- Joined
- Nov 26, 2010
- Messages
- 19
- Purraise
- 1
(You're welcome to skip first 3 paragraphs of background history and go straight to the questions, if you like).
Hi, I'm new here and new as a feral colony caregiver, as well as very new to cats, and pets in general (I come from a family that don't like animals, especially cats. I grew up with all the old, usual misconceptions such as that cats don't remember their owner, that they're treacherous, etc.)
It all started innocently. Tired of seeing 2 of them meouwing, begging, hungry and cold in the building doorstep come evening, I once or twice threw some leftovers and that was it - they decided that I would do as a mommy, in view of absence of any other options, and I find myself having 13 beings waiting for me each evening and getting offended if I don't bring food. I don't like cats, in my family's tradition, but I won't have anyone die of destitution in my whereabouts - I said. Luckily, the super of the building is their daddy, so no conflicts with neighbors (as a true man, though, some of the cats' more delicate needs go over his head, so I'm a nicer option and I've been adopted).
I had the municipality come for TNR but these cats are never so hungry that they'll go into the traps for a treat (probably other neighbors feed them treats too), so it failed miserably. We didn't catch even one.
Alas! Strays and ferals don't hand you an instructions manual when they adopt you, so here I am, hoping you all will adopt me. I'm embarrassed to admit that, nowadays, after a couple months, I enjoy them more than they enjoy me. They've rescued me more than I did them. I've found answers to the intelligent questions on the web, but it's my stupid questions that I've been unable to find answers to, however much I've surfed. So here, for today's questions:
1. ATTENTION TO FERALS?- What does it mean to give a cat "attention", when he won't let you come anywhere near, won't let you touch them, let alone talk to them or play with them? I've taken to play "catch the chicken breast little cube" with them, so that I don't have to come near them to play, and they get a treat on top of it if they play. They're thus in control of how near they come, and those that do come anywhere near get their cubes. On those nights I get to see and interact with all 11 cats downstairs. I throw each cube to a specific cat, look in their eyes first and call their attention telling them "grab it!" (they've gotten used to the intonation now), so everyone knows it's for that cat and he's alert that it's for him, so there's almost no conflict.
2. ANTI-FLEAS FOR FERALS?- Two of the cats live in our building, on the high walls outside, and come in sometimes at night to sleep on the abandoned couch on the -1 floor (it's never too cold in this country, so they're not used to cold nights outside). I spoil them rotten. It breaks my heart to see them scratch so much, so I bought an anti-flea spray, but I've no idea how to spray without them running off and losing their still precarious trust in me in the process. It's spoiling the little trust we'd been so slowly building. I've decided to let them scratch, their trust is more important at this stage, but my heart is torn. I've managed only 2 spray shots so far, at a high trust cost. Any ideas?
3. SPENDING TIME WITH FERALS? - I never heard or found anything written on engaging a colony in play and giving them attention - is this not done? Am I alone in doing this? I've noticed (and again, I only once read someone who mentioned this) that these cats (who live in a rich, high-density neighborhood with many progressive, very busy, young professionals) are much more starved for attention than for food or water. They will come and play with their food when I put it out, but eat little or nothing (they do devour the treats, though) and instead enjoy the opportunity to be in the company of the other cats, to have a human to sit beside or near, and to watch the people and cars passing by from a totally exposed place (next to me), which they never allow themselves to do if I'm not there. Many pretend to eat, just as an excuse to be with the rest of us. This causes that I spend a lot of time with them, often an hour or more, which is unusual (you're supposed to put the food and water out and leave), so neighbors are confused as to my behavior...?
Hi, I'm new here and new as a feral colony caregiver, as well as very new to cats, and pets in general (I come from a family that don't like animals, especially cats. I grew up with all the old, usual misconceptions such as that cats don't remember their owner, that they're treacherous, etc.)
It all started innocently. Tired of seeing 2 of them meouwing, begging, hungry and cold in the building doorstep come evening, I once or twice threw some leftovers and that was it - they decided that I would do as a mommy, in view of absence of any other options, and I find myself having 13 beings waiting for me each evening and getting offended if I don't bring food. I don't like cats, in my family's tradition, but I won't have anyone die of destitution in my whereabouts - I said. Luckily, the super of the building is their daddy, so no conflicts with neighbors (as a true man, though, some of the cats' more delicate needs go over his head, so I'm a nicer option and I've been adopted).
I had the municipality come for TNR but these cats are never so hungry that they'll go into the traps for a treat (probably other neighbors feed them treats too), so it failed miserably. We didn't catch even one.
Alas! Strays and ferals don't hand you an instructions manual when they adopt you, so here I am, hoping you all will adopt me. I'm embarrassed to admit that, nowadays, after a couple months, I enjoy them more than they enjoy me. They've rescued me more than I did them. I've found answers to the intelligent questions on the web, but it's my stupid questions that I've been unable to find answers to, however much I've surfed. So here, for today's questions:
1. ATTENTION TO FERALS?- What does it mean to give a cat "attention", when he won't let you come anywhere near, won't let you touch them, let alone talk to them or play with them? I've taken to play "catch the chicken breast little cube" with them, so that I don't have to come near them to play, and they get a treat on top of it if they play. They're thus in control of how near they come, and those that do come anywhere near get their cubes. On those nights I get to see and interact with all 11 cats downstairs. I throw each cube to a specific cat, look in their eyes first and call their attention telling them "grab it!" (they've gotten used to the intonation now), so everyone knows it's for that cat and he's alert that it's for him, so there's almost no conflict.
2. ANTI-FLEAS FOR FERALS?- Two of the cats live in our building, on the high walls outside, and come in sometimes at night to sleep on the abandoned couch on the -1 floor (it's never too cold in this country, so they're not used to cold nights outside). I spoil them rotten. It breaks my heart to see them scratch so much, so I bought an anti-flea spray, but I've no idea how to spray without them running off and losing their still precarious trust in me in the process. It's spoiling the little trust we'd been so slowly building. I've decided to let them scratch, their trust is more important at this stage, but my heart is torn. I've managed only 2 spray shots so far, at a high trust cost. Any ideas?
3. SPENDING TIME WITH FERALS? - I never heard or found anything written on engaging a colony in play and giving them attention - is this not done? Am I alone in doing this? I've noticed (and again, I only once read someone who mentioned this) that these cats (who live in a rich, high-density neighborhood with many progressive, very busy, young professionals) are much more starved for attention than for food or water. They will come and play with their food when I put it out, but eat little or nothing (they do devour the treats, though) and instead enjoy the opportunity to be in the company of the other cats, to have a human to sit beside or near, and to watch the people and cars passing by from a totally exposed place (next to me), which they never allow themselves to do if I'm not there. Many pretend to eat, just as an excuse to be with the rest of us. This causes that I spend a lot of time with them, often an hour or more, which is unusual (you're supposed to put the food and water out and leave), so neighbors are confused as to my behavior...?
