Well - all of the ferals that were "regulars" in the colony were relocated to the barns. Except Funny Face, who came back here.
We've been feeding him daily. No more free-feeding "cat" feeder out back though. We dismantled that. We just keep our eye peeled for him - and if we haven't seen him, we head out late afternoon, and he'll often be there.
But this cold weather, of course, is drawing the "new" homeless cats.
I don't know where these (boys or girls - haven't been close enough to see yet) are coming from - but they were not born this Spring. One of the them looks really old - which for a feral could be three years or so I guess. Poor thing has a massive eye infection - which probaby means a URI. Without help, I doubt he'll survive the Winter here.
We've only seen him once - and we took out food for him, but haven't seen him back.
He (or she) needs to be neutered or spayed and treated - and then we'd be able to re-release him or her into one of the barns - where they ARE taking care of the cats.
And just now I was outside to feed Funny Face - and after putting his bowl of food out, just a minute later I heard a FIERCE howl and then a continued low growling. I was so worried he'd been injured. Turns out it was just another black & white kitty - but much too big to have been born this past Spring. One we've not seen before. I took another bowl of food out and placed it up in the woods. Hope new kitty's eating it.
I don't have the trap here!
Looks like we'll have to go pick it up.
When there weren't any kittens this Spring, I really thought we'd seen the end of the ferals here. Of course, I should have known better.... poor things!
We've been feeding him daily. No more free-feeding "cat" feeder out back though. We dismantled that. We just keep our eye peeled for him - and if we haven't seen him, we head out late afternoon, and he'll often be there.
But this cold weather, of course, is drawing the "new" homeless cats.
I don't know where these (boys or girls - haven't been close enough to see yet) are coming from - but they were not born this Spring. One of the them looks really old - which for a feral could be three years or so I guess. Poor thing has a massive eye infection - which probaby means a URI. Without help, I doubt he'll survive the Winter here.
We've only seen him once - and we took out food for him, but haven't seen him back.
And just now I was outside to feed Funny Face - and after putting his bowl of food out, just a minute later I heard a FIERCE howl and then a continued low growling. I was so worried he'd been injured. Turns out it was just another black & white kitty - but much too big to have been born this past Spring. One we've not seen before. I took another bowl of food out and placed it up in the woods. Hope new kitty's eating it.
I don't have the trap here!
Looks like we'll have to go pick it up.
When there weren't any kittens this Spring, I really thought we'd seen the end of the ferals here. Of course, I should have known better.... poor things!