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Hello!
I am in need of advice and would be so grateful for any suggestions.
I took in a stray mama cat who had been living under my Dad’s hot tub for over a year. We tried to get at least one of her kittens with her, but they were scared off the day my Dad was driving the long distance to bring her to me. (She had 3 kittens who are approximately 5 months old now, they are feral, were all spayed and neutered and given a good enclosed barn home.)
I had Mama in a very nice and warm, carpeted and cozy basement all to herself for a week. We (family of 4 cat lovers) were all able to pet her when she was within reach. She kneaded the floor and rubbed against our hands, but always stayed an arm‘s length away. She mostly hid though, and never once approached us. There was an old dryer vent high on the ceiling that we didn’t know about, it had a plastic cover over it which she kicked out, she squeezed through the hole and jumped outside. I was amazed when I trapped her a couple of days later. I thought she would be long gone and far away by then. I wondered if she would looking for her kittens, I was told she was an excellent mama. We covered the hole and wedged wood pieces around it so the cover could not be removed, and we brought her back to the room she’d escaped. She was angry and terrified. We were foolish. She must be very strong, as she unwedged the hole and escaped again that night. I can’t remember ever feeling so stupid and regretful. We underestimated her badly. I tied the trap open and left wet food in it for a week, of course it was never touched. Then I disguised the trap and moved it. I left dry food in it instead of wet. Suddenly, after 2 weeks, something started eating big bowls of dry food. Whenever I left wet food, the dish was pulled outside of the trap and eaten. Though I’ve seen absolutely no trace of her, I think it’s her. She doesn’t seem to use the beds I’ve made her, but the food gets eaten entirely every night. My questions are, how long should I feed her before I set the trap again? Weeks? And, when and if I miraculously get her again, should she return to the basement room, with the hole boarded and nailed shut of course, or into a large cage upstairs in a quiet room? Sorry for such a long post! So many thanks for reading!!
I am in need of advice and would be so grateful for any suggestions.
I took in a stray mama cat who had been living under my Dad’s hot tub for over a year. We tried to get at least one of her kittens with her, but they were scared off the day my Dad was driving the long distance to bring her to me. (She had 3 kittens who are approximately 5 months old now, they are feral, were all spayed and neutered and given a good enclosed barn home.)
I had Mama in a very nice and warm, carpeted and cozy basement all to herself for a week. We (family of 4 cat lovers) were all able to pet her when she was within reach. She kneaded the floor and rubbed against our hands, but always stayed an arm‘s length away. She mostly hid though, and never once approached us. There was an old dryer vent high on the ceiling that we didn’t know about, it had a plastic cover over it which she kicked out, she squeezed through the hole and jumped outside. I was amazed when I trapped her a couple of days later. I thought she would be long gone and far away by then. I wondered if she would looking for her kittens, I was told she was an excellent mama. We covered the hole and wedged wood pieces around it so the cover could not be removed, and we brought her back to the room she’d escaped. She was angry and terrified. We were foolish. She must be very strong, as she unwedged the hole and escaped again that night. I can’t remember ever feeling so stupid and regretful. We underestimated her badly. I tied the trap open and left wet food in it for a week, of course it was never touched. Then I disguised the trap and moved it. I left dry food in it instead of wet. Suddenly, after 2 weeks, something started eating big bowls of dry food. Whenever I left wet food, the dish was pulled outside of the trap and eaten. Though I’ve seen absolutely no trace of her, I think it’s her. She doesn’t seem to use the beds I’ve made her, but the food gets eaten entirely every night. My questions are, how long should I feed her before I set the trap again? Weeks? And, when and if I miraculously get her again, should she return to the basement room, with the hole boarded and nailed shut of course, or into a large cage upstairs in a quiet room? Sorry for such a long post! So many thanks for reading!!
