I feed a fluctuating number of feral and abandoned cats. They, for the most part, live in my backyard and basement. While I have exceptionally cool landlords (they at one point had three dogs, all rescues) I would like to get this group settled in more permanent accommodations. Hereâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s who we have:
Midnight – a large black male, unneutered, with a tiny little meow. Midnight is quite petable. He is most likely an abandoned pet but one who had a very hard life. I thought he had a little white on his throat but when I got a closer look it was his skin. He is missing fur on his throat in the shape of a bite wound. It looks like at some point in his life a dog had him by the throat. He is also afraid of feet. When Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m sitting in a chair on my front porch with my legs crossed, he usually casts a wary glance at my feet and maintains distance – though recently he stood up a it on his hind legs and rubbed his face against my foot. He loves having his head petted and will roll over on his side to be petted. He is a little skittish of a hand looming over him. Heâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s been mistreated in the past.
Boots – Boots is a sweetie-pie, a little gray tabby with white paws and white shirtfront. He is also unneutered. Bootâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s has been around since he was perhaps six months old. Before the hormones hit and outdoor living sank in he enjoyed lap sitting. He seems to have grown increasingly feral and fearful but still allows me to pet him when he comes for food.
Cutie-Pie and her litter – Cutie-Pie is third generation (that I know of) feral. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve lived here two years and I knew her grandmother (old One-Eye) and mother (Little Hissy Girl). Cutie-Pie was born in my basement and I wish I had caught her then. She is the only survivor of a litter of three.
Cutie-Pie recently had her first litter – SEVEN kittens. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve caught five of them. The first four captives were caught at around 8 weeks and have socialized well; two were adopted into a good home last weekend and two remain with me – frolicking in my bedroom right now - awaiting the right adoptive parents. Number five was just captured yesterday. He or she is about 12 weeks old and will take a little work to socialize. This one is separated from the others and living in my foyer for now. I hope to catch the remaining two and see what I can do with them.
I also want to catch Cutie-Pie – wild creature that she is – and at least have her spayed and released. Sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s young, though – less than a year – so I am not without hope that I may be able to socialize her too. She is either already pregnant with another litter or working very hard to become pregnant. I canâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t go after her until Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve made arrangements for her kittens. I have six cats of my own and, with socialized kittens in my bedroom and an unsocial zed one in the foyer, I have no place left to segregate another cat.
Neighbor Kitty – I am still not sure if this one has a lousy home or no home at all. Sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s a very pretty dark gray SPAYED female who has been around the entire two years that I have lived here. Sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s never been scrawny or ill kept but I have seen her outside at all hours and in all kinds of weather. She is very vocal and people-oriented. It is likely that she has been abandoned but is an exceptionally good beggar.
Scraggly Kitty – This is a black male who comes around sporadically, especially when Cutie Pie is in heat. His coat is sparse or mangy. I havenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t had enough contact with him to know if he is purely wild or perhaps petable, nor have I gotten close enough to see what the skin condition is or to slip a little Advantage on him.
There have been others over the past two years. A few have been hit by cars, others have disappeared and perhaps succumbed to disease. Some may have been FIV positive. One of my recent adoptees from this group has tested FIV positive while two others were FIV negative.
Midnight, Boots and Neighbor Kitty need permanent homes. All the boys (including Scraggly Kitty) need to be neutered. Cutie Pie at the very least needs to be spayed and released. She can recuperate from surgery indoors at my place in a large dog kennel and I can see if maybe she can be socialized but, failing that, at least she can be released unable to breed. Seven kittens in a first litter is an indication of the damage she can do if left unchecked.
Vallejo has no no-kill shelters, no feral cat program, and no low-cost spay/neuter programs. I would appreciate any assistance in helping what is at this point a very small feral cat colony – before it gets big. Once I get these guys settled, I would be more than happy to foster feral kittens from other areas. Thank you for whatever help you can send my way.
Midnight – a large black male, unneutered, with a tiny little meow. Midnight is quite petable. He is most likely an abandoned pet but one who had a very hard life. I thought he had a little white on his throat but when I got a closer look it was his skin. He is missing fur on his throat in the shape of a bite wound. It looks like at some point in his life a dog had him by the throat. He is also afraid of feet. When Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m sitting in a chair on my front porch with my legs crossed, he usually casts a wary glance at my feet and maintains distance – though recently he stood up a it on his hind legs and rubbed his face against my foot. He loves having his head petted and will roll over on his side to be petted. He is a little skittish of a hand looming over him. Heâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s been mistreated in the past.
Boots – Boots is a sweetie-pie, a little gray tabby with white paws and white shirtfront. He is also unneutered. Bootâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s has been around since he was perhaps six months old. Before the hormones hit and outdoor living sank in he enjoyed lap sitting. He seems to have grown increasingly feral and fearful but still allows me to pet him when he comes for food.
Cutie-Pie and her litter – Cutie-Pie is third generation (that I know of) feral. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve lived here two years and I knew her grandmother (old One-Eye) and mother (Little Hissy Girl). Cutie-Pie was born in my basement and I wish I had caught her then. She is the only survivor of a litter of three.
Cutie-Pie recently had her first litter – SEVEN kittens. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve caught five of them. The first four captives were caught at around 8 weeks and have socialized well; two were adopted into a good home last weekend and two remain with me – frolicking in my bedroom right now - awaiting the right adoptive parents. Number five was just captured yesterday. He or she is about 12 weeks old and will take a little work to socialize. This one is separated from the others and living in my foyer for now. I hope to catch the remaining two and see what I can do with them.
I also want to catch Cutie-Pie – wild creature that she is – and at least have her spayed and released. Sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s young, though – less than a year – so I am not without hope that I may be able to socialize her too. She is either already pregnant with another litter or working very hard to become pregnant. I canâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t go after her until Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve made arrangements for her kittens. I have six cats of my own and, with socialized kittens in my bedroom and an unsocial zed one in the foyer, I have no place left to segregate another cat.
Neighbor Kitty – I am still not sure if this one has a lousy home or no home at all. Sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s a very pretty dark gray SPAYED female who has been around the entire two years that I have lived here. Sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s never been scrawny or ill kept but I have seen her outside at all hours and in all kinds of weather. She is very vocal and people-oriented. It is likely that she has been abandoned but is an exceptionally good beggar.
Scraggly Kitty – This is a black male who comes around sporadically, especially when Cutie Pie is in heat. His coat is sparse or mangy. I havenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t had enough contact with him to know if he is purely wild or perhaps petable, nor have I gotten close enough to see what the skin condition is or to slip a little Advantage on him.
There have been others over the past two years. A few have been hit by cars, others have disappeared and perhaps succumbed to disease. Some may have been FIV positive. One of my recent adoptees from this group has tested FIV positive while two others were FIV negative.
Midnight, Boots and Neighbor Kitty need permanent homes. All the boys (including Scraggly Kitty) need to be neutered. Cutie Pie at the very least needs to be spayed and released. She can recuperate from surgery indoors at my place in a large dog kennel and I can see if maybe she can be socialized but, failing that, at least she can be released unable to breed. Seven kittens in a first litter is an indication of the damage she can do if left unchecked.
Vallejo has no no-kill shelters, no feral cat program, and no low-cost spay/neuter programs. I would appreciate any assistance in helping what is at this point a very small feral cat colony – before it gets big. Once I get these guys settled, I would be more than happy to foster feral kittens from other areas. Thank you for whatever help you can send my way.
