Community Chat

[kittymomNC]

I just have to thank all of you who try to take care of feral or stray cats! There are just too many cats (and dogs) who need someone to care, and too few people who do. I did manage to rescue one little boy, about 6 months old, who kept coming into my yard. It was in the winter, and I kept putting food out, not knowing if he was the one getting it. Then he started coming close to the house, and took up residence underneath a wrought iron thing that holds firewood behind my house-I could see him from the window. Eventually I found him early one morning in the carrier I put out with blankets inside and out, and food just outside. He started coming closer to me and not running away, so I finally got my vet's Adoption Program to agree to take him, although they were full up at the time. (I've been going there for 25 years-I don't think they could turn me down when I cried about this little cat!) I opened my French doors one morning and put the carrier just inside the door with food in it - he ventured in for the food and I shut the carrier door. He was adopted within two weeks after the vets gave him his shots, neutered, etc. I didn't want to give him up, but my cat with kidney disease is about to break the bank, and she comes first. So thanks to all of you for all you do for these needy little animals!

[violann]

Still have hopes! Maggie (named after my mom who was notoriously skittish lol) slept in her protected, insulated bed for at least part of last night and popped out for breakfast as soon as she heard the back door unlocked this morning. She has to be one smart kittie to have survived the weather since she disappeared. SO GLAD to see her again this morning!

[sue52]

I think you guys are the greatest for taking care of feral kitties!

[Feline Fine]

Bless you & DH, and sweet (& very smart) little Maggie!

I'm sending up super-positive prayers, good vibes, & groovy energy that she will finally allow herself to get caught by you both. 8)

Please know that you are "doing the best", by the way. Plus, the first skittish Maggie (LOL) is probably helping to guide her namesake closer to you & hubs.

[beastielove]

violann..

I love the name Maggie because I once had a beautiful black kitty that I named Maggie. I rescued her and her sister Samantha (who's a beige and brown Tabby) when I found the two of them curled up on a sidewalk, up against a building, near my office. The were barely 2 months old at the time.

About 1 1/2 years ago my beloved Maggie developed a very aggressive and fast moving form of cancer and within five days of being diagnosed I was holding her in my arms at the vet's office, covering her head with kisses and tears as she was getting ready to make her journey to The Bridge.

I pray that your Maggie continues to thrive and that she fills your life with her unconditional kitty love for a long time.

-------------------------------------------------------

All of my children have paws =^..^=

[mewsmomtoo]

Hi Violann, thank you so much for caring for this little kitty. I hope you will try to trap him/her. While it's true your local animal care & control will euthanize her if you drop her there, they might have a feral spay/neuter program-many do. If they don't, they likely can refer you to one and depending on how big of a town/city you live in, there are other spay/neuter clinics that will operate on a feral as long as you are willing to have her back. It's called TNR-trap, neuter, return. If you tell me the general area you live in, I will get back to you with some resources. You can also go to www.alleycat.org for more info on TNR and ferals in general. Thanks again for having such a generous heart when it comes to the kitties.

P.S. For those of you trying to trap and not having much luck, I have had success with canned mackerel and Kentucky Fried Chicken (not together LOL). Thanks everybody for all your hard work!

[violann]

Thank you, mews. We believe she MAY be a spayed female, hence the name "Maggie". She still acts just as wary as in her previous visit, but now she's been staying in her bed until DH actually opens the door and goes out to get the paper. It's so cute to watch her get up and have a relaxed stretch before breakfast! By summer, I'm still hoping that if I sit still with a smelly treat in my hand I might be able to entice her to come closer to me. We'll see!

[catlvr4]

One way to tell if a cat has been spayed/ neutered already is their left ear will be clipped. Meaning the tip of their ear is cut off. We had a kitty show up on Christmas Eve 2012 and her ear was clipped. We brought her into our house about a week later and she has had no problem staying indoors! More power to those of you helping the feral kitties!

[JLLH358]

Violann, thank you - and others here - for what you're doing for ferals. They don't ask to be in the situation they are in. It's a human-created problem. I would NEVER consider killing to be better than the life they have. While it's not ideal, as long as they have access to food and shelter and the occasional vet care as needed, they can do fine. (Some are "barn cats" and live just fine on what they catch - and pay their rent by keeping their area free of rodents, lol!) It's not "euthanasia" unless the animal is suffering with no hope of recovery. (How I HATE the use of that word to cover killing for space and the widespread killing of ferals because they're not domesticated! When will our society understand that there is a place for ferals, too? They are NOT a menace that needs to be eradicated, nor do they have the worst life imaginable. It's not ideal by our "domesticated pet" standards, but it's a life and it's theirs and they have every right to it.) Ok - enough ranting. Please don't give up on this baby. She needs you. If you do manage to trap her, please make sure you take her to a vet who comprehends how to work with ferals. If there's a TNR program in your area which works with rescues, there will be one they use. I would NEVER permit my vet, or any other, to kill her because she's not domesticated!!

[violann]

We still see our little love about 3 times every day, and she still sleeps sometimes in her custom built insulated sleeping box. She will come to about 3 feet of my hand, but not closer, still better than she was last Fall. The "kill" issue is excruciating to me, because our property is chock full of animals who could be dangerous to Maggie, and having seen the effects of their attacks, I would find it hard to bear her having to endure contact with them. When she came back to us after her absence, there were what looked like healed puncture marks on her back, but I'll never know why. I still believe that if she once experiences the sensation of a gentle ear scratch she will realize that there are loving humans available to her. Hoping so.