need to see everything that is going on) has been very insistent on going out. So today when I went out to get a load of firewood I took him with me.
It's 20 below and I have on my parka with a hood, snow pants and boots and ski gloves and Snoopy wants out. He knows I am going out because he knows the parka routine. So I pick him up, go out the door and carry him 10 feet out the door and put him down on the sidewalk. He give me a dirty look like it's my fault that it's cold. He sniffs the air and discovers that his nose isn't working right. The super cold freezes the moisture in your nose and it momentarily freezes shut. It is a strange feeling. Then your defroster kicks in and it melts open again. Then he discovers that his feet are freezing and sticking to the wood sidewalk. Picks up one foot, then another and can't figure out which foot to keep in the air. Fifteen seconds and he is now uncomfortable and lets out a meow which leaves in a big puff of steam. Very disturbing. He tip toes back to the door and cries to go back in. Total time 30 seconds. Well that was the adventure for the day for him. In the meantime, Scottie the super puffy feral cat who looks like he is wearing his own parka has come out also, only he walked out the open door. He doesn't want back in yet but instead goes around checking on things making sure we haven't had any other company. He is out for as long as I am, following in my footprints in the snow. So now I am a kitty snow plow. After about an hour I am done and we head back in and he curls back up on top of his box of potatoes. Meantime I find Snoopy still licking his paws and still giving me dirty looks. It's not my fault----and you wanted out. Three hours later he is back at the door, wanting to check if it's spring yet.

 

[rubysmama]

Just read through this whole thread. What an amazing story for Misfit, previously known as KitKit. I read along as though I was reading a novel. Was so happy when you caught her to be spayed. And even happier when she had the kittens, who hopefully have their own homes by now.

Loved reading when she let you touch her. And when she played. And when she got in your lap!

As I read along, I kept thinking "Misfit is going to be in indoor kitty soon", and I was beyond thrilled when you wrote about her spending the night in the bathroom.

Can you imagine if the folks at the shelter could see that "wild cat" now. Great job orange&white !!!

 

[orange&white]

I think Misfit decided she was going to live here well before it ever occurred to me.

 

[orange&white]

She is a tiny one! So happy to see your gang!

What she lacks in size, she makes up for in spunk!

Thank you shadowsrescue , and everyone else, for all the good tips and advice along this journey.

 

[SheriB]

Hi, I too just read the “novel” and it was a great read! M maggiedemi I wonder if you could explain about fish mox and how you use it? I’ve just never heard of it.

 

[maggiedemi]

It's an antibiotic that some people use on their feral cats if they are sick and they can't get them to the vet in time.

 

[rubysmama]

I think Misfit decided she was going to live here well before it ever occurred to me.

She saw a good thing, even though she probably didn't quite know what it meant it at the time. I'm sure her weeks at the shelter helped her understand that being inside wasn't all bad. Again, good job. And thanks for caring for her.

What ever happened to the little black(?) kitty friend that was showing up with her?

 

[orange&white]

What ever happened to the little black(?) kitty friend that was showing up with her?

I do think being at the shelter around constant "human flow" helped since she was there 2 months nursing kittens.

There are two black feral cats who I see in the yard now. One short-haired; one long-haired. They, plus one orange tabby and one tortoishell are the only feral cats I've seen lately of last year's "crop".

I don't know what happens to them. There aren't any old ferals here. I think perhaps the apartment complex may do an annual round up. Hopefully they would release any ferals who have tipped ears.

 

[orange&white]

Quick update on Misfit's thread:

She's coming and going when she feels like it (inside/outside), except I've been keeping her inside all night regardless of weather. She enjoys being inside when the weather is bad, but still prefers outdoors when it's nice and sunny.

Misfit is becoming a bit of a lap cat the last week or two. She's been hopping up in my office chair for quite a while, but used to get down as soon as I tried to pet her. She's been hanging out more lately for petting, and has even fallen asleep on my lap three times.

Unfortunately, she's been attacking my Corgi and making him not feel comfortable hanging out in the office like he always has. I keep seeing claw scratches close to his eyes.

I really think she'd like to be an "only cat". She and Tangent are starting to get along pretty well, but I did try introducing her to Farrell and so far they need supervised visits. Farrell wants to play; Misfit wants to be ignored, or fight if Farrell doesn't stop showing interest.

On the other neighborhood ferals, someone took the orange tabby for TNR; her ear is snipped. The two black cats and tortie are still around. A couple days ago I got a good photo of the tortie through my bedroom window.

She's a lovely little cat and just as wild as can be.

 

[maggiedemi]

That's nice that somebody in your neighborhood is TNRing the ferals! I didn't know that. That Tortie is so beautiful, I might have to steal her. She's giving a friendly look towards the camera.

 

[orange&white]

That's nice that somebody in your neighborhood is TNRing the ferals! I didn't know that. That Tortie is so beautiful, I might have to steal her. She's giving a friendly look towards the camera.

She has figured out that I can't jump through the bedroom window glass to catch her and eat her. The two black cats have not figured that out, so I haven't been able to get pictures of either of them.

 

[vyger]

That's nice that somebody in your neighborhood is TNRing the ferals! I didn't know that. That Tortie is so beautiful, I might have to steal her. She's giving a friendly look towards the camera.

You don't have to steal her, I would be happy to sell her to you!! We can do a PayPal transfer and I will write you out a beautiful owners certificate and all you have to do is pick her up! (In Texas, somewhere)

 

[vyger]

Quick update on Misfit's thread:

She's coming and going when she feels like it (inside/outside), except I've been keeping her inside all night regardless of weather. She enjoys being inside when the weather is bad, but still prefers outdoors when it's nice and sunny.

Misfit is becoming a bit of a lap cat the last week or two. She's been hopping up in my office chair for quite a while, but used to get down as soon as I tried to pet her. She's been hanging out more lately for petting, and has even fallen asleep on my lap three times.

Unfortunately, she's been attacking my Corgi and making him not feel comfortable hanging out in the office like he always has. I keep seeing claw scratches close to his eyes.

I really think she'd like to be an "only cat". She and Tangent are starting to get along pretty well, but I did try introducing her to Farrell and so far they need supervised visits. Farrell wants to play; Misfit wants to be ignored, or fight if Farrell doesn't stop showing interest.

On the other neighborhood ferals, someone took the orange tabby for TNR; her ear is snipped. The two black cats and tortie are still around. A couple days ago I got a good photo of the tortie through my bedroom window.

She's a lovely little cat and just as wild as can be.

I like the white spot by the way. Looks like somebody missed the spot while they were painting her.