Feeding my feral cats
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (63235)
United States
December 19, 2023 11:00pm CST
Since March I've feed my feral cat colony remnant. Originally it was "Mama" and "Fluffy."
Then, in April this very dirty white cat with the most beautiful blue eyes showed up. As I'm sure you guys know, this was Frank, who I brought inside in early May because he had a sore foot. I suspected he was a flame-point cat, and he was, but very pale. I call him my 'lightly toasted marshmallow."
In August Mama's kittens showed up. They were both very pretty, fluffy tabbies with white. One would let me pet him while he was eating, earning the name "Braveheart" and his sister "Scardy." In September Braveheart walked into my house on his own two paws.
Then, last night, when I went to feed the remaining three outside, there was a new cat. I think he's another very dilute orange cat, but he could be some other pale color. He doesn't look like he's missed a lot of meals, I call him male because four out of five orange/yellow cats are male. He does have his ear notched. And there is something about his tail... First it is very short. Then it looks like it has a kink right at the end, like it might even be short due to an injury.
He showed up again tonight. He is very timid. Fluffy will sometimes be hungry enough I can touch her, and Scardy (yeah, I know, I misspelled her name - okay?) will come up within a foot or so, just out of reach. Mama doesn't get that close, and hisses and growls at me, ungrateful beast. So, we'll just have to see if this new boy continues coming around.
What do you think? How long before I hate to think up a name for him?
4 people like this
4 responses
@TraveOnWorld (866)
• Georgia
20 Dec
Strange how those feral cats seem to multiply, its like they got a cat telegraph system worked out for themselves. The ones I cared about at one time (or they cared for me, could never quite work it out) never left and some of them, especially the female ones, remained aggressive even after two years of me being nice. The male one was always easy, and bullied by the ladies, except when he caught his own food. I think you might as well start thinking of a name!
3 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
20 Dec
I've had a couple pass through. Mama is quite aggressive, but Fluffy isn't. I know she's female because she's kind of a tortie, hard to tell under all the fur, but I think I spot some orange in there. Scardy hasn't been, but we caught her before she went into heat. Braveheart I had guessed was male, but both the kittens, Braveheart and Scardy are so fluffy - Mama makes some fluffy babies - it was hard to tell.
The new cat hasn't turned his back to me. I might be able to tell, or might've if he hadn't been fixed already. However, while I couldn't tell you all the cats from the colony, I will say that except for Mama and Opal's mom, the rest of the colony got fixed and he wasn't previously part of the colony. Now, it is possible he had been part of a colony that also lost their feeder, like mine did, and is now looking to join this one.
I better warn him/them, I'm older than the previous feeder, healthier, in the fact that I knew my neighbor was less well than I am. I knew she had a round of cancer and the previous summer had two middle of the night trips to the ER.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45514)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
20 Dec
I forget... is this colony in your back yard or somewhere else? Mama should be more grateful for your help. Photos?
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@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
20 Dec
@BarBaraPrz he found it on the floor and had to chase it around. He really is a good example of 'if it ain't locked down it's a toy.' He was being kind of weird about me doing the cat boxes, then I found a jingle ball and rolled it off across the kitchen and he proceeded to play with it, until I guess he lost it.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45514)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
20 Dec
@ElicBxn What does Braveheart have that needs taping up?
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@snowy22315 (170140)
• United States
20 Dec
Friend feeds some feral cats,and it seems the numbers are always increasing and decreasing. He suspects some actually have other homes and come for the handouts.
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@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
20 Dec
Most of the free roaming cats in my neighborhood are feral. This wasn't true 30 years ago or 40 when I moved in. The reason Frank was free roaming was because when his people became homeless, they found homes for their dog but couldn't find anyone to take Xan (Frank.) He stayed with them from October until February. Someone took his blue sweater off and put a ratty dog collar on him between the time he left and he showed up at my house. I'm not going to say that there are no cats that are outside, I've seen them, but they stay close to home, their 'territory' since cats are quite territorial. If they are not a feral, they don't tend to be a wary as this new cat is. Now, that isn't to say he didn't come from some other feral colony or he's been a stray for a long time. When I started feeding Hobo, I really thought he was feral. Hunger got him up close and when I started scratching his head, he suddenly remembered that humans could be nice too. Same thing with Henry, who I had been told he was a 'garage' cat and he was extremely wary. Again, it was actually getting my hand on him to give him a scratch that reminded him. However, unlike Hobo who loved everybody, Henry was pretty much only friendly to me.
2 people like this
