Share Feral Cat Stories – Canadian Cats 2 (Archie and Otto)

I've covered Archie and Otto in a previous post, but it's good to revisit them to see how wonderful they're doing. Their humans – David and Krista – adopted them from the Meow Foundation in Calgary, Canada. You can read more about them on the 2 July 2009 post on the Meow Foundation website. Archie is the ginger tabby and Otto is the grey tabby.

Feral Family Pics 3

Most of the photos I've posted about the feral cats living on our farm have been cute and somewhat benign. This one is different. I took this photo in February when it was hot and dry and it shows the hunter side of one of our feral cats – Bandit – poised over one of his kills (a rabbit). He looks fierce. When I came across him, it was too late to save the rabbit.

We can't dismiss cats' true nature. They have a hunting instinct. Just the other day I had about five hyped up excited cats running all over the verandah trying to get close to a finch that was perilously balancing on the brick wall. I quickly captured all the cats and put them back into the house in case the finch lost concentration and was snapped up. Luckily she flew into the gum tree and then away. 

Bandit is quite interesting. I've been taking care of the cats for about five years now, and he's tended to keep to himself – he would eat with the other feral cats on the hill but then go off and do his thing for the rest of the day. About two months ago he ventured down towards the major house and to the outside room which we use as the major feeding station. Nows he's planted himself in the vicinity and is integrating to some extent with all the domestic cats. He often lays on the steps to the rumpus room and is comfortable with me stepping over him to go up and down the stairs so I acknowledge his trust and am careful.

He has a hardened look in his eyes but is also exposing his softer side – he actually talks to me and allows me to stroke his back and tail, although he occasionally hisses if I get too presumptuous. 

Rural and outback Australia has lots of rabbits (they are introduced and not indigenous species). About 20 years ago we had several rabbit warrens on the farm including one on the hill where the cattery is now. When the feral cats moved in, the rabbits moved out and we rarely see them now. We also don't appear to have rats or mice so some people would argue that the cats (domestic and feral) are earning their keep. For the record, I try to save any animal that is hurt – rodent or other mammal, reptile, bird, or insect – but I have to admit that the farm is quite clean because of the cats. What I mean by that is that there are no plagues or infestations that could compromise the health of the farm stock or do any major damage. One could say ... if you look after feral cats, they will also look after you.

Vale Felicity and Hissy Fit

I've not talked about her before on this blog, but I want to bring your attention to Felicity (pictured) – a creamy pebbly feral cat who I had to put to sleep about a week ago. I think Felicity has lived on the farm for a number of years but I don't know how long for because she kept herself hidden. On various occasions I had caught a glimpse of her at night when I had entered one of the outdoor rooms used as a feeding station – I had put on the light and then had seen a creamy cat streak off the food bench onto the floor and then jump up onto the windowsill and through the open window to disappear into the darkness of the night. 

The first time she came into prominence was winter last year. when I noticed our two dogs had parked themselves near a shed door. When I peered around the side I saw her curled up looking dirty, straggly and miserable. She was obviously very ill and didn't want to move for fear of the dogs and me and also because she was weak. I started bringing meals and fresh water to her hiding spot and kept the dogs out of her vicinity. She was always ravenous and responded well to my ministrations. After she recovered, she emerged and joined the rest of the feral cat colony living on the hill in the cattery and became quite comfortable about being in the open in the full light of day When you constantly feed a cat, they begin to trust you and will invariably come out of hiding and adopt you.

She was an eccentric little thing with a funny manner about her but she was quite delightful and would always come running when I brought breakfast or dinner. She didn't care about fitting into the social system within the feral cat colony – she just imposed herself. 

About eight months ago I noticed some blood on her ear and thought she had got into a fight. A short time later, I noticed her belly swelling and not long after she gave birth to two kittens in the nest occupied by previous tenants mentioned in an older blog post. I left her some food. A day or two later there was no sound from the kittens and when I investigated, I found they were both dead. Felicity moved out and got on with her life again. I didn't get her desexed because I knew she probably wouldn't fall pregnant again.

As time went on, I noticed that the bloody spot on her ear was not improving – rather it was growing. Then one day when I managed to get close to her I noticed it was because her ear was actually being eaten away by skin cancer. It was invariably going to be fatal because I knew I could not catch her and get her to a vet to operate. I had also lost a white cat called Casper who I loved about 15 years ago to skin cancer. Part of his nose and ear had been surgically removed to halt the spread of the cancer but it hadn't helped. The condition came back fiercely and he eventually had to be euthanised. There was no chance I was going to catch Felicity so I knew the the progression of the cancer was inevitable.

Felicity's ear went from bad to worse until half of it was missing and part of her face was eaten away by it. One of the reasons it looked really bad was that she spread the blood from the open wound over her face when she groomed or scratched that area. Despite the fact that it looked horrible she wasn't in any pain or suffering.

Then a funny thing happened about two months ago ... she walked down from the hill towards the human house and domestic cat end of the farm whereupon she stayed.

I was quite amazed at her confidence, especially when the other cats would take one look at the mangled side of her face and flee in horror. I in turn fed her and fussed over her and before long she let me stroke her. She turned out to be an extremely affectionate purry cat and I wondered whether in fact she had been dumped a long time ago because older feral cats don't traditionally behave this way. I set up a soft bed for her which she took to with great enthusiasm. She was also a ravenous eater, she was quite confident in herself, and she groomed herself after every meal. I in turn began to use baby wipes or small towels dipped in warm water to wash the blood and dead tissue from her face and ear. I also dressed the wound with a thick vaseline-like ointment used for animals and then brushed her coat. She looked healthy and gorgeous except for the ear.

During these two months when she officially adopted us, I spoke to the vet on two occasions to prepare myself for the inevitable. I knew there would be a point when I would have to make the decision and put her to sleep – I just didn't want to do it too soon and short-change her. Felicity had a wonderful life-force about her and a strong survival instinct – she also had a vibrant spirit. The vet said that it would be time when she stopped grooming herself and when she had an odour about her.

About two weeks ago I found her sleeping in my sheep pen in the straw so I set her up in her own straw bed in a huge basin. She loved it. She had room service morning and night and when she wanted to stretch her legs and go to the toilet she just ventured out. But she was slowly declining and sleeping more and more. The day I made the decision she didn't touch her food and she slept for about 90 percent of the day.

The next day I called the vet and asked that a woman vet come out to the farm – we paid extra for the house call but we have a policy that if any of our animals need to be put to sleep then it would happen on the farm with the minimum of stress on them.

I know this is a strange thing to say but her death was one of the most beautiful and peaceful I have ever come across. She slept for the entire day and then the young vet and her offsider (also a woman) came in beside me. I woke Felicity up by stroking and combing her and she stirred out of her sleep state and began purring. I gave her a good cuddle and then just stepped away. Two minutes later the vet came to me and said it was done – she had given her a sedative first and then the anaesthesia. Felicity was still purring when she died. I cried for the next few days. She is buried close to my office.

Felicity was a tragic cat insofar as she lived in the shadows for a long time and didn't make our acquaintance till the last year of her life. But I know one thing – during the the last two months she had an exemplary quality of life full of good food, lots of affection, a warm place to sleep and lots of love. You were a great cat, Felicity, and we're going to miss you.

On another note, Hissy Fit (also pictured), one of our feral females disappeared from the colony about a month ago. I didn't know her terribly well but she's been here for a long time. When I moved back to the farm about five years ago and started looking after all the cats, I named them all. Hissy Fit stood out because firstly she would hiss if you got too close and also because she had these two vampire looking teeth. She was black with a white patch on her chest. Her temperament softened after a while when she got to know me and became part of the greater animal family on the farm. We didn't have to desex her (or another one called Diamond) because they had not had kittens for a long time.

Anyway, she disappeared and it was unlike her to go more than 200 metres radius from the cattery where she lived. I went looking for her body but couldn't find it. I don't know whether she died from old age somewhere or whether it was death by misadventure but she's gone and the place sort of feels empty without her. She had a particular kind of energy and it has vanished as she did. Rest in peace, Hissy Fit, wherever you are.

Socializing Feral Kittens Videos

"Not to plug but Gerber Chicken and Gravy No. 2 is the crack cocaine for kittens!"

Great line from a great set of videos. 

The Urban Cat League in the USA has put together a series of three educational videos that will help you socialize feral kittens. Some of the tactics employed are slightly different to what I've used in the past (I would never have thought to have used baby food, for example), however, it's always good to add new strategies to your repertoire. The over-riding lesson in here is that you need to be flexible in the way you work with individual kittens and cats, as they all have different responses and pathways to socialization. The vet in the series is a real hero!

US Feral Cat Welfare Groups

Here's a list of US-based Feral Cat Welfare groups that I've discovered:

Shadow Cats (Texas) – Dedicated to Trap, Neuter, Return and strongly advocates non lethal measures to reduce outdoor cat populations.

Colony Cats (Ohio) – Their primary mission is to address cat overpopulation in central Ohio through public awareness and spay/neuter efforts.

Urban Cat League (New York) – Committed to improving the lives of New York City's homeless cats.

New York City Feral Cat Initiative (New York) – Helping New York City's feral and stray cats.

Alley Cat Allies (Maryland) – Dedicated to protecting and improving the lives of US cats.

I'll add these links to the right hand margin of this blog. I'd also like to add feral cat welfare groups from other countries so please send me any appropriate links if you come across them. 

Mimsy - the Houdini of Cats

Good news, everyone. Last week I finally captured shy Mimsy, the last fertile feral female living on the farm. This has been an 18-month endeavour and I'm mighty pleased with myself. I've mentioned her before on this blog – she and the other mature feral cats have just been too smart to step into cat traps so I've had to think outside the box so to speak. I worked out a strategy similar to that used on Sweetie a few months ago, although this time I actually used two cat cages instead of one in order to increase my odds of catching her, especially when there were other cats eating at that particular feeding station. 

I set the cat cages down inside the cattery (see previous post) where I fed them breakfast and just left them there with their doors open 24/7 so the cats thought of them as benign objects. In the mornings I would put a little pile of food on the outside of the door, in the interior of the cage at the entry point with a little trail leading to the back of the cage. I then sat behind the cage while the cats ate so they all got used to me. What happened was that the other less cautious cats would walk inside the cages and eat the food. I in turn would just ignore them. Mimsy, of course, witnessed this and began gradually letting down her guard.

The timing had to be absolutely right and I had to keep refining my technique from morning to morning. For example, I had initially lined the interior of the cat cages with towels but found that it got under the cats' paws or would block their view of the food at the back. The cats also sometimes dragged out the towel when they snatched the food from the inside. I also found that if I slightly elevated the cage on a thin plank of wood it would aid in the swing-action of the doors. Furthermore, because it is getting colder over here in Australia (it's Autumn) I had to use a smellier bait (odour is suppressed in cold weather) – tinned fish did the trick. On top of that I had to position myself so that I could shift quickly and not give myself away with any sounds or extraneous movements. I also had to hold back on the milk and the dried food which I traditionally left out for the cats to get them completely focused on the food I wanted them to eat inside the cat cage. 

On the morning in question it all went swimmingly. It so happened that Mimsy was the only cat who came into the cattery. I had left two piles of food on the outside of the two cages to increase my chances of catching her and she ate the first lot then did a snatch and grab from the interior (that is, she would poke her head inside the cage, grab the food and then eat it on the outside of the cage). Then ... miracle of miracles ... she slowly walked into the cage. I had to wait until two thirds of her body was inside. I knew I would only have one opportunity and I had to make it count, otherwise she would be on to me and I'd never catch her again. But there she was – eating away with just her rump and tail on the outside. I just lurched over the top and swung the cage door closed on her backside and secured it. She panicked a little but then settled down more quickly then I had thought. I then walked the cage to my car and strapped it into the back seat with a seat belt then drove immediately to the vet (they open at 7.30 on weekdays). She did not meow once.

That night, I picked her up at about 6pm and again she was completely quiet. She was sitting up and seemed calm. I've never had an experience like this – most cats who are frightened will be very vocal. I had prepared the gym at home (where I had previously kept the Xmas kittens) and walked inside and put the cage onto the carpet. Then I just slowly eased open the cage door. Before I even had time to step back, she was out like a bullet and hiding under the mini trampoline. I left her some food and water and then quietly withdrew.

The next morning I made my way back to the gym to give Mimsy her breakfast and to check on her progress. She had eaten her dinner and I expected her to be hungry. I could not find her. I looked everywhere – behind  and on top of fridges, under exercise equipment, in boxes – nothing. I thought she may have been hiding in plain sight and then came back with a torch in daylight like a CSI investigator to see if I had missed her. Nothing. I then sent somebody else in to look for her. Nothing. I couldn't understand it. The window was closed except for about an inch and the screen door was completely shut and I knew nobody else had gone in to see her during the night. What's more, I had wedged a container against the door and it was still in place.

I was quite perplexed but thought that if she had escaped she would head straight home so I was up the hill and looked around the perimeter of the cattery. She was there – interacting with her friends Hissy Fit and Diamond. I was gob-smacked. Mimsy was obviously a Houdini and smart and supple enough to escape. My only theory was that somehow she had wedged open the screen door and squeezed through a gap either on the top or bottom.

The upshot is that she appears to be her normal self and that the entire episode didn't seem to stress her out too much. She just wanted to get back to business and for her that means reuniting with her companions and getting back to normal life on the hill.

Mimsy was an excellent mother – we have kept six of her babies who are beautiful healthy cats in their own right with wonderful temperaments – but her days of reproducing are over. Now it's her time, and if Sweetie is anything to go by (Sweetie has put on healthy weight and is having a wonderful single life) then Mimsy will do just fine.

Never Say Never Feral Cat Video

I found this video on YouTube, which deals with the feral cats crisis in America (according to the video there are 60 million feral cats there), exposes the myths and advocates the humane TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) strategy at the same time. Looks and sounds like this is a universal problem with the same practical and sensible solutions if people started looking after the feral colonies living on their plot of land or in their local area.

Feral Female Farm Cat Caught

Good news on the homefront. Many of you may have read about the ongoing saga of Sweetie – one of the fertile feral females on the farm and how I've been trying to catch her on and off for about a year. Well, I caught her two evenings ago and she's now back home desexed and recuperating in our rumpus room, which overlooks her territory on the outside. The vet did a splendid job and she has dissolving stitches in her abdomen which means she doesn't have to make a return visit.

The entire experience has been traumatic for both the cat and myself because she trusted me and I felt as though I was betraying that trust when I caged her up and took her offsite for the operation. She's doing well now and is communicating with me again with her soft meow whenever I visit her. I paid extra for pain relief so I hope it's holding. I'll release her in the next 48 hours or so once I'm content there are no complications from the surgery. The best signal for me is that she appears to be relaxed and has eaten a lot since her return last night. This is a great relief. Her last litter was the Xmas kittens, which I've written about in the Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens series – two of which are sitting on a cushion right next to me in the office as I write this blog post. The emotional stress was a temporary discomfort to the long term stress of having the cats constantly reproducing when I'm trying to curtail the cat population on the farm, and then having to socialise and find loving homes for the kittens. I don't indiscriminately give kittens or cats away without checking out the character of the human companion who will be taking them. The quest is on now to find good homes for Sweetie's offspring.

At a later time I'll write a dedicated post on the subject of how to and how not to catch feral cats based on all the tricks I've learned during the last 12 months.

More Feral Cat Cattery Pics

These pics are related to today's previous two blog posts. Here we have the feral farm cats utilising the space on the outside and on the inside of the cattery we built. The black cat sitting on the 44-gallon drum is called Diamond; the black and white cat peeking under the plastic curtain is called Patches.

Feral Cat Cattery Pics

Here are some photos related to my previous blog post. Pic 1 is the sleeping quarters on top of the wooden palettes. Pic 2 is of the feeding station and the straw-lined interior.

Building a Feral Cat Cattery

We used to have four old square sheds at the top of a hill on our farm in a kind of oblong formation. They were enclosed on three sides by walls and had a gate on the fourth side. The sheds were used to store various materials, and in the middle was a weed garden. This is where the feral cat commune lived for many years. Then the sheds started to break down in the elements – the doors fell off their hinges, the roofs started to flap in the wind and the floorboards to crack. We decided to pull two of the sheds down last year for safety reasons and will be doing the same to the other two next month. But that would have left the cats without shelter so what to do?

The back wall also had sort of an undercover parking area attached to it where we used to park our tractor. It was basically two corrugated iron sheets attached to some thick wooden posts with more sheeting on top for a roof. You could drive the tractor in and then straight out again. What we did is convert this little section into a cattery for the feral cats. We added a third wall of sheeting (it sort of looks like an old garage now), making sure that there was a gap near the ground which the cats could use a an escape route (see pic 2). We also put a gate at the other end so the cats could have easy access but any medium or large dogs or other roaming animals would find it difficult to get inside (see pic 1). It's important to note that if you're building a cattery you must have at least three exit routes for them to use if they're cornered and escape is necessary. This will make them feel safe and secure to adopt the cattery as their home.

We then scrounged for other bits and pieces around the farm that could be utilised on the interior. We found some thick plastic sheeting that we hung up like a curtain on the gate end of the cattery. In summer this can be moved aside to let in the fresh air, and in winter or in the rain, it can be pulled completely over the entry to keep it dry on the inside. We also found these wooden plank constructions, which we stacked on top of each other along one wall (I'm not a builder so I have no idea what these things are used for in the world of construction). We lined the top of them with various cat beds and old towels and blankets. There are also two levels in which the cats can hide away in these wooden pallets – on the ground or in the middle. Unless you're deliberately searching for them or have a good nose then you wouldn't even know they could be hiding in there.

We also positioned two 44-gallon drums on the interior to add some height elements – cats like being high and surveying the landscape. However, this also serves as another safety feature in case any other larger animals get inside. I also have a third 44-gallon drum on the outside so the cats can make a quick get away by climbing on the roof. 

I lined the ground with straw, which stays dry and warm. I rarely have to change it or add to it. The cats use the outside as their toilet and so the straw is remarkably clean. I then added a big plank of wood as a feeding station and put in a large container of fresh water plus several dishes for their food. I leave them breakfast in here but feed them wet food  on the outside unless it's raining, as I want to avoid attracting cockroaches, ants or other insects. I wash the dishes and replace the water every few days.

We didn't spend any money in setting this up – we just used our imagination and resources we had laying around on the farm. You can also build a cattery on a budget if you improvise like we did. 

To summarise, the key elements to have when constructing a cattery similar to this one are:

(1) shelter from the elements (warm and dry)

(2) at least three exit routes

(3) height elements on the inside and outside

(4) sleeping stations (old towels, blankets, cat beds etc), and

(5) feeding station (two water containers and several food dishes).

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.

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.

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. 

Feral Family Pics 1

My lovely Saffron (or Saffy for short). He's a domesticated feral. I caught him and his brother Snow when they were about six weeks old. The conversion process from wild to socialised took about three days – Saffron followed his brother's lead. After that Saffron became the more extroverted of the two, although occasionally he has bouts of shyness. He is one of those cats who makes friends with all other cats and dogs. He has an exceptionally peaceful temperament and is not in the least territorial – he can hang out with the wild cats on the hill one minutes and and then an hour later be snuggled into your lap while you are watching television or onto your bed at night. He can also be a bit of a wanderer – he likes going for a walk around the farm with me and the dogs and my hand-raised 18 month sheep in the morning. I absolutely ADORE this photo. I took it around Christmas. This pic should convince anybody of the magnificence and potential of ex feral cats!

Feral Cat Cull Devastates Macquarie Island

Still offline – my Mac is in the shop and I am currently using my next door neighbour's computer to get you this breaking news, but came across this article today on the effects of killing off the feral cat population on Macquarie Island (located in the Southern Ocean between Australia and the Antarctic). Rabbit numbers have exploded since the last cat was killed in 2000 and the environmental impact has been enormous on the vegetation, as well as the penguin population. You can read all about it on the Iinet website.