Devastated...and need advice please

[mazie]

I know this is a terrible thing that has happened to you.  Like the others have said, please do not beat yourself up over this misfortune.  It is NOT your fault!!  Sometimes all we can do is move on.  If nothing comes from what was  suggested , please let this go.  I would like to add something though from a similar experience I had a couple of years ago, I was caring for a feral mom cat and her 4 kittens in my large back yard.  When the kittens got to be say around 2-3 months old, they found a hole in the fenced in back yard fence and made their way to my car parked in the driveway in the front yard.  One morning I went out of the house to my car and there were the 4 kittens playing in the grill work on the front of my car.  How I got them out, I unlocked the car door, slid into the driver's seat and HONKED THE HORN!!  Away they scurried.  For a short time, that became part of my routine.  This may sound cruel or extreme, but it works.  This problem did not last long, the sound of the car door slamming was their Que to skid daddle.   The close proximity you are to colonies of feral cats, you might want to try this technique as well.  Where there are feral, uncared for cats, you know there will be kittens!!

 

[hbunny]

We've been having to use the leaf blower to get them out of our vehicles, the horn doesn't even scare them now. I did post it on a local lost pets Facebook page
Unfortunately today my car was totaled. I was rear-ended by a girl doing about 55 while I was turning onto another road. I'm fine...well, bruised, banged up, and sore, but okay. The girl's airbag deployed and popped her a good one. It could have been very bad. I'm very lucky! The next couple of days I think I'm going to be pretty much resting
Thank you all SO much for the ideas and support. I really appreciate it. It just devastates me I can't capture them. We tried the trap again, but caught another cat who has a clipped ear tip. It wasn't happy!! I think we will keep the trap out though another couple of nights. I'll update!

 

[Norachan]

We've been having to use the leaf blower to get them out of our vehicles, the horn doesn't even scare them now. I did post it on a local lost pets Facebook page
Unfortunately today my car was totaled. I was rear-ended by a girl doing about 55 while I was turning onto another road. I'm fine...well, bruised, banged up, and sore, but okay. The girl's airbag deployed and popped her a good one. It could have been very bad. I'm very lucky! The next couple of days I think I'm going to be pretty much resting

Thank you all SO much for the ideas and support. I really appreciate it. It just devastates me I can't capture them. We tried the trap again, but caught another cat who has a clipped ear tip. It wasn't happy!! I think we will keep the trap out though another couple of nights. I'll update!

Oh no! That must have been scary. I'm glad to hear you weren't more seriously hurt.

I'm sorry to hear about the kitten. The same thing has happened to some of the feral kittens I was caring for before I was able to get them all trapped and re-homed. One of the feral mother cats crawled inside our car once and we ran over her. It's such a horrible feeling. I really wish car manufacturers would make the underneath of cars cat-proof. All they need to do is put some wire netting around the wheel arches and under the engine.

How old was the kitten? Do you think he is old enough to feed and care for himself? If there is already a big feral colony in the hospital grounds he might stay there. I guess there must be a food source for so many of them to stay in the same place.

The good news is that if he has survived he's going to be really car shy for the rest of his life. My cats hardly ever see cars, we don't have any paved roads near here are we're so far away from everything. If anyone ever does drive past they flatten themselves to the ground and run over to the other side of their enclosure. I think they must have learnt to fear cars by seeing other cats get hurt when they were out on the streets.

I don't know if this actually works, but in Japan people keep cats off of flower beds by making a wall of those big 5 liter plastic drink bottles. They fill them with water and line them up. They say cats won't try to climb over them because they don't like the shiny, reflective look of the plastic. Maybe you could try lining up some big water bottles around your car? It would be a pain to have to move them every time you wanted to go anywhere I know. Or how about one of those folding plastic fences to put around your car?

Good luck trapping the rest of the kittens.

Vibes for the little one

 

[catsknowme]

  You poor thing-----you are going through so much right now 

    I read all your posts, and, yes, especially with the criminally insane on the grounds, the state is obligated (and we are glad they are) to be extremely stringent about anyone on the grounds. So definitely, you have done all that is practical to do. 

Many people here are sending prayers and vibes out your way, both for the protection and safety of the little b&w kitten, and for your healing. May you be richly blessed for all your wonderful efforts! 

 Susan

 

[ondine]

Please take it easy for a few days.  I'll be thinking of you!

 

[hbunny]

Thank you very much!  Today I am sore, arm bruised pretty badly

, but otherwise, I'm above ground and still moving--so all is good!

The little B&W kitty was between 9-10 weeks old.  He was eating very well on his own and showing some hunting/stalking abilities on the bugs in the yard, and VERY adept at climbing trees.  I sincerely hope he hooks up with the colony there.  There seems to be a truckload of them over there from what I've seen, and all look pretty well fed so the hunting must be good.  There are cats of all sizes, so he may be able to hook up with a group about his age and horn in on their meals.  I see them lounging around outside one of the large unused buildings like they own the place (and I guess they do now).

Just sad, but life goes on.  I spent 30 minutes this morning trying to get one wild little thing out of the truck so I could drive it to work.  Finally drug out the leaf blower again and that seems to be all that works.  One is just obsessed with getting up in the motors, just that single one!  I can lay down on the horn and it will still stay in there!