Cats of Colonia de las Rosas

Katie, it's so good to see you posting again, and that you're daughter could get your computer up and running without the added expense of repair!

I'm so sorry for your loss of Eleanor. Know that you made her life so much better than it would have been without your efforts. RIP sweet Eleanor.

Good trapping vibes for both Caggett and Maymie!

I am praying for sweet Claggett and all of the others. You are, as I said, an angel.

I checked and it's been since May 2006 since I last posted on this thread! All of that time my computer was out. In fact this is a new one that my beautiful and intelligent daughter got for me.

It was sad to read that I was just planning to trap Claggett. I did trap him and had him neutered, but the feeling that "something" was wrong with him was correct. After many trips to the vet, we finally had to have Claggett euthanized. He had leukemia. It was traumatic for me because I had three cats in the house and he was inside with them for 10 days while he was treated for "unspecified infections." I'm not sure what the cat site would recommend, but I had all three cats tested and vaccinated for leukemia. It was hard sad work.

I never did trap Mamie, but she has never been pregnant! I' wondering if she is really "he" or if she has an extra chromosome (that would make her infertile) or something like that. She's a mystery to me.

"My Beautiful Bonita" is funny because Bonita means Pretty Little One in Spanish. As regular readers to this thread knew, Bonita was the mother of 16 kittens in a little more than two years before I was able to trap her and have her spayed.

A neighbor came to tell me that her body was found in a grassy spot next to the parking lot. She had been acting sick and had not come to eat for the last eight days. I had gone out into the garden at midnight, 3 AM and 6AM the night before because I had a feeling she was gone.

As regular readers know, there is a man living here who kills cats, so there is always a question of the possibility of that in my mind.

The rest of the cats and I are in grief. There are ten cats in the garden now that I feed. Mamie no longer shows up most nights. Neither does Red. My regulars are:

Roll Call: Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar (was Contender), Sneakers.

I'm so sorry for the terrible loss of Bonita.

I'm so sorry for your loss of Bonita. Thinking of both of you.

I'm really sorry for your loss.

Katie

Katie, it is so great to hear from you and your kitties again! I'm sorry about Bonita, but you surely helped her by having her spayed.

Hi Katie,

I just found this thread tonight and read the entire journal from 2006 on. It is a wonderful story of unconditional love toward your feral colony. I am sorry for your loss of Bonita. Thank you for all your loving care of this colony and the time effort you put into making their lives better.

Thank you all for your comforting words. Losing Bonita is turning out very hard, even though she acted sick for a time beforehand. In addition, today I found out that a friend -- a human friend -- died alone in her apartment and it was only her dog crying that led to her being found. She was found on three days ago. It's making my heart heavy.

It was hard to go out to feed the cats tonight. I didn't even spend time petting Dude like I usually do. I did pet Oscar, Blackie and Henry though, and have conversations with Lady Day, Mamie and Louie.

I did manage to deliver the letter I wrote to management asking permission to set up shelters for the cats. The weather is so changeable now. Two years ago we had the second wettest winter ever, and it is already raining a little. Our rainy season officially begins in October, although last year was the driest ever.

Anyway, I'd like to get shelters for the cats, if I can persuade management. I think the letter made a good case for it -- and for me. I more or less said that I deserved to be able to do it, after all the work I've put into keeping the cat population to a minimum.

That's all for tonight, I have tears dripping off my chin. Thank you again for all your kind words -- they really help.

Roll Call: Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Mamie, Oscar and Sneakers. Nine Total.

Dear Katie, I just stumbled upon this thread. I cannot read the whole thing now, because I am at work and crying - I had to stop at post #6. However, I will read this in its entirety over the weekend. It sounds as if this journal should really become a book.
I am sorry for the loss of Bonita, may she be happy and healthy over the Rainbow Bridge.

omigosh! I couldn't sleep and at 3am took a sleeping pill. I just woke up at 9pm! Fast fast fast -- I filled my cats bowl -- there wasn't even the dust of a kibble left -- and the water bowl -- bone dry!

Then quick the L.A. uniform: jeans and a tee, with a light fleece jacket (all black of course).

Now outside to my hungry little furries. I thought maybe they would have given up and wandered off, but as soon as I rounded the corner from the elevator, Blackie and Josesito spotted me through the glass front door -- Meow! Meow!

It was sprinkling! That's the first time I ever remember it raining as early as September. Must be the "monsoonal moisture" the weather people keep talking about. The cats were gathered under the feeding bench and the rec building roof overhang. I put the food under the overhang where it never gets wet, even when it rains hard.

The cats don't like that because its smaller and the crowding makes them irritable. They start batting at each other. For some reason this makes me smile -- they seem so small and raggedly, all dampish, and endearing.

Even though it's sprinkling Blackie wants affection. I put him under my jacket and we're happy for awhile. Then Dude wants his turn, but he's such a big boy! It's okay, he's long-haired and his fur keeps him comfortable. I tell him he's the leader of the colony now that his mother is gone. He keeps right on purring.

I'm getting dampish, and I come upstairs to write this for you.

Roll Call: Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Mamie, Oscar, Sneakers. Nine Total.

Thank you inbandcats for your kind words.

It sounds like you got some much-needed sleep. I'm glad. Hopefully you didn't have any big plans for the day.

I'm glad you got some snuggles from your colony!

Sorry to miss time again. Having computer complications and I'm dependent on my more computer-savvy daughter to straighten them out and she's very busy. Glad to be back!

I have continued to feed my lovies.

Now we have a new kitten. A very small one -- about four months old -- just showed up on the 27th. I believe he is a boy. I've only seen him at night, but he seems to be orange and white with long-hair. He runs from me and I cannot catch him, but he is friendly with the other cats. This is the second time a kitten that seems to be feral has shown up alone. The first one was Mamie, who I still see a few times a week. The other cats are interested in the kitten and are showing him the ropes. He meows loudly and a lot.

He has shown up for the last four days at dinner time with the rest of the cats. Louie, Dude, and Sneakers show a lot of interest in him.

It's rather amusing to watch him. I usually pour out three piles of kibble on the sidewalk next to our bench and the cats settle around them. Well, the little one likes the third pile and when he comes up, the other cats just back off. No one bothers him while he eats. They just wait their turn.

Do you have a name for him? I'm just burned out on naming cats. I've thought of Ringo, Bingo, Sunny, Sunny Boy, Roger, and Chico. I've considered Growltiger, a name I used before. What do you think? I'm open to all suggestions. If I knew how I'd set up a poll.

It almost seems as though, as soon as Bonita died, another cat came to take her place. To make up for our loss.

Roll Call: Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar, Red, Sneakers and the little kitten. Ten total.

Sorry for yr loss

I too have a colony now, and I'm in awe of what you have accomplished.

I hope I get all mine fixed as you did! And it was nice to see a new
one come to keep you company after the loss of bonita. Sometimes,
we can help, sometimes, we can't help with illnesses in out loving feral friends....

I have one feral, Laphrogie who chewed her way out of a kitten carrier while I had her in the basemen waiting on a spay/neuter visit. She became quite tame in the house in 7 days... and then escaped via my stupidity outside.

Where upon she has NOT run away, but has bonded with Grey goose (also from the colony - one I took in) and follows him round. She spent last night inside - I had trouble getting her to stay in so I shut the pet door once all my cats were IN the house, LOL. She got a night of much needed rest, even tho she wanted to roam, I know!!

We are working on taming her, and I've got monies 1/2 saved for her spay - my 20 other ferals come first - as they don't come to me like she has been or stick around... I have to spay them first so they don't breed. Laphrogie has a month or so before heat sets in...

She went out nicely in the am, following Mr. Goose.

Those 2 are beautiful cats - and you would never believe they began life as ferals living under sheds and gazebos...and in sewers

As far as shelters go... you could construct one using plastic tupperware
boxes... or you can build out of wood. I had my wonderful BF order some
bee hive boxes - it ran me 200 dollars for 8 bee box frames and 4 tops.
I do have to put bottoms of my own making on... but this isn't that hard...

The bee hive box frames are 18x20x20 ...I nail and glue the frames together, then I stack 2 frames together, put a top on, and then create the bottom. I cut holes in the sides for the cats, paint with donated bits of paint from Restore (Habitat for Humanity) and the best thing is, thesea re solid wood, they will last a good long while!

I stuff with straw bales... I get the straw bales from Ben Franklin's craft store, LOL. 8 frames and 4 tops = 4 boxes that shelter 4 - 6 cats each.

Anyway, I wish you best of luck with the management. I will send vibes for you...

HUGS

Thanks for all the kind words opilot. 20! that's a lot of cats to care for! If you can make those bee hive shelters, you can trap them, I'm sure. Your cats seem to be living in a wilder environment than mine. They are in a yard that is partly divided into small garden patches that the tenants use. There are four apartment buildings in a boxed-off C design with a rec building and parking lot in the center of the C. Plus since it's Los Angeles the weather is mild most of the time.

My letter has been ignored pretty much, so I mailed it to the big office -- the Los Angeles County Housing Authority , Carlos Jackson, Executive Director. It's been ignored by his office, too. I'm in the process of getting petitions signed by the residents. So far 18 people have signed the note:

I join in support of Katie's request to place shelters on the grounds of Colonia de las Rosas for the homeless cats. It is the humane thing to do. As the Christian hymn says: "All things bright and beautiful; all creatures great and small; all things wise and wonderful; the Lord God made them all."

Placing the shelters on the grounds is also in agreement with the policy of the L.A. County Animal Care and Control Department to trap, neuter, and return the homeless cats to their homes and follow up with food and shelter. Thank you, (signature).

Oh, I named the kitten Alfie. He is adorable. He's a dilute orange and white medium or long-haired boy. I'm not planning to try to tame him. It is so difficult find homes for even the tame kittens. He will have to be trapped and neutered. Henry also has to be trapped and neutered. Back to the phone getting traps and finding financial help to get the operations.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar, Red, Sneakers. 10 Total.

Katie, I just finished reading this inspirational thread - I'm very glad it got placed in this forum...your industry and fortitude are remarkable. All who devote love, time, and resources to feral cat colonies deserve admiration and praise; you, in addition to that, have made the work come alive with your writing. Thank you so much for sharing your adventure in caring with us!

Thank you Cat52, I studied writing in college so I love to write AND I love compliments on it!

The cats are well. My daughter was visiting and I forgot the time. When she left at 7:45 (I usually feed at 7:30) she called me on her cell and said, "There are a thousand cats down here waiting for you." Naturally I jumped into action and was downstairs pronto. Everyone runs to greet me now -- Oscar (who was Contender), and Blackie are right there with their noses pressed against the glass, then Josesito right behind them, a few more steps and Lady Day waits near a bench, then in a flurry the others show -- Dude, Louie, Henry, -- and back at our bench is Sneakers. I call out their names and the seem to love that. Red waits by the rec building and I rarely see Mamie anymore. Alfie has been there, but tonight I had to call for him and he came running from the parking lot.

Some of the entries I've made seem to have gotten lost so maybe I should again list the current cats. The original colony is down to only Blackie, Dude, Sneakers, Lady Day and Josesito. Stray cats that have joined are Oscar (I've written about him as Contender before), Louie, Henry -- who joined in November 2006 -- Mamie, Red, and now little Alfie, the 3-5 month old kitten.

Growltiger quit coming. When Emma quit helping with the food, I couldn't afford the canned food, and that seemed to be the attraction for him. I was pretty sure he had a home, all along, so I'm sure he's okay. He showed up once or twice, but was disappointed to find that there was only kibble to eat and left again.

No signatures today for my petition. Too busy to ask around.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Mamie, Oscar, Red, Sneakers.

Even little Alfie ran to greet me tonight, with Blackie waiting at the front door.

I went back and read my own thread and realized how much two of my little cats have changed since I first began writing about them. Louie and Mamie.

Louie is completely a part of the colony now. No more tussling with the other boys. He's good friends with Josesito, Oscar and Blackie especially. He has taken little Alfie under his wings and is showing him the ropes of living in the garden. He's still a young cat himself -- about 2-3 years old, so it's very touching.

Mamie is having a very hard time. She was under Josesito's care for awhile, and they formed a trio with Red. When that broke apart, she never seemd to regain her balance.

Then something happened last spring that frightened her, Bonita and Dude. Bonita never really came down from the roof of the rec building (until her death), and Dude, although he has recovered, didn't even show up to eat for three days. When he did come, he was frightened and tentative for a few more days.

Mamie seems to have been traumatized, too. Like Bonita, she took refuge on the roof at first, but I seldom see her now. When I do see her it is late at night, when I go out for some other reason than to feed the cats. I'm hoping that this cat, who came here as a 2-3 month old kitten, frightened of both people and other cats, finds her way back to our colony and begins to feel safe again.

Roll Call: Alfie, Blackie, Dude, Henry, Josesito, Lady Day, Louie, Oscar, Red, Sneakers. 10 Total.

Thanks for the catch-up - I was wondering about Mamie especially. Poor little kitty. These cats have no easy life, even with your loving attention. You do what you can...do you ever feel like the feline's version of Jane Goodall?