- Joined
- Jul 7, 2015
- Messages
- 31
- Purraise
- 4
*Sorry for the double post! Flagged it for deletion. Please ignore my other thread if it is still currently up:
Hello! I posted here once before, in this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/301334/...y-of-ferals-1-adult-and-5-kittens-in-backyard
Long story short, I'm a young adult who found a family of ferals living in my parents' backyard this July. My parents saw the cats as pests, and regularly tried to terrify them into leaving. I discussed alternatives with my parents, and though they disagreed, I set up a regular feeding schedule for the cats in hopes of taking them to be spayed and neutered. I wanted to have at least the spaying / neutering done before November, when I move up-state for work. 2 weeks after I first posted here (where I received some great advice), I attempted to trap the cats. I failed for a couple weeks, and would see the cats avoiding the trap in favor of catching rats on my parents' property. Afterwards, I put the traps away for a later period, and started putting food outside the trap.
During this time, I got really attached to the four kittens. Fast forward 3 months, and the kittens are now attached teenaged cats who've been saddled with hipster names: Sable, Osric, Chauncey and Leda. Sable, the black cat, meows for me every morning. It and Osric lick my toes when they want food. The family follows me around the yard. We play string games together. They maul my stuffed animals. When I move into the backyard and sit down, they run from whichever corner they've been hiding in to sleep next to me. Lately, even the most notoriously fearful Leda started to come over when I called. When I'm home alone, they follow me into the house, exploring the rooms. I've started to harass my friends with cat-stories-of-the-day. Theoretically, this should mean that I should have no qualms trapping them because it probably wouldn't be very hard to. If the trap where large enough and I went in, it's likely that they would follow.
I'm just really scared of breaking their trust. I don't want to be another human terror. Because of their circumstances, they've become very distrustful of other people, even defensively aggressive. My parents had previously chased them with flashing lights, brooms and accidentally closed Sable in our 100+ degree garage without food or water for 3 days. I assumed they had intimidated Sable into leaving, and only realized that Sable had never left when I heard it calling at night. When Sable went missing, Osric and Leda stopped eating around me. Other visiting family members also shouted at them and mimed kicking motions when they saw the cats. When I left on work trips, they took away the cats' timed feeders and threw away their sleeping blankets and toys, because they were afraid those items would attract possums. Recently, my parents agreed to let me attempt to trap the cats and temporarily stop frightening them. During their time here, the cats have had positive experiences with few people. They either hide from other people or hiss and growl, feet in a pouncing position. I'm afraid they would soon be reacting that way to me after I trap them. I'd really like to adopt them and take them with me, but I'm afraid I'd just be exposing them to one unwelcome situation after another.
I also remember how they used to behave, when I could only see them eat if I was at least 20 feet and often over 10 yards away. They would dash away as soon as I opened the door. They ran the other way if they saw me. I'm afraid that if I trap them, they'll see me as another monster that they have to hide from or hiss at. I've been dragging my feet, and I know that's unproductive. They're probably 4-5 months old, and it might not be long before they reach sexual maturity.
To posters who've had a good relationship with their feral cats after trapping, what is your advice about what to do? Anything would be appreciated! Sadly, I also don't have a comfortable room for the cats after trapping, since my parents would rather not have ferals in their house. It's already hard for them to accept that I've been feeding the cats on their property. The cats will be taken to my shed for recovery from surgery, but the shed gets very hot and is full of tools. They'll have to be placed in a large kennel and a portable air conditioner will be kept running. Please let me know if you see large warning signs. I'm really worried that I'm fudging this all up.
photos to share
Chauncey: orange mackerel tabby
Osric: gray ticked tabby
Leda: Hazel blotched tabby
Sable: not a tabby
About to maul their favorite new toy:
Thea: long-suffering mother to the ragtag bunch, who had to sniff for crumbs after her hungry children demolished the food every evening. She still drops by weekly-biweekly to check on them, and occasionally ushers them out of the shed where they like to play when I'm working.
Hello! I posted here once before, in this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/301334/...y-of-ferals-1-adult-and-5-kittens-in-backyard
Long story short, I'm a young adult who found a family of ferals living in my parents' backyard this July. My parents saw the cats as pests, and regularly tried to terrify them into leaving. I discussed alternatives with my parents, and though they disagreed, I set up a regular feeding schedule for the cats in hopes of taking them to be spayed and neutered. I wanted to have at least the spaying / neutering done before November, when I move up-state for work. 2 weeks after I first posted here (where I received some great advice), I attempted to trap the cats. I failed for a couple weeks, and would see the cats avoiding the trap in favor of catching rats on my parents' property. Afterwards, I put the traps away for a later period, and started putting food outside the trap.
During this time, I got really attached to the four kittens. Fast forward 3 months, and the kittens are now attached teenaged cats who've been saddled with hipster names: Sable, Osric, Chauncey and Leda. Sable, the black cat, meows for me every morning. It and Osric lick my toes when they want food. The family follows me around the yard. We play string games together. They maul my stuffed animals. When I move into the backyard and sit down, they run from whichever corner they've been hiding in to sleep next to me. Lately, even the most notoriously fearful Leda started to come over when I called. When I'm home alone, they follow me into the house, exploring the rooms. I've started to harass my friends with cat-stories-of-the-day. Theoretically, this should mean that I should have no qualms trapping them because it probably wouldn't be very hard to. If the trap where large enough and I went in, it's likely that they would follow.
I'm just really scared of breaking their trust. I don't want to be another human terror. Because of their circumstances, they've become very distrustful of other people, even defensively aggressive. My parents had previously chased them with flashing lights, brooms and accidentally closed Sable in our 100+ degree garage without food or water for 3 days. I assumed they had intimidated Sable into leaving, and only realized that Sable had never left when I heard it calling at night. When Sable went missing, Osric and Leda stopped eating around me. Other visiting family members also shouted at them and mimed kicking motions when they saw the cats. When I left on work trips, they took away the cats' timed feeders and threw away their sleeping blankets and toys, because they were afraid those items would attract possums. Recently, my parents agreed to let me attempt to trap the cats and temporarily stop frightening them. During their time here, the cats have had positive experiences with few people. They either hide from other people or hiss and growl, feet in a pouncing position. I'm afraid they would soon be reacting that way to me after I trap them. I'd really like to adopt them and take them with me, but I'm afraid I'd just be exposing them to one unwelcome situation after another.
I also remember how they used to behave, when I could only see them eat if I was at least 20 feet and often over 10 yards away. They would dash away as soon as I opened the door. They ran the other way if they saw me. I'm afraid that if I trap them, they'll see me as another monster that they have to hide from or hiss at. I've been dragging my feet, and I know that's unproductive. They're probably 4-5 months old, and it might not be long before they reach sexual maturity.
To posters who've had a good relationship with their feral cats after trapping, what is your advice about what to do? Anything would be appreciated! Sadly, I also don't have a comfortable room for the cats after trapping, since my parents would rather not have ferals in their house. It's already hard for them to accept that I've been feeding the cats on their property. The cats will be taken to my shed for recovery from surgery, but the shed gets very hot and is full of tools. They'll have to be placed in a large kennel and a portable air conditioner will be kept running. Please let me know if you see large warning signs. I'm really worried that I'm fudging this all up.
photos to share Chauncey: orange mackerel tabby
Osric: gray ticked tabby
Leda: Hazel blotched tabby
Sable: not a tabby
About to maul their favorite new toy:
Thea: long-suffering mother to the ragtag bunch, who had to sniff for crumbs after her hungry children demolished the food every evening. She still drops by weekly-biweekly to check on them, and occasionally ushers them out of the shed where they like to play when I'm working.
