At the suggestion made by Verna to one of my other posts I'm just going to gather all my questions here in one spot so I'm not flooding the forums every 5 minutes. I'm also going to give a little bit of background so you know where I'm coming from. Most of you know me as a worry wart. And I am a worry wart. Here is the entire situation. I moved in with my mother in 2005, after my father who she was married to for 59 1/2 years passed away. I was down on my luck and the living situation worked out for us both. Now it's 14 years later, she's 95 soon to be 96 years old and going into dementia. The slightest thing sets her off into a rage. And while she would never intentionally hurt any animal she isn't fond of animals. My Dad was only a dog person and never liked cats. Me I like them all, even the creepy crawlies so not sure where I got that from. I've always had a soft spot in my heart and there was a void in my heart when I lost my beloved Calico Pepper after 23 years. She was an indoor cat til we had to move in with Mom and she spent the last year of her life outside or in the garage. I still, to this day feel guilty that circumstances put her in that condition as she was not let inside or that I didn't find better accommodations then her being stuck in the weather. I suppose that when Shaman showed up last year after I fractured my humerus and was in a sling I felt that this was my 2nd chance. I didn't really approach her at first nor did I make much contact as I've seen cats wander through, stay a day or two and move on. But when Shaman along with Treasure and Shadow remained through the summer months I knew they were here to stay. So I started talking to them when I saw them. Shaman was the bravest and started to come closer to me. Treasure was and still is the most skittish and can cover 1/4 acre in 2 seconds when I come near. Shadow, well lately she seems despondent and depressed. I didn't think (and I feel bad about this) about feeding them until I saw the guy across the street feeding them bread, pizza and cereal. I can't get mad at him as he's challenged and so I decided to buy the food and give them something that would be healthy for them. That's going on 9 months that I've been feeding them. The past 2 months I started watching them on a private periscope (can't afford a decent camera) and Shadow was always like clockwork. She'd be here begging for food at 5am which she didn't get fed til 7:30, and then here every 2 or 3 hours a day since. Like Treasure she'd run the distance of 1/4 acre in 2 seconds when I came out but always slowly crept back. I then started setting out toys for them and I've shared those photos on here with many of you in my other posts. All 3 cats seem to have taken to the toys quite well. The one problem I have is that a couple of weeks ago Shadow disappeared for 48 hours and came back. She was completely different. At first she was diagnosed as pregnant but that turned out to be a false diagnosis. Her attitude however has changed. She no longer ran the yard away from me but let me come up to a foot away. I noticed however she crouched and trembled a lot, like a cat that has been abused. Her taste in food had changed a lot as well. She is sweet but seems that none of the other cats like her. Shaman runs when she sees Shadow. Treasure wants to always fight her. The other night I watched as Shadow slinked away with her tail between her legs, like someone rejected and unloved. I cried for her. And don't get me wrong I love all of these cats. Yesterday morning, she showed up, got into a fight with Shaman, Treasure and the neighbor's cat. She showed up briefly mid afternoon, sniffed the food and walked away. She walked well but she hasn't been seen by any of the neighbors since. My only hope is that she is being fed by a neighbor who chooses not to be known. Or that she found her own feline buddy like Shaman has. And the feeding is another challenge. If Shaman and Treasure are feeding, Shadow stays far away, depressed, until they finish and move on. If Shadow is here, Shaman and Treasure stay at a distance (conversing with one another about the traitor: Me) until Shadow sadly shuffles off the property. I know not to worry as the cats pick up on my emotions but with all of this going on, it's really kind of hard to not worry.
Sorry for the very long winded post but so far this is pretty much the background. Except one other problem which is my mother. It's her house and she would throw an absolute fit if she knew I was feeding these cats. Like I said my big heart gets me in trouble with other humans. The area I have has to be monitored and the stuff "not visible" to my mother. Yes she can still walk up and down the stairs and all. I know this pretty much disrupts the cats so I need to find a better arrangement with this. So here are my questions and I have quite a few.
1. On a feeding schedule here it's only feasible from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm bringing dishes in no later than 6:15 pm. Any good timetable for these cats? Somewhere that maybe my Mom won't throw fits? It's been raining a lot so hopefully I'll be able to set up those feeding stations soon.
2. Should I invest in a good "toy box" to put away their toys at night and bring out during the day? Again my Mom. I'll figure out something to say about the cat tree.
3. If I bring out the food, use a clicker, place the food and wait, will the cats hear me if they're at the other side of my 1/4 acre yard?
4. What about smell? Can they smell from that distance?
5. How do I incorporate clicker training with these feral cats?
6. Would it be better if I ask a neighbor to take care of Shadow or is there a possibility that these cats may some day get along? Especially if I succeed in TNR and adopting? And what can I do with the one without making the others jealous?
I suppose that's all the questions I have for now. Anymore and I'll post in this thread. Thank you all for bearing with me.
Sorry for the very long winded post but so far this is pretty much the background. Except one other problem which is my mother. It's her house and she would throw an absolute fit if she knew I was feeding these cats. Like I said my big heart gets me in trouble with other humans. The area I have has to be monitored and the stuff "not visible" to my mother. Yes she can still walk up and down the stairs and all. I know this pretty much disrupts the cats so I need to find a better arrangement with this. So here are my questions and I have quite a few.
1. On a feeding schedule here it's only feasible from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm bringing dishes in no later than 6:15 pm. Any good timetable for these cats? Somewhere that maybe my Mom won't throw fits? It's been raining a lot so hopefully I'll be able to set up those feeding stations soon.
2. Should I invest in a good "toy box" to put away their toys at night and bring out during the day? Again my Mom. I'll figure out something to say about the cat tree.
3. If I bring out the food, use a clicker, place the food and wait, will the cats hear me if they're at the other side of my 1/4 acre yard?
4. What about smell? Can they smell from that distance?
5. How do I incorporate clicker training with these feral cats?
6. Would it be better if I ask a neighbor to take care of Shadow or is there a possibility that these cats may some day get along? Especially if I succeed in TNR and adopting? And what can I do with the one without making the others jealous?
I suppose that's all the questions I have for now. Anymore and I'll post in this thread. Thank you all for bearing with me.
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