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FERAL VS STRAYS

post #1 of 25
4/4/01 at 4:10am
Thread Starter 
I have read the information and postings on telling strays from ferals. I currently have "3 porch babies" that I feed twice a day. The hints I have found are helping me make progress with contact. The female is very pregnant and I am hoping to be able to trap/then spay.
Thanks!
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post #2 of 25
4/4/01 at 9:17pm
Good luck!!
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post #3 of 25
4/5/01 at 10:23am
Welcome to the forums and I'm glad you found the info useful! You may also want to check out the sites on this links page:
http://www.thecatsite.com/links/shelters.html

Let us know how things are going.
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post #4 of 25
4/8/01 at 2:37pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your comments and encouragement. I am fearful that Goldie has wandered away to have her kittnes. She has been missing for over 2 days. Keep her in your thoughts, -please! Life is too hard for our Feral Friends. On a good note - if I can catch the babes, I have the promise of the director of our no-kill SPCA to find good homes for them.
The info on the links is great and full of wonderful information. I sepnt hours there yesterday reading about ferals and taming, etc.
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post #5 of 25
4/9/01 at 10:41am
Any news about Goldie?
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post #6 of 25
4/9/01 at 3:30pm
Thread Starter 
SAD TO SAY,I HAVE NOT SEEN HER SINCE FRIDAY NIGHT - DESPITE CALLING HER (WHICH SHE USED TO RESPOND TO) AND LEAVING HER FAVORITE TREATS.
THANKS FOR YOUR CONCERN - I AM GLAD I GOT CONNECTED HERE!
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post #7 of 25
4/10/01 at 8:39am
Please let us know if she does get back...
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post #8 of 25
4/12/01 at 3:10pm
Thread Starter 
I am happy to report that Goldie reappeard this morning about 5:30 AM for her breakfast!
She is thinner and has obviously birthed her litter. Now my job is to watch for them - and begin the process of
making friends, so that they can have a good life. Mom is also a priority to be trapped and then spayed. I have a friend willing to help with this adventure. She is shy, so this will take time - but I am so glad she is back!!!
Thanks for sharing with me!
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post #9 of 25
4/12/01 at 8:16pm
Good to hear. I hope you are able to get the kittens as well. Good luck trapping her. She is lucky to have you watching over her.
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post #10 of 25
4/13/01 at 9:59am
Thanks for the update! I'm so happy she's back. Make sure you trap her only in a few weeks - the kittens need her right now. Don't forget to have the kittens fixed as well as soon as they are 4 months old.
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post #11 of 25
4/13/01 at 11:07am
Debra,

I'm so glad to hear Goldie is back! I was worried. You need to get her babies away from her before they are 6 weeks old, this way they will be easier to socialize. She is very lucky to have you watching over her. Good luck!
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post #12 of 25
4/15/01 at 4:17am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your comments - I will watch Goldie for the next few weeks and not trap until her children are older - I am going to put the trap (unset) on the porch near my feeding station, just so she can get used to seeing it. My target date is not until the middle of May - In the mean time, I will continue to try and make friends......
One of the male proch babies and I made a lot of progress this morning - "Gimpy" actually let me pet him while I was out having my coffee and he was eating his breakfast! Gimpy, so named, as he was hit this winter on a bridge below my house and has a damaged leg. I have marveled at how he has recovered by himself. All attempts to make friends earlier this winter were futile.
Enjoy this beautiful Sunday morning!
Meow to all........
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post #13 of 25
5/12/01 at 4:38am
Thread Starter 
Well, another week has passed and my partner in Feral Rescue and I have looked all over for Goldie's kittens. She remains elusive - but faithful about coming to eat twice a day and letting me visit with her. Time is passing and I feel the kittens are now at an age where I could gather them up and find homes. Mother also needs to be spayed, but don't want to attempt trapping, till I am sure about her babies. There is one more old barn to check down the road - then I am fresh out of ideas. I have tried following her and watching from afar where she might go. She is a very sly one! I think she knows I am watching and purposely takes me on a wild goose chase. Do you think she will eventually bring the young over to eat?
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post #14 of 25
5/16/01 at 11:39pm
You have to gain her trust, and this is done slowly. Once she trusts you, she will bring you her kittens for your approval. If you follow her she will not trust you for a very long time. You need to have patience, and one day before you know it, she will arrive with kitties behind. Then the fun starts with the litter of spitting hissing ferals that are ten times more wild than mom! LOL It is worth the wait, and as long as you are providing mom with good food both canned and dry, she will be able to make her milk and feed her brood.
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post #15 of 25
5/17/01 at 2:18pm
Thread Starter 
Hissy - Thanks for your words of encouragement. I will take your advice and not rush things.
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post #16 of 25
5/30/01 at 7:10pm
Thread Starter 
Hissy and friends:

I am proud to announce that I am now a grandmother! Goldie brought her beautiful children over tonight for the first time.
The brood arrived about 9:30PM EST.
We have two long-haired golden kittens and one long-haired gray.
They look fat and rolly-polly and are full of vim and vinegar. They listened to their mother carefully while here and I am proud to say she has been a good mom -herded them all up when time to leave us...
Goldie has been visiting two - three times per day - but today was different. She was here 5 times and hung around more each time. She has been talking to me and I to her for quite a while now - but still fleetingly. She will sit at the end of the porch and I by the front door. She will slowly close her eyes at me and I try to imitate her while talking softly!
I AM SO...HAPPY! - just had to share!
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post #17 of 25
5/30/01 at 11:24pm
What great news! It sounds like Goldie is really warming up to you.
And her showing her kittens off to you--what an honor. She trusts you enough to bring you her prize possessions!
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post #18 of 25
5/31/01 at 5:33pm
Debra,

Hey Granny, you've come a long way baby ! That's great that she finally trusts you with her babies. And the fact that she's been showing you by body language. Please try and take pictures (outside so there's no flash and it won't scare them)and post them. I'm dying to see what they look like.

Congratulations!

Donna
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post #19 of 25
5/31/01 at 5:59pm
Thread Starter 
I will have to borrow my boss' digital camera and then enlist my teenage son's help - but will definately show them off! They are so beautiful - I almost have my husband talked into taking at least one in here instead of adopting all three out - we have three grays and two golden kitties now - so another golden would even out the lot! He protests......but then is a big softie. He fed the last brood we had here, mostly by himself - they were only 3 weeks old when I found them. No show so far tonight, except Goldie - it was later last night when she brought them over - but I am all atitter waiting for another glimpse! Sure hope and pray this goes well........
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post #20 of 25
6/2/01 at 7:29am
Thread Starter 
I COUNTED WRONG! Goldie has TWO gray and two golden babies! The other gray must have been hiding too well for me to see the other day.
Last night we put up a make-shift shelter over by the stone wall fence (where they have been hanging out) as more and more rain is due. I want them to be dry. Put a rug in there along with a bowl of kitty chow and catnip. Also put a carrier nearby with a towel and catnip in it. Hopefully Goldie and the kitties will get used to seeing that. The babies did use the shelter last night - but is is open on the ends - so they can come and go as they please. I have to say that I am nervous that I will not be able to be-friend the kitties soon enough - they are very elusive and quick! At least if Goldie has moved them here - they are no longer crossing the main road we live on! Any thoughts or suggestions on be-friending my little charges would be appreciated. They have not come on the porch again since Wednesday (unless it is late at night) The stone wall fence is about 30 feet away from the porch.
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post #21 of 25
6/4/01 at 4:09pm
Thread Starter 
You guys are probably sick of me talking about this cat. but I have borrowed by boss's digital camera and hope to be able to post some pics by the weekend! If I can't figure out how to do that, can I e/mail them to one of you to post for me?
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post #22 of 25
6/12/01 at 10:34am
How are the kittens? Any luck getting closer to them?
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post #23 of 25
6/12/01 at 2:29pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for writing! Last night I had a close encounter - was raining very hard and they are using the shelter hut I have - so when I fed, they stayed nearby - got about 6 inches away from the runt. One of the golden babies has an eye that looks messy - that concerns me....but will keep plugging away - have the camera now and I will try to get a few shots to post.
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post #24 of 25
6/14/01 at 3:14pm
When I was trying to get the feral kittens who are now my 8 year old cats to come to me I got down flat on my stomach and stretched my arm toward them and made the little call sounds that the momma cat makes to her kittens (the mrrruuuup sound). They had never come anywhere near me before that, but all came up to me and let me pet them when I was on the ground making momma noises like that!
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post #25 of 25
6/14/01 at 6:09pm
Thread Starter 
Lotso.
Thanks for the great idea! I will try that starting tomorrow. I have made progress this week but don't want to wait too long.
I did try your talking suggestion tonight and especially one little guy seemed to be listening!
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