They're Back!

valanhb

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Glad to hear everything went well with Mom. (She really needs a name...
) Thanks for the update. I hope you can catch the little orange kitten for the lady at the vet's office. And please, keep updating us! I can't be the only one keeping up with your feral family saga.
 

jeanie g.

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Great! This is all going so well. Now DADDY KITTY, get in that trap! Good for our little orange kitten. I agree with Heidi. Mom needs a name. So does DAD. I think he's a Don Juan or Casanova.
 
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ldg

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After spending several hours up on the hill in the woods near their burrow, Mommy & Kittens disappeared for another venture. Expect (hope) they'll be back soon. We're prepared for when they show up - we found a home for the chocolate/grey (Lazlo's "twin")! YIPPEEEE!!
We had to take Laz and Shel in for the follow-up vaccinations yesterday, and, thankfully, apparently all the people working at the Vet are cat lovers. Shel and Laz both have a "twin" kitty, so we're down to just one that needs a home.

You're so right about the names - but Mommy just has to be Mommy - we've been calling her that for several months now. We love Don Juan for Dad, thanks for the suggestion! We haven't seen Donny around lately, but there is a newcomer. I don't know if it's a feral or just a neighbor's cat. We immediately named him the unoriginal Shadow. He's a BEAUTIFUL all black cat. I doubt he's feral, his coat was gorgeous, but he did not have on a collar. He just slipped by on the "cat trail" while we were outside feeding Booger. Never seen him before - I so hope he belongs to someone and heads back home.
 

hissy

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Ferals quickly spread the word. You will soon be amazed at how many suddenly *appear* out of the woodwork, or in this case the forest. I just want to thank you for all you are doing. The vet care cost alone can be staggering. I know a huge reward is waiting for you down the road for caring for what most people would just ignore! Your place is now a safeguard for these neglected kitties, and more will be showing up.
 
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ldg

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We're happy to take care of any and all who show up, and the Vet is working with us, too. We're not getting discounts, but when the cats get spayed they're not charging us for boarding while they recouperate before we re-release them, and they're allowing us to pay over several months instead of all at once.

As you know, we'd primarily been taking care of just the one family. We keep clean water up there all the time, but we only put food out when we know the family is around. We live near the wilderness in the midst of lots of farms, so we're afraid of attracting skunks, possums, (foxes?), or just feeding the squirrels. And while I doubt our cat food would attract bears, there are a lot of them around here, and one that was a problem over the winter last year. But do we leave food out only when we know there's a cat or cats around? Or should we put food out at a certain time, and bring it in before we go to bed if it hasn't been eaten? Or just leave it out, and feed what comes?


Thanks, again, for the advice. Actually, I just remembered there's a resource link Hissy posted recently. I'll go check that out, too. Thanks!
 

hissy

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My way is that I feed only during certain times in the day, but at night the food stays out all the time. I feed in cookie trays propped on wood to keep it up off the ground and so the bugs don't find it first. All sorts of cats come out here at night to feed. I had a feral feeder, a raised platform with a ramp that the cats could go up and feed safely on, but I knocked it down awhile back because the big old orange feral that I can't trap was abushing kitties while they were on it. It worked well though especially when the rain starts so will probably build another one soon. Also I scrub out the trays everyday with bleach/water vinegar combination to cut down on disease.
 

lotsocats

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I put the food in a bowl inside an upside-down laundry basket with a small hole cut in the side. I then weight the basket down with a big block of concrete. This keeps out the dogs and all but the baby racoons. However, the birds feel free to go in and steal the food. I feed my ferals during the day to cut down on the number of racoons that come to the house.
 

hissy

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I also tried a similiar trick. Took a rubbermaid trash can with lid (secure fitting lid) cut a hole in the side near the bottom of it and filled it with dry food. The food spilled out of the hole, and when it was stuck, the cats just stuck their paw into the hole to release more BUT the racoons were quite adept at learning to remove the lids by jumping on top of the trash can, knocking it over and spilling out the contents. It was an expensive lesson to learn- now I free feed out of a bin that is secure and in the house.
 
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ldg

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We've decided to build a shelter akin to what is described on the resource website Hissy posted. We'll put food out mid-afternoon and leave it there until mid-evening. We'll make sure there's water - and we'll try to find out how many cats there are around here! Haven't seen "Daddy" or Shadow around since last sightings. And no sign of Mom since re-releasing her. Trapped orangie - posted a new thread about that story. Little grey one is still here, despite today's escapades with the trap. He has a home (still), when and if we can trap him. Still trying!
 

jeanie g.

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I think we'll all be almost as happy as you when we know the whole family's safe and happy!
 
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ldg

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Jeanie G. - I know! I get so caught up in all the trials and sagas of others' cat behaviour and health problems... (let alone people's personal current issues or problems!) It's part of what is so wonderful about this site.

 
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