Topic: Feral cat update

[Flighty]

Betty further to Ragdoll Lady's comment here's the post where she showed us all her lovely cats!

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,61972.0.html

[Squash64]

No problem Linda, you didn't know what had gone on and if I hadn't already been in contact with Cats Protection then your post would have pointed me in the right direction.

Once our Summer Fayre is over we will get down to trying to trap the cats and have them neutered.  Alan from the CP explained that cats have short memories and will soon forget what has happened to them.  I was also concerned that they will be returned to the allotments the same day as their ops but he said that the wound will be tiny and will be glued rather than stitched.  I suppose I am worrying too much...

I remember the post about your beautiful cats now (thanks Flighty) - they are amazing!  Do you breed/show them?

[Ragdoll Lady]

Betty the man from Cats Protection is right cats have short memories and they will get over the op really quickly. Ferals are often more hardy too and they will have been thoughly checked out by the vet before they get their op. The boys will be less likely to fight and scent mark with strong Tom Cat smell and the girls will keep their condition with not having kittens all the time and will be very unlikely to get a womb infection which can kill them.  They use glue and disolveable stitches at lot now.

Thank you for the kind comments about my cats. We are just pet owners as I dont think I could  part with kittens id be forevever worrying if they were being looked after properly. We do show them occasionally.  Its a nice hobby as you get to see some wonderful cats and meet some nice people (and laugh at the ones who are not so nice and take it too seriously) We have three proper show cats who have been very sucessful considering they dont do many shows, Jasper our cross has done well in his pedigree pets class and our other two have been on rescue stands at shows promoting cat rescue. Which has been fun, and has helped us do our bit to promote our cat breed.
Linda

Ps If you every need any advice on anything cat related I am always here

[Borlotti]

We have an allotment cat, he has been taken to the vet by one allotment man, and has lost the sight in one eye.  He is fed twice a day by one man in the morning and one at night.   One man was going to take him home last winter as it was so cold, but he has a shed he can go in and a selection of beds and boxes.  The only trouble with feeding cats is that they wait for the food and it is OK if you don't mind feeding them in the winter when it is dark and cold.  I fed Charlie 18 years ago, as he was starving and sleeping rough in my garden, and now I am committed to him, he is asleep on the bed as I type.  Dulce came in as a kitten and ate Charlie's leftover food and now I am stuck with Dulce.  He won't go home, I push him over the back fence and he bites me.  Think the owner has given up on him, the other twin Gabanna stays at his home, mostly, but does go next door and here occasionally to kiss his brother.  I agree you must try and get the cats neutered as one or two cats are OK, but not so good if you get a whole colony of cats.  We got that when I lived behind a milk yard and they fed the cat/cats, ended up with hundreds and then the shop/office next to me had a problem with fleas and had to be sprayed by pest control.  I do not feed the allotment cat, although I am tempted.  He knows me now and will sit and watch me work.  Saw him the other day with a mouse in his mouth, so the point I am trying to make is perhaps you have to cruel to be kind, if you see what I mean, as once they are being fed they stop hunting, and if you fed them in the summer have to keep it up for ever.  I used to work for the Cats Protection League as a volunteer but unfortunately the one local to me closed.  Love your cats Ragdoll, have always had cats.  One of my cats was a Siamese, Prince Chan Subuka, he was more like a dog.  Charlie is a bit thick, and Dulce is very intelligent.  They all have different characters.  Enough about cats, could go on for ever.

[Julia]

This post made me smile.  I did wonder when the word 'kitten' would crop up!  However, it's reassuring to know that the CPL look after feral cats wellbeing too.  Got a CPL calendar.  Can't have cats as I have to bring in a bird from my aviary from time to time.  3 budgies and 3 cockatiels.

[Squash64]

Ps If you every need any advice on anything cat related I am always here

Thank you Linda, I will remember that.

[Squash64]

This post made me smile.  I did wonder when the word 'kitten' would crop up!  However, it's reassuring to know that the CPL look after feral cats wellbeing too.  Got a CPL calendar.  Can't have cats as I have to bring in a bird from my aviary from time to time.  3 budgies and 3 cockatiels.

Our local CPL have been really helpful with our ferals.  Last year they brought us a trap so we could catch one and have it neutered.  Then when a kitten was caught in the trap they came and collected her, had her vet-checked and re-homed.  They came and collected a tiny kitten we found on one of the plots and hand-reared her till she could be re-homed. 

We try to help them in return by giving them a space at our Summer Fayre for fund-raising, and by donating produce to them.

[Ragdoll Lady]

This post made me smile.  I did wonder when the word 'kitten' would crop up!  However, it's reassuring to know that the CPL look after feral cats wellbeing too.  Got a CPL calendar.  Can't have cats as I have to bring in a bird from my aviary from time to time.  3 budgies and 3 cockatiels.

Our local CPL have been really helpful with our ferals.  Last year they brought us a trap so we could catch one and have it neutered.  Then when a kitten was caught in the trap they came and collected her, had her vet-checked and re-homed.  They came and collected a tiny kitten we found on one of the plots and hand-reared her till she could be re-homed. 
Thats really good to know Betty.  Having a strong CPL in your area can only be a good thing. Its nice to know that you help them fundraise as they are always strapped for cash specially right now when there are a lot of kittens about.
We try to help them in return by giving them a space at our Summer Fayre for fund-raising, and by donating produce to them.

[Squash64]

I think the tortie/white cat knows my car!  I was over at the allotments quite early this morning but didn't go straight to my plot where I feed the cats.  I was near the meeting-room when I spotted the cat going away from me.  As soon as she saw my car she turned round and came running over.  Luckily we keep cat food in the meeting-room too so I gave her some there.  While I was busy inside, she came and sat just inside the doorway and watched me.  :)

[Ragdoll Lady]

she has obviously got attatched to you Betty otherwise shed have eaten her grub and scarpered ;) I have a big black and white moggy who visits me lets himself be known by looking through our glass front door and miowing loudly. My cats eye him up the other side. He is a cat with real cattitude and hisses and growls and has had me several times in the past.  But you persevere and is lets me stroke him now while he eats treats from my hand. He is lovely comes from a house where there is another cat and two young children. He is well fed but I dont think they have time for him which is a bit sad. If my cats are inside he potters round the garden with me. He has "had" hubby and mother in law(good choice).
He dissapeared for two weeks and I thought the worse till hubby worked out that their car was missing in the drive. True to form he then appeared on my doorstep looking somewhat thinner, bedraggled and very angry could have sworn he told me hed been to a cattery and he wasnt hapyy.  Thing is if only his owners spoke to their neighbours (we all tried) I would have willingly looked after the two cats and saved them a fortune.

[Borlotti]

The terrible twins, not feral cats, but not my cats are both playing in the road and out the front with all the traffic.  My cat (Charlie) is asleep on the bed, well he is 18 plus.  Gabanna came and got Dulce and they have both gone off hunting.  Looked at their owners house and no lights on.  Gabanna (who we call the hoover) came in and quickly polished off the cat food.  I am very fond of those two cats, but don't understand how they were let out on 5 November, but they came here to me and also for Xmas.  We have a few more cats on our allotments, but they all look well fed and as we are surrounded by houses, think that most of them have a home, apart from the allotment cat which the Italians feed twice a day.  Yes they definately know cars, as the allotment cat hears the Italian's car before I do, then I hear the gate open and he is waiting for his food and a quick cuddle.

[Squash64]

We have a new addition at the allotments now - a very friendly 'outdoor' cat called Felix has been re-homed to us by the Cats Protection.  Apparently he will not live in a house and they know we are cat-friendly so they asked us to have him.

He had to live in a large cage for the first two weeks and when I went to feed him one morning I had such a shock - there was a little kitten in with him!  It was one of our ferals and had managed to squeeze through the bars of the cage.

[attachment=1]

I've called the kitten Triangle because of the marking on its face and he waits with Felix every morning for me to arrive and feed them.

[attachment=2]

Triangle is getting much braver now and so long as I walk slowly past him and don't make eye contact he doesn't run away.

[attachment=3]

Felix is a lovely cat and so friendly, I don't understand why he can't live in a house.  But I don't know much about cats really, I just like them.

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[shirlton]

I am so glad that Felix has found a home with you Betty. I know that the cats on your site are very well looked after. I'm sure that the C.P.L. knew that he would have a good life with you and your fellow plot holders

[1066]

that's a lovely update Squash and great photos.
 Triangle looks a real sweetie  :)

[small]

Lovely story, Squash, there's no accounting for cats!  Many cats prefer being outdoors, our two black moggies had free choice for twelve years and only started to spend any significant time indoors in their last year.  My new kittens are also spending much of their time outside - but then, I'd rather be out than in too!

[Squash64]

Triangle is getting much more confident now.  To begin with he would run away when he saw me but now he must realise that I feed him so he waits near the door of the pavilion while I am inside getting it ready.  Yesterday he actually came inside and sat on the mat near the door.  I don't know much about cats so I don't know how likely it is that he will ever become completely tame like Felix is.  But slow progress is being made.

[shirlton]

He will more than likely be like Felix if he is spending most of the time with him. I do hope so.

[1066]

Yes he will over time and with confidence get a bit more tame. Not sure if he will ever be as tame as Felix though  :-\

[Squash64]

I wish I'd had my camera with me when I fed them this morning - Triangle actually came inside the kitchen for the first time!  Then when I fed them both outside he carried on eating while I put the water bowl down, just next to him.

I also missed the chance to get a photo of another kitten who has started to feed with Felix and Triangle.  He is the same size as Triangle and a beautiful tabby with a sort of ginger shading to the stripes.  He is still scared and runs and hides when I put the food down.

When I went over to my plot the cats I feed there were waiting for me and the one I call F T T (Fluffy Tabby Tail)  came running towards me for the first time.  This is a completely feral adult cat who I have only been feeding for a few months and it was so nice to see him do this, rather than run away as he used to before.

[attachment=1]
This is F T T, unfortunately not showing his lovely tabby tail.   :)

[shirlton]

I reckon you have earned the title of Catwoman Betty