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- Jun 8, 2013
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Last Friday night we discovered a cat with kittens on our patio underneath the shelf of the BBQ grill. The incident was very traumatic for all of us. We don't use the patio a lot, but were out there with our 3-year-old granddaughter playing with a bubble blower and a stack of old foam letter tiles that were stacked right on that shelf. Even our little dog was in and out for a period of at least 20-30 minutes. Suddenly there was a scuffle and a loud, horrible noise from the corner under the BBQ grill, and a small animal was "pushed" out. When we looked, we saw it was a kitten (it looked like it's eyes were closed)and that there was a mama cat cowering underneath. I got everybody indoors, went back out there and kind of pushed the kitten (using a piece of the foam tile) so she was within reach of the mama. Then (keep in mind I am absolutely clueless about cats), I went out and tried to put a dish of water near her--too near her as she reached out and knocked the bowl out of may hands up into my face. I spoke with some rescue people who told me to put food and water out for her. So I went and bought dry and wet cat food. By this time it was dark, so I turned on the patio light, opened the door with my "stuff" and set it down. No sooner did I set the stuff down, but the cat came FLYING out from under the grill and leapt at me as I went flying back into the house and shut the door. The door to the patio is a regular (not sliding) door that is almost all window. The mama cat hit the door, and then flung herselt at it a couple more times. The next morning, I looked out at her, and she actually sat at the door, rather nicely and looked at me. But later, my son-in-law looked out at her (I think he met her gaze too long and too directly?) and she went nuts attacking the door again. Its been a week now. I haven't seen or heard those kittens since that first night. II am managing to get food and water to her, but the one time my husband tried to lean over the patio wall to set food on the floor for her, she attacked him and left puncture wounds on his shoulder (they are fine, did not fester or swell--we treated them right away with Neosporin). So now, we pretty much just pour kitten food over the wall, and we put water ON the ledge. She jumped up on the ledge one morning in attack mode but I got away. THIS morning, however, after my husband poured food over (and she attacked the bag in the process), he tried to put water on the ledge, and she jumped OVER the ledge to the ground and jumped at him. He had on long pants and he pushed her away with his foot, sort of kicked her I'm afraid, but not hard. At that point she backed off, and sat down, then jumped back on the patio. But she had already knocked over all the water dishes. My husband actually snuck BACK OUT and slid a bowl of water on the OTHER side of the ledge, so she has some water. However, he wasn't able to get ice in it I don't think and it's going to get reall hot out there. I've been in contact with the feral cat group, which is large and very well organized her in Las Vegas, and they are saying I should continue to feed and water her for another 4-5 weeks, at which point they will trap, neuter, and return, trying to get her AND her (possible) kittens. I don't have a YARD, all I have is a small patio attached to a small condo. I don't mind loaning it her, but I'm not going to give it to her forever. Also, I am SCARED TO DEATH OF HER. On the other hand, I also feel some kind of irrational affection for her, and I feel responsible, totally, for her well-being. Frankly, I'm the kind of person who gets extremely emotional about this type of thing. I'm worried sick (literally) about this cat and her kittens and whether they are alive someplace on the patio hidden, or someplace else hidden, or just dead out there or someplace. Also, now that she has actually come OVER the patio wall, I'm concerned about liability. There is an internal sidewalk inside the condo complex, that goes RIGHT PAST that wall, albeit about 4 feet away. People walk past there all the time. I also keep thinking about how my little granddaughter could have been hurt--she was right out there, inches away from that cat, playing with those foam letter tiles. ALSO (I know I'm going on and on...sorry), we're having a heat warning here, and it's forecast to get up to 111 degrees today. That's why I wanted to MAKE SURE she has water. Anybody here have any thoughts as to whether or not those kittens might be alive someplace? If they're NOT, I could have the TNR people out now. Also, I'm told different things by different people as to whether this type of aggression is within the normal range. I would expect her to hiss, and may reach out to claw, but actually JUMPING at us in attack mode--is that at all normal? I know her discovery was traumatic for her. She probably thought she had found a safe place, and all of a sudden....well---NOT.