Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 2

Well I tried for the last three nights ... and the master plan came close to working but then failed at the last moment! Hence the need for patience when trapping feral kittens.

The first night everything happened as it should, except for some unanticipated events that also invariably come up as plot-points in movies or in books to spin the action around – you mustn't forget that I'm a writer and observe life through storyteller's eyes in a slightly different way to normal people. I fed all the animals and then left just a little bit of food for Sweetie and her kittens before walking off. I needed Sweetie to be hungry so I could lure her away with the promise of more food in another location. As it turned out, when I returned to the drain where the kittens were hiding, Sweetie had already disappeared to hunt down another meal (probably at the major feeding station). I was quite excited at this turn of events and sat down next to the drain and dropped food into the containers. What I had not taken into account was that two of my domestic cats turned up to see what was happening. Also, the kittens were more wary and fearful when their mother wasn't around so they kept to the drain and refused to congregate around the food container. Two of them darted out occasionally to grab a piece of cooked chicken but then carried it back into the drain. The other two didn't come out at all.

About ten minutes later Sweetie came tearing aggressively around the corner again, and ran to the drain to check that her babies were there. Once the kittens saw and heard her, they relaxed. She then ate some of their food and then circled behind me to clean herself. Some of the other grown ferals joined her, as if it were a communal meeting place and they all sat around in a semi circle behind my back. Two of the kittens came out and began eating. I  left a little trail of food scraps leading up to the cat cage and then – wonder of wonders – one of the little black ones walked into the cage to help him or herself (I haven't checked out their sex yet) from the feeding tray inside. I gently closed the door ... and then began to have second thoughts. 

I didn't want to take a single kitten away to a strange place. I didn't want to do it in front of its mother or the other elders. I didn't want to traumatise them anymore than they would be already and so – what did I do? – just at the moment where it discovered it was shut in and was starting to panic – I opened the cage door!

Yes ... I'm an idiot! Guilt got me in the end and I left the kittens with their mother that night.

On the second night, events unfolded slightly differently. That night I was going to lure Sweetie into the major feeding station and then lock the window and door so she couldn't go back to her kittens. This time, she didn't budge from their side and just ate the little bit of food I had left for them. When I returned she still hadn't left them. To compound matters, several of the other male cats joined the club. Sweetie must have been on heat because one of the males kept following her and sniffing her backside. She had no time for shenanigans and just kept growling at him and swiping him with her paw. 

I ended up sitting next to the drain for about an hour. I just offloaded all the food. Sweetie came back and gradually the kittens clambered out. This time I made the decision that if the opportunity came, then I had to harden my heart and take any that may have climbed inside the cat cage. The little creme and rust one (see photo) approached but then took a side path.

However, this morning there was a breakthrough. I loaded up the dish and then walked away for a few minutes. When I returned, all four kittens and Sweetie were eating. Two of the kittens went into the drain but the two black ones remained at the dish. One had its back and hind quarters to me so I slowly put out my hand and began stroking down its spine with the expectation that it would immediately shirk at my touch and run away. It didn't. It remained in place for about two to three minutes. Its coat was quite lovely. The sunlight exposes a beautiful copper colour rippling through the black hair. When it suddenly looked up and comprehended that it was I  – a human that was touching it – it suddenly ran back inside the drain. But a moment later he/she was out. 

I also reached out and touched the other little black one and made a physical connection for about five seconds. This is great progress and I will continue along this path. If my original plan doesn't work, I will obviously need to adapt it so that I start the socialisation at this point and then when Sweetie starts to be more comfortable roaming away from them, I may be able to catch the little cuties. Will keep you updated.