I finally let them go... - Page 2

Day 5 7PM

We are having lunar eclipse tonight. I watched the moon for 15 min or so.
After going back inside, Torako came out for dinner. I am sure she was watching me and waiting for me to go away.
I opened the door and took very good look at her!!! She didn’t run right away, but didn’t feel comfortable enough to eat with me there. So she went back to her den. (Juniper tunnel)
I sat by the sliding door at our kitchen computer desk and kept browsing.
Then Torao came by. He was looking at me for 30 seconds or so. I covered my face with my hand and peeked at him. Then he walked away.

Their faces look more like ferals now. I hope they would ease up in the future.
I miss petting them and playing with them. I miss hearing them purr with me.
I wonder if they would ever do that again? Would Konne allow me to touch her?
Would Torako play with my daughter like she did before?
They are having big adventure outdoor now. Too busy to think about me...

I hope Torami is OK. If I wouldn’t have trapped them, she wouldn’t have survived on her own. She was the smallest and shy.
Maybe I should make feeding station inside their den….

Thanks, Nekochan.

How did your feral do after letting him free? Did he continue to sleep on your porch?
Did he come back to eat your food?

Day 6 7AM

Some wet food is left but mostly eaten.
If only 2 kits are eating, then that's about right amount of consumption.

I left little bit of dry food in the den and 1/3 has been eaten.
I wonder why they are not eating the same amount like they use to inside?
Maybe they were eating more because they were bored?

Last night, something remarkable happened.
I went to the kitchen around 10:30PM and noticed Torao peeking inside.
As soon as he noticed me, he run away.
I went out and sat on the porch then noticed him watching me from a distance.
So, I brought Da Bird out there. He was ready to play and pounce!!
Then, started to hear meow from the den.
He went back half way, I swung Da Bird more, then he came back again to play.
Then lauder meow. I think Konne was calling him back.
Torao went back to the den and I heard gentle meow meow.

When they were inside, 10PM play time was my routine. I sat in their room and played with them for 1 hour. Once Torao chased Da Bird so much that he was panting like a dog.
I shall start my 10PM play time again to see if they will come back to it.

Night before they were set free, Torami ate shiny Mylar string from Da Bird. I hope that came out from her body OK

Day 6 8PM

Between 2PM and 3PM, someone cleaned up the left over wet food.
I didn’t have cat cam aimed at the feeding area, so there was not buffered image.
Half of dry food in the den was eaten, too. I hope Torami is eating…

Torako was the first one to come for dinner.
When we saw her, my daughter opened the door. She backed off a little, but investigated Da Bird my daughter was flinging. Pounced at it once and run away.
When she came back again, we tried not to bother her.
We went away from the kitchen for a while, and when we came back, 2 kits run out of the cat house!!!!
It was Torako and Torao. A toy from cat house was dragged outside, too. Catnip must have lured them in there. They should know it’s a nice cozy place with a lot of their belongings…. It is right by the door, though.

I hope they would associate opening door sound = good things like before.
Last summer, they often came running toward patio as soon as hearing the sound of unlocking the sliding door.

Rain is forcasted for tonight. It will be the first rain since they went out. I hope they wouldn't catch cold.

Day 7 10PM

Only Torao sighting today. And he didn’t come out until 9:30pm.
We had roofers come and measure our roof twice today. Maybe that scared them.

I really want to see Konne and Torami before leaving town.

I wonder if Konne is telling kits firmly not to show themselves too much.
Kits were 4 months old when I brought them inside. I wonder Konne is resuming her teaching to kits? I have read feral moms are very strict.

I will keep porch light on tonight. I hope they will show and eat. I hope to capture Konne or Torami…

Day 8 8PM

Torami sighting at 6:30PM!!

I am so glad she is alive. But her fur looked dull and scruffy. She only ate a little bit of wet food. My daughter said she looked sick and unhappy. I hope she is OK …

Still no Konne sighting. Did she move on to somewhere else?? I really want to see her before we leave.
I modified feeding area in the den. It is now covered and has water dispenser. Dry food was all eaten up this morning. They much like that spot.

I was actually surprised to see all three kits together so early tonight. In the morning, we had another roof guy. In the afternoon, my daughter was playing in the yard with her friend. (That girl visited cats in the room before.)
Torako came right after I put food out and called them. I ended up scaring her by opening the door, though. Then Torami came and I saw all three kits in the yard together!!
Torao has been going back and forth in the patio. He looks content and healthy. His fur is as shiny and sleek as before. I wonder if he wants to play with me???

Miraculously, daytime temperatures have been around 50 here and no rain. This trend it forecasted to continue for at least 5 more days!! God must have heard my payer…

Thanks Katie.

Her name is pronounced "Ko-Ne". In Japanese, "Ne-Ko" means a Cat. (I am originally from Japan)
My mom's family cats were always named "Ko-Ne".
And I had gray tabby just like my kits when I was in Japan. Her name was Tora.
That's "Tigre" in Japanese.
She was indoor-outdoor cat and lived up to almost 20 years old.
I have so many memories with her.

2/25/08

My heart is bleeding tonight.
Hilary communicated with Konne, and she is not feeling well.
Konne ate something which made her sick. According to Hilary, Konne is not dying or anything like that. Which gave me relief. She is recuperating under deck with furniture on top of it. She is either across the street or across the driveway. Her location is lower than our house.
I never told Hilary about our neighborhood being hilly. And almost all of houses across from us with deck is lower than us.

Hilary suggested not to do anything. I may go look for her, but don't try to catch her or disturb her.
I walked in to the neighbor's backyard which had deck and furniture on top of it. But couldn't spend much time to look for her.

My mind was so consumed with cat that I manage to forget about today being my husband birthday. He was very upset. On top of that, Hilary called back about Konne while he was there. I visibly became upset about the news and that annoyed him even more.
I really wanted to do more search, but had to take my daughter to the swimming lesson.

When we got back from dinner about 7:30, Torao and Torako were waiting for us. Torako was already eating dry food. I put out wet food and she came. My daughter manage to touch her!!! She almost played with Da Bird, but I ended up scaring her.
I wonder if kits are all staying with Konne. Hilary believed so, but I am not sure. I hope they are not. Staying in my backyard is much safer…. I wonder Torao took over alpha duty in absence of Konne??

We are going to Disneyland tomorrow. I really don't want to go. Why did I let cats go!!!! I shouldn't ask "Why". It's done now. I should think about how to improve the situation. If Konne keeps hiding, I have to help her out....
I may contact Hiraly again…. Yes, I am money pig. But I work hard for it and I earn enough to do that….

Thanks Kaitie.
You and your kitties must be enjoying summer weather!
We came from place which 80 degrees being "too hot".
It was little too hot to walk around in the park.

So far kits have been visiting our patio every night.
They are not tired of dry food yet!
I saw Torao looking at the sliding door. Probably he was wondering where his house folks has gone.

I feel much better about Konne.
Coming over here distracted my feeling and I am more optimistic.
I believe god brought my cats to me and it' all part of his plan…

3/1/08

There is no kitty sighting on cat cam last night.
Raccoon must be the cause.
It also looked wet out there. It must have be rainy.
They may not come out to eat when it's raining.

We are going home today. First thing I will do is to call my kittes.
Will they come out? Or they moved on to somewhere else???

Maybe I should try to trap that raccoon and turn him over to animal control...

3/1/08

Good to be home!!
It was pretty cold and drizzly here.
As soon as I came out of my car, I called out kitties names toward the street to let them know we are home.
I did the same thing to toward backyard.
But nobody came out… I was little sad and worried.
I put wet food out and after for a while, one of the kitties showed up! I think it was Torako… Then Torao finished off the plate.
But as soon as they noticed me, they run! I hope they will associate me with good food.
No raccoon sighting tonight. I hope he was just a transient.
Feeder still had half of food left, but bowl area was pretty bare.
That’s why raccoon was trying to mess with container portion of feeder??

I will start leaving food in regular bowl tomorrow.
I hope Konne is OK. I will ask Hilary again if I don't see her by 3/10.

3/2/08

We definitely have another gray tabby.
He cleaned up most of the wet food this evening!!

I had a chance to look at him close for a few minutes. Is he my kits' daddy???
If so, he must be wondering around again in search of female to mate.
All of my girls are spayed, but smell of other cats brought him here??
His tummy looked fat for a feral. Is he someone’s pet???
What shall I do in this situation?
Shall I trap him and neuter him? But if he happens to belong to someone, I shouldn't be doing that.
I wonder if other female cats ran away because of him???
I saw Torao eating tonight. He shows up every night.
Does that mean he gets along with daddy cat??

Still no Konne sighting. I hope she is OK. At least she knows how to hunt.
But other kits don’t. Or will they learn to survive that way?
They all know where the food is, though… If they are desperately hungry they know where to go.

I miss them very much. I hope one day they will all show up when I call for dinner.
They did that during summer up until I trapped them.

Thanks, Trudy.

I think he belongs to someone because of his cubby tummy....
I have never seen that cat before. He must have traveled from other area of our neighborhood.
I haven't seen any missing cat flyer in my area.
I may take a walk to other development around us to look for flyer.
Maybe I should put flyer for Konne!

If he happens to be a feral, I could take care of him.
Trapping him may be tricky...
I wonder if he would leave once he failed to find available female?