Caring For Abandoned and Feral Cats

Just a word of warning, Lynn.... Some male cats want to kill off newborn kittens that don't look like they are theirs. Just in case you've never been through this before. You may want to keep her somewhere away from Sam when it's time. Or him away from her... She's gonna want to find her own space anyways, but he can track her easily.

 

I tell you, ol' one ear comes by here and his kids love all over him. No doubt because they all look just like him.

 

I've heard of this, Ty but never experienced it. If you hadn't brought it up, I'd probably have written it all off as "old wives tales". I do trust what you say though. She is already going behind the washer and freezer...yeah, that doesn't thrill me at ALL but that is where several litters of kittens have been born and lived. Maybe she knows that somehow.

I'm thinking that by the time the kittens get here it will be warmer and I'll feel better about closing that porch door to keep Sam away. I'm fairly positive she will have kittens from both Sam and Mr. Tips. Sam is solid black and both Princess and Mr. Tips are white and black but she is really white and tabby, with the tabby being black/brown/dark tan. Sam has had his big Alpha panties in a wad but he met his match with her. lol

I'm glad you told me this, so I will be making some plans ahead of time. Its too bad BB is such a mean little puss. Brownie Brown would love her to death.


She looks almost exactly like the cat on the orange Friskies Grillers (mid sized) bag.

 

Erin's favorite food... at least for now.



It is more than "old wives tales". When I first had contact with Momma Cat and helped rescue Lil'Boy and Lil'Girl which later became my kitties, Momma Cat had just gone through this on my front porch. I'm the one that had to pick up the dead kittens and bury them out back. It's a rough life for outdoor cats....

 

Vision, my sons cat loves the seafood friskies variety..

Do you think that an outdoors cat understands that the kitten is dead or is it just a case of , no time for that one must take care of the strong. No emotion, just survival.

 

Of course I don't know if they have emotion, per se...however, I do know that Sam (the outside alpha) has exhibited a gamut of "emotions" - such as anger at other cats being around, happiness as shown by purring, head bumping, and twining around my legs or he will push me with his head until I sit down and then he immediately jumps up into my lap. When I've gotten up he has let me know he was unhappy by growling and striking out (but with his claws in).

All of his happiness at seeing me usually has nothing to do with eating. There have been times I have gotten up to get him some wet food and when I came back with the food he was more interested in getting back in my lap than eating.

I think Sam would know exactly what he was doing if he attacked a newborn, or any other cat, and it would have nothing to do with his survival.

 

I saw a young squirrel praying over it's dead mother in the road one day.

The mother squirrel had gotten hit by a car and the baby squirrel was sitting up next to her, with it's hands in a praying position, just looking at her face.

That was one of the saddest things that I've ever seen.

 

omg Aeri! that is awful. :-(

 

In my head, I could hear his poor little squirrel voice saying, "Mommy! Wake up, Mommy!"

It really was pitiful.

 

Animals feel the whole gambit of emotions humans do... possibly more.

 

He loves you and is very loyal and protective. You must have saved him inside his own mentally damage mind; from his perspective of course.

Sometimes one must wish Humans could react the same way. No, not sitting on your lap and purring

 

Leaning towards more. They have that universal instinctive connection that we as humans have lost.

Then there are those times were the Male kills the babies because they are not his or he wants the female and by doing so she falls back into heat. So they experience the psychopathic tendencies as well.

 

Being in a cat's mind , or better said, having your mind and senses react just like a cat's for just a few minutes would be more profound than any DMT or Salvia trip..

 

I'm bumping here to yap about my current "rescue" project, and to say I'm worried about Sam. The last I saw of him, several nights ago, he was having a hard time breathing. It seemed like more than severe wheezing. He also had this racking cough that sounded very strange and disturbing. I took him some just opened salmon, mostly juice. He put his face down to the food/juice, but just wasn't able to eat or even slurp it.

I went back inside to get something else, warmer, to put in his place. When I came back out, he was gone.

In the mean time Mr. Tips shows up regularly in the afternoon for something to eat, and yes I feed him. His wheezing and torn up ear are for the most part, just gone and healed. Dang if that doesn't flip me out. Its like he got some steroid healing juice and my poor Sam got a fast, sharp shit end of the stick. wth

Princess is better than ever. She is just about a perfect dadblasted cat. Lord have mercy.

Not long ago I looked out on the porch and for the 1st time since Sam's latest disappearance Tips was IN Sam's place. Before tonight, Tips wouldn't do any more than look in the back door (after he and Sam had a discussion). I just don't have it in me to make him move right now.

This afternoon after Mama and I got back from her physical therapy, I planned to walk around in the yard looking for Sam and to call out for him along the edges of the yard. I went out the back door, past the cats. When I got to the front I happened to turn around, and damn if both of them weren't trailing me fixing to follow. I didn't want to lead them around the yard to the road so I turned back around. Of course I'm certain they know how to get to the front, the roads and etc...I just don't want to lead them there.

This plot is on a corner so they have their choice of roads to cross. smh

I'm not even pretending here - I'm praying for Sam.

 

Aw, Lynn...

It's difficult but these cats seem to cycle through, come and go, like that. Some of them just disappear like *poof* and while that worries you and you always wonder about them, it's really easier than seeing them sick or hurt.

I feel for you, honey.

I'll say a little prayer for Sam, too.

 

We got a chance to see all three of the raccoon on the porch last night.

One of the cats, Honey Bear, especially loves them. When they come to eat from the cat food on the porch, she sits and paws at the glass as fast as she can. She thinks they are the prettiest kitties that she's ever seen!

 

Damn it.

Baby Gray Baby and Baby Taz went missing last evening. Hubby said they were outside at dinner time but they were not present when I went out to give them their oatmeal around 10 p.m.

They're nowhere to be found today either.

My only thought is that maybe the next door neighbors accidentally shut them in their garage.

Damn it.

 

I didn't know cats ate (or would eat) oatmeal! That's very interesting. What kind do they get?

Are these the neighbors that are stupid inbred jackasses?

They just can't be gone far.

___________________________________________


Sam stopped in last night for a little while! He was skinnier than I've seen him in years, but he was able to eat some of the salmon and salmon juice I got for him. Even being skinnier, he looked so much better. When I went out there, after he ate, he sat in my lap for a good little while.

Then he wanted down, but just to sit at the back door. He was still having some breathing problems but not like he was having.

That strange, awful, hacking cough was still there but only a few times and only after I was back in the house. Both BB and Brownie were in the kitchen with me when he coughed like that and they both jumped up on the stove to look out the door window to WTH that noise was. Of course I shewed them away...and I went out to comfort Sam but he wasn't very interested in getting comforted. lol My big Sam is TOUGH, he told me. He likes being petted and loved on but there is always a time he decides enough is enough. smh

Next thing I know he was gone *poof*. I'll be going back outside shortly to see if I can find him.

 

I'm glad Sam came around!


Theses are the cool, Vietnamese neighbors.

I got home from the grocery store, their garage door was open, and Baby Gray Baby is home!

I still haven't seen Baby Taz.


Oatmeal is the base of the cat food that I was making for the cats last Winter. This year, I've just been making it to keep the little ones warm at night.

I cook plain oatmeal and add some chicken broth or chicken fat to it. I have that on hand because I feed Mabon some boiled chicken every day. If I have fat or grease from cooking ground beef, I'll put that in if I don't have chicken grease. I just put one or the other in the oatmeal like butter because fat keeps them warm.

 

That oatmeal is an excellent idea for the kitties when cold, Aeri. I'm remembering that. Mama keeps plain oatmeal so I'll do that next time its cold for those outside.

I'm going to quit moaning about Sam (maybe). He hasn't come back since the last time I posted about him.

When the time comes for Princess to have her litter, I know I won't feel bad about closing the door to stop Tips from coming in (for the same reason I would have to stop Sam from coming in) because he is one tough customer! Of course I will continue to feed his constantly starving belly even though he is big and doesn't look hungry whatsoever, and Sam too of course!

Right now I'm afraid he would give my Sam a run for his money. lordhavemercy