Re: Is there a list for feral lovers?

[apmwr]

As you will find out when you locate a feral group to work with, feral cats come in varying degrees of sociability.  (Like domestic cats - some are snugglers, some aloof and everything in between)  Being feral only means they have no "home', are on their own to scrounge for food, and if they find someone who will provide them with meals on a regular basis, they will often become quite friendly.  I've been running a "soup kitchen" (and getting vet care when needed) for a feral colony in my neighborhood for a few years.  Some are always skittish and just come for the food, others come up and sit in my lap.  After all, they're cats!

 

And about whether there is another litter of younger kittens, I doubt it although if you find a local feral group they would be able to give you a better answer for your location.  I'm in North Texas and generally for outdoor ferals, the last litters are born the end of September, maybe into the first week of October, but they do not have kittens in the winter, presumably because they wouldn't survive the cold.  Then they start having them again as early as February, but mostly not until March or April.  (Gives us a little window of opportunity for catching and spaying without worrying about taking away kittens' food supply.)

 

Good luck!

Allison

-------------- Original message from Nina <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: --------------


> Guess what? When I went to the site, two of the "ferals" came right up
> and started begging for food. Rubbing and bumping and meowing.
> Obviously not all of them are feral, if any. We were able to get those
> two into carriers and we trapped two more. One of the trapped cats is
> Momma. She's still nursing and very emaciated, but very sweet. I'm
> hoping her kittens are too. I spotted 4 kittens scrabbling for cover.
> They look like they're anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks. They could be older,
> but small because of their circumstances. We found someone that says
> they are willing to take ferals for relocation, but now we seem to have
> tame cats on our hands. I spotted 8 grown cats, but who knows how many
> of them are! out there.
>
> As I'm typing this, I've just become concerned about whether the momma
> we caught might not be the momma to the older kittens. What if she has
> tinnies out there that won't make it through the night without her? Her
> breasts definitely had milk in them, not firm or, full. What else
> should I have looked for to determine how old her kittens might be? I'm
> thinking we should bring her back and release her just in case. I'm
> pretty sure we'll be able to catch her again, she's so tame.
> Aaaahhhhh! Rescue is not for sissies!
> Nina
>
> Nina wrote:
>
> > Thank you for your advise. Contacting the media sounds like a good
> > idea. I don't know if we'll be able to find the homeless guy again.
> > He may have already had to move on. I wrote an email to the
> > feralcats.com website. Chris, I couldn't find the list "feralcats" on > > Yahoo. I'm not very savvy at this Internet thing, so I'll try again
> > when I get home. I'll also try to contact Alley Cat Allies.
> > Jill's deceased mom has a very crowded garage and I'm going over to
> > help her consolidate the junk to make room for "holding" crates that
> > we're scrounging together. Her mom's house is being renovated and we
> > can't house them there. Jill told me why we can't bring them to her
> > house, but I can't remember why just now. I don't know what we're
> > going to do after we catch them, we'll just have to cross that bridge
> > when we get to it. Sorry about rambling on and on.
> >
> > Barbara, I wish you were closer too! Any and all suggestions are
> > welcome. Thanks for caring,
> > Nina
> >
> > Barbara Lowe wrote:
> >
> >> get a large dog cage and cover it(three sid! es-top, bottom and sides
> >> just not
> >> the front opening) with an old blanket--perhaps something of this guy
> >> who's
> >> been feeding them as they recognize his "smell" as friendly. put
> >> their food
> >> in there and perhaps can get them to go into it. or can anyone be
> >> there the
> >> day it's getting torn down to put out food to get the cats away from
> >> this
> >> hovel? such a heartbreaking story. did you try contacting any media
> >> to get
> >> attention to this plight? sometimes then the rescue groups will step
> >> in to
> >> help when they stand to gain something like free, good will
> >> publicity--(sad
> >> to say but fact of life). I'm here in NY so can't help physically.
> >> but if
> >> you need money to buy the lar! ge dog carrier/or wire cage--I can help
> >> with
> >> that- what's the name of that one group-Alley Cat Allies--perhaps
> >> they have
> >> a link to local groups that might help. (oh also if you can get it, try
> >> spraying the inside of the cage with that Feliway spray or Rescue
> >> Remedy and
> >> try sprinkling some catnip in there also--anything to tempt the wild
> >> ones
> >> into it...) can the homeless guy catch the kittens? do you have a large
> >> fishing net? I wish I was closer! (can someone keep the kittens in the
> >> large cage then so they don't use the same litter box or eat from the
> >> felv+'s bowls? sad thing to say but they could be felv+ anyway....)
> >> barbara
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Nina" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> To: ! <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 2:19 PM
> >> Subject: Is there a list for feral lovers?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> Hi Everyone,
> >>> I just got a call from an acquaintance of mine with a sad and desperate
> >>> tale. Her name is Jill. She was rescuing a sea gull covered in oil in
> >>> a parking lot in Camarillo, CA. A homeless man (mentally disabled as
> >>> well), approached her in tears. He told her the house he's been
> >>> squatting in is about to be torn down (within a day or two), and he has
> >>> to find somewhere else to live. He's been feeding stray or feral cats,
> >>> Jill couldn't determine which. After Jill got the sea gull off to a
> >>> rehabilitation, she went to the address he had given her. The house is
>! >>> a hovel, broken windows, fallen in roof, there is sewage from a backed
> >>> up septic tank mixed with flood waters from the storm we've been
> >>> having,
> >>> just a mess. She spotted a couple of the adults running for cover, and
> >>> two of the three kittens, she's guessing they're about 8 weeks old.
> >>> There are no other houses in the area that these guys might get a
> >>> handout from and if they're taking refuge in this abandoned house,
> >>> there's a good chance that they will be caught in there when they
> >>> demolish it.
> >>>
> >>> She's called all the rescue groups in the area looking for a feral
> >>> colony that she might be able to relocate these cats to, once they're
> >>> caught and neutered. Everyone has turned her down. I'm going to help
> &! gt;>> her trap and I've called everyone I know that might be able to give me
> >>> ideas about how to help them. If these kittens are indeed that young,
> >>> and have been handled by the kind homeless man, there is a chance that
> >>> they can be adopted out and find homes.
> >>>
> >>> I need some ideas on how to help these guys. I'm going to get out
> >>> there
> >>> and help her trap, but what do we do with them after that? I can't
> >>> foster anyone here, I can't expose them to FeLV! I already have four
> >>> dogs and seven cats living with me and there isn't a room where I can
> >>> segregate them, even the garage has a stray, who hates cats, living in
> >>> it. Does anyone know of a sanctuary that will take ferals that we
> >>> could
> >>> relocate them to? ! Does anyone know of a email list that is interested
> >>> in helping ferals?
> >>>
> >>> I know this is off topic, but I also know how much you guys love cats.
> >>> If you can think of anything that might help, please email me back.
> >>> Thank you for caring,
> >>> Nina
> >>>
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