Hi all - thought I'd start a new thread. Today, whilst I was preparing food for the barn girls (Ruby & Cow) at my back door, I took a little squint into the lean-to about 30 feet away and saw a cat. Immediate thought was 'that's Cow', as she regularly sits and watches me, even if from a distance.
But no, it was Ruby, and she was actually a little closer (about 20ft) than Cow gets. So I said hello and carried on preparing. Long story short, I realised she was miaowing at me quite loudly! I'd always had the impression that ferals didn't do noises, as they don't like to announce their presence. Anyway, I guessed it meant 'I am hungry' and, lo and behold, after I'd had a quick word with her - 'Hungry today are we Rubycat? You're a funny cat - you didn't eat any food yesterday until it got dark!' (I'd been working at home) - she dashed off to her barn and about 5 minutes later I saw her coming away from her food station and her wet portion had disappeared.
I'm guessing this is progress?!
As I alluded to in an earlier post, Ruby is a real mystery cat. Indeed, I'm not convinced she is actually the same cat who took receipt of! When they came to us, we never really got a good look at them in their carrier but just thought they were two peas in a pod, both b/w girls. In the 3 weeks they were in their acclimatisation hut, both generally hid but Cow's nose gave her away - she has a white nose with a black Nike-like tick on it. Come the day we left their door open, I was working from home and watching from the upstairs . Within about 15 minutes, little Cow was out and about exploring and I noticed she had a really big tuxedo (we hadn't really named her till then, but this is when the Cow moniker kicked in). However, I never saw Ruby leave her hut and I sat there all day! Fast forward a couple of days and it was clear she'd left the hut and was eating food, but I hadn't seen her about. When I finally did see the cat we call Ruby, she was on a straw bale in the back barn. A couple of days later, this Ruby comes into the courtyard and I think to myself:
1) crikey, she's a lot taller than Cow! Quite sleek and lean, whereas Cow is titchy and chunky!
2) she is a tuxedo, but has much, much less white on her. Just a few splashes on her legs and a little v-neck.
3) most noticeably, her dark colourings aren't anything like as dark as Cow...Ruby is a very dark grey, Cow is proper black!
In their acclimatisation time, they were quite often huddled up together in a hidey space in their hut. They were apparently picked up together by the shelter on a lorry park about 15 miles away and both had a litter of kittens (don't worry, they've now been spayed). They lived together in a shelter for about 12 months. But now Cow seems terrified of Ruby: if Ruby comes out for food or an explore, Cow immediately dashes for the safety of her barn, and I've actually seen Ruby chase Cow on a few occasions. I believed they were bonded, but now I just feel they tolerate one another!
Last summer, we had a number of cats come around the farm on a sporadic basis. None of them ever came close to us, though we did see them out and about - there was a big white one, a grey/ white one and a couple of b/w one....
I can't help wondering if the cat we're calling Ruby is actually the latter of these strays - possibly even a male, given how much taller she is? Don't get me wrong, even if he (she) is I'll still love her to bits and it's clear she has adopted us. But I'd love to know! Not sure I'll ever find out, unless Ruby lets me check her out. But it is a mystery!
Anyone, just a few musings from this side of the pond. Any thoughts appreciated!
But no, it was Ruby, and she was actually a little closer (about 20ft) than Cow gets. So I said hello and carried on preparing. Long story short, I realised she was miaowing at me quite loudly! I'd always had the impression that ferals didn't do noises, as they don't like to announce their presence. Anyway, I guessed it meant 'I am hungry' and, lo and behold, after I'd had a quick word with her - 'Hungry today are we Rubycat? You're a funny cat - you didn't eat any food yesterday until it got dark!' (I'd been working at home) - she dashed off to her barn and about 5 minutes later I saw her coming away from her food station and her wet portion had disappeared.
I'm guessing this is progress?!
As I alluded to in an earlier post, Ruby is a real mystery cat. Indeed, I'm not convinced she is actually the same cat who took receipt of! When they came to us, we never really got a good look at them in their carrier but just thought they were two peas in a pod, both b/w girls. In the 3 weeks they were in their acclimatisation hut, both generally hid but Cow's nose gave her away - she has a white nose with a black Nike-like tick on it. Come the day we left their door open, I was working from home and watching from the upstairs . Within about 15 minutes, little Cow was out and about exploring and I noticed she had a really big tuxedo (we hadn't really named her till then, but this is when the Cow moniker kicked in). However, I never saw Ruby leave her hut and I sat there all day! Fast forward a couple of days and it was clear she'd left the hut and was eating food, but I hadn't seen her about. When I finally did see the cat we call Ruby, she was on a straw bale in the back barn. A couple of days later, this Ruby comes into the courtyard and I think to myself:
1) crikey, she's a lot taller than Cow! Quite sleek and lean, whereas Cow is titchy and chunky!
2) she is a tuxedo, but has much, much less white on her. Just a few splashes on her legs and a little v-neck.
3) most noticeably, her dark colourings aren't anything like as dark as Cow...Ruby is a very dark grey, Cow is proper black!
In their acclimatisation time, they were quite often huddled up together in a hidey space in their hut. They were apparently picked up together by the shelter on a lorry park about 15 miles away and both had a litter of kittens (don't worry, they've now been spayed). They lived together in a shelter for about 12 months. But now Cow seems terrified of Ruby: if Ruby comes out for food or an explore, Cow immediately dashes for the safety of her barn, and I've actually seen Ruby chase Cow on a few occasions. I believed they were bonded, but now I just feel they tolerate one another!
Last summer, we had a number of cats come around the farm on a sporadic basis. None of them ever came close to us, though we did see them out and about - there was a big white one, a grey/ white one and a couple of b/w one....
I can't help wondering if the cat we're calling Ruby is actually the latter of these strays - possibly even a male, given how much taller she is? Don't get me wrong, even if he (she) is I'll still love her to bits and it's clear she has adopted us. But I'd love to know! Not sure I'll ever find out, unless Ruby lets me check her out. But it is a mystery!
Anyone, just a few musings from this side of the pond. Any thoughts appreciated!