Black Cats

I never had a fondness for black kitties, didn't dislike them but wouldn't have picked one out for myself, until I met Momma Kitty. She came to eat on my back deck but I never saw more than a shadow.. she would rush in and then leave just as quickly if she heard me approaching the back door to look out. But one evening, I had been sitting in my swing reading for a while and then it got dark and I was just quietly enjoying the evening... she walked right up to the food bowl unaware of me. She was a pretty little girl, shiny black fur except for a brown ring around the base of her tail, and bright yellow eyes. She ate her fill and started to walk towards where I was in the swing... that's when she spotted me and ran the other direction. The funny thing was, a few minutes later I saw this little black head peak over the stairs... then she came back on the deck and lay at the farthest point away from me. She did this for a few days, then she started getting closer and then dashing to the food dish. One afternoon while I was doing yard work I heard my dog barking and went to investigate... there was the tiniest black kitten, hissing and spitting underneath a bush. Turns out Momma was in the process of moving the tiny babies that had survived a dog attack in their original nesting spot. Unfortunately, 2 others didn't make it (neighbors later informed me of the incident). From that day on I've been photographing the lives of my ferals living under and on my back deck.... I got involved in a TNR program and have now had the whole family spayed & neutered. Three out of four are black cats... and so beautiful!


"Yes. you may scratch my face"


Hocus


Pocus

Their noses are a little scuffed up from trying to get out of the traps, but they will heal up soon.

Yes, the ears of ferals are tipped to let others know they have been altered in case some one traps them somewhere else. Though I doubt these will leave my backyard (they have it too good) this protects them from unnecessary surgery later. My Cash, was already signed up to be neutered as a stray.. so his ear was tipped also... but we think he's a keeper. Not to mention he wasn't wild like the others, just a tossed out house pet.