Seeking help weighing decision to bring feral cat(s) inside

[ChirpySquirrel]

Hi tarasgirl06 , I believe you're correct and Tiny Tuck must have been evicted. Maybe by a male. Maybe even Stormy, the mom, who never seemed to want him around although tolerated him. He has such a playful disposition and always wanted to play with Lippy and Milly- they would spend time together a lot being playful and acting like kittens back in late summer and fall. Ah, those were happier times.

Other than their tree pile being completely removed, I'm not sure how much further the construction can really ratchet up at this point in some way that will have them flee willingly. Here are a couple of pics of the activity down there just for reference. One was a couple of weeks ago. One is from today.

I will be trying to trap Tiny Tuck soon. Since he's using the shed, it may be a little easier. I've had a trap out there and he does go in to get to the food I leave. I'm really just not sure if I should try to bring him inside after his surgery. He has such a free spirit. I see him roaming and hunting daily out in the fields. He might be small, but he's quick and he is super good/successful at catching mice. I am mortified of the thought that he will be confined in a small space and will be super unhappy. He could adjust right? Quick question though- how do you live with the feeling that you're torturing the poor little creature while he/she is trying to adjust?

 

[tarasgirl06]

Hi tarasgirl06 , I believe you're correct and Tiny Tuck must have been evicted. Maybe by a male. Maybe even Stormy, the mom, who never seemed to want him around although tolerated him. He has such a playful disposition and always wanted to play with Lippy and Milly- they would spend time together a lot being playful and acting like kittens back in late summer and fall. Ah, those were happier times.

Other than their tree pile being completely removed, I'm not sure how much further the construction can really ratchet up at this point in some way that will have them flee willingly. Here are a couple of pics of the activity down there just for reference. One was a couple of weeks ago. One is from today.

I will be trying to trap Tiny Tuck soon. Since he's using the shed, it may be a little easier. I've had a trap out there and he does go in to get to the food I leave. I'm really just not sure if I should try to bring him inside after his surgery. He has such a free spirit. I see him roaming and hunting daily out in the fields. He might be small, but he's quick and he is super good/successful at catching mice. I am mortified of the thought that he will be confined in a small space and will be super unhappy. He could adjust right? Quick question though- how do you live with the feeling that you're torturing the poor little creature while he/she is trying to adjust?

How do I live? With all of the knowledge I have about what a dangerous place outdoors is for cats. I have no guilt whatsoever about keeping cats indoors. I have lost three beloved cats to canids before I was able to bring them indoors. Another disappeared. I will NEVER condone keeping cats outdoors. As long as cats have plenty of "enrichment" i.e. toys, good food, clean water, scratching and climbing surfaces, windows they can access, and most importantly, love and attention, they have good lives. We don't live in an anywhere near perfect world or an anywhere near natural world. All of us make compromises. It's a question of which are the better ones or, in the case of cats, which are the ones giving them the greater chance of survival, comfort, and living their normal lifespans in safety.

Is that their tree pile? When removal begins, they will absolutely seek safe haven and shelter elsewhere. And they know where they can find it.

 

[ChirpySquirrel]

Yes, that's their tree pile just to the left of the backhoes and construction equipment.

My hope and goal is actually to have the tree pile kitties trapped and in my home safe and sound before the tree pile gets removed. With what I've seen, I'm very worried they feel that whatever happens, the tree pile is safe and will be too stubborn to leave even when the construction crew starts removing or bulldozing the trees/branches.

Sorry, I think I phrased my question wrong. I totally agree with everything you said about bringing them inside with the thought that they will adjust and get to the point where they can live happy lives rather than being in constant fear and stress. It's getting them to that point that I'm worried about, of course. I have been meaning to consult with those of you who have done this about what your step-by-step process is. I've read articles and insight here and there but I still can't even figure out how I'm going to clean their litter boxes without sending them into a sheer panic. I dread the thought of having to do that to them time and time again while they are adjusting. Let me be clear though- every single morning, day and night, I dread the thought of all the dangers of them being outside way more, especially when it comes time for their tree pile to be removed.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Yes, that's their tree pile just to the left of the backhoes and construction equipment.

My hope and goal is actually to have the tree pile kitties trapped and in my home safe and sound before the tree pile gets removed. With what I've seen, I'm very worried they feel that whatever happens, the tree pile is safe and will be too stubborn to leave even when the construction crew starts removing or bulldozing the trees/branches.

Sorry, I think I phrased my question wrong. I totally agree with everything you said about bringing them inside with the thought that they will adjust and get to the point where they can live happy lives rather than being in constant fear and stress. It's getting them to that point that I'm worried about, of course. I have been meaning to consult with those of you who have done this about what your step-by-step process is. I've read articles and insight here and there but I still can't even figure out how I'm going to clean their litter boxes without sending them into a sheer panic. I dread the thought of having to do that to them time and time again while they are adjusting. Let me be clear though- every single morning, day and night, I dread the thought of all the dangers of them being outside way more, especially when it comes time for their tree pile to be removed.

You may be worrying needlessly. Cats are very resilient and though they do tend to love pattern and routine, these cats have been living outdoors, where they must constantly be in a state of high alert. Just the fact of being indoors, more comfortable, with regular food and water, will work wonders in time. There isn't a lot you can do about their adapting. But adapt they almost certainly will.
Question: is there any way you could move that tree pile into your own property? Just a thought that that might be a way of gradually bringing them closer and safer.

 

[Jcatbird]

I think you will find that they love litter box cleaning. These usually go in it almost immediately. As though to place their scent , thus claiming it as theirs. Lol I brought in soooo many of all ages. The feta subsides. Cats are so very smart. They recognize that having food, shelter, warmth and NOT having fear of many dozens of things outside makes life for them better. Think about this, each day is a struggle for food, shelter, survival from the weather, predators, humans, cars, illness.... the list goes on. That is a big world out there. Cats love a safe and cozy place to live, whether it is a shed, a woodpile or a house. As soon as you see them learn that inside is great, all your worries will fade. I have never regretted bringing in any of these cats. I would not change a thing about that. I only wish I could have done it faster.

 

[Avery]

Yes, MUCH better to have cats living safely indoors! I'm glad that is your goal. However, as tarasgirl06 asked, could the tree pile be moved to your property, especially if those cats haven't been trapped by April? I'm seeing photos with some nice, big construction machines, and it sounds like the crew has been understanding and kind about the cats. I'll bet they would be willing to move the trees into your yard rather than take them away. You would stand watch to be sure all cats have evacuated during the move! The trees would be jumbled up a bit differently, but perhaps enough nooks and crannies would exist for the cats to find hiding spots. Of course, once the cats are trapped you would have to deal with a whole bunch of trees, but would this be a decent Plan B?

 

[ChirpySquirrel]

I honestly don't see any way I would be able to relocate the tree pile to my yard. Not sure if it's clear in the pictures, but it's a huge pile of large trees and branches probably something like 45 feet long by 20 feet wide by 10 feet high (at the highest) all intertwined and mashed together. The backhoe next to the pile is massive, so you can use it as a reference to sort of gauge the size. It would definitely require a huge effort to relocate the pile and I highly doubt the construction crew would be willing to take on that responsibility. I'm sure there are all sorts of legal implications and reasons they would not consider doing something like that. My backyard is not very big. The whole pile would basically take up my entire backyard and in the process, they could easily cause a bunch of damage to my property as well as to my neighbors property. If we were to move only part of the pile, I'm sure the kitties would not relocate themselves to my property. I think I will need to just focus on trapping them by any means necessary.

I'm considering converting my porch where they eat into a large trap with a trap door I can trigger remotely. I've already got that mostly built out. The huge upside is that I get to target the specific cats I want to and I know they will go in because that's where they eat every night already. I would have regular traps set up at the only exit spot(s) so hopefully they would go right in the trap trying to find a way to get out from under the porch. Of course, my big concern there is that if they don't immediately try to exit into the regular traps, then what do I do? There's not really a plan b that I can think of in that case. Any thoughts?

I will certainly be ramping up my regular trapping efforts soon. It looks like it will start warming up a bit next week so at that point I'll feel a little better about withholding food for a day or only putting food in the trap(s). Based on what has happened and what I've observed to this point, I just keep worrying that I'll be trapping other kitties that are not the priority right now and won't be able to get the tree pile kitties in time. It just takes up a lot of time and vet appointments. As an example, earlier today I went out to refresh the food in the trap I have in my shed. I went in and put the food in the trap and then peaked into one of the shelters. I thought I could see something dark and furry inside. Sure enough, I crouched down to get a better look and a little kitty exited the other side and quickly scurried out of the shed. I felt kind of bad to have disturbed him since it's freezing outside and he was snuggled up on a warm heated bed. I have been seeing this kitty around only very recently. I call him bizarro Tuck because he looks almost identical to Tiny Tuck with basically only one difference- this kitty has a white strip running basically the length of his face- so I know he's not actually Tiny Tuck.

Then there's the thing where some are turning out to be friendly like MooMoo and Chance...this means I face the decision to either release them or take on trying to find them homes, which is very time consuming in and of itself. I'm nearly 100% certain that MooMoo and Chance did not have owners but some of the other cats I see coming around could be owned by someone who just lets them roam freely. There are two that actually seem to like going into the traps (doors zip tied open) and do so fairly regularly when I put food in them, whereas the kitties I need to trap pretty much ignore/avoid the traps. Setting the traps will likely result in trapping those other cats first...then I still have to get them to the vet and have them fixed if they aren't already. At this point, I'm not sure I can spend a bunch of time trapping, fixing and trying to rehome friendly cats that may or may not already have a home.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I honestly don't see any way I would be able to relocate the tree pile to my yard. Not sure if it's clear in the pictures, but it's a huge pile of large trees and branches probably something like 45 feet long by 20 feet wide by 10 feet high (at the highest) all intertwined and mashed together. The backhoe next to the pile is massive, so you can use it as a reference to sort of gauge the size. It would definitely require a huge effort to relocate the pile and I highly doubt the construction crew would be willing to take on that responsibility. I'm sure there are all sorts of legal implications and reasons they would not consider doing something like that. My backyard is not very big. The whole pile would basically take up my entire backyard and in the process, they could easily cause a bunch of damage to my property as well as to my neighbors property. If we were to move only part of the pile, I'm sure the kitties would not relocate themselves to my property. I think I will need to just focus on trapping them by any means necessary.

I'm considering converting my porch where they eat into a large trap with a trap door I can trigger remotely. I've already got that mostly built out. The huge upside is that I get to target the specific cats I want to and I know they will go in because that's where they eat every night already. I would have regular traps set up at the only exit spot(s) so hopefully they would go right in the trap trying to find a way to get out from under the porch. Of course, my big concern there is that if they don't immediately try to exit into the regular traps, then what do I do? There's not really a plan b that I can think of in that case. Any thoughts?

I will certainly be ramping up my regular trapping efforts soon. It looks like it will start warming up a bit next week so at that point I'll feel a little better about withholding food for a day or only putting food in the trap(s). Based on what has happened and what I've observed to this point, I just keep worrying that I'll be trapping other kitties that are not the priority right now and won't be able to get the tree pile kitties in time. It just takes up a lot of time and vet appointments. As an example, earlier today I went out to refresh the food in the trap I have in my shed. I went in and put the food in the trap and then peaked into one of the shelters. I thought I could see something dark and furry inside. Sure enough, I crouched down to get a better look and a little kitty exited the other side and quickly scurried out of the shed. I felt kind of bad to have disturbed him since it's freezing outside and he was snuggled up on a warm heated bed. I have been seeing this kitty around only very recently. I call him bizarro Tuck because he looks almost identical to Tiny Tuck with basically only one difference- this kitty has a white strip running basically the length of his face- so I know he's not actually Tiny Tuck.

Then there's the thing where some are turning out to be friendly like MooMoo and Chance...this means I face the decision to either release them or take on trying to find them homes, which is very time consuming in and of itself. I'm nearly 100% certain that MooMoo and Chance did not have owners but some of the other cats I see coming around could be owned by someone who just lets them roam freely. There are two that actually seem to like going into the traps (doors zip tied open) and do so fairly regularly when I put food in them, whereas the kitties I need to trap pretty much ignore/avoid the traps. Setting the traps will likely result in trapping those other cats first...then I still have to get them to the vet and have them fixed if they aren't already. At this point, I'm not sure I can spend a bunch of time trapping, fixing and trying to rehome friendly cats that may or may not already have a home.

You can only do what you can do. Every bit you can do will be helpful and life-saving.

 

[Jcatbird]

I know it seems daunting but one cat at a time. If you prevent pregnancies, it gets easier. I danced a time crunch too and wonders all the same things you mention. I just got as many as I could and it became almost assembly line procedure in time. I have been hearing that adoptions by a younger generation are going up. I checked with my neighbors and got photos of local “pets” so that I did not adopt out any resident cats. I also put up “Found Cat” signs when I got a tame kitty. I publicized that and spread word far and wide via local paper, vets, shelters, etc. Of all the cats that turned up here, I did reunite two “lost” cats with their families too! You just take it one day at a time. I brought in kitties and separated males from females to prevent pregnancies before spays and neuters. The ones that were social went for adoption, the ones that were feral, I worked to socialize and the majority did get adopted. I had to do it as I could. We kind of learn as we go. You are on TCS and that really helps! You get support, tips and lots of knowledge! Drop traps can be a great help. If you can spend time letting the cats get to see you or even know you, they get less nervous. Disguising traps helps. Having traps in a shelter also helps. I can tell you that when I got the last cat in the colony I was so relieved! When o started I kept thinking, “ How will I ever get this done?!?!?” Answer... One cat at a time.

 

[ChirpySquirrel]

Ok so...last night I trapped Tiny Tuck. I transferred him to a fairly large dog crate in one of my bedrooms with a litter box, food/water, and a little cat tree. I wonder how you all had things set up for the feral kitties you've brought in. Especially when you're bringing in multiple kitties. Other than separating males from females, did you just put them all in a room together? In crates? Lots of litter boxes everywhere? Did they always eat/drink and use the litter box? Tiny Tuck will be in the crate until his surgery on Thursday. Then I have a "cattery" with some vertical space set up for him but I just feel like even that is small and confining. Since last night he has not moved from the corner of the crate. He's definitely in shut down mode. I'm not sure how long that will last. Any advice on things I might do to help him would be appreciated. It does break my heart to see him like this when I know him to be so playful, fun-loving and energetic when he's out and about. I know, I know- once he adjusts, it will be the good life for him. But this is the hard part, especially for him. It's weird...as I typically do, I found myself looking out into the fields from my bedroom window this morning to see if I could spot him and then quickly realizing- oh wait, he's in my house. On a sunny day like today, he would often be out roaming around once the sun comes out and starts melting the frost and warming things up a bit. He seems to be the only one of the group that had the common sense to get the heck away from the construction zone and tree pile during the day.

Another note to mention, which I'm sorry to say isn't very positive. The other night, I noticed that one of the kitties (Tiny Tuck's look-alike) now has a severe limp. One of his hind legs appears to be in bad shape. On Saturday night, I observed that he slept in my shed in one of the shelters. He was still in there in the morning. Very unusual. I mean, I don't believe I've ever seen a kitty staying in the shed past sun up. I decided I needed to try and trap him in the shed and get him to the vet as soon as possible. I got a hold of the volunteer who has been helping me and she was in the area so she came over to assist. We determined that we should hurry out to the shed and try to block off both exits. At least then he would be able to go anywhere are we could figure out how to get him in a trap or carrier from there. So we went out there with some boards and cinder blocks to block off the exits. I thought we had things secured so I relaxed and stepped back in the garage to decide what we would do next. I checked the camera I have in the shed on my phone to see if he was still in the shelter or if he was out looking for a way to escape the shed. Well, I watched in dismay as he climbed through, up, and out of a tiny little gap between the board I had braced up against the exit and the inner shed wall. Somehow, even though the thought had occurred to me when I was trying to mentally prepare that I needed to account for that gap, I guess my brain switched off in the rush and heat of the moment. I had checked and rechecked that the cinder blocks were bracing the board securely but just completely failed to remember the gap when it really mattered. The kitty obviously was able to still see some daylight and found his way out. I was devastated...and still am...knowing the little guy needs medical attention and I may not get that same chance again. It should have been so simple. Everything had lined up for a successful outcome yet I managed to blow it. I did see him last night on camera getting some food and hoping around on 3 legs. I got a better view of his leg too. I'm not a doctor but sadly it looks to me like it could be very broken. I'm now even more worried that it could be a pretty dire situation for him. He did not go back in the shed unfortunately.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Ok so...last night I trapped Tiny Tuck. I transferred him to a fairly large dog crate in one of my bedrooms with a litter box, food/water, and a little cat tree. I wonder how you all had things set up for the feral kitties you've brought in. Especially when you're bringing in multiple kitties. Other than separating males from females, did you just put them all in a room together? In crates? Lots of litter boxes everywhere? Did they always eat/drink and use the litter box? Tiny Tuck will be in the crate until his surgery on Thursday. Then I have a "cattery" with some vertical space set up for him but I just feel like even that is small and confining. Since last night he has not moved from the corner of the crate. He's definitely in shut down mode. I'm not sure how long that will last. Any advice on things I might do to help him would be appreciated. It does break my heart to see him like this when I know him to be so playful, fun-loving and energetic when he's out and about. I know, I know- once he adjusts, it will be the good life for him. But this is the hard part, especially for him. It's weird...as I typically do, I found myself looking out into the fields from my bedroom window this morning to see if I could spot him and then quickly realizing- oh wait, he's in my house. On a sunny day like today, he would often be out roaming around once the sun comes out and starts melting the frost and warming things up a bit. He seems to be the only one of the group that had the common sense to get the heck away from the construction zone and tree pile during the day.

Another note to mention, which I'm sorry to say isn't very positive. The other night, I noticed that one of the kitties (Tiny Tuck's look-alike) now has a severe limp. One of his hind legs appears to be in bad shape. On Saturday night, I observed that he slept in my shed in one of the shelters. He was still in there in the morning. Very unusual. I mean, I don't believe I've ever seen a kitty staying in the shed past sun up. I decided I needed to try and trap him in the shed and get him to the vet as soon as possible. I got a hold of the volunteer who has been helping me and she was in the area so she came over to assist. We determined that we should hurry out to the shed and try to block off both exits. At least then he would be able to go anywhere are we could figure out how to get him in a trap or carrier from there. So we went out there with some boards and cinder blocks to block off the exits. I thought we had things secured so I relaxed and stepped back in the garage to decide what we would do next. I checked the camera I have in the shed on my phone to see if he was still in the shelter or if he was out looking for a way to escape the shed. Well, I watched in dismay as he climbed through, up, and out of a tiny little gap between the board I had braced up against the exit and the inner shed wall. Somehow, even though the thought had occurred to me when I was trying to mentally prepare that I needed to account for that gap, I guess my brain switched off in the rush and heat of the moment. I had checked and rechecked that the cinder blocks were bracing the board securely but just completely failed to remember the gap when it really mattered. The kitty obviously was able to still see some daylight and found his way out. I was devastated...and still am...knowing the little guy needs medical attention and I may not get that same chance again. It should have been so simple. Everything had lined up for a successful outcome yet I managed to blow it. I did see him last night on camera getting some food and hoping around on 3 legs. I got a better view of his leg too. I'm not a doctor but sadly it looks to me like it could be very broken. I'm now even more worried that it could be a pretty dire situation for him. He did not go back in the shed unfortunately.

Do not lose hope or give up. If he was ambulatory enough to escape, he's also ambulatory enough to return and if he is injured, food and water will be high value targets he will likely try to return to.

 

[fionasmom]

As for the injured kitty, I am not going to hijack your thread, but I am going through the same thing with a long time adult male feral. He has an injured back leg. My back yard area can be completely secured so that a cat would have to make a big jump or climb to get out, but he did. Several times. He is still at large. A partially injured cat can escape despite your best efforts, so don't invest energy in beating yourself up for this. My husband and I made a meticulous search of our entire property to see where Spock was escaping from and we never figured it out. It was some kind of sheer will to get out. As tarasgirl06 said, Spock is ambulatory enough to come back for food, so I am putting antibiotics in his food in the hopes that this is an infection. Your kitten will be back for food.

Most ferals and semi ferals will shut down when first brought into a home. It is upsetting to watch and they are great "senders" of their frustrated and unhappy energy, so just hold the line.

 

[ChirpySquirrel]

So, at what point should I start to become concerned for Tiny Tuck? He's been wedged in the corner of the crate and has not moved now going on 17 hours.

I have no doubt the kitty with the injured leg will come back for food. It's just that he's one who has never shown any interest in going in a trap so I may not be able to trap him. Even when he has spent nights in the shed, he seems to avoid the trap in there that I keep stocked with food with the doors wired open. I really hope he'll go back in the shed for a night and I can get him, this time making absolutely certain he can't escape.

 

[tarasgirl06]

So, at what point should I start to become concerned for Tiny Tuck? He's been wedged in the corner of the crate and has not moved now going on 17 hours.

I have no doubt the kitty with the injured leg will come back for food. It's just that he's one who has never shown any interest in going in a trap so I may not be able to trap him. Even when he has spent nights in the shed, he seems to avoid the trap in there that I keep stocked with food with the doors wired open. I really hope he'll go back in the shed for a night and I can get him, this time making absolutely certain he can't escape.

As long as Tiny Tuck has access to food and water and is safe, he is all right. He is probably traumatized and does not know what his strategy should be. Eventually, he will figure out that it needs to include water and food.
Our one absolutely feral girl was so determined to escape our cat-fenced barn compound that we were afraid she might do herself in, so after talking with some feral experts, my ex drove her back down to our former neighborhood, where she was born and lived in a woodpile on our land. There were at least 2 feeders besides us, so since she was spayed and had had her baseline innocs, it was really our only alternative at the time.
But I adopted a cat up there whose status I'll never know. She escaped the barn compound several times but did not go far, staying on our land (we had a hectare=2.5 acres). When I was able, I brought her inside. She left us in 2016 and is dearly missed.

Our beloved angel Maryam in the Mojave.

 

[ChirpySquirrel]

Maryam in the Mojave- what a lovely name and a beautiful kitty. Thanks for sharing and for your comments as usual. Thanks to you fionasmom as well. I'm happy to report that since my last post, Tiny Tuck has been eating, drinking, and successfully using the litter box. Yay! He seems to be doing well but still wants to spend a most of the time wedged in the corner of the crate despite having softer places to lay and a small cat tree with a kitty cave and cushy upstairs perch.

In other news, last night was very eventful. I feel like it was a miracle but I was able to successfully trap the kitty with the injured/broken leg!! I couldn't believe it because I had been so down after thinking I had completely ruined my chance with the shed debacle. A day later and now I am able to get him some help. He's definitely a fighter. Despite the injury, he completely destroyed the cardboard, newspapers, potty pad, paper food dish, etc. trying to get out of the trap. I didn't sleep much last night thinking about how he was struggling and probably doing more harm to himself confined in the trap and probably not able to rest or stretch out his injured leg. By morning he was looking pretty sad when I rolled back the sheet to check on him. He was just looking up at me with wide eyes almost in a plea for help. I wondered if that was an indication that he isn't as feral as I thought. We'll find out soon. I was able to get him to the vet earlier this morning so they'll will sedate him and examine/x-ray his leg. While he's out, the vet said he can be neutered. So now I wait to find out what the situation is with his leg. The vet seemed optimistic but I can't help but to think if it's broken, he'll need time to heal before he can go back out on his own. I'm not sure how that will work out.

Prior to trapping the injured kitty, I trapped another "regular" (meaning he's one that comes for food pretty much every night). I have never seen him out in the fields and always comes from the side of my house facing the street. Turns out he is another "friendly"...or at least comfortable with human contact. So I put him in the enclosure in my garage that I used for the last 2 "friendly" kitties, MooMoo and Chance. I've always wondered if he has a home or is just living on the streets. Not sure if the fact that he comes every night necessarily means he doesn't have any other food source. Maybe he just likes the food I put out but he eats both the dry food and the wet food so he's certainly not picky/choosy. He looks a bit rough so I'm my guess is that he doesn't have an indoor situation anywhere. He avoids contact with all other cats and when he comes, he eats quickly and leaves to seemingly return to wherever he came from. When I got him in the enclosure, he looked around a for a moment and then went straight in the little kitty house and curled up in the soft kitty bed I put in there. It's like he just said, welp, this is my house now so I'm gonna get some sleep. I haven't had a chance to spend any quality time with him out there yet but I'll get him to the vet and have him checked for a microchip and see if he's neutered. To me, his behavior would indicate that he is neutered but then again, I constantly find myself making incorrect assumptions about these kitties.

Another quick note- I was so close to also trapping Milly and Lippy last night. It was quite a rollercoaster watching them both (at different times) go almost all the way in a trap to the point where only one or two more steps would have triggered it, only to see them back out. Each time going from the hopeful high that this was finally it and I'd be able to get them inside safe and sound and away from that darn tree pile...to the gut punch of watching them back out of the trap and leaving was pretty brutal. If not for being able to trap the injured kitty, I'm sure I'd be feeling quite down in the dumps. At least the weather is now warmer so I'll put the traps back out tonight. I never expected Milly to go in a trap at all so I was really encourage to see her at least partially enter one. However, after she had backed out of the one she bumped the other trap (I had two side by side) and caused the door to fall which spooked her terribly causing her to bolt out of there as fast as she could run. Previously I had never seen her even entertain the thought of going in a trap. I now worry that she will be even more cautious and suspicious of the traps.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Maryam in the Mojave- what a lovely name and a beautiful kitty. Thanks for sharing and for your comments as usual. Thanks to you fionasmom as well. I'm happy to report that since my last post, Tiny Tuck has been eating, drinking, and successfully using the litter box. Yay! He seems to be doing well but still wants to spend a most of the time wedged in the corner of the crate despite having softer places to lay and a small cat tree with a kitty cave and cushy upstairs perch.

In other news, last night was very eventful. I feel like it was a miracle but I was able to successfully trap the kitty with the injured/broken leg!! I couldn't believe it because I had been so down after thinking I had completely ruined my chance with the shed debacle. A day later and now I am able to get him some help. He's definitely a fighter. Despite the injury, he completely destroyed the cardboard, newspapers, potty pad, paper food dish, etc. trying to get out of the trap. I didn't sleep much last night thinking about how he was struggling and probably doing more harm to himself confined in the trap and probably not able to rest or stretch out his injured leg. By morning he was looking pretty sad when I rolled back the sheet to check on him. He was just looking up at me with wide eyes almost in a plea for help. I wondered if that was an indication that he isn't as feral as I thought. We'll find out soon. I was able to get him to the vet earlier this morning so they'll will sedate him and examine/x-ray his leg. While he's out, the vet said he can be neutered. So now I wait to find out what the situation is with his leg. The vet seemed optimistic but I can't help but to think if it's broken, he'll need time to heal before he can go back out on his own. I'm not sure how that will work out.

Prior to trapping the injured kitty, I trapped another "regular" (meaning he's one that comes for food pretty much every night). I have never seen him out in the fields and always comes from the side of my house facing the street. Turns out he is another "friendly"...or at least comfortable with human contact. So I put him in the enclosure in my garage that I used for the last 2 "friendly" kitties, MooMoo and Chance. I've always wondered if he has a home or is just living on the streets. Not sure if the fact that he comes every night necessarily means he doesn't have any other food source. Maybe he just likes the food I put out but he eats both the dry food and the wet food so he's certainly not picky/choosy. He looks a bit rough so I'm my guess is that he doesn't have an indoor situation anywhere. He avoids contact with all other cats and when he comes, he eats quickly and leaves to seemingly return to wherever he came from. When I got him in the enclosure, he looked around a for a moment and then went straight in the little kitty house and curled up in the soft kitty bed I put in there. It's like he just said, welp, this is my house now so I'm gonna get some sleep. I haven't had a chance to spend any quality time with him out there yet but I'll get him to the vet and have him checked for a microchip and see if he's neutered. To me, his behavior would indicate that he is neutered but then again, I constantly find myself making incorrect assumptions about these kitties.

Another quick note- I was so close to also trapping Milly and Lippy last night. It was quite a rollercoaster watching them both (at different times) go almost all the way in a trap to the point where only one or two more steps would have triggered it, only to see them back out. Each time going from the hopeful high that this was finally it and I'd be able to get them inside safe and sound and away from that darn tree pile...to the gut punch of watching them back out of the trap and leaving was pretty brutal. If not for being able to trap the injured kitty, I'm sure I'd be feeling quite down in the dumps. At least the weather is now warmer so I'll put the traps back out tonight. I never expected Milly to go in a trap at all so I was really encourage to see her at least partially enter one. However, after she had backed out of the one she bumped the other trap (I had two side by side) and caused the door to fall which spooked her terribly causing her to bolt out of there as fast as she could run. Previously I had never seen her even entertain the thought of going in a trap. I now worry that she will be even more cautious and suspicious of the traps.

You're doing exemplary work. You are saving precious lives. Keep it up.
Thank you for kind thoughts about our beloved angel Maryam. She is much, much missed and forever loved.

 

[fionasmom]

I am so happy to read about all your progress! This is just wonderful, including Tiny Tuck starting to relax and the other cat who might be friendlier than you think. Not every cat on the streets looking rough is feral; lots have had homes, lost them, or are expendable outdoor pets.

 

[ChirpySquirrel]

The "friendly" kitty in my garage is turning out to be more challenging than I had hoped. MooMoo and Chance both warmed up to me immediately and sought out my attention. This guy has been hiding in the little kitty house the entire time. I've tried to coax him out with food and treats but he turns around and faces the other direction and then just softly meows. I'm thinking you are spot on about either having lost his home or is an expendable outdoor pet. I'm not sure which one upsets and saddens me more.

The good news is that the injured kitty does not have any broken bones. It's a wound with bruising and infection. The vet said the wound is consistent with possibly being caught in a spring/jaw type trap. It's sad to think there could be people around here setting those types of traps for whatever reason. I guess for foxes or coyotes?? I'm not sure. He's getting an antibiotic which will stay in his system two weeks so hopefully the infection will clear up and allow him to heal. He'll be neutered and vaccinated and I'll pick him up in a couple of hours. I'll release him when he's ready- probably tomorrow morning.

 

[fionasmom]

I don't think that a true feral would be as calm as the new kitty and his behavior, even in the little house, would be much more defensive and even threatening to you. He probably is one more cat statistic.

That is good news about the injured kitty. The idea of a trap of that sort is upsetting and the cat was very lucky to have found some help from you.

 

[Avery]

I am so happy to hear all you are accomplishing! You started out kind of uncertain about the possibilities, but you have done such a fantastic job saving these cats. Yes, a few setbacks, but overall the news has been wonderful! Thanks for not giving up on them and for working so hard to help them lead safe and healthy lives.