Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 14

I bathed three of the four Xmas kittens today – Miss Tortie-and-White has a little way to go before she will accept me as her friend as well as her personal shampooist, but the other three were no trouble at all. As I've discovered previously, kittens appear to be conflicted when it comes to having baths – they don't like the water but they love getting massaged. I use a special kitten shampoo, which also serves to bring all the nasty fleas to the surface of the wet fur. They were pretty obvious on the white kitty and less so on the two black ones. A flea comb does the job in every case. I gave the kittens a towel down and then they retreated to their separate corners and began to rewash themselves. Miss Tortie-and-White helped them all out by tongue-bathing them too. Within an hour or so they coats were even softer and shinier than they were before.

Despite the fact that Miss Tortie-and-White has not made the full transition yet (she is about 40% there), all four of them run to greet me at the door whenever I come in. The other three are sitting in my lap accepting cuddles and purring their little heads off. I have one person interested in the bi-colour male, but will just hold back a little – it would be great if they can go off in pairs.

I took the two black ones to the rumpus room yesterday. I put them in a cage and then walked about 20 metres to another outside room on the farm. They both adapted pretty well to their new environment – black kitten 2 just climbed up on the table and lay down near the window all day. Black kitten 1 explored the room and hid if a stranger came in but then within minutes came out to investigate so as not to miss out on the action. I'll test the bi-colour male in a new environment tomorrow to see how he goes. We mustn't forget that Miss Tortie-and-White came in about 7 to 14 days behind the other three because I caught them all at different times.

I started drafting an adoption flyer today which I will begin plastering on the notice boards of shopping centres, farm supplies shop and vets' offices tomorrow and the next day. It will be difficult for me to say goodbye as they are quite adorable, intelligent and wonderful company but I have no choice – I am looking after 21 cats already and four new ones have been born.

Feral Family Pics 2

Four in one pic! Who would guess this delightful quartet all used to be undomesticated cats. Look at them now. Gorgeous.

Adventures of Mimsy's Kittens – Journal Entry 1

Ssssh – don't tell anyone! I'd been watching Mimsy our second fertile feral (and very obviously pregnant) female for a few weeks now. Exactly, seven days ago when I came out to give the feral colony their breakfast I instantly noticed that her stomach had shrunk conspicuously. Within minutes my cross Border Collie Belle sat down on her haunches outside the far wall of the cattery. Belle looked exactly like an airport drug dog that had found a huge stash on a passenger. However, in this case it's not drugs or other contraband that she is trained to find – rather, she has the uncanny innate ability to detect newborn kittens. When I went inside the cattery to investigate, I found four little ones curled up in the straw in the far side corner corner exactly where Belle had sat down. Two white and gingers and two blacks. The pics you see were taking when they were about five days old. 

The entire process is about to start again and I'll be following their progress in a series of blog posts starting with this one over the upcoming months. Kind cat loving people living in the Sydney area – you're all on notice!

Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 13

I am absolutely delighted with the progress of the four Xmas kittens. This morning was a huge breakthrough for them and me, which left me feeling quite emotional – all four of them ran to greet me at the door. Not only that but soon thereafter three of the four climbed spontaneously into my lap and began to purr while I petted them. The white and red one has been purring for about two weeks now, but the two black ones purred today for the first time. Furthermore, the second little black one allowed me to touch and tickle him – he went from Stage (1) to (5) in a 24-hour period (see previous The Seven Stages of Stroking a Feral Cat blog post). Miss Tortie-and-White allowed me to get to Stage (1) today – I have not been able to touch her up to now. 

They are all glossy and sleek with thin elegant and nimble limbs. They are probably about three months old. The first two have been with me for about five weeks; the second one has been with me for nearly four weeks; and the fourth – about three weeks. For obvious reasons they have are progressing at different rates.

The first three are exceptionally playful and cheeky. I have a new toy for them which is working effectively – I ripped off the collar from an old flannelette pyjama and then tied one end into a knot. I can drag it across the floor, across the furniture, across my lap and they in turn chase it down. At one stage I had a cat at each end and lifted it up off the floor so they were both swinging in the air. Too bad I didn't have a camera on hand. Please note – when I'm not there I hide or tie the cord up out of their reach as I don't want to have them get tangled or accidentally strangled.

The first black kitty is in love with my feet and my shoes. As I recline mermaid style on the floor, she comes up and rubs herself all over my feet and then she flops to the floor and plays with my toes. She also does the same to my shoes. I promise you I have clean feet so I am wondering what the attraction is – I've never known a cat to be a foot fetishist before!

Miss Tortie-and-White still hangs back but is engaging in play activity. She side swipes the material cord when it is thrown her way in the same way a wild animal might side-swipe a snake. The only obstacle in our way happens before she gathers her momentum – the other more dominant cats jump into the fray and she backs away. There's a watchful stillness about her. Her eyes have softened and she has put on some weight – I have to put some food aside for her because the others jump into the two food bowls and eat everything before she has a chance to push her way in.

On the weekend, I vacuumed the entire gym. All but the second little black one took off and hid. He watched me with fascination. Later on I brought in a large basin filled with straw. Once the noise abated, they all came out, put their paws onto the rim and peered inside. Yes, it is a truism – cats are exceptionally curious – and we need to stay one step ahead of them by constantly giving them new challenges and toys. They then one by one climbed onto the rim and did a balancing act around the perimeter before jumping inside to play in the straw.

One person I know would like to take the white and rust colour kitty as a companion for her Siamese cat. This person is extraordinarily kind and fusses over her animal companions but I am reluctant to disattach the kitten from at least one of its siblings. The physical and emotional welfare of these kittens is my number one concern. I am going to create a flyer for them in the next couple of days and start putting it onto vet, farm supplied shops and shopping centre notice boards. 

By the way, I just gave them a little snack of some minced meat – the first three accepted the meat from my fingers while Miss Tortie-and-White came within a couple of feet of me again. In case I have not mentioned it, they have all been wormed. My next challenge is to wash them.

 

The Seven Stages of Stroking a Feral Cat

From my observations there are seven stages to petting and stroking a feral cat or kitten that you must pass through in order to take them from wild to domesticated. It's important to go through this process in order so you can build trust between you. 

Progress – measured over time – will depend on the cat's age, confidence, personality, dominance and status, and whether they were raised as a single kitten or in a litter by their mother and whether you're socialising one or more cats. As you go through these stages and you find the cat or kitten reacting positively then praise them in a high pitch voice with a "good girl/boy" or by using their name. 

The seven phases to stroking a feral cat and building rapport are:

1. "Soft" Nape to Tail Tip Touch – this needs to be a light finger or palm brush from the nape of the neck, down the spine and to the tip of the cat's tail. The pressure is soft – you should only be able to feel their coat at this stage. Be aware of how you approach the cat. Keep yourself low on the floor and come in from the side or back rather than front on and over the top, as the cat will perceive your hand as a threatening implement and may even swat it. The first time you attempt to stroke a feral cat is best done when they're off guard. They need to be comfortable enough with you to be within two feet of your vicinity and relaxed enough so their attention is focused away from you – the best times are when they're eating or playing and concentrating on food or a toy. The first few times you touch them, expect them to either move or run away, or, to shrink from your touch so that their bodies lower onto the ground and they crawl or wriggle away. They may also hiss, but don't be dissuaded – this is quite a normal reaction and will lose its intensity as time goes by until it completely disappears. You'll need to be patient and persistent in your efforts until they feel comfortable and you feel ready to process to (2). Please note that the slinking to the floor behaviour may continue through the other stages but will eventually stop when they trust you. Also note that you may find yourself taking two steps forward on one morning and then one step back the following morning. Don't be concerned – they will gradually learn to relax. 

2. "Firm" Nape to Tail Tip Stroke – Once the cats/kittens are comfortable with the soft touch you can increase the pressure on their hair and skin to the point of actually feeling the bumpy spinal disks and their tail bones. This is more of a massaging move. Cats in general like this stroking as it quite pleasurable for them. Domesticated cats usually respond with a purr; if your feral cat begins purring at this stage then you've made excellent progress. Positive body language to look out for in response to this move is the cat walking high with a tall head and tail or twisting around to meet your hand again so you can continue patting it, or rubbing its head and flank against your hand or body.

 

3. Top of the Head Tickle – Top of the head action is perceived in general to be a threatening move, and feral cats/kittens may take a little while to grow out of this response. However, it's all in the approach. Again, don't stand or hover over the cat. Get down on the floor with them. Avoid bringing your hand in from up high; rather, bring it in from the side in a natural or organic way incorporating stage (2). Just tickle the cat briefly on the forehead for no longer than three seconds with a firm stroke. 

4. Under Chin Tickle – This is one of the most effective cat touches and will invariably raise a purr. All cats love having their chin tickled and stroked. Keep your fingers loose and scratch gently and firmly in the throat area until their head raises to meet the action. Their eyes will invariably soften and close as well.

5. Play Roll-over – Part of the socialisation process is to play with your cat and get him/her to engage in mock hunting behaviour. You can do this by dragging twine attached to a trinket across the floor or over furniture, or using my latest favourite toy – getting a strip of firm material such as flannellette and tying a knot at the other end. A relaxed and happy cat will start to tussle with the toy and do roll overs while you are tugging on one end and he/she is tugging on the other. They will expose their belly while grappling with their mock prey. You can give their belly a rub but expect to be play-bitten or play-scratched as the kitten rolls over. This is not an out-and-out aggressive response but one in which their claws maybe sheathed or unsheathed in practice hunt behaviour. The older the cat the harder the claws. It's important to note that if the cat is truly attacking you then your hands will be torn quite badly. The play responses are usually light scratches that I put down to over-enthusiasm and are a small price to pay. The scratches will heal pretty quickly. If the cat gets too rowdy then tap him/her on the nose and caution them. I have only come across this once in a lifetime of owning cats and it came from a neighbour's domesticated Siamese who had a tolerance of about two minutes for petting and then signalled her displeasure after that with a bout of side-to-side tail lashing. If her human companions didn't heed her body language then they would get a bite or scratch that would draw blood.

6. Lap Cuddle – Once the feral cat/kitten is comfortable and has bonded with you they will often climb on your lap. Alternatively, you can test it by gently lifting them up in a soft hold and depositing them in your lap. Give them a chin tickle but keep your hands loose so they don't feel constrained or trapped. They will often jump straight off, but don't take this personally. It may take a few attempts before they're comfortable to sit on your lap for a prolonged period and to get a good cuddle. If this is happening, then your feral cat is now indeed domesticated. Once the kitten feels completely safe in your lap and in your hold, then you can also pick him/her up into an upturned baby position and give their belly a soft tickle.

7. Spontaneous Flop and Roll Over – When the kittens or cats greet you by flopping over on their side and exposing their throat and belly then they signalling their trust and regard for you. Always give them a compliment and a pat or tickle in response so they can continue feeling safe and loved.

Recommended Cat Books 3

My friend Neal gave me a splendid hardcover cat book the other day. It's sort of a pop-up interactive book for adults so you can stroke fur, pull tabs, and poke squeaky balls through a gallery of furry cats, bald cats, wrinkly cats and sleek cats. Check it out. It's just too cool.

Setting Up Cat "Safe Rooms"

If you're taking on the task of socialising feral kittens or cats, then you'll need to set up a dedicated "safe room" for them. In the past I've used a rumpus room and would rotate cats in and then out once their rehabilitation period was over and they wanted to join the rest of us in the outside world (so to speak) or if I found them a good home. However, I now have four cats that get locked up there at night so introducing any more would result in and out and out turf war.

I recently created a new safe room for the four Xmas kittens I'm looking after (see previous Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens blog posts). It's not fancy, and you don't have to have anything fancy either. The room is an old garage which is now used as a home gym. It was flooded a few years ago so we had to rip out half the carpet. We also need to get the ceiling fixed as there are cracks in it but outside of those problems the room is dry, warm and comfortable. It has a large window overlooking the garden and the traffic area where both humans and animal family members traverse. The wooden door is never shut so the kittens can peer through the fly screen door as well.  Our two dogs have taken to sitting on the other side and peering in with fascination. This was met by a few hisses from the kittens but now they are used to the dogs and in fact this has proved to be a good method of introducing each species to each other (I will deal with this topic in another post at another time).

In the pics you'll see how I set it up. Firstly, there weren't terribly many hiding places in the room which is essential for the feral kittens' psychological well being, so I had to create some. I stacked a whole bunch of boxes under the table to build a wall or fort like structure. The kittens run behind there for cover or hide behind the freezer. On the other side of the room they hide under the treadmill, behind the mini trampoline or in between the valley of a fold up mattress in a fold up bed. I don't have a pic of the feeding station but it's there also. I have two ice cream containers full of water just in case on of them is knocked over which occasionally happens if they are playing. The other thing to do is to make sure there are different levels in the room – these cats can jump from floor to chair to window sill or walk across the table. They will often sit on top of the television set and survey their little kingdom. They also use the carpet to sharpen their nails but as it's old carpet, that's no problem. I also have one litter tray per two kittens – these are cleaned out twice a day.

And of course, don't forget to have a stock of toys on the ready – ping pong balls, rolled up balls of paper, yarn with trinkets on each end to swing side to side or to pull across the floor (put these out of their reach if you are not in the room), a cat tunnel, and if you have any extra cash, a scratching post.

These are the basics for a good set up.

Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 12

Major break throughs coming thick and fast.

Bi-colour (white and red) kitty is accepting of my pats and purring his little heart out.

Black kitten 1 is fine with being patted but occasionally swats my hand with her paw – more in play than anything, as she doesn't extend her claws. She also likes rubbing her head all over my my pants.

Black kitten 2 runs and jumps all over me and is slowly coming around to being lightly patted.

Miss Tortie-and-White is investigating what all the fuss is about and now sits within about four feet of me. She's also eating in front of me.

Good going, Julie, if I do say so myself!

Do Feral Cats Clean Themselves?

This is a common question asked by people with little or no knowledge of feral cats. The answer is a resounding yes, yes, yes. 

We have a colony of undomesticated feral cats living on our farm, as well as a group of socialised feral cats. All of them fastiduously groom themselves. The time they will do this is after a meal. They will sit down and use a paw to clean their face and hard to reach places, and then lick over their entire body. When you see a cat sitting down in a yoga-like position with a straight ballerina-like leg extended over their heads, they are in full grooming mode.

From my observations, the secondary time they are most likely to clean themselves is as they are coming out of a nap. If they have a companion cat with them and they are close friends, they will often tongue-bathe each other.

The confusion over whether or not feral cats clean themselves probably stems from the perception that they look mangy. This is attributable to the fact that they usually live outdoors in inclement weather and dirty conditions so they are constantly brushing up to dirt, vegetation, spider webs and the like when they are hiding out. All their good self-cleaning work is undone, when they have to run and hide in a drain or on a building site or behind a dumpster. 

The second reason they may not look sleek and clean is because they often have poor nutrition – if they are not being fed regularly by kind people, they may barely be surviving on a diet of mice, small reptiles such as skinks, and even insects. The condition of their coat will be directly affected by their diet.

The third reason why they may not look their best is because they they could be ill, or they may be elderly with a touch of dementia.

Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 11

Major progress during the last few days. Firstly, as I have been reclining on the floor on my side, mimicking a cat's relaxed pose similar to The Grand Odalisque (albeit fully clothed unlike the Ingres oil painting), three of the kittens have been playing king of the castle on the top of my legs, using my trousers as scratching posts, and generally circling around me within six inches of my reach. Black kitten 1 surprised me the other day by nuzzling up to my knees and then rubbing his/her head all over them. I am continuing to bring Samson in as my Big Brother cat. They adore him and rush up to say hello. He is so gentle with them. I always give Samson a good pat in front of them – he is a purrer and his purr is catching. The white and red boy has now started purring too – a nice loud vibrato. They still move away when I touch them but the effort is half-hearted – they no longer hiss. Despite their conditioning, they may very well be gently surrendering to the notion that humans aren't as scary as they have been taught (well at least this particular human isn't!). 

Miss Tortie-and-White is doing well too. I've opened the window permanently now and they've made no move to try to push out the fly screen. I also pruned the bushes outside of the window so they have a solid view of the garden and the traffic in the form of the other cats, the dogs and the human family. The window sill is Miss Tortie's favourite vantage point. Up to now she has refused to eat in front of me and I have had to leave her bowls of food away from the others because I thought they would gobble it all up and she would not get her share. However, this morning I approached her tentatively and left her a handful of dried cat biscuits on the window sill perhaps 18 inches away from where she was sitting. About ten minutes went by and then she got up and started eating them.

While I was playing with Samson and the others this morning, she also leapt down and walked around the perimeter to see what we were up to then stopped smack bam about four feet in front of me to size me up. When I peeked into the room after lunch she was curled up in a little wooden box I had lined with a towel. This is very heartening. 

Xmas Kitten Pics

Here are a few snaps – the Xmas kittens are getting cheeky as you can see.

Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 10

Little Miss Tortie-and-White is faring well but keeping her distance. She doesn't run away when I enter the room unless there is a loud clatter or commotion. She sits on the window sill and watches me – she is alert, intelligence but still suspicious. There is an aura of an old soul about her – more so than the other kittens. She's sort of like the little pig who built his house of brick in the Three Pigs story – not as playful or naive as the others but wary and wise. She has raccoon features in her face, or at least I think so.

I haven't told her how I caught her yet. After the other ones had left, she got a bit more plucky around me. I once nearly caught her while she was sleeping. However, the dogs came tearing around the corner and woke her up. She instantly fled.

I caught her because she underestimated my ability to sneak up on her. I had put a bowl of food into one of the cat cages near the drain and then stood a good 20 feet or more back. She thought I was too far away to get her so she went inside. I then lined myself up by the back of the cat cage where there are no holes or windows to peer out of and then quietly crept towards her until I had closed the distance. Then I slowly leaned down and closed and locked the door. She thumped around inside but then stopped when I picked it up. The mother cat watched this all happen but didn't respond in her usual way. I think she was beginning to separate from the kittens.

I took the photo in the evening a day or two before I caught Miss Tortie-and-White. That's her and Sweetie her mother. I think this is a great shot.

As far as the other kittens are concerned, the progress is still slow because I have not made that final touch connection yet. In all other regards they are fine. They are glossy and sleek. They explore all corners and levels of the room. I can also play with them – their favourite toy happens to be the emergency key on a string that you plug into the treadmill and attach to yourself if you are doing exercise (if you stumble or fall down then the key is pulled out of its socket and the machine comes to an emergency stop).

I recline on my side to mimic their relaxed behaviour and have been  pulling the string. The yellow key on the end makes a scraping sound on the concrete and on the carpet and is easily spotted. The kittens have climbed all over my legs and side in order to pursue it. However, when I have leaned across to stroke them, they just move away with a semi-hiss.

A few hours ago there was another positive shift. I came inside to sweep up the floor. At first they jumped out of the way, but then they emerged n fascination even to the point of getting under my feet and on either side of the broom as I cleaned the floor. I completely ignored them (which is one of the strategies for socialising feral cats and kittens) and then three of them came out to play while Miss Tortie-and-White watched. It was very cute.

I am thinking I will need to move them into my studio so they can be with me all day. The only thing that stops me is that Saffron is living there at the moment. He has been sick with an ear infection and he needs some time out. So we'll wait and see ... 

Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 9

On the homefront, the four kittens I recently caught are entrenched in our gym. According to my sister whose digital camera I have been using, I have taken 82 pics of them during the last week. She is giving me a disk this weekend so be prepared to be flooded with images. Here are three to whet your appetites. That's Samson, our ex-feral Tabby who is now 10 months old, playing out his calming role as "Big Brother" to the others. The other two are the ones I caught about two weeks ago (see previous post). I interact a lot with them now but they will still unwillingly to let me touch them. I have tried to stroke them on the back with various degrees of success but they are still giving me a little hiss each time to warn me off. The reaction is not hugely aggressive compared to several weeks ago; nevertheless, I still have to make final contact and get them responding positively to my touch.

They are engaging, inquisitive, playful, and exceptionally smart. I am having to up the ante with them and am adding some new skills to my socialisation repertoire. The little black one is the leader of the two – I love the white heart shape on her chest. I'm pretty sure "she's" a she but am not 100% positive as I still can't get close enough to inspect hers or all the others' private parts.  My auntie is enamoured by the red and white colouring of the second one. These two are a bond pair and should not be separated. 

Another good sign of their development is that they are no longer slinking around close to the floor but are now climbing over all the higher levels in the room such as the top of the table and bar fridge, as well as the gym equipment in my presence. What's also interesting too is that they investigate the room with fresh eyes every time I watch them. They look into corners or in boxes, as if they have never explored them before – talk about living in the moment.

The second little black one is starting to come out of his/her shell. She does not interact with me yet but does play games with the other two. This morning the three of them tumbled over each other and ran through the cat tunnel during a play session – sending it careening and rolling around on the floor. Just after lunch today they were huddled up closed to each other in and around the cat tunnel, and the second black one didn't scoot away on my approach.

Miss Tortie-and-White is also making some progress, albeit very slowly. She is at least a week behind the others, simply because I caught her only a few days ago. She is very wise. She in turn has bonded with the second black kitty. She has tested the boundaries in ways the others haven't. She knows the only escape route is through the screen door and she has even approached Belle (our cross border collie who sits on the other side with eyes wide with fascination). She also sits on the window sill and looks into the garden to see what's happening on the outside. I dare not open the window too much because she is quite likely to test the strength of the fly screen and figure out that if she pushes in the right way she could probably pop it and escape. If I walk into the room, she will instantly run and hide behind the bar fridge. She is quite stubborn, but if I start playing with the others, she gives it around 15 minutes and then creeps out to watch what is going on. I can see her mind absorbing everything. It will be interesting to see how she develops.

It has been very hot in Sydney the last fortnight, so even though the door to the room is open and fresh air is allowed to come in, I have had to run the fan for about three or four hours every afternoon to get the air circulating. The kittens are most active in the morning before 10 and in the afternoon after 4pm, so my play sessions have been based around this timing.

More from the Canadian Cuties (Archie and Otto)

Couldn't resist!

Share Feral Cat Stories – Canadian Cats (Archie and Otto)

I just received a wonderful email from Tame Feral Cats blog reader, David from Canada, who has kindly agreed to share it with you:

Well it's been 5 weeks since we adopted Archie and Otto from the Meow Foundation in Calgary Alberta. They are both feral cats. The first 3 weeks, they pretty much stayed in our bedroom, but then we opened up the bedroom door and they have been busy exploring the rest of the house. The have been doing this very slowly. They are now pretty relaxed in our living room and in the kitchen and I have been doing my best to get closer to them each and every day. Otto (brown tabby) was lying in between my legs on the floor, when Archie (orange fluffy) kind of attacked him. But the attack turned to a major licking frenzy ... I have never seen them do that before. They do get along well and play with each other every chance they get. They are soul-mates and they are slowly getting used to me and my wife. Archie enjoys getting brushed everyday and Otto enjoys playing with anything and everything.

As I said to David in an email – my heart skipped a beat when I saw the photos. The cats are gorgeous! And congratulations to David and his wife for opening up their home and doing such an amazing job with such great generosity and love.