I apologize for the length of this post. I know it's long.
I have decades of experience with cats, including ferals, but must first give thanks and a tip of my hat to the cat lovers on this board. I have learned so much reading the advice and solutions here. I really appreciate the knowledge you have.
I posted a while back that I had a small colony in my large back yard and another small colony in the front. With very few exceptions, they tend to live separately, although occasionally one will check out the food bowls in the other side of the yard. Both colonies had four original kitties, 2 female and 2 males each, and there was an obvious correlation between the cats due to coat similarities. Before I could capture and have them neutered and spayed, 2 females in the back had kittens. I caught all six babies and found a home for one. I still have the others and am planning on placing them, but only with careful vetting. I would keep them all but we're older and want them to have long-term homes.
I caught everyone but one female in the front. I literally trapped her as the last cat of the eight adults and ran her straight to the vet to confirm my terrible suspicion that she just had kittens and the vet said she had. She guessed three since it appeared she'd given birth within 24 hours and 3 nipples showed signs of nursing. We could not find her kittens and she came and left every day, as a nursing mom will do. But we never saw any kittens and she never brought them to us. The mother kitties in the back yard brought their babies to eat solid food and we were able to trap them when they appeared.
Once I knew the front yard kittens, if there were any surviving, would be old enough to no longer nurse, I started trying to trap the mom again, but she was smart. She didn't fall for it a second time. I tried switching baits, disguising the trap in a box, camouflaging it with leaves and brush, changing locations. I even left it right where I normally feed the front yard crew and putting some food right inside of it so they could grab a bite from it once in a while. No dice.
Time passed and she was obviously pregnant again. All the male kitties in our colonies are neutered, so another cat impregnated her. If I had caught him I would have had him fixed, too, but no such luck.
Weirdly, the entire front yard colony disappeared when she had the babies. We think they are all in a neighbor's backyard under his very large deck. He's fine with it and we're waiting for her to show up with the babies, which should be any time.
The colony stayed a little jumpy for the first few weeks. We'd only see them to eat now and then, but over time they've started to hang around again and are acting like their old selves. And they go back and forth between our two houses during the day and at night.
I believe I can catch the babies if she brings them here, but I really need to trap her. She and the remainder of the colony are hyper-resistant to the trap, and since they travel in a group, I can't really use a drop trap.
I have read every bit of advice I can find on catching ferals and am still puzzled as to how I can catch this one little cat. I will gladly take any advice I can get.
Also, one other question: in our backyard colony, one of the original four cats (a female) was suddenly forced out of the group and I have no idea why. Occasionally we catch her sneaking some food when the others are not looking. I also place dry food in three backyard locations so she can safely eat when the others aren't in that part of the yard. Anyone have any ideas why cats would banish one of their number?
Any ideas are welcome. Thanks in advance!
Seymour
I have decades of experience with cats, including ferals, but must first give thanks and a tip of my hat to the cat lovers on this board. I have learned so much reading the advice and solutions here. I really appreciate the knowledge you have.
I posted a while back that I had a small colony in my large back yard and another small colony in the front. With very few exceptions, they tend to live separately, although occasionally one will check out the food bowls in the other side of the yard. Both colonies had four original kitties, 2 female and 2 males each, and there was an obvious correlation between the cats due to coat similarities. Before I could capture and have them neutered and spayed, 2 females in the back had kittens. I caught all six babies and found a home for one. I still have the others and am planning on placing them, but only with careful vetting. I would keep them all but we're older and want them to have long-term homes.
I caught everyone but one female in the front. I literally trapped her as the last cat of the eight adults and ran her straight to the vet to confirm my terrible suspicion that she just had kittens and the vet said she had. She guessed three since it appeared she'd given birth within 24 hours and 3 nipples showed signs of nursing. We could not find her kittens and she came and left every day, as a nursing mom will do. But we never saw any kittens and she never brought them to us. The mother kitties in the back yard brought their babies to eat solid food and we were able to trap them when they appeared.
Once I knew the front yard kittens, if there were any surviving, would be old enough to no longer nurse, I started trying to trap the mom again, but she was smart. She didn't fall for it a second time. I tried switching baits, disguising the trap in a box, camouflaging it with leaves and brush, changing locations. I even left it right where I normally feed the front yard crew and putting some food right inside of it so they could grab a bite from it once in a while. No dice.
Time passed and she was obviously pregnant again. All the male kitties in our colonies are neutered, so another cat impregnated her. If I had caught him I would have had him fixed, too, but no such luck.
Weirdly, the entire front yard colony disappeared when she had the babies. We think they are all in a neighbor's backyard under his very large deck. He's fine with it and we're waiting for her to show up with the babies, which should be any time.
The colony stayed a little jumpy for the first few weeks. We'd only see them to eat now and then, but over time they've started to hang around again and are acting like their old selves. And they go back and forth between our two houses during the day and at night.
I believe I can catch the babies if she brings them here, but I really need to trap her. She and the remainder of the colony are hyper-resistant to the trap, and since they travel in a group, I can't really use a drop trap.
I have read every bit of advice I can find on catching ferals and am still puzzled as to how I can catch this one little cat. I will gladly take any advice I can get.
Also, one other question: in our backyard colony, one of the original four cats (a female) was suddenly forced out of the group and I have no idea why. Occasionally we catch her sneaking some food when the others are not looking. I also place dry food in three backyard locations so she can safely eat when the others aren't in that part of the yard. Anyone have any ideas why cats would banish one of their number?
Any ideas are welcome. Thanks in advance!
Seymour