Little Torti has a home

I feel bad I never got any other pictures of the little torti - but guess what? She all of a sudden had no problem with petting, being picked up, she was playing and just doing great overall. A great family (so I'm told) decided that they wanted her. I heard she's doing great and that the family all loves her. She was such a cutie. I'm very happy that she was able to go to a good home. = )

The other two in this picture are doing not well at all. The little grey one has been nicknamed "Cujo." He is not socialized whatsoever and may not ever be. The LV's daughter will take him to her house when it is warm again and keep him as an outdoor cat. For now, he will stay with the LV's. The other little calico tolerates petting and will eat from your hand/fingers, but she hides all the time - and with Cujo, so I don't think they're sending the right messages to each other.

Personally, I think that if they're not good candidates for adoption, they should be sterilized and returned. They've already been in a home for a month - will that affect them negatively when/if they are returned? And it's not as if it will happen any time soon, so they will probably have been in a home for a good six months when/if they are returned. But the LV's want to give them time, and that's certainly their decision as it's their time and money.

KBs two kitties

These are KB's two kittens. I have taken them to the vet for upper respiratory meds (that shit is expensive), deworming, and testing for FIV and FeLV. I may get their shots, not sure yet if my budget can afford it. I also treated them with Frontline Plus. (Good thing for samples!) I'm really hoping to find them homes soon, because KB's had them for a while, and Mrs. L is not exactly helping.

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Though there's nothing I can do now ('cept find them good homes), it still pisses me off that I was brought into this thinking that Mrs. L had homes already lined up. (She told me this) That KB would be "socializing" them, not "fostering" them. (She said they just need a couple of weeks in a home before being adopted out.) There's a difference. I was also under the impression that she would have them for three weeks, tops. She's had them for over two months now. I did not expect to have to take them to the vet, to have to pay for food, litter, etc for more than a couple of weeks. It doesn't help that Mrs. L is not calling me back, is not helping with trapping, is not giving out the right information, is not helping to pay for any of their vet bills.

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Well, I know now. And I know that I really don't want to be involved right now in rescuing - I want to get animals sterilized - but other people can go ahead and do their rescuing to their hearts' content. I just can't afford it, honestly. I make almost minimum wage - which does not include paying for feral kittens' vet bills. Irritated that I got pulled into this with completely different intentions and expectations, but at least I know better now. Won't be doing this again.

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Oh, but on a good note, I finally have my license! Yay! Fifth time's the charm! = ) Haha.

The Kittens

So, the LV's had eight kittens total. P is in construction and can whip handy things up in seconds, so you should see the cages he's fixed and rigged up to become great housing units for the kittens. I should get some more recent pictures, because these cages have carpeted shelves, hammocks, and are now on wheels. It's wonderful. = )

For the first five, socialization was pretty easy. Petting them and picking them up was able to be done in a few days. All of the kittens went to the vet, were dewormed, tested negative for FIV/FeLV, had Frontline applied, and got their first shots. All behaved pretty well.

The next two, however, were a bit slower to come around. The torti is now doing great, but the little calico does not let herself be picked up. And the last one, that little grey ball of fluff - he's been nicknamed Cujo. Not sure about him. Can't even pet him. Can only touch him with the feather stick. If he doesn't come around in a month, I would definitely vote to have him sterilized and released somewhere safe. (These last three had all the vet goodies as well, but they were not as well-behaved as the first five.) Heard that they screamed bloody murder.

I've put up ads on Craigslist, Mrs. L has put ads in the paper, we've all put up flyers. So far, no takers on KB's two, unfortunately. But one little calico has a wonderful home now, the torti has a home lined up, and the little black and white one may have a home as well. The LV's daughter wants to take the little grey ball if he becomes socialized - if not, she'll either have him as an outdoor cat or we'll release him back behind Wendy's. So we've got four more calicos and the long-haired grey and white boy to find homes for.

And I thought I had found someone who really wanted the grey and white boy today, but it turns out they're the ones who love the little black and white one. Well, at least one of them's got a home, right?

Wendy's Kittens Pt. 2

I have realized that I am not good at story-telling. In fact, I suck at it. I really only do well with "reporting" life. Non-fiction is where my comfort zone lies. So where we at before? Oh, at "no answer."

I had been feeling dismayed, because I always seem to have very few, very limited resources. I knew we'd have to figure something else out if I never got an answer, but in the meantime, the cats needed water and bowls. (They had been drinking out of some flimsy plastic container.) I took some metal bowls from the lost and found at work (They had been there for over a year and a half, so don't be judging me). Unfortunately, the bowls and water bottles did not fit in the bag that I usually carry on my back when I ride my bike. (I had only one bag that could be carried on my back.) So I took a shoulder bag, thinking I would be able to balance it on my shoulder while biking over there. I was wrong. So I put the bag on the handlebar, thinking I would be able to ride with it swinging gently. I was wrong. The bag caught in the wheel, stopped the wheel abruptly, and flipped me over the handlebars.

It was the most adventurous thing I've done recently. However, I think I should take a moment to say "Kids, wear your helmets." Because I was not, and I am very thankful that I did not hurt myself. And that no one ran me over. I now wear my helmet even if I'm going next door. (Well, maybe not... but you know what I mean.)

I made it the rest of the way without event, though I was horribly dismayed to see that I had smushed the bowls up in my crash to the pavement. The water bottles were still intact, thankfully. And I was able to form the bowls back into shape. = )

As I topped the hill, I noticed a large vehicle parked in the area where the cats congregate. "Oh no," I thought, because I have issues with talking to unknown people. But meeting this couple is the best thing to have happened for me, Mrs. L, and the cats. I told them about my desire to spay and neuter everyone and Mrs. L's desire to socialize and find homes for the kittens. And they expressed that they wanted to help, that they're big cat lovers, and want to see the situation resolved as well.

I told them that I needed permission from the land-owners to trap and return the cats. They were all, "Oh she won't care, you'd be doing her a favor." But they understood that Dr. R needed it for legal reasons, so they actually paid her a visit and got her written permission. Can you believe that? Here I am, writing and emailing with no answer - and they know her. Life can provide you with the right resources, I guess. = )

So now that we had permission, Mrs. L asked if we could have some sort of meeting. It was a bit awkward, but KB went with me, so it wasn't as uncomfortable as it could have been. We made a tentative plan to catch the kittens, socialize them, find them homes, etc. I didn't feel we talked about the adults enough, but that's another topic. Mrs. L and I were very happy to have people as wonderful as the LV's on board.

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I forgot to mention that KB offered to take in two of the kittens to socialize them. I asked her to do this under the impression that Mrs. L already had homes for them. Because that is what she told KB and me. Except KB has had the kittens for three weeks now - and no sign of homes. Not only do I feel bad that I got KB into this, but I am the one paying for everything. Food, litter, toys, and now vet bills. I just hope that I can come up with enough money. We're just doing basic worming, meds for upper respiratory infections, and testing the male for FIV/FeLV. But still, at just above minimum wage, these things are expensive. But I'll figure it out.

What is a feral cat?

Many people give me weird looks when I try to explain the difference between stray and feral cats. We'll talk about the difference in the next post, but first, let me explain what a "feral" cat is. Exactly.

First, we all know that "feral" means something along the lines of "wild, unsocialized." So a feral cat is basically a cat who is not socialized. I prefer not to use the term "undomesticated" because these cats are our typical "domestic" cats - they just aren't accustomed to living with/near humans.

A feral cat is one who has reverted in some degree to a 'wild" state. S/he may have been a former socialized cat who was then abandoned or lost - and learned to survive with little or no human contact. Or, the cat could be the unsocialized offspring of unsterilized cats (whether they be socialized or feral). Whatever the circumstances, a feral cat desires no contact with humans. We are frightening to them - and it takes them some time to get used to us as caretakers. Most feral cats are not capable of being socialized to a degree in which they are good candidates to become regular pets.

To what degree a cat is feral depends on several factors:
- age: kittens are far more capable of being socialized, especially before twelve weeks old.
- the generation of "feral": kittens born to a formerly/currently socialized mother are more likely to be socialized than those born to a mom who is a couple generations feral.
- the extent of daily human contact: think of a commonly traversed park area where cats get constant human interaction vs. a rural setting where cats are able to live without any human contact.

There is also what is known as a "wild card" factor: the cat's particular personality. This may allow for socialization despite other elements, but these cases are not the norm. There are people who have socialized adult feral cats, but it is not generally recommended as it is not commonly feasible. If should not be necessary that a feral cat become socialized, but we'll talk later about what to do if you ever come across a situation in which certain circumstances require you to relocate/adopt feral cats.

Wendy's Kittens: Part One

Going through the drive-thru at Wendy's one night, my step-mom noticed what appeared to be a "large rat." On closer inspection, it turned out to be a small cat! In fact, there were several kittens and mom-cats hanging out near a large rock.

There used to be a barn on the property the cats are congregating upon, so it's not a leap to wonder if these aren't remnants of those who used to live there. Who had kittens, of course.

I found out that there was someone feeding them in that area, so I went back to the Wendy's a few days later to acquire any information possible. I told the workers that if anyone had any relevant information for me about the caretaker, give me a call, because these cats need to be sterilized to prevent a population boom.

I walked around a little, wondering how I would contact the woman feeding the cats. I ended up calling T, who suggested leaving a note for the woman to find. So I did. (see picture) I got a call a couple of days later, but was too afraid to answer. (I have social issues, I know) The second time she called, I didn't hear it, but fortunately, she left a message. I remember thinking, "That's funny, she sounds like Mrs. L" but didn't ponder any further on it. I called her back the next day, and guess what? It was Mrs. L! I was actually very relieved, because talking to someone you don't know can be a little nerve-racking, especially dealing with crazy cat ladies. We all know that when someone is passionate about a particular topic, s/he tends to think of him/herself as an expert. And when that individual disagrees with your opinions, it can turn into a situation where nothing gets resolved.

But...

Mrs. L told me that there are five female adults and ten kittens. She mentioned that she had been trying to socialize the kittens, but what they really need is to be fostered for a couple of weeks before they go into "forever homes." T had said previously that she would use her garage to socialize the kittens, so I told Mrs. L that I would see if she was still interested, but unfortunately, she was not. I talked to Dr. R about having them boarded for a week, but he said it wasn't really our area in which we could help. I went through all my contacts, even posted on the Cat Lovers LJ community for suggestions. Luckily, KB just got back from vacation and said she would take two in at a time to help socialize them before they go into homes. I also met someone through LJ that said she would put the word out for volunteers.

All the while, I was trying to find out the contact information for the owner of the property so we could trap the cats and kittens to be sterilized. Dr. R is quite adamant that the property owners are in agreement with us going on their land for such a purpose. Something that makes complete sense to me. So I went to the town hall, pointed out the particular piece of land (after much difficulty, I must say. I can't read a map for the life of me), and was printed out a piece of paper with the address of the owner and a picture of the store that resides on the land.

The store is actually now empty, which explains why I didn't recognize it from the photo. I was able to find a phone number online, which led me to another branch, in Buffalo, I believe. Which gave me another number to contact the receptionist of the owner. Who was out of town, so I left a message. I went to visit the kittens again that night and noticed a sign in the front window with a phone number. I called, but hung up when it started making a funny noise. And called again, but was caught off guard by the answering machine - and I didn't know exactly what i wanted to say. I mulled it over, then called again. And was surprised when I man answered a bit groggily. Explained my business to him, who then informed me that he's in Italy, that it's two in the morning. Which made me feel quite awkward for calling him three times. Apologized profusely, but he was kind in not making me feel like a total ass. He gave me the email address of his sister to get permission from. But, though I emailed twice and wrote once, I got no answer.

To be continued... (With more info on socialization, permission from land owners, and possibly pictures. If I can figure it out...)

Socializing Feral Cats

In the last couple of weeks I have seen Stranger, Pickle and Snuggle almost every day. I have not seen Jehzara, Boy George, or Joe since we trapped and released them. They may be reluctant to show their faces - or they may have moved on.

We are still feeding 4 cups a day around 2:00 PM. Unfortuantely, if the cats are not there, the crows attempt to eat the dry food. They fly away as soon as they sense movement in the backyard, but we can't be monitering the food all the time, so it is inevitable that they will consume some of it. Thankfully, the cats have started to appear earlier, so the birds don't get as much as they were before. I was feeding the cats at 3:00 PM, but am trying to slowly move the feeding back to 1:00 PM. This would be optimal for a few reasons: first, my shifts either start at one or end at one; second, when we trap, it is better to catch the cats as early as possible; and third, darkness falls early in the winter and I want to give the cats as much time as possible to eat before it gets dark. This is mainly to prevent other wildlife from feeding on the dry food.

I was worried for a few days that my supervisor was intent on trapping and re-homing the cats. I tried to explain to her why I thought that this wouldn't be a good idea, but I'm not sure she understood. Fortunately, we haven't talked about the subject again, so I hope she came to the conclusion that they are better off out there. If not, I will definitely attempt to inform her of the negative aspects of such an effort again.

Let me explain that I am first and foremost concerned with the complete welfare of the cats. This includes both physical and emotional health. Although it is very cold out and there are many dangers such as disease, poisoning, and traffic accidents, I have read in many articles that when trying to socialize feral kittens, they should not be over twelve weeks. These cats are all at least eight months old. I have also read that if socialization efforts are not working on a particular cat after three weeks, the cat should be returned to the area in which it came from. The cat should be able to remember how it lived outdoors perfectly well if it has been confined for only a couple of weeks.

It is not fair, in my opinion, to confine a cat indoors if he was not brought up that way. They long to be outside, away from people, with trees to climb and rodents to hunt. Feral cats are not strays; they do not want to come inside. They do not want to sit on laps and be petted. However, when a feral cat is in an area that does not have sufficient places to hide and climb, with small animals to hunt, I believe it is a great idea to supplement the environment with cat houses and daily food. If it is absolutely necessary that the cat be relocated, great pains need to be taken so that the cat is placed in a sanctuary or home that can provide a large enough area and stimulating environment.

Some people have succesfully socialized feral cats so that they are willing to stay inside for periods of time and enjoy being with certain humans. This is wonderful, but I don't believe it should be forced upon an adult cat unless there is no other choice.