Caught #2!

I just wanted to share that I caught the second of 4 ferals I'm feeding - Fluffy.  I'm so excited.  Fluffy is a longhaired black cat, gender and age currently unknown.

I caught Stubby Tail about a month ago and got him vetted/fixed. He's doing so much better - his wounds are healed and he seems much more relaxed. And he was actually instrumental at getting Fluffy to trigger the trap.

The cats only come out at night. I have a video camera I can watch them on. They get fed in the evening, and I pick the food up before going to bed (raccoons). Fluffy was the second cat who figured out there was a consistent food source.

So last night I had the trap baited with some tuna. There was a hard food bowl at the other end of the porch for Stubby Tail. He's very trap-shy now. He came and had his food, sniffed the tuna, but decided that he didn't want it badly enough to go in the trap and left. About a half hour later, Fluffy showed up. While Fluffy was thinking about whether the tuna was worth it, Stubby came back and sat in front of the camera!  He eventually laid down, and I could see that Fluffy was in the trap but it hadn't triggered. As Fluffy turned around and was getting ready to leave, Stubby got up and came over. I think that made Fluffy back up and step on the trigger. Thanks Stubby!

I'll find out this afternoon Fluffy's gender and age. I was hoping Fluffy might be able to be tamed...but I suspect not. I'm really hoping that I can eventually get them to at least eat in my presence. What I would REALLY like is for them to get to the point of accepting affection.

Wish me luck with the other two (White Feet and Tabby)!

Kalynnda

Owned and operated by 8 loving rescues, and now staff to 4 ferals

Great news!!! Good luck with the final two!

Woo hoo!  Vibes that the others are caught soon, too.

Update - Fluffy is a 'she'. She was already spayed, and I can pick her up this evening.

So now the question is...do we try to re-socialize her, since she was at one time "owned"? And if so, do we do it inside (large cage) or try to get her comfortable with us outside?

A lot will depend on her body language and what the vet and volunteers have to say about her disposition. I've had experience with scared cats before. One of the friendliest cats we have (Ghost) was one we hit on the road, fixed up, and socialized. She was just scared, and not at all aggressive.

We are obviously concerned about adding another cat to the menagerie. Finding another home for her, if she can be socialized, is a possibility, but the reality is we're likely to be attached to her after putting in all that work.

So the plan is to get her, assess her, and decide if she's released or comes inside.  Wish us luck.

Kalynnda

Update #2 -

Fluffy is 6-7 years old. We thought she was just scared, so we set up the cage with all necessities, hiding places, and a cover. We got her into it then left her alone. We did have a video camera on her. Which was good.

Once we left the room, Fluffy started trying desperately to get out. She pulled the cover off, and seeing the window just made her more frantic. My spouse convinced me to let her out into the room (bad idea...but she wore me down). Fluffy started frantically trying to get out the window (once I left the room).  Finally, I went into the room, removed the screen, and opened the window. It was obvious Fluffy was not ready to be re-socialized.

On the one hand, I wish we could have tamed her. She was a pet at one point in her life. It breaks my heart for her to be on her own, not knowing the love of a human. On the other hand, we have 8 cats, and they take a lot of work, so not having to spend all the time with Fluffy is a relief.

We will continue to provide food for now, to all the ferals/strays. Once winter gets closer, we'll set up shelter. And I'll try the long, slow process of getting them used to humans. Maybe she will come around, maybe she won't. All we can do is try.

Kalynnda

You have already improved her life tremendously, just by making sure she was spayed and healthy. What a relief for the poor girl not to have kittens year after year. Now she can enjoy her freedom and shelter and good food from a kind human. Good job!