somebody help me... HELP

[jcribbs]

We have an outside colony of 16 plus three house cats.  We have cared for this same colony for quite a few years.  Some were feral and others were dumped or homeless.  We have even relocated them twice with job moves.  Currently we live in the middle of 200 acres so they have it made as far as a cat's life.  Quite a few of them have issues also involving broken legs, missing limbs, partial blindness, etc... or they were just homeless.  This little family eventually will be incorporated into the colony, probably by next spring. 

I can pet and handle them all with ease.  They love my husband, but he is not able to handle probably half of them. They know my cat call and come to me by name or by cat call.  They don't do this for my husband. 

 

[jcribbs]

life is good.JPG

• jcribbs
• Oct 11, 2012

  Mama says "Life is good again"...

 

[jcribbs]

I want to thank everyone for their help.  I am signing over and out on this thread unless something undo happens and I need kitten advice.     Others need to be on top of the forum list to get the help they need.  And I will try and offer my advice and help as well.  I have received a lot of help on this site through the  years.  This is probably the best website for cats and their general well being than any I have ever seen.  The people who run it or planned it are angels.

Thanks again for all the wonderful advice on trapping.  Could not have done it without you experienced guys and gals sharing with me.  This was my first trapping experience.  I hope to never have to go through the worry of starving kittens again and trying to catch them.  You guys that do it all the time -- well, my hats off to you.  I don't know how you do it time and time again. It is very emotional and I suspect could be heartbreaking and you are a better person than I am for being able to put all your emotions aside and TRN on a constant daily side job.  I don't know how you do it.  It takes so much out of you, or it least it did me.  It was the first thing I thought about each morning --> you know --> is some animal caught in the trap?  Before I caught the kitten, we caught a possum and a racoon, which we set free.  Oddly enough, on that same lot, they were very fat and sassy.   As much trouble as I had catching these babies, I feel I was lucky in actually catching them.  I was lucky that mama was some dumped animal.  Had she been feral, none of this would have been possible.  It was hard to get them.  I cannot even imagine or fathom how emotional it is to do this on a daily basis.  Wow......  With a feral mama, I can see how it would be so much more difficult.

We had always said, we would never rescue any more kitties as ours are getting old and we want to retire one day, but then these were right in our face and we had three choices. "Save the babies and the mama" or "just the mama and the babies die" or "do nothing".  A man on my job said I should let nature just take it's course, but I do not think there is nothing natural about starving kittens when I have the mama and they don't have the skills to hunt.  And even with mama's skills at hunting, food was pretty scarce in that lot or she would not have been so skinny.  Most prey hunters in an abundant area are not skinny.  I just could not watch that happen.  At night after dark on my job, when I would be outside taking a break, I could hear them crying for their mama after I had saved her.  They wanted her and she wanted them.  

This is the driveway by an old building foundation where they were situated.  My job is just to the left on the other side of the street.  Their cries at night are what drove me..  Everyone at my job heard them crying.  Mama would try to hunt birds in that mowed area after a rain to feed them and to feed herself.  We all watched her get skinnier and skinnier.

lot.JPG

• jcribbs
• Oct 11, 2012

Rescuing them was not a planned thing, but I do feel good about our decision to save one little family once again.  We are a little displaced right now with the new additions, but... we can sleep at night with a clear conscious knowing we did the right thing.  Kittens are a joy to watch.  My little husband has still not seen them because when they get tucked in, they do not move until mama calls them.  I'm going to spend the day with them in my bedroom because I feel part of the rescue process is releasing their fear and my presence is the first step.

So once again --THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR RESCUE!!!

Jenn 

 

[otto]

Congratulations on the multiple rescues. If it weren't for people like you in the world, I don't think I could get out of bed in the morning. :heart3:

 

[catmom5]

Had to check this morning - and I am so happy for the very good news.

They are all beautiful and will have a much better life than they ever could have had outdoors.

Bless your heart for being so persistent. You have saved 3 lives!

catmom5
 

 

[jcribbs]

Oh my gosh...  Today, 3-4 times I petted the smallest kitten in about the space of one hour.  It was in the den I made.  I put a pillow down and lay on the pillow and just stretched my arm out.  It's little ears were flat as a pancake, and it hissed, but I just kept on.  I scratched by it's little ear and slowly but surely, the little ears relaxed and stood back up.  I handled it's legs, body, face...  I touched it all over talking in the same tone of voice I used under the shed.  That was the first time.

The second time it hissed, but the ears were not flat.  I just repeated the touching process..

The third and fourth time no hissing. And I continued to touch..and it licked Evo off my finger tips.  That moment of trust, even though it is still unsure, is the sweetest thing.  As a reward, I put Evo in a litle tray and put it in the crate and the baby ate the Evo with my head in the crate while I talked to it.  I tried to pet while it ate, but it just backed up.  And that's okay.

I kept the sessions short so it would not be terribly stressed.   Husband also touched the little one and it hissed at him.  I told him not to give up.

The larger one was behind the bed while this occured.  And mama was right under my arm watching every move I made, but she was good about it..  I can't crawl behind the bed for the larger one, but it does get in the den too.  Tomorrow or tonight I'll try to do the same thing to that one.

PROGRESS........!!!  Oh, I also made sheet bumper pads for the babies, so they feel like they are snuggled.  They have a hole to snuggle down in their den now.  Evidently that's what they like.  You  know, getting in the comforter roll and the pillow case.....etc...

 

[jcribbs]

Ruby, you were wanting to see some additional pics of some of my other cats....

Here's a couple pics I just took.  They are wanting supper.

The one up front is Jimmy.  The other black cat is cookie and that's Hank on the table.

fat for winter.jpeg

• jcribbs
• Oct 11, 2012

The cat looking up is Toe Kitty and the little female is Tink.  We've had Toe the longest.  He was 5 weeks old when my son brought him home.  Toe loves everyone.  All the others in these pics hide if anyone but me or my husband is around.  They are invisible cats.

toe.jpeg

• jcribbs
• Oct 11, 2012

And here's a link..  this is actually a link about Jimmy, but there are tons of pics of my other cats at this link as well.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/237154/jimmy-update

 

[jcribbs]

OMG, the smallest baby bit my toes all night through the covers. I would pull my feet along and pit pounced!! 

Also say mama call them to the litter box to make them use it.

 

[mani]

I'm so glad you're giving us a running report, jcribbs.. I keep coming back to see how things are going.

It's just wonderful the way they are responding.

 

[feralvr]

life is good.JPG

• jcribbs
• Oct 11, 2012

  Mama says "Life is good again"...

SHE is SO TINY!!!! and SO adorable. Looks like a kitten herself. SO glad to hear the wonderful updates. The kittens sound like they are really enjoying their new life and are really coming around. Continued for more positive updates!!

 

[jcribbs]

Husband is actually sleeping in the bedroom tonight.  He laughed when I told him about my toes last night.  They will probably get his tonight.  They seem to be sleeping on our feet with mama but being kittens, they just like to pounce.  I don't think they are aware that the movement under the covers is connected to the people in the room.....hahaha

I also petted BOTH kittens tonight in their den .  The larger one was not as responsive.  He had quite the hiss.  He remained stiff the entire time I petted him.  I am going to have to work double hard with him to get him tame.  He is wilder and not as quick to trust.  What I see in his future is only having trust for myself and my husband.  This was the kitten I scruffed to catch.  He is going to be a challenge.  He has a very different personality than the smaller one.  I could tell that when we were under the shed as well.

The small one is walking slower through the room as it gains trust.   Not running from me as long as I move easy and talk quietly.  I can tell this is going to be very rewarding.  

They are the most precious little things I have seen in a long time and gaining their trust is my goal.  I hope before winter, they will be lap kitties.  I can't let them out of the bedroom until they come to me and let me pick them up, otherwise I will lose them in our huge house..

Now time for bed...
 

 

[jcribbs]

SHE is SO TINY!!!! and SO adorable. Looks like a kitten herself. SO glad to hear the wonderful updates. The kittens sound like they are really enjoying their new life and are really coming around. Continued

for more positive updates!!

She is enjoying being spoiled as well...  It just kills me because I can tell she belonged to someone at one point in her life.  She knew about litter boxes and love and being petted.  When we were at the site trying to get her babies, she would come and go in the lot where I could not follow but she would always come back to me.  But at the same time, she hid from anyone else that might venture by.  She has put her complete trust in me with her babies.  I am truly honored by this.  She actually brought her babies to me so I could catch them.  I know she did and now she watches me with them.  She is pretty amazing.  She is slowly gaining weight and looking better.

The babies have been wormed and defleaed with DE.  It's the only thing I am comfortable using on them at this point.  It is in their bed and in every morsel of food they eat.  The pictures don't show it so much, but they are skinny.  I can feel their little ribs and their tail bones.  Just like mama.  I can tell she feels better eating good food so I am sure they feel better too.  I have seen no sign on worms on mama.  I think I got them all with the profender and I have seen no signs of fleas either.  But I am going to keep using the DE for a couple week and when they get a little weight on them, I'll see about using something else.  I'm just not too keen on using chemicals on them right now. 

 

[don1945]

Isn't it just the best feeling to know you have saved a little life from a horrible existance ?    Every time I am with Snowball she gets a little more comfortable with me.  Always jumps up on my lap and stared into my eyes then does her kneeding dough and then takes a long nap on my lap.

Don

She loves to sit in the window between my office and shop and watch me work.

my rpu building final bed 012.JPG

• don1945
• Oct 12, 2012

 

[bastfriend]

I'm so glad things are going well! 

  I have to ask what is "DE"?
 

 

[jcribbs]

Don she is beautiful.  I have a male that looks nearly like her.  And yes, it is an awesome feeling......

I'm so glad things are going well! 

  I have to ask what is "DE"?

DE is Diatomaceous  Earth.  The kind I buy is called Pure Earth.  I buy food grade 50 lb bags.  It is for fleas, worms, gardens and many other things.  It is a type of flour made of either ground of sea shells or fresh water shells.  It is not harmful as long as it is food grade.  It kills bugs with an exoskeleton by piercing their bodies and then causing the bugs to dehydrate causing death.  Therefore, bugs cannot develop an immunity to it.  I've been putting a teaspoon in the babies food and also have it in their bedding.  I put it in my garden in the spring.  Keeps grasshoppers and critters from eating my plants.  

ON THE KITTENS THIS MORNING:

More toe biting last night.  Only this time, the baby saw me watching and played.  They have their new kitty balls and all night rolled them around on the concrete floor.  I slept to the sound of little jingles all night.  Also the little one actually touched her nose to my finger tip.  They are also sitting on the foot of the bed when I am laying down because mama does.  And their litter box habits are so funny.  They take turns.  One will be in the box and the other watches and then they trade places.  They dig for 15 minutes trying to get the spot just right and then they do their little job and cover it.  Just so sweet to see little babies learning.

Also, they are batting at my fingers when they are hid behind something.  They are trying to play with me. 

One thing I noticed mama doing this morning.  She  held one of them by the front of the throat.  Is that normal?  I have never seen a mama cat do that.  The baby was limp.  I made her let it go.  Anyone ever seen this type of behavior before?   The kitten did not act like it was hurt.  But before this occurred, the kitten was just sitting there by mama.  It wasn't doing anything that I could see that would need correcting.  She just grabbed it and held it in this manner.   

 

[jcribbs]

Don, this is snoopy.  He loves to be loved on, but hates being held....  He is a sweetheart like snowball.    He has light blue eyes but in this pic you can't tell.  Him and Snowball could be twins....  He even has the same kind of tail that she does.. Cat genetics are a funny thing. 

snoopy.jpeg

• jcribbs
• Oct 13, 2012

 

[feralvr]

She is enjoying being spoiled as well...  It just kills me because I can tell she belonged to someone at one point in her life.  She knew about litter boxes and love and being petted.  When we were at the site trying to get her babies, she would come and go in the lot where I could not follow but she would always come back to me.  But at the same time, she hid from anyone else that might venture by.  She has put her complete trust in me with her babies.  I am truly honored by this.  She actually brought her babies to me so I could catch them.  I know she did and now she watches me with them.  She is pretty amazing.  She is slowly gaining weight and looking better.

The babies have been wormed and defleaed with DE.  It's the only thing I am comfortable using on them at this point.  It is in their bed and in every morsel of food they eat.  The pictures don't show it so much, but they are skinny.  I can feel their little ribs and their tail bones.  Just like mama.  I can tell she feels better eating good food so I am sure they feel better too.  I have seen no sign on worms on mama.  I think I got them all with the profender and I have seen no signs of fleas either.  But I am going to keep using the DE for a couple week and when they get a little weight on them, I'll see about using something else.  I'm just not too keen on using chemicals on them right now. 

I know... it just breaks my heart to think of what some of these kitties have been through in their past. Somehow they seem to forgive humans and can still show great love and trust in us. :heart3:

I think DE is the greatest find! And it is so safe and effective. I have also used Profender on older kittens. It is a one time spot-on treatment and takes care of all worms. I do use it again in three weeks, though. :lol3: I just find it hard to believe that it will kill the eggs too.

It is incredibly kind and loving of both you and your husband to continue to put yourselves out there to rescue and save kitties lives. You are both very good people and this little family is going to survive now because of you. :heart3:

OH - the throat hold... not sure on that one. :dk: I would think if the kitten was in any stress or fear she would have screamed out. This must be a normal mother cat behavior. Who knows what momma was teaching her baby. I don't have much experience with this, though.

 

[jcribbs]

I'll check the date that I used it on the mama and I'll redo her at the three week point.  It's probably getting close to two weeks.  I can probably look on one of my posts at the date.  I never knew about profender until I was searching on line for a way to worm the mama.  I figured she had tape worms since I saw fleas on her.  Right now, between that and the comfortis, she is bug free.  If the babies had fleas, hopefully they jumped on mama.   I think I read if they bite once, after a comfotis application, they die.   I love that stuff.  I use it on my dogs during the summer as well.  I only discovered that this last year.  We have always used a combo of frontline plus and DE.  But times are changing.

Now I'm off to do baby things.  Time to feed them and see if I can get them to play with me...

 

[feralvr]

That is what I appreciate about Profender, it kills the tape worm too. One treatment is all that is needed for tape worm. BUT I just feel like I am covering all bases by doing a second dose three weeks later. for those darling little ones!!! :rub:

 

[bastfriend]

That DE sounds like useful stuff!    I have so much trouble with insects on my plants but hate to use toxic stuff.   Do you have to worry about the kittens breathing in dust or dust getting their eyes?