RE: Question about outdoor cat
It's that transition of "taking her with me" that I am so concerned about. I want her to be happy and I don't want her to be overly aggressive towards my wimpy kitties. Izzee with no claws (I didn't do it!) is such a concern b/c she thinks she has claws- so she will swipe instinctively when she doesn't know what to do and another cat will not know she is clawless! Brace yourself for this physical description b/c it's unique: Lil Girl is like nothing I have ever seen before and she should not be an outdoor cat. She is calico, but also tortie? I don't know what she would be considered?...she's mainly a predominately light brown tortie b/c she has the tortie splotches, but with, I kid you not, white feet- all four. It gets even better...she is tabby stripped too-- I swear- on the side of her cheeks, she has black tabby stripes. She also has clear black tabby stripes winding up her back legs. It still gets better...she is also Orange Tabby Striped! She has the orange tabby tiger forehead markings- she has the orange tabby "M" on her head- and they are also kind of intertwined on her cheeks, side of her head with her black tabby stripes. She has a deep tan nose pad and a tan and white center of her face-- with a mini white blaze on her nose. She is so randomly painted, it almost seems not random at all...like it was an evil genuis's joke creation! Her face is also kind of blunted in her mouth area, like she's been hit with a frying pan in the mouth, but the result is beautiful- she has very strong facial features and prominent cheek bones, very angular...she's just gorgeous! Here's the best part (does it get better than that?), she has true green, green, cat eyes! I can't believe she's living on the street with that distinctive look. She represents the ultimate in "cat mutt" to me and the end result is amazing. And she's really beefed up her small frame since I got rid of the tapeworms and keep her fed high quality food (she's an Eagle Pack nut!). I just wish she wasn't such a TomCat trapped in a pretty little spayed female body!! But that is the best way to describe her...very tomcat acting and that is why I worry about her integrating with cats who are anything but -Caroline To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Re: Question about outdoor catDate: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 16:00:10 -0400From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]'d have to agree with the "take her" camp on this one. I have this adorable girl that wandered to my house after I moved in. I call her Whitey. :) She's a gorgeous domestic longhair, with one blue eye and one brown. She's adorable, and sort of just moved in when I did and hasn't left. All the neighborhood cats wander through my yard from time to time, and generally eat there once or twice a week, but Whitey has adopted us. She was horribly skinny and dirty when she came to the house...her long hair was matted all over her little body. I've been slowly but surely brushing and loving her, and feeding her decent food. Her coat is just about slicked up. Almost all the mats are out of her fur, except her tail, and that has been tough! But anyway, I've gotten quite attached to her. I keep her treated with frontline, and fed. She greets me every morning when I leave for work and every night when I get home, so I can definately relate to your situation, Caroline. I think this winter I am going to buy her one of those electric heating pads for outdoor pets, and put it in a nice secure tent/box for her to keep warm. I know for sure if I ever move, Whitey is going with me. -----Original Message-From: Christiane Biagi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 3:31 pmSubject: RE: Question about outdoor cat TAKE HER! I was feeding my Romeo for 2 years before I brought him inside. I did so only because the temperature was going to below zero and the creeps whose house he lived under boarded up his access so he had no shelter. It took a few weeks of him in a large kennel in my bedroom propped up on some boxes. Initially, I put his box and his food dish in there & covered all but two sides with a sheet. Then I started leaving the door to the kennel open and putting his food on the floor just below. Then I brought him to the bathroom around the corner in the kennel to show him where I was moving the litter box to. He started eating/going to the box only when nobody was in the room or at night when he thought I was asleep. But sure enough, one day he went out while I was in the room on my computer and jumped on the bed he’d been eying! Sure enough, that did it. Once he found the creature comforts there was no turning back! He rarely sits at the window or tries to go out—sort of looks at the other guys like they’re nuts for wanting to go out! He is the
RE: Question about outdoor cat
See -- you two are further connected, through Monkee. If you leave her behind, she'll have lost both of you. Diane R. (can you see what my impulse would be? ;-)) From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Caroline Kaufmann Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 3:51 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: RE: Question about outdoor cat Yes,..she actually loved Monkee. She never narrowed her eyes at him or hissed. She truly liked him. Over time they became buds thru the barrier of the porch between them and I really felt she conforted him and provided him company in the last months of his life when he wanted to do nothing but sit on the porch by himself- with her at the front door. He would paw at the male cats under the front door and huff and puff at them, but he never did to her. I think he had a crush on her! She is the cat that would follow us around when Monkee went for walks on the leash and she was with us at the last walk (his first and only true leash-less walk b/c with the anemia, he wasn't going anywhere) he had a few days before he passed where all he really did was lay in the street pretending he was one of the colony cats...with Lil Girl nearby. She also showed up in the early morning hours (she sleeps under my car a lot), when I took Monkee out of the house in his carrier eventually after he died and she got to say goodbye. I wanted her to smell that he wasn't with us any more. She's my outdoor bud. I found two tiny dead baby snakes on my property this summer at separate times (it broke my heart, poor things) and I buried them in the front yard and Lil Girl "helped" me. But I got distracted from Lil Girl because I took in Izzee- who was living in a crate in a garage- and then the sick kittens, and I had to make quick decisions to help other cats who needed me more immediately...knowing that I was only further complicating and delaying the ultimate decision of what to do about Lil Girl when I move! -Caroline ____ Subject: RE: Question about outdoor cat Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 15:32:10 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Carolyn, you never really know with cats, but MAYBE some of Lil Girl's Queen Bee attitude would dissipate once she got inside because in THAT hierarchy she's the new girl in town. Then again, maybe not, but it does happen. Also, if you take the time to go through the socializing protocols from step one -- caging, food association, spending time, etc., and introduce the others to her while she's still in the (mutual) safety of her cage, maybe she will learn to coexist. I only have the experience of our former feral Fred, but in her case, there was never a cage but a room to herself, for months and months, with my housemate and I coming in nightly with food and conversation (we read her the 100 Best Fantasy and Science Fiction Stories ;-)). Coincidentally, the room has a gaping hole where the doorknob should be, so she could easily hear the sounds of the house, and there was a large gap at the bottom of the door where she would play patty-paw with the others long before they met face to face. When we finally opened the door to them, it was so completely a non-event, most of them just gave her butt a little sniff and then went over to check that her food wasn't any better than theirs. I dunno, I think her barging in and making herself at home so soon after Monkee died was, well, kind of a sign, don't you, really? Diane R. From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Caroline Kaufmann Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 2:52 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: RE: Question about outdoor cat Well, that is how my Monkee eventually became. He was living outside, but likely belonged to someone before (he was neutered). But Lil Girl is different because she's not afraid of even ONE thing! So she definitely doesn't have that timid, scared feral thing going on. Monkee was afraid of people and especially men for a long time. And actually, if she was more afraid, my mom and I might be more confident about me taking her b/c we know how to manage that. But as she is, her personality...we fear she might just continue to run roughshod over everything and everyone if we take her in!!! She looks at my foster kitties with utter distain from the front door! I swear, she glares at them and narrows her eyes like they are just stupid little lunatics (which, they are!). But I don't want her terrorizing my mom's cat and my sweet foster cat Izzee- who'
RE: Question about outdoor cat
Yes,..she actually loved Monkee. She never narrowed her eyes at him or hissed. She truly liked him. Over time they became buds thru the barrier of the porch between them and I really felt she conforted him and provided him company in the last months of his life when he wanted to do nothing but sit on the porch by himself- with her at the front door. He would paw at the male cats under the front door and huff and puff at them, but he never did to her. I think he had a crush on her! She is the cat that would follow us around when Monkee went for walks on the leash and she was with us at the last walk (his first and only true leash-less walk b/c with the anemia, he wasn't going anywhere) he had a few days before he passed where all he really did was lay in the street pretending he was one of the colony cats...with Lil Girl nearby. She also showed up in the early morning hours (she sleeps under my car a lot), when I took Monkee out of the house in his carrier eventually after he died and she got to say goodbye. I wanted her to smell that he wasn't with us any more. She's my outdoor bud. I found two tiny dead baby snakes on my property this summer at separate times (it broke my heart, poor things) and I buried them in the front yard and Lil Girl "helped" me. But I got distracted from Lil Girl because I took in Izzee- who was living in a crate in a garage- and then the sick kittens, and I had to make quick decisions to help other cats who needed me more immediately...knowing that I was only further complicating and delaying the ultimate decision of what to do about Lil Girl when I move! -Caroline Subject: RE: Question about outdoor catDate: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 15:32:10 -0500From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Carolyn, you never really know with cats, but MAYBE some of Lil Girl's Queen Bee attitude would dissipate once she got inside because in THAT hierarchy she's the new girl in town. Then again, maybe not, but it does happen. Also, if you take the time to go through the socializing protocols from step one -- caging, food association, spending time, etc., and introduce the others to her while she's still in the (mutual) safety of her cage, maybe she will learn to coexist. I only have the experience of our former feral Fred, but in her case, there was never a cage but a room to herself, for months and months, with my housemate and I coming in nightly with food and conversation (we read her the 100 Best Fantasy and Science Fiction Stories ;-)). Coincidentally, the room has a gaping hole where the doorknob should be, so she could easily hear the sounds of the house, and there was a large gap at the bottom of the door where she would play patty-paw with the others long before they met face to face. When we finally opened the door to them, it was so completely a non-event, most of them just gave her butt a little sniff and then went over to check that her food wasn't any better than theirs. I dunno, I think her barging in and making herself at home so soon after Monkee died was, well, kind of a sign, don't you, really? Diane R. From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Caroline KaufmannSent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 2:52 PMTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: RE: Question about outdoor cat Well, that is how my Monkee eventually became. He was living outside, but likely belonged to someone before (he was neutered). But Lil Girl is different because she's not afraid of even ONE thing! So she definitely doesn't have that timid, scared feral thing going on. Monkee was afraid of people and especially men for a long time. And actually, if she was more afraid, my mom and I might be more confident about me taking her b/c we know how to manage that. But as she is, her personality...we fear she might just continue to run roughshod over everything and everyone if we take her in!!! She looks at my foster kitties with utter distain from the front door! I swear, she glares at them and narrows her eyes like they are just stupid little lunatics (which, they are!). But I don't want her terrorizing my mom's cat and my sweet foster cat Izzee- who's become such a wonderful cat since I took the kittens in. I really don't want to do anything that would "offend" Izzee or upset her! After Monkee died and I had no cats for about a week, Lil Girl came busting into my house and on my front, screened porch! Just marching around investigating like she owned the place. She clearly has no fear and she just has that personality- you can just tell-- of "I'm going to do what I want to do when I want to do it!" I've joked to my mom that maybe I will just scoop her up and put her in my mom's backyard- at least temporarily! But my mom fears she will make the "incredible journey" back to her neighbo
RE: Question about outdoor cat
Carolyn, you never really know with cats, but MAYBE some of Lil Girl's Queen Bee attitude would dissipate once she got inside because in THAT hierarchy she's the new girl in town. Then again, maybe not, but it does happen. Also, if you take the time to go through the socializing protocols from step one -- caging, food association, spending time, etc., and introduce the others to her while she's still in the (mutual) safety of her cage, maybe she will learn to coexist. I only have the experience of our former feral Fred, but in her case, there was never a cage but a room to herself, for months and months, with my housemate and I coming in nightly with food and conversation (we read her the 100 Best Fantasy and Science Fiction Stories ;-)). Coincidentally, the room has a gaping hole where the doorknob should be, so she could easily hear the sounds of the house, and there was a large gap at the bottom of the door where she would play patty-paw with the others long before they met face to face. When we finally opened the door to them, it was so completely a non-event, most of them just gave her butt a little sniff and then went over to check that her food wasn't any better than theirs. I dunno, I think her barging in and making herself at home so soon after Monkee died was, well, kind of a sign, don't you, really? Diane R. From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Caroline Kaufmann Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 2:52 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: RE: Question about outdoor cat Well, that is how my Monkee eventually became. He was living outside, but likely belonged to someone before (he was neutered). But Lil Girl is different because she's not afraid of even ONE thing! So she definitely doesn't have that timid, scared feral thing going on. Monkee was afraid of people and especially men for a long time. And actually, if she was more afraid, my mom and I might be more confident about me taking her b/c we know how to manage that. But as she is, her personality...we fear she might just continue to run roughshod over everything and everyone if we take her in!!! She looks at my foster kitties with utter distain from the front door! I swear, she glares at them and narrows her eyes like they are just stupid little lunatics (which, they are!). But I don't want her terrorizing my mom's cat and my sweet foster cat Izzee- who's become such a wonderful cat since I took the kittens in. I really don't want to do anything that would "offend" Izzee or upset her! After Monkee died and I had no cats for about a week, Lil Girl came busting into my house and on my front, screened porch! Just marching around investigating like she owned the place. She clearly has no fear and she just has that personality- you can just tell-- of "I'm going to do what I want to do when I want to do it!" I've joked to my mom that maybe I will just scoop her up and put her in my mom's backyard- at least temporarily! But my mom fears she will make the "incredible journey" back to her neighborhood/colony instinctively? We feel like we just don't know anything about colony/outdoor cats like her and don't feel confident in our abilities to make a decision I guess? -Caroline ____ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: RE: Question about outdoor cat Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 15:31:45 -0400 TAKE HER! I was feeding my Romeo for 2 years before I brought him inside. I did so only because the temperature was going to below zero and the creeps whose house he lived under boarded up his access so he had no shelter. It took a few weeks of him in a large kennel in my bedroom propped up on some boxes. Initially, I put his box and his food dish in there & covered all but two sides with a sheet. Then I started leaving the door to the kennel open and putting his food on the floor just below. Then I brought him to the bathroom around the corner in the kennel to show him where I was moving the litter box to. He started eating/going to the box only when nobody was in the room or at night when he thought I was asleep. But sure enough, one day he went out while I was in the room on my computer and jumped on the bed he'd been eying! Sure enough, that did it. Once he found the creature comforts there was no turning back! He rarely sits at the window or tries to go out-sort of looks at the other guys like they're nuts for wanting to go out! He is the absolutely most affectionate cat I've ever had. BUT, the one thing I still can't do is actually pick him up. He'll sit on my lap (or on my chest when I try to sleep!) but squirms out real fast if I try to pic
Re: Question about outdoor cat
By the way, I forgot to mention she's solid white...hence the name "Whitey," which I jokingly called her because I never expected her to move in. lol -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 4:00 pm Subject: Re: Question about outdoor cat I'd have to agree with the "take her" camp on this one. I have this adorable girl that wandered to my house after I moved in. I call her Whitey. :) She's a gorgeous domestic longhair, with one blue eye and one brown. She's adorable, and sort of just moved in when I did and hasn't left. All the neighborhood cats wander through my yard from time to time, and generally eat there once or twice a week, but Whitey has adopted us. She was horribly skinny and dirty when she came to the house...her long hair was matted all over her little body. I've been slowly but surely brushing and loving her, and feeding her decent food. Her coat is just about slicked up. Almost all the mats are out of her fur, except her tail, and that has been tough! But anyway, I've gotten quite attached to her. I keep her treated with frontline, and fed. She greets me every morning when I leave for work and every night when I get home, so I can definately relate to your situation, Caroline. I think this winter I am going to buy her one of those electric heating pads for outdoor pets, and put it in a nice secure tent/box for her to keep warm. I know for sure if I ever move, Whitey is going with me. -Original Message- From: Christiane Biagi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 3:31 pm Subject: RE: Question about outdoor cat TAKE HER! I was feeding my Romeo for 2 years before I brought him inside. I did so only because the temperature was going to below zero and the creeps whose house he lived under boarded up his access so he had no shelter. It took a few weeks of him in a large kennel in my bedroom propped up on some boxes. Initially, I put his box and his food dish in there & covered all but two sides with a sheet. Then I started leaving the door to the kennel open and putting his food on the floor just below. Then I brought him to the bathroom around the corner in the kennel to show him where I was moving the litter box to. He started eating/going to the box only when nobody was in the room or at night when he thought I was asleep. But sure enough, one day he went out while I was in the room on my computer and jumped on the bed he’d been eying! Sure enough, that did it. Once he found the creature comforts there was no turning back! He rarely sits at the window or tries to go out—sort of looks at the other guys like they’re nuts for wanting to go out! He is the absolutely most affectionate cat I’ve ever had. BUT, the one thing I still can’t do is actually pick him up. He’ll sit on my lap (or on my chest when I try to sleep!) but squirms out real fast if I try to pick him up. Vet visits & crating are real tough so I have to keep that to an absolute miminum Sooo, this little one has already staked you out as hers! I say take her; keep her in a big wire cage with some increasing freedoms and watch her become a big mush! From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Caroline Kaufmann Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 3:17 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: OT: Question about outdoor cat This is my final question I promise. But it's been looming over my head for a long time now and it's really distressing me. I know I have told you all that my street has neighborhood 24/7 outdoor cats that technically belong to a lady a few houses up from me. But all the neighbors kind of look after them and some feed/keep water out. The lady who brought them to the street "rescued" them from her sister- whom she said wasn't taking care of them- the sister had not spayed/neutered. She got connected with one of the local agencies and had them all fixed for a discount (she is low income). She already has five indoor cats so these cats became outdoor cats. Almost all of them have clipped ears (except one) that show they have been fixed. Some of them started out as indoor/outdoor and then I guess found they liked being like colony cats better so they pretty much stay out year round. She has a front porch where she has boxes set up for them in the winter, etc. They are all male, except for one. I started feeding them too myself when I moved to the street over a year ago because I didn't know the situation- were they homeless, etc.? I finally got the whole story. There is one, a little girl who I call, "Lil Girl" who pretty much has re-transplanted herself to my property. I treated her for tapeworms and I have been giving her Advantage thru the summer. I was wor
Re: Question about outdoor cat
I'd have to agree with the "take her" camp on this one. I have this adorable girl that wandered to my house after I moved in. I call her Whitey. :) She's a gorgeous domestic longhair, with one blue eye and one brown. She's adorable, and sort of just moved in when I did and hasn't left. All the neighborhood cats wander through my yard from time to time, and generally eat there once or twice a week, but Whitey has adopted us. She was horribly skinny and dirty when she came to the house...her long hair was matted all over her little body. I've been slowly but surely brushing and loving her, and feeding her decent food. Her coat is just about slicked up. Almost all the mats are out of her fur, except her tail, and that has been tough! But anyway, I've gotten quite attached to her. I keep her treated with frontline, and fed. She greets me every morning when I leave for work and every night when I get home, so I can definately relate to your situation, Caroline. I think this winter I am going to buy her one of those electric heating pads for outdoor pets, and put it in a nice secure tent/box for her to keep warm. I know for sure if I ever move, Whitey is going with me. -Original Message- From: Christiane Biagi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 3:31 pm Subject: RE: Question about outdoor cat TAKE HER! I was feeding my Romeo for 2 years before I brought him inside. I did so only because the temperature was going to below zero and the creeps whose house he lived under boarded up his access so he had no shelter. It took a few weeks of him in a large kennel in my bedroom propped up on some boxes. Initially, I put his box and his food dish in there & covered all but two sides with a sheet. Then I started leaving the door to the kennel open and putting his food on the floor just below. Then I brought him to the bathroom around the corner in the kennel to show him where I was moving the litter box to. He started eating/going to the box only when nobody was in the room or at night when he thought I was asleep. But sure enough, one day he went out while I was in the room on my computer and jumped on the bed he’d been eying! Sure enough, that did it. Once he found the creature comforts there was no turning back! He rarely sits at the window or tries to go out—sort of looks at the other guys like they’re nuts for wanting to go out! He is the absolutely most affectionate cat I’ve ever had. BUT, the one thing I still can’t do is actually pick him up. He’ll sit on my lap (or on my chest when I try to sleep!) but squirms out real fast if I try to pick him up. Vet visits & crating are real tough so I have to keep that to an absolute miminum Sooo, this little one has already staked you out as hers! I say take her; keep her in a big wire cage with some increasing freedoms and watch her become a big mush! From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Caroline Kaufmann Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 3:17 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: OT: Question about outdoor cat This is my final question I promise. But it's been looming over my head for a long time now and it's really distressing me. I know I have told you all that my street has neighborhood 24/7 outdoor cats that technically belong to a lady a few houses up from me. But all the neighbors kind of look after them and some feed/keep water out. The lady who brought them to the street "rescued" them from her sister- whom she said wasn't taking care of them- the sister had not spayed/neutered. She got connected with one of the local agencies and had them all fixed for a discount (she is low income). She already has five indoor cats so these cats became outdoor cats. Almost all of them have clipped ears (except one) that show they have been fixed. Some of them started out as indoor/outdoor and then I guess found they liked being like colony cats better so they pretty much stay out year round. She has a front porch where she has boxes set up for them in the winter, etc. They are all male, except for one. I started feeding them too myself when I moved to the street over a year ago because I didn't know the situation- were they homeless, etc.? I finally got the whole story. There is one, a little girl who I call, "Lil Girl" who pretty much has re-transplanted herself to my property. I treated her for tapeworms and I have been giving her Advantage thru the summer. I was worried about her being so small, even tho she's about 5 yo, so I kept feeding her quality food to beef her up, even after determining her sort-of home situation. But now she is a permanent resident pretty much at my front door. She is there every morning waiting for me and in the evening. It so sad because I do not o
RE: Question about outdoor cat
Well, that is how my Monkee eventually became. He was living outside, but likely belonged to someone before (he was neutered). But Lil Girl is different because she's not afraid of even ONE thing! So she definitely doesn't have that timid, scared feral thing going on. Monkee was afraid of people and especially men for a long time. And actually, if she was more afraid, my mom and I might be more confident about me taking her b/c we know how to manage that. But as she is, her personality...we fear she might just continue to run roughshod over everything and everyone if we take her in!!! She looks at my foster kitties with utter distain from the front door! I swear, she glares at them and narrows her eyes like they are just stupid little lunatics (which, they are!). But I don't want her terrorizing my mom's cat and my sweet foster cat Izzee- who's become such a wonderful cat since I took the kittens in. I really don't want to do anything that would "offend" Izzee or upset her! After Monkee died and I had no cats for about a week, Lil Girl came busting into my house and on my front, screened porch! Just marching around investigating like she owned the place. She clearly has no fear and she just has that personality- you can just tell-- of "I'm going to do what I want to do when I want to do it!" I've joked to my mom that maybe I will just scoop her up and put her in my mom's backyard- at least temporarily! But my mom fears she will make the "incredible journey" back to her neighborhood/colony instinctively? We feel like we just don't know anything about colony/outdoor cats like her and don't feel confident in our abilities to make a decision I guess? -Caroline From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: RE: Question about outdoor catDate: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 15:31:45 -0400 TAKE HER! I was feeding my Romeo for 2 years before I brought him inside. I did so only because the temperature was going to below zero and the creeps whose house he lived under boarded up his access so he had no shelter. It took a few weeks of him in a large kennel in my bedroom propped up on some boxes. Initially, I put his box and his food dish in there & covered all but two sides with a sheet. Then I started leaving the door to the kennel open and putting his food on the floor just below. Then I brought him to the bathroom around the corner in the kennel to show him where I was moving the litter box to. He started eating/going to the box only when nobody was in the room or at night when he thought I was asleep. But sure enough, one day he went out while I was in the room on my computer and jumped on the bed he’d been eying! Sure enough, that did it. Once he found the creature comforts there was no turning back! He rarely sits at the window or tries to go out—sort of looks at the other guys like they’re nuts for wanting to go out! He is the absolutely most affectionate cat I’ve ever had. BUT, the one thing I still can’t do is actually pick him up. He’ll sit on my lap (or on my chest when I try to sleep!) but squirms out real fast if I try to pick him up. Vet visits & crating are real tough so I have to keep that to an absolute miminum Sooo, this little one has already staked you out as hers! I say take her; keep her in a big wire cage with some increasing freedoms and watch her become a big mush! From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Caroline KaufmannSent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 3:17 PMTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: OT: Question about outdoor cat This is my final question I promise. But it's been looming over my head for a long time now and it's really distressing me. I know I have told you all that my street has neighborhood 24/7 outdoor cats that technically belong to a lady a few houses up from me. But all the neighbors kind of look after them and some feed/keep water out. The lady who brought them to the street "rescued" them from her sister- whom she said wasn't taking care of them- the sister had not spayed/neutered. She got connected with one of the local agencies and had them all fixed for a discount (she is low income). She already has five indoor cats so these cats became outdoor cats. Almost all of them have clipped ears (except one) that show they have been fixed. Some of them started out as indoor/outdoor and then I guess found they liked being like colony cats better so they pretty much stay out year round. She has a front porch where she has boxes set up for them in the winter, etc. They are all male, except for one. I started feeding them too myself when I moved to the street over a year ago because I didn't know the situation- were they homeless, etc.? I finally got the whole story. There is one, a little girl who I call, "Lil Girl" who pretty
RE: Question about outdoor cat
TAKE HER! I was feeding my Romeo for 2 years before I brought him inside. I did so only because the temperature was going to below zero and the creeps whose house he lived under boarded up his access so he had no shelter. It took a few weeks of him in a large kennel in my bedroom propped up on some boxes. Initially, I put his box and his food dish in there & covered all but two sides with a sheet. Then I started leaving the door to the kennel open and putting his food on the floor just below. Then I brought him to the bathroom around the corner in the kennel to show him where I was moving the litter box to. He started eating/going to the box only when nobody was in the room or at night when he thought I was asleep. But sure enough, one day he went out while I was in the room on my computer and jumped on the bed hed been eying! Sure enough, that did it. Once he found the creature comforts there was no turning back! He rarely sits at the window or tries to go outsort of looks at the other guys like theyre nuts for wanting to go out! He is the absolutely most affectionate cat Ive ever had. BUT, the one thing I still cant do is actually pick him up. Hell sit on my lap (or on my chest when I try to sleep!) but squirms out real fast if I try to pick him up. Vet visits & crating are real tough so I have to keep that to an absolute miminum Sooo, this little one has already staked you out as hers! I say take her; keep her in a big wire cage with some increasing freedoms and watch her become a big mush! From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Caroline Kaufmann Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 3:17 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: OT: Question about outdoor cat This is my final question I promise. But it's been looming over my head for a long time now and it's really distressing me. I know I have told you all that my street has neighborhood 24/7 outdoor cats that technically belong to a lady a few houses up from me. But all the neighbors kind of look after them and some feed/keep water out. The lady who brought them to the street "rescued" them from her sister- whom she said wasn't taking care of them- the sister had not spayed/neutered. She got connected with one of the local agencies and had them all fixed for a discount (she is low income). She already has five indoor cats so these cats became outdoor cats. Almost all of them have clipped ears (except one) that show they have been fixed. Some of them started out as indoor/outdoor and then I guess found they liked being like colony cats better so they pretty much stay out year round. She has a front porch where she has boxes set up for them in the winter, etc. They are all male, except for one. I started feeding them too myself when I moved to the street over a year ago because I didn't know the situation- were they homeless, etc.? I finally got the whole story. There is one, a little girl who I call, "Lil Girl" who pretty much has re-transplanted herself to my property. I treated her for tapeworms and I have been giving her Advantage thru the summer. I was worried about her being so small, even tho she's about 5 yo, so I kept feeding her quality food to beef her up, even after determining her sort-of home situation. But now she is a permanent resident pretty much at my front door. She is there every morning waiting for me and in the evening. It so sad because I do not own my house and my landlord needs his house back and I am moving the weekend after next. I don't know what to do? The other outdoor cats who I feed are just occasional visitors-- they will be fine without me and I will have a talk with all the neighbors about calling me if something happens and I was going to leave a couple bags of expensive, quality food with the lady up the street to feed them, etc. I know I will stop by a lot to check on them because I am very tied to the neighborhood by exercise classes I attend, etc. But I am really upset about the Lil Girl. I can't tell if she just hangs out with me and at my house JUST BECAUSE I feed her and she likes my food better or because she likes me? I worry about the effect of my leaving on her? She'll be waiting for me the next morning and I won't show? My landlord is allergic to cats and I doubt he will be feeding them (I have to have a talk with him about at least being nice to them tho and letting him know they will be at the door for a while until they "figure it out." He's young and a hippy/nature person, so he will be cool about it, he just won't be the cat-person that I was). But everytime I think about Lil Girl, I just want to cry. She's beautiful, but she's a top banana- she's runs roughshod over the much larger outdoor boy cats- three and 4 times her size! It's already going to be crazy enough at my mom's house trying to integ
OT: Question about outdoor cat
This is my final question I promise. But it's been looming over my head for a long time now and it's really distressing me. I know I have told you all that my street has neighborhood 24/7 outdoor cats that technically belong to a lady a few houses up from me. But all the neighbors kind of look after them and some feed/keep water out. The lady who brought them to the street "rescued" them from her sister- whom she said wasn't taking care of them- the sister had not spayed/neutered. She got connected with one of the local agencies and had them all fixed for a discount (she is low income). She already has five indoor cats so these cats became outdoor cats. Almost all of them have clipped ears (except one) that show they have been fixed. Some of them started out as indoor/outdoor and then I guess found they liked being like colony cats better so they pretty much stay out year round. She has a front porch where she has boxes set up for them in the winter, etc. They are all male, except for one. I started feeding them too myself when I moved to the street over a year ago because I didn't know the situation- were they homeless, etc.? I finally got the whole story. There is one, a little girl who I call, "Lil Girl" who pretty much has re-transplanted herself to my property. I treated her for tapeworms and I have been giving her Advantage thru the summer. I was worried about her being so small, even tho she's about 5 yo, so I kept feeding her quality food to beef her up, even after determining her sort-of home situation. But now she is a permanent resident pretty much at my front door. She is there every morning waiting for me and in the evening. It so sad because I do not own my house and my landlord needs his house back and I am moving the weekend after next. I don't know what to do? The other outdoor cats who I feed are just occasional visitors-- they will be fine without me and I will have a talk with all the neighbors about calling me if something happens and I was going to leave a couple bags of expensive, quality food with the lady up the street to feed them, etc. I know I will stop by a lot to check on them because I am very tied to the neighborhood by exercise classes I attend, etc. But I am really upset about the Lil Girl. I can't tell if she just hangs out with me and at my house JUST BECAUSE I feed her and she likes my food better or because she likes me? I worry about the effect of my leaving on her? She'll be waiting for me the next morning and I won't show? My landlord is allergic to cats and I doubt he will be feeding them (I have to have a talk with him about at least being nice to them tho and letting him know they will be at the door for a while until they "figure it out." He's young and a hippy/nature person, so he will be cool about it, he just won't be the cat-person that I was). But everytime I think about Lil Girl, I just want to cry. She's beautiful, but she's a top banana- she's runs roughshod over the much larger outdoor boy cats- three and 4 times her size! It's already going to be crazy enough at my mom's house trying to integrate my declawed Izzee with my mom's hissing, scratching Tally, my mom's new Humane Society dog who doesn't like Tally/cats and is still trying to kill Tally (they are working on it) and then my three crated foster kitties! Ironically, I think the foster kitties will have the smoothest transition! They don't ask for much! My mom and I have gone round and round about what to do about Lil Girl b/c my mom likes her too and worries about her. Before I got the foster kittens, I thought about taking her with me. I'm pretty sure the lady up the street would let me have her b/c that would be one less mouthbut I don't know if Lil Girl could become a house cat? Would she be happy, or is there some colony-cat psychology that I would be interfering with? I fear she would kill Izzee and Tally given the chance-- or at least beat them up. Lil Girl is not feral tho- I can pick her up and hold her- tho it's not her fave thing. She seems to just "perfer" to be outside, so it's like she's somewhere in between, so she presents such a problem for me!? I just don't know what to do? I need advice! Reassurance? -Caroline _ Help yourself to FREE treats served up daily at the Messenger Café. Stop by today. http://www.cafemessenger.com/info/info_sweetstuff2.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_OctWLtagline