New Mommy... : (

[alphakitty]

12-08-2018

Subject: New Mommy... : (

Some time back I shared the story of one of my outside kitties..."New Mommy". A very sweet, neutored, socialized, ex-feral black female Bombay kitty. She showed up for dinner one day with a foxtail under an eye-lid. I re-trapped her, took her to the vet, expended a fair amount of money and then had to squirt eye-droppies into her eye every six hours for around eight weeks! As she had never been handled, aside from the FixNation vet/surgeon who neutored her, it was a bit dicey in the beginning, but by the end of my caring for her, we were fast pals.

As you all may know California has been suffering raging, out of control wild-fires. While my home isn't in one of the fire zones, it is located in an area surrounded on three sides by the fire zone mountains that were/are ablaze.

Last Friday, New Mommy did not return home for dinner and her night's repose on my inset, back porch, under 10 ft of roof. Its a nice, safe out of the elements area, that I have configured for my colony. I made a little warm sleeping hooch for her, as the nights have been chilly lately. She was born here, it's her home. She has been missing for a week now. I have been checking the local city animal-shelter/pounds for her. However, one of the animal control officers asked me where I resided, and I told him. He said, "We are receiving multiple reports about missing pets in your area. We hearing around 35 per day now. The reports are that the predators, mainly coyotes and mountain lions/cougers are coming down out of the mountains and are eating pets."

To date, I am missing five of six outside community kitties. I went into the hospital for a one day surgery, staying for 2 1/2 months, and when I came home, four of my outside kitties were missing. Neighbors were supposedly feeding them for me...but they are gone, and those disappeared before the fires. They've all been neutored, having a tip'd ear to indicate that fact. The LA Shelter personnel informed me that if ear-tip'd kitties are brought in, they are ordered to be returned to where they were trapped. I have a feeling that somebody maybe trapping outside kitties, and releasing them elsewhere.

I am so sad.

alpha kitty
attached: Full Image 265582
New Mommy - Front Porch - 05-23-2018 lr.jpg

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm so sorry, I have no words to describe how much I feel for you and your heart.

 

[di and bob]

My heart goes out to you. These things are out of your control, you did your best to care for and bring love into their little lives. Nature is cruel, and beyond what we can manage. The mountain lions and coyotes are literally starving and will do anything to survive in these times of devastation.
Being gone for two and a half months may have cause them to wander, you never know, they may show up again one day in their travels. The not knowing is the worst. We pray for the best, but prepare for the worst.It is hopeful that you found no signs of a struggle or fight, hold on to that. They may have been frightened by the fires and fled.
I cry with you, and will pray that you find some kind of answers, top most the safe return of your little ones. The bond you have with these precious babies will always be with you, they will always be held secure in your heart. You gave them love and care, they will forever love you for that. Please know we care and will always be here if you need a shoulder......

 

[Maria Bayote]

Those cats are beautiful. Maybe somebody picked them up to bring them to their homes? I do hope they are all safe.

I understand how you feel. I, too, had been feeding these street cats outside my home, twice in a day : one in the morning before I left for work and again at night when I arrived. Sometimes if they wanted more I'd feed them the 3rd time. When I went home to my own country for the summer vacation (45 days), they were no longer there when I came back, although I left bags of cat food with our flatmate so they would not look for food someplace. I suspected that they were not fed properly or on time, that is why they left. Or worse, they were hit by cars or died of severe heat (I work in the Middle East where an animal like cats and dogs cannot probably survive under the sun for longer than 15 - 20 minutes straight). I waited and waited. Only 2 managed to come back out of the 11 cats.

It is sad and heartbreaking because you don't know exactly what happened to each of them. There is no closure in your heart, and you keep thinking why they all so suddenly never came back again.

 

[catsknowme]

I am so sorry that your cats are missing. I well remember New Mommy's story. It is gut-wrenching to think that your time together might be over so soon, much too soon.
With so much habitat loss (these recent super-fires literally STERILIZE the forest floors, killing even the soil bacteria and the life inside seeds that require normal fire-heating to sprout), the predators are a very real threat. In April, 2017, a cougar killed 9 of my ferals in my yard & I had to do a face-off with it for 4 times - it was determined, bold and unafraid of the normal deterrents (spotlight, multiple humans, banging pans).I made a huge "face" on an aluminum disc sled and it would leave when shown that (I used the idea based on the masks that ag workers in India wear). I now have floodlights for the yard but try to be on alert because the devastation on the western side pushes the animals east. I pray that New Mommy returns & that you get closure.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I am so very, very sorry. Not knowing is the hardest thing of all.

 

[Kflowers]

I'm sorry for them, for you, for all the animals there. I'm sending prayers and peaceful energy to them and to you.

 

[solomonar]

A friend of my daughter brought home a kitty, few months ago. Her family loves the cat very much. I imagine the former owner or human caring the kitty (if there was one, I do not know) worried about the kitty.

But the kitty is more than fine now :-).

So, suppositions are ... suppositions. "To assume" does not mean "to know". It simply means "I do not know".

Well, we are not supposed to know everything on this world.

+++

Turning to the biology: territory is about resources, namely about shelter, water, food. Cats roam to get better resources. It is the way this species expand its territory even to cold areas for which they are not adapted in reality.

Scarcity of resources triggers exploratory behavior and , well, cats travel faraway. Do they find better places? Maybe. Do they die during the travel? Maybe. Do they come back" Maybe.

But remember that chances to get better places are higher than chances to get down during exploratory travel. Otherwise there would be no cats on Earth. Mathematics beats all :-)).

+++

Sometimes I feel so inferior to other Creatures, as human :-((.

 

[alphakitty]

I am so sorry that your cats are missing. I well remember New Mommy's story. It is gut-wrenching to think that your time together might be over so soon, much too soon.
With so much habitat loss (these recent super-fires literally STERILIZE the forest floors, killing even the soil bacteria and the life inside seeds that require normal fire-heating to sprout), the predators are a very real threat. In April, 2017, a cougar killed 9 of my ferals in my yard & I had to do a face-off with it for 4 times - it was determined, bold and unafraid of the normal deterrents (spotlight, multiple humans, banging pans).I made a huge "face" on an aluminum disc sled and it would leave when shown that (I used the idea based on the masks that ag workers in India wear). I now have floodlights for the yard but try to be on alert because the devastation on the western side pushes the animals east. I pray that New Mommy returns & that you get closure.

Thanks to all re; New-Mommy.
<sigh>

Well...I've got news, but I'll post that elsewhere...

I now, regulary, anytime I leave the house, I carry mace...with me at all times. Mainly for personal self-defense. I have found that mace works very well with anything that eyes!! I have used mace several times with non-Human threats and mace provides an excellent shield for that as well.

One time, (folks claim coyotes do not predate Humans!), a dozen or so coyotes cornered me in my backyard, had it not been so terrifying, I would have been interesting to watch, as they were working collectively as a 'team' to corral me into a defenseless position for the take-down, but the mace I squirt-gunned into their faces changed their minds!!

I hear that mace works equally well with angry bears, one just requires a larger volume of the chemical...to be safe.

So, in your case, perhaps you might consider carrying bear-mace, and squirt some of that into the cougar's schnoze!! That'll give'm something to think about.

Best Wishes...Alpha Kitty

 

[vyger]

I am so sorry that your cats are missing. I well remember New Mommy's story. It is gut-wrenching to think that your time together might be over so soon, much too soon.
With so much habitat loss (these recent super-fires literally STERILIZE the forest floors, killing even the soil bacteria and the life inside seeds that require normal fire-heating to sprout), the predators are a very real threat. In April, 2017, a cougar killed 9 of my ferals in my yard & I had to do a face-off with it for 4 times - it was determined, bold and unafraid of the normal deterrents (spotlight, multiple humans, banging pans).I made a huge "face" on an aluminum disc sled and it would leave when shown that (I used the idea based on the masks that ag workers in India wear). I now have floodlights for the yard but try to be on alert because the devastation on the western side pushes the animals east. I pray that New Mommy returns & that you get closure.

They have been doing new studies in Yellowstone since the return of the wolves and have found that the coyote populations have been reduced. Apparently the wolves take them down when they run across them. So they do have a natural predator but no one is likely to advocate returning wolves to control them. Montana has seen a big rise in cougar populations and in fact there have been several attacks on people. Their population used to be kept under control by hunting. When they cause livestock damage, especially to sheep, they are hunted down. But the authorities cut down on the methods that could be used to hunt them, such as with trained hunting dogs, and as a result the population has increased a lot. I have had a few smaller cats disappear without a trace and I think they got grabbed from above. Big hawks would look on a small cat as fair game. So that is a possibility also.

 

[vyger]

Thanks to all re; New-Mommy.
<sigh>

Well...I've got news, but I'll post that elsewhere...

I now, regulary, anytime I leave the house, I carry mace...with me at all times. Mainly for personal self-defense. I have found that mace works very well with anything that eyes!! I have used mace several times with non-Human threats and mace provides an excellent shield for that as well.

One time, (folks claim coyotes do not predate Humans!), a dozen or so coyotes cornered me in my backyard, had it not been so terrifying, I would have been interesting to watch, as they were working collectively as a 'team' to corral me into a defenseless position for the take-down, but the mace I squirt-gunned into their faces changed their minds!!

I hear that mace works equally well with angry bears, one just requires a larger volume of the chemical...to be safe.

So, in your case, perhaps you might consider carrying bear-mace, and squirt some of that into the cougar's schnoze!! That'll give'm something to think about.

Best Wishes...Alpha Kitty

Make sure to contact your fish and game department and inform them of your encounters with predatory wildlife. If a lot of people report problems they should send an game warden to investigate and recommend action to control the problems. It's part of their responsibility.

 

[alphakitty]

They have been doing new studies in Yellowstone since the return of the wolves and have found that the coyote populations have been reduced. Apparently the wolves take them down when they run across them. So they do have a natural predator but no one is likely to advocate returning wolves to control them. Montana has seen a big rise in cougar populations and in fact there have been several attacks on people. Their population used to be kept under control by hunting. When they cause livestock damage, especially to sheep, they are hunted down. But the authorities cut down on the methods that could be used to hunt them, such as with trained hunting dogs, and as a result the population has increased a lot. I have had a few smaller cats disappear without a trace and I think they got grabbed from above. Big hawks would look on a small cat as fair game. So that is a possibility also.

Here in California, last Friday, on the front page of the SFV "Daily-News" paper was an article describing the number of folks pets that are disappearing, with the main culprit (having been visually observed taking their pets), are coyotes.

I am not disagreeing with your comment or necessarily the government 'authorities', however, myself having some experience with government/political authorities...well ya just can't alway trust'm on what they say?! I can give some examples of where the authorities, at best were making mistakes while very likely were just outright lying?! The reasons are often politically driven while remaining publically 'transparent'!

Re; coyotes. I am currently missing 5 kitties who all dissapeared during the three months I was in the hospital. One of those little characters who recently dissappeared, joyously, via the Lord's grace, (an authentic Christmas gift) has returned : ))

But the others? One is much better than none <sigh>

One evening, around 9pm and it was really dark. I was out in our somewhat large side yard, I was cornered between our huge ash tree and the back door of the house, by a pack of around 6 or 7 coyotes. Authorities have told me that coyotes only predate small animals. The experience would have been fascinating to observe if it had not been so personally terrifying, as the coyotes were working collectively together corraling me into some convenient position for the take-down!! Me.

So, while I have actually seen an owl take a small cat years ago and another time some unkown (to me) large, brown colored bird, swooped down taking a (a small cute, friendly furry dog) Pomeranian out of a friend's yard durring a daylight barbeque!! It happens, but coyotes will also take Humans, in my personal opinion and I'm 6ft-one, 210Lbs. I've had always wondered about that? Given the right circumstances coyotes will take down Humans in my opinion, irregardless what the authorities promote.

Those dogs were working to take me down. I called the police, their reply, "what do you want us to do about it? Call animal control!", only little problem with that, is that AC answer their phones between 9am to 5pm!
So I carry mace with me when ever I go outside now...and anywhere else, its no longer safe in our neighborhood. Lots of illegal for

In the mean time, lots of folks out there grieving this winter.

Watch your kitties, bring'm in early. I let them out in the morning around 8ish, I keep the kitty door open, I pick up the goodies around eleven am, and then around 1pm, I close the kitty door, (reverse kitty psychology), and I watch for them, letting them in one by one. I never allow them to be out past 7pm. Predation seems normally to occur later in the night. If one of them is out, I worry. I want that little kitty inside!!

Best Wishes...Alpha Kitty

 

[di and bob]

Any animal can be emboldened by being with others. I have seen pet dogs get together in a pack and take down a neighbors Saint Bernard when they were being starved because the idiot that owned them couldn't afford to feed them. Starvation will drive any animal to attack what it does not normally attack. Acting afraid and putting out those kind of vibes brings on attacks too, that is why shouting, raising your arms and advancing towards an animal a few steps will usually confuse it and drive it off. Mace is a VERY good idea! here in Nebraska if we are outside city limits we are allowed to shoot a dangerous animal on our property. In the city I have trapped a few dogs that have charged me when I tried to chase them away from my cats by closing them in my fenced yard, and then calling the police. They take them to our shelter. We have a strict ordinance against loose dogs.
I have never seen a hawk take on a cat, kittens yes. Horned owls can be dangerous at night, I lost two kittens in one night. Eagles are big enough, but we have plenty of hawks/eagles around here and i have never seen one take a cat, or had a cat disappear after seeing one.

 

[catsknowme]

alphakitty : Back in the 90s, I was stalked in the wee hours by 2 large mountain coyotes (they are much larger than the Owens Valley desert coyotes - many people mistake them for wolves) after my restaurant shift. They were circling me and approached from opposite directions. I had foolishly locked my truck and the employee lot was across the street from the restaurant/bar, surrounded by 15+ft snowbanks. I was whipping them with the lunge whip that I kept on the back and they would just snap at the lash. I also had large granite rocks in back (to hold down tarps) and I was able to nail one coyote and it ran back enough so I could unlock my door and jump in my car. Some of my co-workers doubted my story but many locals have known incidents of coyote aggression. Last fall, in the afternoon, a coyote in NW Reno grabbed a shih-tzu from its owner's arms and ran off with it, even though 2 men came running to help. A couple of months ago, my friend in Sparks chased 2 coyotes from his neighbor's front yard - at LUNCHTIME! These city coyotes are definitely opportunistic and seem to realize when most of the healthy human adults are not at home. They also easily scale walls so any cat outside alone is at risk.
This wikipedia article has a summary of reported CA coyote attacks but there are many more incidents involving pets that are not recorded. Coyote attack - Wikipedia