Hi everyone! First-time poster, and I'm so glad to have found this site!!!
So here's my story--I have two cats, both outdoor rescues, both fully indoor. Anyway, there's a feral female who has come around to the house for the last year or so, and I've put out food for her. She had a litter last year (not sure what became of the kits--they used to feed at my house and another house across the street, but that family has since moved, so we're the main source).
So this year the female had a litter and began coming by for food, along with the kittens (she has four, all beautiful healthy little ones
). The thing that's becoming more of a concern is that she's getting very territorial and somewhat aggressive with me--when I bring out the food, she cries and crowds me, hissing until I've put down the plate. She's even swiped at my leg a few times (I wear long pants, so no scratches, but it's concerning since it's happened twice in the last couple of days). Her babies feed alongside her, along with a tom who (I suspect) is the baby daddy.
I've started looking into TNR for the tom and queen (unfortunately, she may be pregnant again, but it's hard to tell). I'm also hoping to trap the kits so they can be socialized and adopted--they're a little less shy around me now. I'm just wondering if there's any way to deal with angry momma, since I don't want to scare or antagonize her, but it's getting to the point where it's hard to get in and out our front door (she seems to have taken over the front stoop!) I'm putting food further away (near the garage) but she still freaks out when I go near the door--
Any help or advice would be hugely appreciated (including whether or not her behavior is normal--I figure it's hormonal, but I wasn't sure, and I don't want to get clawed or bitten).
Thank you all so much, and sorry for the long post!!!!
So here's my story--I have two cats, both outdoor rescues, both fully indoor. Anyway, there's a feral female who has come around to the house for the last year or so, and I've put out food for her. She had a litter last year (not sure what became of the kits--they used to feed at my house and another house across the street, but that family has since moved, so we're the main source).
So this year the female had a litter and began coming by for food, along with the kittens (she has four, all beautiful healthy little ones
). The thing that's becoming more of a concern is that she's getting very territorial and somewhat aggressive with me--when I bring out the food, she cries and crowds me, hissing until I've put down the plate. She's even swiped at my leg a few times (I wear long pants, so no scratches, but it's concerning since it's happened twice in the last couple of days). Her babies feed alongside her, along with a tom who (I suspect) is the baby daddy. I've started looking into TNR for the tom and queen (unfortunately, she may be pregnant again, but it's hard to tell). I'm also hoping to trap the kits so they can be socialized and adopted--they're a little less shy around me now
. I'm just wondering if there's any way to deal with angry momma, since I don't want to scare or antagonize her, but it's getting to the point where it's hard to get in and out our front door (she seems to have taken over the front stoop!) I'm putting food further away (near the garage) but she still freaks out when I go near the door--Any help or advice would be hugely appreciated (including whether or not her behavior is normal--I figure it's hormonal, but I wasn't sure, and I don't want to get clawed or bitten).
Thank you all so much, and sorry for the long post!!!!
. I'm hoping they're just doing some brief wandering and they'll be back later...
What a mystery.....I would put out only small amounts of food, preferably dry. If you can, rake the food area and sprinkle dry dust around, then check for tracks. If a catastrophe occurred, the others may be in deep hiding. When I had the cougar come into my yard this spring, I had cats hiding from 2-4 days before they reappeared. Prayers and vibes that momma cat has merely moved the family and will return safely to you. You might try posting on FB and My Neighborhood.com - you can make a FB page that people can respond to, without revealing your name. My FB page is Bishop Kitten Connection. Thank you for the update!
