Friend of Ferals Award Badge - Apply Here

catsfurme

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Dec 26, 2013
Messages
12
Purraise
3
I commend you on your efforts for ferals.  They need someone to care and advocate for them and you are so kind to do so.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #122

Anne

Site Owner
Thread starter
Staff Member
Admin
Joined
Oct 23, 2000
Messages
40,207
Purraise
6,095
Location
On TCS
Sorry about the delay! Badges have been awarded and thank you!

@Snugglecat  I couldn't agree more! It is wonderful to see so many people helping feral cats! I think coming together here and seeing that this is something so many people do really helps. At least for me 
 

allmomskitties

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
1,333
Purraise
33
Location
Washington State
All my kitties are rescued strays or ferals.  We live in a rural area (although not quite so rural any more) where it is common for people to dump cats and/or kittens.  We usually adopt most of them that find their way to our yard.  We also have a shelter out in our back yard where strays are welcome to stay.  There is always food and liquid water, even in the winter when temps can hit zero.  It is sheltered from the wind and weather, and has warm bedding.  Right now there are 3 kitties eating the food, and one cat is sleeping in the bed, although I don't know when because no one is ever there when I check each day to freshen things up.  He or she must come and go during the night and early morning, but I can tell the bed is used by the leaves and sand in  it.

We believe two of these cats have been abandoned by people who moved and left them behind.  Actually, three cats we have right now were acquired that way.   It just breaks our hearts.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #124

Anne

Site Owner
Thread starter
Staff Member
Admin
Joined
Oct 23, 2000
Messages
40,207
Purraise
6,095
Location
On TCS
 
All my kitties are rescued strays or ferals.  We live in a rural area (although not quite so rural any more) where it is common for people to dump cats and/or kittens.  We usually adopt most of them that find their way to our yard.  We also have a shelter out in our back yard where strays are welcome to stay.  There is always food and liquid water, even in the winter when temps can hit zero.  It is sheltered from the wind and weather, and has warm bedding.  Right now there are 3 kitties eating the food, and one cat is sleeping in the bed, although I don't know when because no one is ever there when I check each day to freshen things up.  He or she must come and go during the night and early morning, but I can tell the bed is used by the leaves and sand in  it.

We believe two of these cats have been abandoned by people who moved and left them behind.  Actually, three cats we have right now were acquired that way.   It just breaks our hearts.
Sorry about the delay! Your badge has been awarded. Thank you so much for helping the cats. In this weather, you are simply a lifesaver for them!
 

allmomskitties

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
1,333
Purraise
33
Location
Washington State
 
Sorry about the delay! Your badge has been awarded. Thank you so much for helping the cats. In this weather, you are simply a lifesaver for them!
Thank you very much!  Our outdoor shelter has been very busy the last several days, as temps have hit 5 degrees, wind chills of -15, and last night an inch of snow, with 3-4 more inches expected tonight.  We see paw tracks criss-crossing the back yard, so we know the kitties have been visiting. 

We have a small door into our chicken coop (almost like a cat door) and one of the cats outside has discovered it and actually goes inside there and sleeps up in the loft.   There are some old nesting boxes up there that still have all the shavings in them and that's where he has been staying.  We were amazed to see he had discovered the little door, because he would have had to go into the chicken yard first, then into a separate smaller yard area, because that's where the door is.  Once he got inside he would have had to jump over a barrier (since the inside is divided into two areas) and then jump to the loft.  It required quite a bit of navigating and exploring to get where he goes!
 

joglass

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Oct 28, 2013
Messages
21
Purraise
12
They are simply amazing aren't they?  So resilient and resourceful.  I see tracks near a couple of my shelters, and one they took lid off and lay in during the day when the sun is hitting it! (My colony is under a loading dock at my job)
 

allmomskitties

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
1,333
Purraise
33
Location
Washington State
 
They are simply amazing aren't they?  So resilient and resourceful.  I see tracks near a couple of my shelters, and one they took lid off and lay in during the day when the sun is hitting it! (My colony is under a loading dock at my job)
They are!  I only wish a couple of these weren't so completely wild.  I do believe they would be untamable.  I have only had 2 cats in my life that I could never tame.  Made me pretty sad, but they were wild at heart, and there was no taming them without destroying their spirit.  I guess they prove that old saying:  "I would rather live a short, free life than a long life as a slave".  No matter how well they are treated, some animals just want to be "free" ..
 

stevernie

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 1, 2014
Messages
82
Purraise
12
Location
Dalton,Ohio
I live in farm country,so there are always strays and ferals around here. We put out little  "houses" with straw in them under our deck and close to the house with heated water bowls and food available every day all winter long. My local vet helps with the neutering and spaying thru a foundation she set up. We donate money to it every year to help with the cost. Actually,my daughter recently married in September,and instead of wedding gifts,they asked all money towards gifts be given to the foundation instead. They split the money between the foundation and the local humane society-each received 15 thousand dollars each
 

Norachan

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
32,668
Purraise
32,854
Location
Mount Fuji, Japan
 
I live in farm country,so there are always strays and ferals around here. We put out little  "houses" with straw in them under our deck and close to the house with heated water bowls and food available every day all winter long. My local vet helps with the neutering and spaying thru a foundation she set up. We donate money to it every year to help with the cost. Actually,my daughter recently married in September,and instead of wedding gifts,they asked all money towards gifts be given to the foundation instead. They split the money between the foundation and the local humane society-each received 15 thousand dollars each
That's such a great idea. I'm sure that money will be put to good use.
 

lilgraykitty

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Messages
25
Purraise
4
Location
North Carolina
I help a colony which is a mix of strays and ferals.

Me and my step mom Home cook for them. We watch the kits when the other cats want to sleep.  We have four beds out there and the 4th is off away with some towels, giving privacy for any mom to be or just a nice place for a kitten hide away.   We give them water and a bit of milk, fresh fish, seafood, beef, sausage and eggs!!!   We love them all and we actually meow back when they talk to us.  


That  cute kit is lil gray.  He is about 4 months old.


This is our gray mom.  We think she is ppregnant  but not sure.

TTH others pictures aren't showing up :(
 

ondine

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
5,312
Purraise
780
Location
Burlington, North Carolina
 
I live in farm country,so there are always strays and ferals around here. We put out little  "houses" with straw in them under our deck and close to the house with heated water bowls and food available every day all winter long. My local vet helps with the neutering and spaying thru a foundation she set up. We donate money to it every year to help with the cost. Actually,my daughter recently married in September,and instead of wedding gifts,they asked all money towards gifts be given to the foundation instead. They split the money between the foundation and the local humane society-each received 15 thousand dollars each
Your daughter and new son-in-law rock!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #132

Anne

Site Owner
Thread starter
Staff Member
Admin
Joined
Oct 23, 2000
Messages
40,207
Purraise
6,095
Location
On TCS
That  cute kit is lil gray.  He is about 4 months old.


This is our gray mom.  We think she is ppregnant  but not sure.

TTH others pictures aren't showing up :(
Have you considered spaying the Mom now? If she's not showing her pregnancy she may not be pregnant yet and you could just avoid an unwanted litter. I hope you can get all of them spayed and neutered asap, or you could soon have more than six to feed there.

Thank you for providing them with a warm place to stay and with food!
 

varsettie

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
161
Purraise
22
Location
Ottawa
Both of my cats were rescues and Fawkes for sure was a stray, we found her and turned her in to the SPCA in pretty rough shape. When her owner couldn't be found my Fiance and I adopted her. I have also successfully trapped and fostered five cats I believe were feral judging on their distrust towards humans. They ran around in a group in my old neighborhood stealing from the trash. No one wanted to touch them so I decided to do something about them myself. I trapped them one by one and worked on gently introducing them to humans which took months per each cat. I managed to gain their trust and show their new owners how to do it as well. They were made to be spayed and nurtured before going to their new homes. We had to wait for one though as she was pregnant. I offered to take them back if any problems arose, as far as I know they're all still in happy homes.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #135

Anne

Site Owner
Thread starter
Staff Member
Admin
Joined
Oct 23, 2000
Messages
40,207
Purraise
6,095
Location
On TCS
 
Both of my cats were rescues and Fawkes for sure was a stray, we found her and turned her in to the SPCA in pretty rough shape. When her owner couldn't be found my Fiance and I adopted her. I have also successfully trapped and fostered five cats I believe were feral judging on their distrust towards humans. They ran around in a group in my old neighborhood stealing from the trash. No one wanted to touch them so I decided to do something about them myself. I trapped them one by one and worked on gently introducing them to humans which took months per each cat. I managed to gain their trust and show their new owners how to do it as well. They were made to be spayed and nurtured before going to their new homes. We had to wait for one though as she was pregnant. I offered to take them back if any problems arose, as far as I know they're all still in happy homes.
Badge awarded! You have two badges right now! 
 

lilgraykitty

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Messages
25
Purraise
4
Location
North Carolina
[/quote]Have you considered spaying the Mom now? If she's not showing her pregnancy she may not be pregnant yet and you could just avoid an unwanted litter. I hope you can get all of them spayed and neutered asap, or you could soon have more than six to feed there.

Thank you for providing them with a warm place to stay and with food!


Yes we have. But we think that the other mom had kittens because she is never out and we hear mews. But the gray cat seems more skiddish too. She changed in the blink of an eye. And we are going to take them when we get some sun considering were snowed in.
 

mehtevas

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
Messages
2
Purraise
1
Location
Fall River, Mass.
 My mom and I have always taken in strays- some friendly, some not- since I can remember. There was a point where we had 16 cats in our home.  Several years ago I moved to Fall River- a relatively small city as cities go, but with a terrible feral problem. Animal Control estimates over 150,000. On my way home from work one night, I noticed a yard teeming with cats and kittens. I spoke to the woman who lived there-this crazy artist lady- and asked if I could help her with the cats ie: feeding, TNR, etc.. and we became friends. For over 2 years we split the cost of dry food and I would trap and pay for altering as many cats as I could as well as wet food and medications. ( I didn't have a problem with the 'T' and the 'N' but I had a real hard time with the'R' part. I wound up keeping 6 of them!)  Last fall we got into a bit of a tiff- she had some sort of psychotic break and accused me of poisoning "her" cats and went completely nuts screaming at me and such. So I coaxed the colony across the street in the backyard of a vacant house, after getting permission from Animal Control and the local PD, and fed and trapped them there. One month later, while setting a trap, the lady came out of her house screaming like a banshee, brandishing a gun, yelling that she was going to shoot me. I hid behind my car and quickly phoned the police who arrested her -even though she denied having a gun. I obtained a restraining order on advice from Animal Control, which, unfortunately, was quashed in court because if I still go there to feed the cats how scared could I really be? What choice do I have? They have to eat! Would a cop refuse to enter a seedy neighborhood for fear of his own safety?? Would a social worker refuse to remove an abused child from the home for fear of retribution?? Tell me, what is the difference?! Anyhow, crazy lady is taking the case to trial. Perhaps this will raise more awareness of the feral problem in this city. I'm hoping something good comes out of this. In the meantime, I'll continue to help those that can't help themselves.   

-Mehtevas ("save them"-backwards) Mindy 
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #138

Anne

Site Owner
Thread starter
Staff Member
Admin
Joined
Oct 23, 2000
Messages
40,207
Purraise
6,095
Location
On TCS
 
 My mom and I have always taken in strays- some friendly, some not- since I can remember. There was a point where we had 16 cats in our home.  Several years ago I moved to Fall River- a relatively small city as cities go, but with a terrible feral problem. Animal Control estimates over 150,000. On my way home from work one night, I noticed a yard teeming with cats and kittens. I spoke to the woman who lived there-this crazy artist lady- and asked if I could help her with the cats ie: feeding, TNR, etc.. and we became friends. For over 2 years we split the cost of dry food and I would trap and pay for altering as many cats as I could as well as wet food and medications. ( I didn't have a problem with the 'T' and the 'N' but I had a real hard time with the'R' part. I wound up keeping 6 of them!)  Last fall we got into a bit of a tiff- she had some sort of psychotic break and accused me of poisoning "her" cats and went completely nuts screaming at me and such. So I coaxed the colony across the street in the backyard of a vacant house, after getting permission from Animal Control and the local PD, and fed and trapped them there. One month later, while setting a trap, the lady came out of her house screaming like a banshee, brandishing a gun, yelling that she was going to shoot me. I hid behind my car and quickly phoned the police who arrested her -even though she denied having a gun. I obtained a restraining order on advice from Animal Control, which, unfortunately, was quashed in court because if I still go there to feed the cats how scared could I really be? What choice do I have? They have to eat! Would a cop refuse to enter a seedy neighborhood for fear of his own safety?? Would a social worker refuse to remove an abused child from the home for fear of retribution?? Tell me, what is the difference?! Anyhow, crazy lady is taking the case to trial. Perhaps this will raise more awareness of the feral problem in this city. I'm hoping something good comes out of this. In the meantime, I'll continue to help those that can't help themselves.   

-Mehtevas ("save them"-backwards) Mindy 
Wow, what a story. Can't social services do something about that lady? If she's mentally ill she needs help and probably shouldn't stay in the house (let alone be allowed to keep a gun). 

How do the cats survive the winter? I've actually visited Fall River and the area last summer and was very very hot, but I know you guys get a lot of snow during winter time and I wonder how you still have such a huge feral population. 

Oh, almost forgot 
 welcome to TCS and you've been awarded the badge! You certainly deserve it! May I suggest you start a separate thread about this here in the Feral Cats forum? Maybe others will have some more advice (or at least support).
 

chellma

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 3, 2014
Messages
39
Purraise
6
Location
Southeastern VA
I'm applying for the Friend of Ferals Badge.  Hope I'm in the right place.    I belong to Alley Cat Allies, and donate on a regular basis.  Have since 1994.  At that time I was caring for a colony that lived under my house. There were about 16. I'm not a hoarder, did not go out and collect these cats, they just saw the mark and moved in. I have feral houses under the house and heat that feeds off the main house system.  I had my little colony all S/N as soon as I captured them. They lived a comfy life until they passed away from normal cat diseases in their late teens.  Surely I put my vet's children through college.  Then Josie moved in.  She is the wildest little girl I have ever had. She had 3 litters before  I could trap her. Her first is J.C. who was brought in at an early age,  2nd litter is WIndSong who Josie had and left in the field during Super Storm Sandy.  When I found her she had eye and respiratory infections.  Was rushed to emergency vet and put on antibiotics and twice daily eye washings for 2 weeks.  She is fine and now a house cat. 3rd litter is Blackstone and Grayson.  They take after Josie in wildness.  They clawed me well getting them to the vet and then bit a vet tech and had to be quarantined for 2 weeks.  They are now neutered and have shots, but still not happy in the house so just come in to eat then have to go back out.   One good thing about Josie is she had small litters.  The vet  thinks there were others she probably had in the woods and fields and I never found them.  I can't deal  with that thought.   Feral cats are so spunky and clever.  I love my ferals. 
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #140

Anne

Site Owner
Thread starter
Staff Member
Admin
Joined
Oct 23, 2000
Messages
40,207
Purraise
6,095
Location
On TCS
 
I'm applying for the Friend of Ferals Badge.  Hope I'm in the right place.    I belong to Alley Cat Allies, and donate on a regular basis.  Have since 1994.  At that time I was caring for a colony that lived under my house. There were about 16. I'm not a hoarder, did not go out and collect these cats, they just saw the mark and moved in. I have feral houses under the house and heat that feeds off the main house system.  I had my little colony all S/N as soon as I captured them. They lived a comfy life until they passed away from normal cat diseases in their late teens.  Surely I put my vet's children through college.  Then Josie moved in.  She is the wildest little girl I have ever had. She had 3 litters before  I could trap her. Her first is J.C. who was brought in at an early age,  2nd litter is WIndSong who Josie had and left in the field during Super Storm Sandy.  When I found her she had eye and respiratory infections.  Was rushed to emergency vet and put on antibiotics and twice daily eye washings for 2 weeks.  She is fine and now a house cat. 3rd litter is Blackstone and Grayson.  They take after Josie in wildness.  They clawed me well getting them to the vet and then bit a vet tech and had to be quarantined for 2 weeks.  They are now neutered and have shots, but still not happy in the house so just come in to eat then have to go back out.   One good thing about Josie is she had small litters.  The vet  thinks there were others she probably had in the woods and fields and I never found them.  I can't deal  with that thought.   Feral cats are so spunky and clever.  I love my ferals. 
I love the feral cat stories people share in this thread. I'm honored to award the badge to you! Thank you so much for everything that you do for the cats! 
 
Top