I give in.I am going to care for the strays so please HELLLP!

[cc12]

I am very distraught about the news reports. There is a coyote problem within the city limits and not so far away from me. People are missing a lot of cats and coyotes have been spotted killing cats. From the news reports it seems every year this is a problem but the residents strongly disagree. They say this is a new thing as they have never seen so many missing cats. I have noticed a lot of fliers but I thought it was just the normal missing cat thing as a lot of people on this side of town have loads of cats. I also thought I was more aware of the signs because of the strays and ferals I feed. To think that someone is missing a cat that has been attacked by coyotes is a horrible thought. They mentioned bold raccoons attacking cats too. One guy on the news said he was not going to make his cat come indoors because he was sure his cat could handle himself in trouble.

I think the guy is misguided. Coyotes are high on the food chain and are efficient predators. A cat is no match for a coyote. A cat can get rabies from a raccoon bite.
I think of Giorgio, Sarafina, Azurro(the big blue), Lorenzo(who I have not seen for quite some time), Angelo(black sidekick) and Lucia's two.
The coyotes could easily meet up with one of them a few blocks east from me. They are not sure how far west they travel. I am not sure how far east the cats go. I am so grateful that Lucia and her new kittens are inside and safe.

Giorgio has sprayed all around my house. He sprayed again tonight on the glass and the smell seeped into the room for a little bit. It is a very strong unmistakable scent.

Lucia has tried to escape the bathroom a few more times. When the other cats see her they just greet her and she greets them with nose kisses. She never resists being picked up and put back in the bathroom. I am not sure what the point in escaping only to be scooped up and put back is. Maybe a mini adventure. The more time I spend with her the more I am convinced that she was someone's cat at one time. She readily uses the scratching post and the litter box like a old pro. The scratching post is made of carpet and she went right to it.
The kittens are walking and are mobile. They get around quickly. Every time I come in they gather around my toes and lick them. They know who I am and love to be picked up and cuddled. Such cuties. My daughter changes their names from day to day. We need to settle on some permanent ones though.
Saffron and Sachi are doing well. They are very easy going. I am changing their kitten food so that they don't become too picky. We will be starting a raw diet this week. I have let them try it and they love it. My goal is to have everyone raw by the middle of August.

 

[ldg]

Well, it took a while, but I got all caught up.

I love the way you write, and it's been so much fun catching up on all the goings on!

Sending lots of vibes that the coyote situation will get taken care of with no more kitty deaths!

Once a kitty had been part of our colony for a while, it was always distressing when they didn't return.

I just did my best to imagine that they moved along to find another source of food.

As to the trapping, for a few of them we ended up having to use a drop trap. It took patience, but when they're clever enough to get the food without tripping the trap (or in our case, too light to trip the trap), sometimes it's the only way to get them speutered.

I really hope Lucia's not going into heat again! Bottle feeding 8 kitties is too much!

for all you're doing. What a great experience for your kids!

Laurie

 

[katie=^..^=]

I'm so sorry to hear about the coyotes. I hope they disappear soon. Have there been fires, or is it just that their habitat has been taken up by humans? Sometimes I hate us!

I had an outside cat named Bonita who had litters one after the other as you describe Lucia. At first there was 6 months between the litters, then 3 months, and finally, she got pregnant when her previous litter was only 6 weeks. At that point she was so exhausted and hungry that she went into the trap easily. I think she was very grateful when she wasn't pursued by the guys anymore and didn't have anymore kittens. She died just last summer. A beautiful calico. Dude, and Josesito (orange males) are her sons and Sneakers (tuxedo) is her daughter.

She went to a feral cat clinic where they were willing to do the spay as soon as the kittens were 5-6 weeks. I was surprised that it didn't affect her ability to nurse her little ones.

I gave the last three kittens to what I thought was a no-kill shelter which was presented to me all wrong. Later I found out that they euthanized kittens that didn't "show well." Everytime I think of that I tear up. My poor little Jack, Spunky and Peekaboo. I pray that they miraculously socialized and found homes.

You're doing a great job. I love your thread.

 

[cc12]

I was worried all last night and had a fitful sleep.
This morning I did not see him and feared the worst.I wrote something to answer this thread and it disappeared into cyber space.
Oh well.
katie I agree about humans encroaching on habitats and causing issues with animals. It is a shame and it is horrible.
Now we are dealing with rabid bats.

Last night I saw a raccoon and he baby right outside of my door. The raccoon came right up to my door and looked in. It scared my daughter to death.

Later on when I went to put out my trash I saw Giorgio and he looked injured.He just looked at me and as I went to get closer he just stood there. I got really worried about him. I was on my knees walking to him and he ran away. But he looked back at me. I put out some Weruva which he loves.
Then I heard some yowling and went outside. There he was wrestling with calico Sarafina. It did not look like real fighting. It was definitely play fighting. She is one of the prettiest calicoes I have ever seen. Her pattern includes a black mask. She almost looks like a kitty bandit. Very beautiful girl and chunky I might add so you can imagine where my mind is going.

 

[cc12]

Giorgio has been sticking close to home for the last day or so. He sits outside on my patio and even tucks his feet under him. I call this the turkey position because cats look like trussed up turkeys when they sit in a ball like that.
He has not been on the move as much and I think I know why.
I have moved Lucia and the babies to a bigger room. A much bigger room that is like a giant kitty playground. I have 2 cat trees in there, a kitty tunnel, several kitty houses and beds. Plus loads of toys and interactive toys. This is the room I am going to use to foster from the shelter. So I have a really nice cushy rug on the floor so that the room stays warmer as we soon move into chillier weather.
Anyway this room has a window that Giorgio has access to. He can peek in at his beloved and his offspring. I really think he misses her. She on the other hand has no interest in going outside anymore. She spent time with me in the TV room and didn't even look outside. She was more interested in curling around my legs and nosing around the closet. The cool thing about her is that if you talk to her, she talks back. We had quite the conversation last night where I really believe we have come up with a solution to world peace. I pose a question and she actually waits until I am finished, looks me in the eye and answers! I held her on my lap and kissed her little head. She started purring right away and turned to slow blink at me. So I gave her a treat of chicken chunks and she was in heaven tearing through them happily.
I kept her children upstairs because I felt she needed a break. A little 'me' time.
This afternoon my friend came over with an outdoor enclosure and I let the kittens out for about 15 minutes to sit in the direct sun. It was nice and warm. They really liked it. I kept Renzo inside because he is so tiny and premie.

Saffron and Sachi spent the evening watching movies with me. Saffron loves to watch TV. She curls up and watches like she understands it. She even turns to me to see if I am looking too. Some people came over to look at the kittens and they wanted Saffron. Admittedly she is gorgeous and blue. But no way is my little girl going anywhere.

The babies are eating Lucia's food. I saw Claudio gnaw through a piece of chicken like a champ. Since I am starting them off on raw I am going to adopt them through the 3 petstores where I know the owners and they are pro-raw feeding. They are getting so big and hilarious. I took them downstairs and they climbed over the pillow pile I made for them. I am trying to decide if I am going to keep one but I think I won't. These kitties will have good lives because I can screen people myself. I would prefer to open my home, IF I do, to a kitty with less options. So far every one of the 6 pack have been rescues and I want to keep it that way.

Only minus today was that Cleo and Lucia got in a scuffle. Cleo is my big boy and he could hurt her. She ended up hiding under my chair. For some reason Lucia likes Mary and greets her in a friendly way. I would have thought the opposite.

 

[cc12]

Things are quiet lately.
Giorgio sits outside of the door and waits for his supper. His sidekick Angelo comes for some food too. Not as regularly but he usually does the finishing up.
Yesterday I put some Weruva down and Giorgio was sitting there staring at it. I don't motion for him to eat because quick body movements scare him away.
Finally I took a look from a few feet away and I saw 2 big dark blobs in the food. At first I thought one of the cats had pooed in the food. I was thoroughly disgusted at this thought. So I moved closer and he took off to the edge of my garden. There were two humongous slugs in the food. Who knew slugs liked cat food? I used a stick to pick them up and move them out of the plate. My daughter relocated them back to the garden.

I saw one of Lucia's kittens outside staring at the house. I know it is one of hers because it is the tuxie we tried to catch. I felt sad. Inside Saffy and Sachi are living comfortable lives. They are well loved, even by the big cats. Sachi is especially popular. Her gentle sweetness makes her easy to get along with since she is clearly not looking to be top cat. So of course Mary adores her. Saffron on the other hand is antagonizing Mary Queen of the Universe and is paying for it dearly. A friendly game of chase will start and Saffron will make the mistake of getting a little too playful and caught up in her kittenish behavior and was swatting and Mary. Mary was not amused. She gave her a good swatting and Saffron went and hid under my side table. Mary sat in front of her blocking her way with her tail thumping slowly. Saffron got the message loud and clear. Several minutes later they were laying together on my foot stool. I know it is only the beginning of Mary schooling her about how things work. She will soon learn that this is Mary's world and we just live in it.

I would have thought Lucia would have had a hard time with Mary but Mary likes her. Lucia is smaller and is more like Sachi. She is just friendly and uninterested in being top cat.

My goal of having everyone on raw food has been accomplished. Feeding everyone is so much easier.

Lucia's kittens are at that destructive kitten stage. All except Renzo the runty. I am thinking he may be blind or have bad eyesight. His ears are still down and they are coming up on 6 weeks old. He is just now beginning to get his teeth. When I move my finger close to his eyes he does not close them. He doesn't seem to focus much.

He spends most of his days with me. I put him with Mommy for feedings and then he goes into a baby sling. He loves it. When I open the door to come get him he wobbles over to me ready for the sling and our day together. I do give the others one on one time too because I want them to be as social and friendly as possible so that they will get adopted quickly. I take them around TVs, the other cats and my daughter plays with them and handles them. She amazes me. She is so gentle and patient with them. She loves spending time with them. Lucia has chosen her as her favorite person.

 

[cc12]

Poor Giorgio. It is starting to get chilly here and it has been rainy. He sits under my back stairs waiting for it to stop.
He has been making his daily appearances in our upstairs window including the cat room. The kittens love to be on top of the cat tree which is shaped like a huge bowl. I have some soft fleece blankets in there and they all climb up and hang out up there. It is good exercise for them.
Two nights ago, I heard some furious squeaking coming from the room and I look in and Giorgio is at the window. One of the little kittens hissed at him and took a baby sized swipe at the window. I wish I had my camcorder because it looked too funny.
I wonder if he recognizes the ones that are his?
Lucia usually talks to him through the window though I have no idea what she is saying. Whatever it is it sounds like she is telling him off. I imagine her reading him the riot act for everything he did wrong when she was outside with him. Next time he would do well to bring her a mouse or a bird or something to win her heart again.

I fed Lucia and her kittens their favorite which is lamb with lamb chunks. I have been using big chunks in my raw food for their teeth. Those 6-7 week olds can tear through some meat something fierce. They are getting very big now. I will take some new pictures.
They had a big adventure last night. I was sleeping when something woke me up. Lucia was standing over my bed staring at me doing her little maaah maaah sounds. It took me a moment to realize that if Lucia was in my room that means she escaped the cat room and that means the door is open and that means the kittens are also free and that means a mini disaster could be in the works. I look in the hallway and it looked like kitten Olympics. They were leaping and wrestling. They were jumping in and out of my cabinet. They were racing up and down the hallway. They were giddy with freedom. I had to chase down 7 kittens and corral them back into their room. Mary had Luciano cornered and he was relieved when I found him and put him back.

A few days ago I had a rare moment when I had my iphone with me while I was looking out of the back door one evening. It is not a good quality picture but I doubt I will ever have many chances to get a good shot of him unless I carry my camera around. Anyway here is Giorgio:


I found some canned quail cat food that he seems to really like. Since I have been giving it to him he has been calling me for food time relentlessly and loudly. The quail could my ticket to trapping him. heh heh heh.

Sarafina came around yesterday but she is still too shy to come close and just stares. But this is progress from before. Angelo is getting pretty bold and I saw him snatch some food from Giorgio's plate when Giorgio was not there. That will teach him to stop grazing and taking my delicious food for granted!

Lucia's two kittens that I could not catch were also in view. They like to play in the yard at night but sadly they are feral and it is too late for me to socialize them.
I think I need to put more food on the plate so that everyone gets a fair share. It is also time to get my shelters sorted so that they will have a place to stay when the rainy season arrives.
I plan to put my patio furniture away this week so they won't have my table to hide under anymore.

If I trap Lucia's two I will neuter them and then release them. They live on the property and I feel secure that they will be alright. My garden and yard are safe. The property is fenced in and they never go to the front of my house.

 

[babywukong]

Wow you're really doing a great job with all those cats!

I cannot imagine the hours and energy it takes to deal with the inside as well as the outside cats, you're amazing...

Best of luck trapping clever Giorgio and the pretty calico Sarafina, as well as with the coyote problem I enjoyed your thread thoroughly and will continue to watch for updates

 

[cc12]

Again the landscape of my home has changed. I am fostering a little family who came to me in really bad shape. The scrap of a mother weighed under 5 pounds and her kittens at 3 weeks were bones. Her bones were jutting out from her backside and she could barely hold her head up. But she was nursing what she could. Her eyes were inflamed and she could barely see. I honestly thought I was going to wake up to find her dead the first morning she was here. They are from the shelter where I am a volunteer. It is so much easier to foster with support and free good vet care. I will be learning how to administer vaccines, medications and fluids. It will make my own efforts so much easier.
I named her Persephone:


Her red guy is named Ares, the two girls Artemis and Demeter and the tiger mackerel boy Poseidon. I named him Poseidon because he likes the water and keeps jumping in the fountain. Ares is a feisty little guy like the God of War. Artemis is feistier than Demeter who is peaceful. They meow like little meezers with a distinctive sound. Mom is a lynx point so it is easy to see where they got it from. Unfortunately they all have a little diarrhea with possible coccidia. I picked up some medication for Persephone if her test is positive and when the kittens are 6 weeks I will pick some up for them too.

Saffron and Sachi are no longer confined to a room for their own safety and now mingle freely among the household. It is so much easier to feed five cats side by side than it is to go up and down the stairs at feeding time. They are very funny. Saffron comes when you call her name. Sachi follows Seldon everywhere. I often find them snuggled up in a tree. They have balanced out my home very nicely and it is very harmonious. Seldon gets to be Uncle Seldon and show them the ropes.
Lucia I am beginning to realize needs a home where she is the only cat. Seldon came up to greet her in a friendly manner and she attacked him. I understand why she is that way but it won't work in my home.

Luckily she is going in for her spay on the 9th. Maybe she will chill after that but if not then rehoming is the best option for her. Selfishly I will miss her terribly but she deserves to be happy too.

The other night I was lounging in my TV room when up to the glass comes a black kitten who looked suspiciously like Sachi. I deduced it is one of Lucia's kittens! Alive and well. Lucia taught her well to come to the window for food. I almost cried with happiness to know she is alive. I will continue my feeding but add just a little more since I know someone else is surviving off of it too.
Quail seems to be a crowd pleaser.

I am a little worried about Giorgio. He has lost some of his pep. I am not sure if he is sick but I am going to observe him closely. If I feel he is sick I may have to call my ex(

)to stake him out and catch him. I may have to stay up all night and once caught take him to the ER. Poor boy is welcome to my yard. So much so I will build him an enclosure. I use the word build loosely. I will purchasea structure and just let my menagerie live in the Eden of my backyard. I will catch them spay/neuter and care for them. I am going to try to keep them mostly contained here for their home and for their own safety.
My cat hating neighbor put her house up for sale.

I am tempted to buy it just to hurry her departure from the neighborhood. Buh-bye kitty hater.
She despises pets and animals. I have never seen that woman crack a smile and whatever her issues are she should leave the poor animals out of it. She told me she thought about calling the county to come get the cats. I told her that they could end up euthanized she said at least they would be gone. I had hoped we could be friends since our children like a play together but anyone who throws out a whole set of patio furniture because Lucia laid on it has some issues I want no part of. She said she found some black hairs on it and dumped it. I asked her if she was allergic. Nope. It was drastic to throw out and entire patio group including pieces uncontaminated with cat but her hatred for cats is just that strong. I am civil and neighborly enough but the for sale sign made my heart soar.

Sarafina is getting bolder and inching closer when she thinks I don't see her. What a beauty! There is also quite a good looking rogue on the scene. A big Red boy. I think he is someone's pet but he loves to come over. For a little snack perhaps?

 

[sarahp]

Wow, sounds as though things are going fairly well! I hope Giorgio is ok - he may just be a little out of sorts with all the other kitties inside - the balance of the neighbourhood has been changed.

I think you're right about Lucia. You've done a great job with her, but it does sound like she'd be happier in a quiet household.

 

[cc12]

I never realized how quickly things can turn for the worst.
Giorgio is missing. No howling, no visits on the roof, no paw prints on my car, no peeping in the windows...nothing. My daughter has been looking out for him and I drove around and walked(hobbled) around looking for him.
I am really worried. My hope is that he went to roam to look for a Queen but he is usually right in my yard or at least a 4 house radius.
I am going to look again tomorrow.

 

[cc12]

I know it has been quite some time since I updated everyone and I apologize.
News has been mixed.
Lucia is looking so good and filled out. Her winter coat is coming in so beautifully. But she still doesn't get along with anyone. Even Saffron and Sachi try to attack her which is rather sad and ironic.

I am keeping one of the eight. My little Renzo the runty who is also my Little Chunk. He is so cute and cuddly. He may also be a dwarf. He is so small still and is half the size of his siblings. If that. But he is so sweet. We have a daily routine. He comes everywhere with me. I have a pet sling and in he goes. We go grocery shopping and he even comes to lunch with me. I don't like leaving him alone because he is so small. The other cats love him to bits. Mary cuddles with him on my bed. At bed time I he knows it because I am in my pjs and he sits up, I swoop him up tuck him into my robe and up the stairs we go.
I have a little fleece baby blanket for him that he loves so he and Mary sleep there. He talks all the time but not in meows. He squeaks, grunts, purrs, meeps and eeps. I love him with all of my devotion.

Giorgio is gone and I am heartbroken. I can't find him anywhere. I search the shelters sites, drive around and keep a lookout but he is never there. My daughter saw him a few weeks ago but since then nothing.

Sarafina has also been gone.
The only one around is Sachi's twin.

But this does not mean all is quiet. There is a new man in town and he is HUGE. He is a big buff tomcat with no collar. I mean big!
I want to make sure my unspayed girls stay close. Sachi and Saffron are due in a few weeks for their spays. If one got out...I don't want to think about it. He would break them in half. They are slender and small like their mother. They don't seem interested in anything but laps and love anyway. But he is scary big with a big Tomcat neck.

I am going to keep looking for my kitties. I wonder if big ole Buff has decided this is his territory and has booted the others off. The cheeky thing was rummaging through my studio/garage. I have a detached garage and I am turning the second floor into a studio so I can do art again. He just sauntered on in like he owned the place. I have a fridge with beer leftover from Barbeques...maybe he is looking for a cold one.

I don't think he was looking for food because he does not look like he has skipped a meal...unless...he has been eating my food and not any of the others...mmm. I need to find out.

But where is my Giorgio?