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Hi everyone. Haven't posted in a while. Lost a cat. Took in some rescues. Rabies scare. Quarantine. Possum. But..... We've had a "visitor" all winter long although I only ever saw his head once or twice. He was a master at hiding. Unfortunately, my fat feral Patrick, was chewed up. Couple of...

Check Craigslist too. Sometimes people post missing pets there. I work in a town that is extremely vigilant about flyers on telephone poles, etc. It's worth checking. My guess....that cat is yours!

I've been lightly bitten many times with few or no problems. I've also been badly bit by a feral (7 spots with 2 down to the bone) and the infection started quite quickly. Within a few hours my hands were noticeably swollen. In that case, I was put on an antibiotic which cleared up the infection...

This is not unusual behavior for a feral / semi-feral cat. The point was made earlier about the cat only knowing you and that is very true. Since the new environment is altogether foreign, you become the only "known" part of all this. Cats, even more than people, like routine and familiarity...

I'm so happy that you wrote about Callie. There's no telling whether you'll see him again (I'm still waiting for a couple that are still on what I hope is a very long walk) but there's certainly no denying that you and Callie are now very different for your friendship to each other. Callie eats...

Yup. We care. A lot. Thank you. When I cross over, I'll be sure to check in with him. Many thanks!

Mimi had you and you had Mimi. I think that I'm living in a much better world for that. Thank you!

Your love and his legacy lives here with your words. I expect that you two will meet again someday. And I know that any doubts you have now will be replaced by unmeasured love. Bless your heart.

My thoughts are that the cat who wants to get out, will. The cat who accepts it, won't. Two weeks ago I decided to let a feral that I was acclimating since Memorial Day, come out into the shop. The shop was secured by latching the sliding doors and blocking them with a table. The next morning...

Hi. Welcome. I'm new myself but love it here. I'll give this a shot but there are some really experienced folks here that I'm sure can chime in with even better thoughts. Here's mine: - You're right. You'll need to catch the kitten. Sooner won't hurt. - If standard traps won't work (there are...

I think you're wonderful at making these kinds of decisions. Let's recap. You took charge and created a chance for the cat to be treated, sheltered, fed and cared for. You protected Chablis from a disturbance at a time when it was important to continue offering stability, love and comfort. You...

I think it is an appropriate thing to do. Here are some thoughts: -I agree with a gentle hiss. Use it sparingly. Think like a mother cat and reserve that vocalization for when you really want attention. Otherwise, it's just another thing you do. If you can provide physical intervention, such as...

I have to second what Norachan has said. It's important to begin sharing "space" and "contact". Getting close interaction goes a long ways towards full taming. Remember though, that we all have different personalities. My former ferals, birth brothers, were very different. At some point, one...

I still say that it takes time and some will never want to be picked up. Please don't confuse your desire to pick a cat up with their "need" to accept it. Some never will. Others get along with it and then hit their over-stimulation point and will lash out. Having said that, try a few things...

Short of finding the owner(s), a vet visit sounds like a great start. That said, my first reaction is that she feels the need to be defensive while eating. It could be because she's had to defend her food (or her right to eat it) in the past and now it's a way of life, or it could be that your...

Most semi-feral and feral kittens are a bit of a mystery. They have an emerging personality along with the fact that they are in different circumstances while they are acclimating. This makes the socialization process a little more complex. I wouldn't worry too much about the loud noises. Most...

Wow. I needed that. Lost Bullwinkle who changed my life.

My name is Jeff. A feral adopted ME a few years ago and we became fast friends. When she left us, I needed my barn to house life again so I took in two ferals that, as kittens, survived being thrown against a dumpster and then months of living in a swamp. They came to me over a year old but we...

Since you already have some outstanding advice regarding the cats, let's talk about you. Having fostered (which is kind of what you're doing) dogs and cats, I really feel for loss and separation when you've invested time and heart into an animal that you truly care about. The goodbye is tough...

Follow your heart, not your head. You can always rationalize how it's OK to wait a little longer even when your heart says it's time. Vets give good insight but keep your cat in mind, first and foremost, so that your last memories are not filled with pain, suffering and heartache. All my cats...