Our Outdoor Family

krz

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I am happy you found your kittens, it is such a worry when you care for ferals. I am caring for a stray at my husband's office, he has 2 shelters and he is offered to come inside, he lately has been staying outside, not really sure why since it is so cold, he must prefer the outdoors. But I am feeding a feral by my home, I never see her anymore but her food plate is empty every morning. I am positive it is not a raccoon because the plate is exactly where I leave it, just empty. I do not where she hides even though I have provided a shelter for her. I am planning to trap her this month and she can recuperate inside for a few days, I am positive she is a female but not sure if there are kittens out there somewhere. That is why I have put off trapping her, I am afraid she may have had kittens and I don't want them to be stranded without her until they are old enough. I'm glad you are giving those cats such good care.
 
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going nova

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A couple of nights ago, we re-trapped Quietus. Poor thing. She doesn't seem to hiss at me quite as much. I noticed tonight that she's limping, and of course, I'm worried. But there's only so much we can do at one time.

A couple of nights ago, I noticed that the black cat was sneezing.I didn't see him tonight. I hope he's OK. We haven't trapped him yet. I'm a bit worried because Nova's been sneezing today too. I hope I haven't helped to spread anything!

Our kitten, "Vesper" is now ready to be adopted out. I feel sad about letting her go to a new home, even though the time for that hasn't come yet. Tonight, we caught another kitten so we've got one in our bathroom and one in our laundry room. I've got a lot of work to do this week, so juggling them around will be... stressful. M and I are in disagreement about how picky to be about the prospective owners.
 
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going nova

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Our other kitten turned out to be a boy. He's a medium haired tabby, very cute. He's so so scared, but he tries to be brave. He's a little bit congested, so we're treating him for that. The black cat disappeared after my last post and reappeared tonight. We tried to trap the last kitten, because the nights are getting cold. Unfortunately, we didn't get him/her.

It's a zoo trying to juggle the kittens and Nova. Nova has a respiratory infection too. So, we've got 3 cats on Cefa drops. Loki is taking something for Giardia as a precaution. I'll be gone for most of this week, so my poor SO will be medicating, cleaning up after, and making appointments for all the cats.

We had Loki in a carrier in the restroom today as we cleaned the laundry room, and he and Vesper were hissing at each other. They lived together 3 weeks ago, why are they hissing?

Today at the pet store, Petsmart (can I say the name?), we met a group of ladies who adopt out kittens. We told (or rather my SO told) them about our feral babies and they welcomed us to bring them to their adoption days! This is great news for us, as our apartment is getting full of kittens... and we weren't getting many replies from interested persons.

When I took Loki to the vet's office the other day, one of the techs was complaining that many people were putting down rather than treating their pets because of the economy.


I really want these little ones to find nice homes. I would love to keep them all.
 
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going nova

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Wow, my last update was on Dec 15 at 2:17 AM. I was running on very little sleep, and my post was somewhat incoherent! I'm a little bit better rested this time.
I was gone most of the week and my SO took care of all of our cats! This was quite a feat as we now have Nova +3 kittens (we caught the last kitten!).

I have some great news! Vesper has a home! A very nice man who works with my SO wanted a cat, and he called about Vesper and they both really liked each other!
He will take her home in about a week. I guess in the meantime, I can get used to the idea that she's leaving us. My first foster kitty.


It's been very cold out. We have been trying hard to fatten up the adult cats by giving them kitten food and trying to feed them everytime we see them. Once they wander away, we take their food bowl in to avoid attracting wildlife. I'm trying to think of a way to provide them some shelter, but there isn't really a place in our parking lot where we might be able to put a shelter box for them. Maybe I'll come up with something.
 
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going nova

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Vesper's still got giardia. She's not showing symptoms, but it showed up in her fecal. I really want her to be able to go to her new home.

Loki seems OK but he and our latest kitten are both in the laundry room and I think they're passing the sniffles back and forth. They don't share food or water or litter boxes, just the breathing space. Everybody's got something going on.


Another grey and white adult cat has joined the feral colony since the kittens were brought in. (She looks a lot like Mater and Quietus! How many are there!?) So I guess we've got two more adults out there to spay/neuter. We need for Vesper to go to her new home because we're out of rooms to keep cats in.
 

psjauntie

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What a wonderful thing you are doing. I have three feral, or should I say they have me. I had them all spayed/nutered. They are a momma & her two babies. I can pick up and love on Momma & Smokie, but little Cali is such a pistol, she will rub all over my legs, even give me headbutts every once in awhile, but if you try to pet her, she hisses and has drawn blood on occasion. They are now part of the family, luckily we have a big garage so they can get out of the weather.

Keep up the good work, hope everyone's health issue's get resolved.
 

aswient

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What a terrific thing you are doing. i wish a lot more people would do this. I also trapped, neutered, released a litter of kittens, 6 and the mother, 2 girls 4 boys, I kept 2 of the kittens and released mother and 4 kittens. The two I took was a little more trusting. I would have taken the others but they would never have been able to be socialized, 2 of them destroyed the carriers they were put in and when I released them all the mom and 2 kittens ran off and I never saw them again. Which I feel so bad about. I am feeding the 2 that didin't run off. At least I know there will be no kittens from them. I have the 2 boys in my house, Wheezer and Patch, Wheezer had a URI when I picked him up (hence the name Wheezer). When ever I see a new cat around and am fairly certain they are not owned, I trapped them and get them spay/neutered. Good luck on your tremendous task. Prayers and that they all get well.
 
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going nova

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Thank you, everyone, for the kind words. When I feel overwhelmed by all of their health issues, I come back to this thread and read everyone's replies.

Today, Vesper can finally go home with her new owner!
Two more kittens to adopt out, hopefully as a pair because they're always together. (They were always together outside too.)

There are two more adults outside. One started coming around after we'd trapped the kittens. The new one is grey and white also. Not too long ago, we saw a different grey and white cat in another part of the complex. It makes me wonder just how many cats are homeless because a couple of bozos didn't get their cat(s) spayed/neutered.
 

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You are doing a great job! Just go slowly....I know at times it's overwhelming but think of what their lives would be like otherwise.
 

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Sorry for not posting sooner, although I have read through this thread and wanted to say how much I respect what you're doing for these cats.
I know it can seem overwhelming, especially when new cats keep showing up. I've experienced the same thing at my TNR site and in my own neighborhood. Just keep plugging away, though, and know that what you're doing is truly making a difference in these cats' lives. You're doing a wonderful thing!
 
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going nova

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No update in a while, not much has gone on. The kittens, two males (Loki and Zumzum), have been moved to our bathroom. They were getting restless and making huge messes when they were kept separate in the same room, so we let them be together. On Thursday, we'll get them both checked out (including a fecal) and then we'll work on adopting them out. We'll have to separate them at least for tonight to get a stool sample from each one. If they're all clear then it's adoption time.


I really want them to be adopted together. They nap together, play together, and are generally happier when they're with each other. The first time I drove Loki anywhere, he was so scared that he piddled. When it was time for them to get their booster shots, I put them in the same carrier and there weren't any messes.

I think it's generally easier to adopt out younger cats, so hopefully we can get them into a new home soon!

Socializing them has been a slow process. Loki is extremely shy, and still hisses when he's startled. He's never tried to scratch or bite, he's just very afraid. I do manage to pet them from time to time. Zumzum is easy- he relaxes quickly once you roll a ball at him or give him scritches. Progess with Loki is slow. In the past couple of days, he comes out when he sees the food scoop. Also, he pops onto the bathroom counter to see what I'm up to, but keeps his distance.

On a worrisome note, my SO saw the tom we haven't been able to trap trying to mate with a grey and white cat. Mater and Quietus, our two adult females, are grey and white but they were spayed 2 months ago. We've seen a third grey and white, but she hasn't been spayed, so I suppose it's urgent to get back to trapping the adults.


I'll end this post on a happy note- Vesper adjusted well to her new home. Her new owner said that she now sleeps on his bed at night and she enjoys playing with her many toys!
Isn't that funny? The little cat who used to scavenge in dumpsters is now sleeping on a warm, clean bed every night.
 
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going nova

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Woo! The lady who sets up at the Petsmart on Fridays, the one who invited us to bring our ferals in to adopt them out, let us in on an excellent resource.

In our area, there is a regional occupational program that trains people to be veterinary assistants. We took Zumzum, but left Loki at home because he is still very shy. We did, however, bring in a stool sample for each of them, and they did fecal exams. They gave Zumzum a checkup and he had his nails clipped, eyes cleaned, and his ears cleaned as well! Everything was free, and everybody was incredibly nice.

Their fecal exams looked good, so I guess it's time to look for adopters. I hope we can find a nice person who would like to take them both.
 
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going nova

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We maybe have a home for Loki and Zum, but they wouldn't be able to go until March. SO put up flyers at his work, but I didn't put any up in the department because the main part of our building is closed and doesn't get much traffic. Maybe I will walk around campus and let the people working in different offices know about the kitties.

I've been letting them out of the bathroom every once in a while. Zum loves to come out of the bathroom, he likes to play with Nova. Nova was initially excited about them, but doesn't seem to like for Zum to be in the main part of the house. She tried to bit his throat and belly!
So now, I only let them out if she's napping in the bedroom. I close her in and let them wander.

Loki just sort of peeks out. Today, he actually made it down the hall into the living room. Then he decided that he was afraid and went back to the bathroom. Then he came out again. He did this quite a few times... his curiosity is winning out.


I have a secial soft spot for Loki. He used to hiss at me, but now he enjoys petting and even gets comfortable when he's getting scritches.


I think, secretly, we don't want them to go. We haven't been looking for a new home for them as actively as we could...
 
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going nova

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Today, we took them both to the adoption day at our local PetSmart. Poor Loki was hyperventilating nearly the whole time. When he shifted in the kennel, I was able to pet him and his breathing slowed to a normal rate. I feel so bonded with this kitty, it'll break my heart to let them go.

I've tried letting them wander around the apartment sometimes, just in case they end up staying here. But Miss Nova still does not want to share her space with them. They are submissive and roll around on their backs, but she still goes after them and tries to bite their necks and bellies. Is this a sign of aggression or is she establishing dominance? They're half her size and I worry that she'll hurt them. She doesn't mind when they're in the bathroom. She even cries at their door when they go back in, so I'm a little confused about her behaviour.

Loki has come such a long way. I really hope to find a great new owner for him and Zum. Hopefully, someone as nice as the man who adopted Vesper.


People oooh and ahhhh over Zum all the time. Many people commented today on how good-looking he is. He's a real cutie, friendly and playful like Vesper. The poor little guy has got some kind of lump under his chin. The vet thinks it might be a side effect of his dental issues. He's on antibiotics and is due back for a recheck next week. Please send that he hasn't got any serious health issue going on.

Well, that's all for now. They're hard at sleeping in the bathroom, all tired from their exciting day.
 
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going nova

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Poor Zum, whose name is now Zoom. He had trouble eating and had these lumps under his chin. He was teething, but even after teething he had problems. Poor little guy had bleeding gums. Fortunately, the vet said his dental issues are reversible. So, he's there today.

Meanwhile, Loki figured out that if he cries pathetically, I'll run in to check on him and he gets some extra petting.
I think they learned this from Nova. Much to my surprise, Loki jumped into my lap today! I can't believe this is the same kitty who was hissing at me just six weeks ago. I put him in the bedroom and he stopped crying. The bedroom is a nice place for cats. It's comfy, and he's got a window with a fleecy perch.

Last night we tried to trap another adult feral. Instead, we caught a skunk!
The ferals were all just kind of hanging around, away from the trap. Poor little skunk! We managed to release him/her without getting sprayed. I've nicknamed the skunk "Stinky." He usually scavanges around the dumpster at night, and our ferals don't really bother him. He's kind of small, maybe a young skunk.

I found a great pet sitter. She does some adoptions herself, and is willing to feed the ferals.
I haven't met her yet, but I got a good vibe during our phone conversation. My SO and I were worried that if we vacationed, our ferals would stop coming around.
Well, that's all for now. I think SO is reluctant to let "our boys" go.
We're really dragging it out, huh?
 

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Such progress. It does sound like Nova is trying to establish dominance over the kittens. It's possible she could adjust to them... I don't know. Perhaps someone with more experience integrating a multi cat household can help you... that is... if you just can't bear to part with these little guys.
 

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What a wonderful job you're doing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Wow - have you read back through this thread? You've done so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry to hear about Zoom ( !!!! ), but look at Loki's progress!


AND you released the skunk without getting sprayed AND you've found someone who may be able to help if you need to! You GO girl!

The one thing I hate about rescuing is the fostering kittens part. Some people are cut out for it, some aren't. We didn't actually hate it - but we just always got attached. It was so hard, so I sympathize.
We always managed to let them go to good homes.

The hardest was the latest. This summer/fall we had a pair of older boys, totally attached as well. Because they were older, it was just too difficult to find a home to send them to together.
Billy has now become a part of our gang, and he's making progress on converting some of our cats to be his friends. Thank goodness he just doesn't give up.
His brother is doing great and is VERY loved in his new home, but it broke our hearts to split them up.

and keep up the great work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laurie
 
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going nova

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Today, my SO is at PetSmart with Loki and Zoom. We've had some people take interest in them, mostly in Zoom... people like colorpoints.
Unfortunately, they didn't work out, two people flaked, one person wanted to declaw him, and one person wanted to keep him in the garage.


More and more, they're foster failures.

Loki, the one who used to hiss at me, is so sweet and loving. He follows me around now and demands to be pet.
Zoom likes petting too, but he's much more interested in playing. He has so much energy!
They're very smart, and so much fun to have around.

Nova still doesn't accept them, but Zoom still tries to be her friend. Loki, on the other hand, stays as far away from her as possible. They're almost Nova's size now. We still keep them separate. Boys in the bedroom during the day, Nova in the bedroom at night. It works out OK for everybody. Nova more or less tolerates Loki, I think because he stays away from her. As soon as she goes after one of them, I shut the door. I'd let them work out the pecking order, but Nova bites them in their soft, vulnerable parts and just won't leave them alone even after they submit.

Our intentions weren't to keep them, but we have treated them as our own, have spared no expense in caring for them, and will keep them as long as we need to until we find a suitable home for each. At least, I think so. I'm unemployed after this month, so it's mostly up to my SO until I find employment. SO might be more attached to our kitties than I am.

...I think I'll make cat pages about Loki and Zoom.
 
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going nova

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I still need to make some cat pages for Loki & Zoom. See recent photos of them here:
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=196721

Nova had a URI over a week ago. We kept her in the bedroom all week, washed our hands between petting her and petting Loki & Zoom. Still, about the time Nova finished her meds, Zoom started sneezing. This time, the vet gave us enough meds for all to be treated simultaneously. I'm getting good at medicating them, at least orally.


My SO and I are thinking of moving a couple of towns over. We haven't decided. We're really attached to our ferals. I wish we owned a home... we could build an enclosure for them and keep them with us.
 
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