Strange happenings

DreamerRose

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Maybe you should ask her if he is a strictly outside cat. If he is, ask her if it's okay, then you can keep him inside.
 

mservant

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Wouldn't they make too much noise for the cats trying to use them? ,
Re: foil baking trays for litter trays - they can work really well.  The foil is quite thick so not noisy when the cat steps on it.   I use a medium size one as a litter tray in Mouse's carrier.
 

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Well this is interesting.  Since Scotty has been here for over 24 hours I posted some found cat listings online and immediately got a response.  Apparently Scotty is also being taken care of by a woman in the neighbourhood who does TNR work.  She very recently had Scotty neutered and microchipped.  The left ear has been tipped (though very poorly)

What is the etiquette for such a situation?  We're not preventing Scotty from leaving so it's really his choice I suppose, I just don't want to do the wrong thing.
It can take a while for their balls to shrink after surgery, maybe that's why you thought he was still intact. Adult male cats still have a lot of testosterone in their systems for up to a month after neutering, but the spraying and fighting should slow down as his hormones settle.

If he were one of my outdoor TNR cats I'd be very happy that someone had taken him in. Let her know that you leave the door open so he is free to come and go as he pleases, but that you're happy for him to stay in and eat at your place if he chooses to.

I think most people who do TNR are just grateful to know where the cats end up. I guess she would have taken him in herself if she was able to.

 Yay! One less cat that needs neutering!

 

Mamanyt1953

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If she's caring for a colony, she's probably going to be thrilled that one of them has a chance at a happy life.  And it isn't unusual for people to end up "sharing" a cat that insists on being outdoors a good bit of the time.  The cat goes from home to home, enjoying all the love and attention, and often the "owners" have no clue, assuming their pet is out hunting.  Good that you know this.  At least you can check and see if he has had vaccinations and avoid over-medicating.
 
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JMJimmy

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Yesterday was quite eventful I don't know where to begin.

I've been talking back and forth with the TNR woman (https://www.facebook.com/Fenomenal-Feral-Felines-499620566818735/?fref=nf) and everything is good.  Scotty was fixed on March 12th which would explain why he stopped coming around shortly after he started entering the apartment.  It ends up that Missy is also one of hers that she had fixed in 2014.  We never were able to get a good look to sex the cat due to the long hair... it ends up Missy is a boy named Julius. 

Missy/Julius is causing some friction though.  He came in yesterday and was warming up on the heater when Mama came to read him the riot act as normal.  Unfortunately, instead of submitting, he started talking back.  This was not well received by any of the kitties and it became a 3vs1 stand off until, of all cats, Sissy took him on.  Normally Sissy hangs back and ignores Mama/Juniors posturing so Missy/Julius must have done something really wrong.  Our opinion is that kitties that haven't stayed are guests and if guests misbehave in Mama's house - they can be kicked out.  And that's exactly what the three of them did - chased him right out the door.  No hard feelings though as Missy/Julius is back again this afternoon.

Missy/Julius warming up


Mama reading the riot act & our poor lemon tree with 2 leaves left


We had a great time with Scotty after dinner.  Lured him out from under the bed with treats & catnip again and gave him lots of love.  We played with a string for a while, scratched his belly a bit, and then he fell asleep as we were petting him.  We were worried that he'd been a bit lethargic & hadn't wanted to leave but shortly after waking up from the "exhausting" play session he decided to go on walkabout.  We were so happy when he returned 2 hours later!  Unfortunately Junior is still not dealing with him well and happened to be at the door upon Scotty's return.  He was hissing up a storm and blocking entry.  I tried to remove him but in doing so spooked Scotty and he left. 

Fast forward a couple hours, Tom shows up.  I haven't seen Tom in a few weeks but there he was, inside sitting on the carpet (he's never come in before).  Mama came to read him the riot act as well, but he was not behaving well at all and Junior attacked him almost immediately with Sissy and Mama backing him up.  I could tell it was Tom's fault though - he was not showing any respect in their territory.  He went scurrying out just as Scotty was returning for a second time!  Ugh.  So we've got 3 cats inside yowling up a storm at Tom, Scotty and Tom in a stare-down at the top of the stairs leading off the patio, and me going "how the heck am I going to get Scotty in here?".  Because Scotty doesn't like people standing for some reason, I get on my knees, grab the nearby mop, and gently shoo the indoor kitties away from the door.  Scotty wins the stare-down and Tom is slowly leaving when Junior has to let out some of his frustration and Mama happened to be right there.  Nothing bad, just a quick yell and a whack and it was done - just releasing tension.  Anyway, I'm backing off to let Scotty in when Alpha Kitty comes clomping down the stairs to see what all the fuss is about which spooks Scotty.
Strings are fun


He fell asleep after playtime... as we were petting him


He feels safe enough to come out and out on the floor instead of under the bed now


Some other random photos I took recently:

Mama always comes when it's playtime with Scotty.  She tries to Bogart the catnip and then watches him from the bed




Scotty post pets:


Sissy has discovered the couch




Junior loves being upsidedown in his bed

 
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JMJimmy

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Just a picture update

Junior enjoying the morning sun a month ago


Mama


Scotty is still having trouble coming inside.  He wants to stay but it's hard changing so he hides under the tarp.  Edit: It's funny, there's a plastic bag that the cats sit on under there, the wind has blown the leaves into a nice nest around the bag for insulation so between that and the tarp they stay dry, warm, and sheltered from the wind... completely unintentional!)


We got new collars for all of them - they look great but were complete junk and are being returned asap.  They have a 'breakaway' feature which is so loose that it might as well be 'fallaway' (Mama lost hers outside within 5 minutes, junior removed his within 10 seconds)


Scotty this morning exploring the patio


Scotty leaving :(  I just hope he's not another Julius (Missy) who won't commit


Mama and Junior in the morning sun


I was finally able to get some pictures of Tom, they're terrible - bad lighting and maximum zoom but proof he exists! :)


 
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DreamerRose

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I  checked that Facebook link you posted, and the woman said she thought she had someone to adopt her Chester, but she said, "They call him Scotty." So it sounds like you are in line for Scotty permanently! 

Beautiful pics of all your crew.
 
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JMJimmy

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Yup - we're just waiting on Scotty to make his decision.


Edit: This is him just now, came back after leaving around 7am.  Sits down and then some noisy neighbours in the hallway spook him and off he goes again.
 
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JMJimmy

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...3am waiting for Scotty & Jr. while a thunder storm has just started to dump sheets of water.  The worst of it is, he was already inside around 2:30am but Morgan made an appearance at the same time... she came in for the first time which was great, however, she and Scotty left together before I could close the door... so I wait.
 

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...3am waiting for Scotty & Jr. while a thunder storm has just started to dump sheets of water.  The worst of it is, he was already inside around 2:30am but Morgan made an appearance at the same time... she came in for the first time which was great, however, she and Scotty left together before I could close the door... so I wait.
You're allowed to go to bed, you know. Even the craziest of us crazy cat people sleep sometimes.

 
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JMJimmy

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Patience paid off.  Scotty made his way home by 3:30ish.

Once he's chosen us he'll have to be in by bed time or be out all night (until we can build a cat entrance).  In the early days he needs to know that this is his refuge from storms, cold, and other bad things.  It would take much longer to build trust if he showed up after getting soaked only to find his refuge was closed.

For now he's still unsure if he's a street cat or a freshly minted indoor/outdoor cat. 

Actually @Norachan maybe you might know some tricks I'm sure you've encountered most kitty behaviours... any idea what to do when the cat is afraid of people who standing up?  He's totally chill if you're crouching but afraid if you're standing.
 

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Patience paid off.  Scotty made his way home by 3:30ish.

Once he's chosen us he'll have to be in by bed time or be out all night (until we can build a cat entrance).  In the early days he needs to know that this is his refuge from storms, cold, and other bad things.  It would take much longer to build trust if he showed up after getting soaked only to find his refuge was closed.

For now he's still unsure if he's a street cat or a freshly minted indoor/outdoor cat. 

Actually @Norachan maybe you might know some tricks I'm sure you've encountered most kitty behaviours... any idea what to do when the cat is afraid of people who standing up?  He's totally chill if you're crouching but afraid if you're standing.
I think a cat door is a great idea. Then you'll finally be able to stay warm and catch up on your sleep. Of course there is the chance that other cats will find their way in too, but it seems that you've already been "chosen" so I guess that's inevitable.

It took well over a year for Gin Kun to stay in the house. At first he'd come in to eat but then sit by the door and holler to be let out again as soon as he was full. I work from home as an online teacher so I couldn't just ignore the noise, I had to give in and let him out again.

The turning point was February 2014 when we had a huge blizzard, around 2 meters of snow fell over night. I heard it was coming so had every feral cat in the neighborhood in for 48 hours. There was no way they could have gone out in that. Gin finally realised that sleeping indoors was quite nice. He stayed in every night after that, then came with us when we moved. He's now strictly an enclosure and indoor cat.

A lot of cats are scared of people when they stand. We must look pretty terrifying when we loom over them. It helps if you tell them in a low voice what you are going to do. Keep talking soothingly to them as you move. Make sure you stand up slowly and face away from them. Don't walk directly towards them, keep your back or side to them and slowly walk around them in a circle to get past them. It's going to take a while for him to get used to you, but you'll get there in the end.
 
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JMJimmy

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I could see Julius (Missy) taking that long, if at all.  Scotty's limit seems to be 2 days before he starts going stir crazy. 

He did really well this time.  Lots of pets, explored a lot more, lay down in the kitty bed/on the main floor.  Part of the reason was that while Scotty was smart enough to come in from the rain, Junior was not.  He was gone for a couple days.  Around 1am last night I was woken up by his yowling and before I could get my pants on there was a cat fight outside.  It wasn't just a little dust up, it was an all out brawl and by the time I made it down the stairs it had traveled 100m (250') north of here somewhere in the park.  I went out looking for him and found King + Smoak (a new longhair female that looked sort of like a Ragdoll or Balinese - just a domestic longhair though).  No luck finding him, I came back for my phone so I could use the flashlight app, looked around again with no luck until he appeared right behind me after I closed the door!  No injuries... he's a scrappy cat for such a small thing.

Like all children they woke me up a little later - Junior fighting with Scotty.  Nothing big, Scotty made his way back to the safety of the bedroom.  This morning though I found half a dozen chunks of fur from Scotty - not sure if they were from the fight or just him pulling out some matted fur.
 
I think a cat door is a great idea. Then you'll finally be able to stay warm and catch up on your sleep. Of course there is the chance that other cats will find their way in too, but it seems that you've already been "chosen" so I guess that's inevitable.
Morgan and that's it!  lol  - We can't afford to care for more than that.  If we do get any others coming in they are being adopted out.
A lot of cats are scared of people when they stand. We must look pretty terrifying when we loom over them. It helps if you tell them in a low voice what you are going to do. Keep talking soothingly to them as you move. Make sure you stand up slowly and face away from them. Don't walk directly towards them, keep your back or side to them and slowly walk around them in a circle to get past them. It's going to take a while for him to get used to you, but you'll get there in the end.
Those are really great tips, thanks!
 
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JMJimmy

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Junior goes under the knife tomorrow!  Very exciting.  We've kept him inside and the poor thing is so sad.  Just sitting at the door with this forlorn look on his face.

These cats are going to be so stressed though... we've got balcony repairs going on which means jackhammering all day long every day, fibre internet is being installed building-wide so we'll have technicians in the apartment, and the surgery... not to mention the new cat to get used to (if he ever comes back inside).
 
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JMJimmy

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We cleaned up a puzzle we'd been working on and Mama has found a new favourite resting spot


I was trying to get Scotty rolling in the cat nip but he was wise to my picture taking


For all the ladies...


He came downstairs and laid under a chair for a while when everyone was asleep.


It was good training for coming down while we were watching TV tonight and flopping down with everyone.


Junior's last intact picture


Junior post-operation, high as a kite


His snugly side comes out when he's stoned.


He was putty in Alpha Kitty's hands

 

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Good job getting Junior fixed.



So, if Scotty and one of your other visitors has already been TNR'd by the lady you e-mailed you only have a few more cats that need to be done, is that right? This is going so smoothly now you've started the ball rolling.



Scotty is such a sweet boy, I hope he settles in easier now you've started to get all the others spayed and neutered. His ear is looking better too.
 
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