Adventures of Mimsy's Kittens – Journal Entry 3

Thought I'd better hunt for Mimsy's kittens after she moved them a couple of weeks ago. I had a pretty good idea where she'd taken them – the old dilapidated shed we have right near the cattery. It's falling apart and a bit of a safety hazard so I spent Saturday morning removing iron sheets, fallen wooden doors and lots of scrap metal from the vicinity so that the kittens could move around in relative safety. They'll also be exposed to the elements because the shed has no roof and we a HUGE downpour the other day so I'll do what I can to make them comfortable without actually touching them and freaking out their mother. 

I also sadly found the body of the white and ginger kitten that had died – or should I say what remained of it. Only the dried out skin and hair from its back was left. I quickly buried the nameless kitten in some freshly sprung lush grass.

The other three kittens were under the broken floorboards as I suspected. They're very tiny and possibly malnourished. Their eyes are half-open but their faces haven't softened yet from that just born baby look to the traditional cutesy kitten archetype. I'd say it will take another two weeks for that to happen. The first time I saw them, the remaining white and ginger one was sleeping with its head on the side of one of the black ones who in turn was sleeping with its head on the white and ginger one. They looked like the ying and yang symbol. Pity I didn't have my camera on me. 

They're too little to be scared at this stage, although I did hear a little hiss this morning. They move around slowly and topple a bit. I had one question answered when I observed them – although they're only about four weeks old, one of them actively cleaning her- or himself so that was interesting information to file away in the memory banks.

I've been leaving low-lactose kitty milk in a shallow dish for them in the morning – shallow so they can crawl up to it and drink over the lip but not fall in and drown. The milk is gone when I return but I'm unsure whether it's been drunk by them or their mother. I also tried some soft kitten food but again I'm unsure of whether they're eating it or not, as I've not had the time to actually sit down for an extended period and just watch them.

I poked my camera through the floorboards this morning and here is the result. I'm going to push a bit of straw inside so it's a little bit more insulated but my master plan is to catch them in about two weeks.

The reason I'm visiting every day is so they get used to me and make the connection that I'm a food source for them. This is my pre-socialisation training. It usually doesn't take long to rehabilitate kittens that have had this kind of preparation. Mimsy's kittens have always been good that way. After that I'll need to focus on catching Mimsy and getting her desexed. I've already set the cat cage up near the cattery so she and all the other cats get used to it. I'll start putting food in there too so they (and she obviously) think of it as a benign object, get a false sense of security and actually walk inside to eat the food while the door is open. And then sometime in the near future when I just so happen to be sitting nearby, I can just close the cage door on Mimsy and whisk her down to the vet.

Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 16

I've separated the three bold kittens (two blacks and bi-colour one) into the rumpus room and left Miss Tortie-and-White by herself with the occasional visitor – Samson. The three of them have made it well beyond the seventh stage of stroking a feral cat which I identified in a previous blog post – they're now lap cats, I can pick them up for a cuddle while I'm standing up and they perform spontaneous roll overs accompanied by loud purrs whenever I enter into their vicinity. Miss Tortie-and-White on the other hand has always held back. I have to admit I gave the other three rambunctious ones more attention, simply because they always jumped into the fray in whatever game I was playing with them and never really gave Miss Tortie-and-White the chance to participate. She's been a fringe dweller during the time she's been living here but hopefully that will change now that she'll get some one-on-one attention.

If this morning is anything to go by, she'll progress nicely. I used a piece of cloth with a knot tied on the end and dragged it all over the floor. She surrendered completely. I've never seen her so relaxed or indeed so animated in play. She pulled out all her best cat moves; she was pouncing and tumbling, twisting in the air and wrestling. She came within about six inches of me, which is the closest she's ever been before. She still pulls back if she thinks I'm going to man-handle her but the good thing is that her eyes are no longer filled with suspicious and are telling a new story. She's asleep in the old gym at the moment so I'll have another play session with her tonight and hopefully encourage her to eat from my hand.

Adventures of Mimsy's Kittens – Journal Entry 2

I'm sorry to say that this will be a sad journal entry. Last night when I went to feed the commune of feral cats, I went into the cattery while they were eating to check up on the little ones and found a ginger and white one dead. It was lying slightly apart from its three siblings – it wasn't breathing, its belly was distended and its body was cold to the touch. I reached out and picked it up and was holding it in my hand when the black nanny/auntie cat "Hissy Fit" who looks after kittens with Mimsy, came charging inside. She instantly went to check out the kittens. I returned the little dead one to the nest so she could see what had happened. She tried to revive it by licking it but obviously didn't succeed. My scent was on the little kitten too, which didn't help. I don't know how cats process information but on some level these ones may equate my being there with the baby's death. On another level, Hissy Fit showed no hostility towards me, possibly because I have a long term record of feeding them and looking after them so they recognise me as a carer. 

This morning I returned to remove the dead kitten and found all of them gone. This has happened once in the past when my very kind auntie came and fussed over a previous litter and returned one that had crawled away. Within hours the mother had moved the lot of them. It's my observation that the moment humans touch the babies and get there scent over them, then the mothers will move the kittens to another nest.

After finding them gone this morning, I began searching for them. I believe they've been moved under the broken floorboards of a dilapidated shed which stands next to the cattery. There are lots of pipes and crawl spaces there, and Mimsy has brought previous kittens up in this spot. Belle, my cross border collie with the amazing nose for finding kittens, also started sniffing in the vicinity. 

Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 15

Finished putting up the flyer around the vicinity, although I missed the deadline with some shopping centres and it won't go up on the community bulletin board until Monday next week. 

I tested the white and red kitten at a next door neighbour's place the other day. They have a Siamese female who lives in the house at night and in a huge custom built cat cage (which she loves) during the day. They're wanting to get a companion cat for her and, although they're exceptionally kind to their animal family, I'm a little reluctant to let the male go for several reasons – (1) feral cats do better in pairs with their siblings; (2) the neighbour has a small yappy dog that chases everything she comes across; (3) no formal inter-species introductions have been made yet to introduce the cat and dog; (4) the cats were separated into two parts of the cage and watched each other through the mesh – I don't know yet how territorial the female will be when they come together as she gave mixed signals in the first stage; and (5) the little one is better off transitioning from the inside of the house to the outside cage and hopefully into the garden so he can roam free. One of the reasons the neighbours have the cage is because there are poisonous snakes in the vicinity and also a mean dog on the property next door that would have no hesitation in attacking any animal (dog or cat and in fact has done so in the past) should they wander close to each other. This is a dilemma.

I brought the white and red one and the black kitten 1 (the female) into my office yesterday. They loved it. They climbed over and sniffed everything out. Samson came in too and the black one curled up with him on the bed. I also brought Jake our kelpie in, and the white and red kitten sneaked up on him and played with his tail. They later had a bit of a face off – Jake just stood there in fascination and wonder, the cat went into protective mode with an arched back, hair standing up on end on the neck and back, and a tail twice the size of the norm. I have pics but still need to upload them to my computer. 

I'll bring in all three of them today and then spend a little one on one time with Miss Tortie-and-White. The trick with transitioning her will be to bring her into my office either by herself or with one other in the future when I can catch her again. I will then ignore her and let her wander around by herself. I've done this on a previous occasion where three of the five kittens were socialised in 48 hours and found a good home about a week later, and the two remaining kittens completely avoided me for nigh on three weeks. Once I brought them into my office so they were with me for a good part of the day, they relaxed and were purring in my lap before long.

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.

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.

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!

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. 

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.

Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 8

I caught my elusive little female last night!

Chronicles of the Xmas Kitties – Journal Entry 7

The tortie and white continues to elude me. She knows what I'm up to! She is now more confident and strolling about. She navigates in wide circles around me AND ... she is very smart. This morning she ducked out of the drain and then scooted into an exposed drain pipe, protruding out of hilly terrain near one of the sheds. I quickly seized a cat cage, crept quietly over to the drain pipe, took off my t-shirt (I did have a camisole underneath folks!) and then straddled the drain pipe so I was poised right over the entry/exit point, ready to scoop her up in my t-shirt once she emerged (please take my descriptions at face value; there is no hidden symbolism in them). Nothing! When I looked up, she was sitting watching me across the way. She had obviously made her way to the other end of the pipe. Damn!

On another note, I stroked the first black kitten for a few moments while it was eating. It didn't hiss or run away. As a reference point, when you first move towards stroking the kitten, do so from the back rather than from the front near the head. That way it won't be perceived as an act of aggression.

Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 6

I caught the third kitten – the little black one with the coppery sheen – about an hour ago. I am happy. One more to go. I had to make huge adjustments in my tactics. The kittens are too switched on at night: they are wary and they know all my tricks. I nearly caught the black one last night but miscalculated and it leapt out of the cage before a I had a chance to shut the door. So today I decided to go there in the middle of the afternoon when they are all lounging about and having their cat naps.

I saw the black kitten sleeping in a small fenced off grassy area. Its mother and three other adults were resting under a silo. I had my noisy dogs and my noisy sheep with me, which I quickly locked into an empty shed. I thought by now the kitten would have leapt away and hid like its tortie and white sister but it was in such a deep sleep state that it was twitching in its dreams. I thought to myself, It can't possibly be this easy but I'll try anyhow. I quietly picked up the cage and approached. I am not the lightest of people but I do have a "cat like tread" to quote one of the lyrics from Gilbert and Sullivans' Pirates of Penzance. I set the cage down right beside it, thinking that at any time it would wake up and dart away. It didn't. It just lay there and slept – the little cutie. I even got worried and checked to see if it was breathing. Yes, its little chest was moving up and down ever so slightly.

I then gently leaned down and picked it up without incident and just placed it into the cage before it had a chance to register anything. The kitty was very quiet and still half asleep I think because I didn't hear a sound or feel it move at all, as I walked back to the cat's safe room (the old gym). When I got there I just deposited the cage on the floor, opened it up and stood back. The kitten tentatively walked out and then  scooted into the furthermost corner. I wanted its sibling to see it so I left them some food in a dish to lure them out. I sat there watching them for a few minutes and left. I am about to go back after I finish this blog post. And yes, I have let my dogs and sheep out of the shed.

These feral kittens are the cleverest I've ever come across and, because of that, the socialisation process is painstakingly slow. I fully expect to have it play out for another week or more, although the other two are coming along day by day. I still have one more to catch and I have no doubt she'll be extra cautious when I'm in her vicinity. 

This is extremely stressful for me (as well as the cats). The final denouement to the story that is being played out here is that I will need to find people willing to adopt them in pairs and who are willing to accept kittens slightly older than the usual 6 to 8 weeks. Feral kittens and cats do better in pairs, and these ones are growing rapidly, now that they're not competing for food from their elders. They are looking very clean; their coats are shiny; they are playful with each other; they are intelligent; and they are graceful. Now we need to let them trust and bond with people and other animals, and let them set forth in the world with loving human companions to look after them. That is my greatest wish for them.

 

Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 5

I'm hugely busy at the moment and am working 12 hour days in my office so this is a quick update post on the progress of the Xmas kittens (I promise you lots of pics soon).

• They are doing well but progress is slow – it's two steps forward and one step back, as I am introducing myself to them each time I go into the old home gym room where they are currently living. It takes about ten minutes for them to come out. I am walking around on all fours like a cat to keep close to the ground so as not to intimidate them, and am getting quite filthy from the concrete and old carpet in the process. Never mind ... it's all for the greater good.
• They did not eat for the first 24+ or so hours until I introduced my "Big Brother" buffer cat Samson into the mix. They came out to communicate with him and followed his lead at the eating bowl. Now they are comfortable doing it by themselves in front of me.
• Out of the two of them, the black one is the lead cat. However, I am happy to say that the other white one with rust patches is beginning to relax. I think he's a he, because I caught sight of his genitals underneath the tail the other day. I won't be able to confirm this until I have him on my lap and can check it out more closely.
• The key times to get them to come out of hiding are in the morning between 6 and 10 and in the afternoon/evening after 4pm. This is important information and is consistent with all other cats I've socialised.
• They are interacting with me via the ping pong ball game I talked about in previous post and via the side-sweeping leaf.
• They are exceptionally alert and intelligent – they have figured out that the corridor in the folded over mattress in the fold up bed is an excellent place to navigate for fun or to hide in.
• They have delicate triangular pixie features and long dainty limbs. The black one has a little white diamond at its throat and its belly has a big white patch on it. He/she has two little white claws on its back paws.
• Good signs – they are eating from their bowl, playing in the cat tunnel and prowling around the perimeter of the room while I am there. I am able to sit within about two feet of some of their activities.
• More good signs – their body language is revealing that they are progressively relaxing. I They clean themselves in front of me, their eyes often look dreamy, and they have dropped onto their sides on the floor near to where I am sitting.
• They have had a growth spurt since they have been eating more and are now slightly longer than their two siblings I still have to catch from the drain.
• The two in the drain are extraordinarily smart. I nearly caught the black one on two occasions but he/she darted away. I am having to adapt the original plan because they are onto me. I have changed the position of where I sit and am making it more difficult for them to predict what I am going to do. They are being more cautious, but I have to be smarter. I am feeling the time constraint of catching them and getting them into the gym with the other two. I need them all to remember each other so they don't get territorial.
• More when I surface again.

Xmas Kitten Pics

These are the other pics I took of the remaining two Xmas kitties that I still have to catch. Their body language tells us they in alert mode because I am nearby.

Chronicles of the Xmas Kittens – Journal Entry 4

I tried last night to catch the remaining two kittens but was unsuccessful. I intuitively felt it from the start. They remained under the safety of the grate and didn't venture out while I was by their side.

In the meantime, it has been 36 hours since I caught the two others and I was beginning to worry because of a failure to explore and possibly a failure to thrive. I couldn't find them when I did the initial sweep of the room on my first visit back. For a few moments I thought they had escaped, but then I knew that was close to impossible unless they were strong enough to push their way through a barricaded mesh door. It turned out they were both hiding under the treadmill – in the dim light I had not seen the black kitten in the shadows and it had been obscuring the little white patchy one. I checked in every two hours or so for the entire day but they still hadn't moved. They also hadn't used the kitty litter tray or eaten any of the food I had left by their side. 

Last night I gave them a whole bunch of boiled chicken, which I expected to be gone this morning – it had barely been touched. It has been very hot so I was wondering whether they kittens had become dehydrated and were okay. I realised I needed to prod the issue slightly so I brought in reinforcements in the form of my ex-feral tabby cat Samson, who is coming onto ten months old.

Samson is one of the sweetest cats I have ever known. He sidles up to the rest of the cat coterie and the dogs with a big heartfelt purr. I have never seen him aggressive or territorial so I gave him the moniker of "Big Brother" or the "Transitioning Cat'. I have never used this technique before and just made it up on the spot, but I figured if the kittens could see me interacting with another cat, then they would relax and be more likely to trust me. It turns out I was right. I hasten to add that if you are going to use a "Big Brother" or "Big Sister" cat then make sure you do not assign the role to any hissers and spitters who just want to protect their turf. 

Samson played his part beautifully and helped me transition the two little ones to the next level. In fact, he was an absolute champion! The first thing he did was go and eat out of their cat bowl and then sniff them through the underside of the treadmill. I then added another element to the mix by lifting up the back of the treadmill in order to send them running to another hiding place (ie. getting them out of their comfort zone). The little white one scooted behind the half open gym door, and the other to the opposite side of the room behind some boxes. The white one started to cry pitifully after a few moments because she/he (I haven't found out the sex yet because I haven't been able to look under their tails) was alone. The little black one responded and ran to be with its sibling. 

I then sat down on the floor in their sightline and began playing with Samson – firstly with a ping pong ball and then with a long plastic plant leaf. I swept it side to side and Samson pounced and rolled over. The kittens were fascinated. Occasionally Samson would get up and sidle up to the kittens and then he'd be back in full play again. I realised after a few minutes that the black kitten was the lead or dominant one in the relationship between siblings. If I could get the black one to respond then the other would follow, so I started sweeping the plastic plastic plant leaf in front of them. Their little eyes darted side to side in sync with the movement and the little black one ventured out with its eyes focused on the leaf. He/she then went to the mesh door and peered outside, prodding the flyscreen with its paw to test the barrier. Three of our other cats (all ex-ferals) were on the other side – Savannah hissed, Sasha stared and Sihri tried to get in.

After a few minutes our dogs Belle and Jake turned up and sat right outside the door looking in with excitement and with their tongues hanging out and their ears up straight. The little black one instantly went into survival mode – its hair stood up on the nape of its neck and its tail ballooning to twice its normal size and it hissed at the dogs. I could see the dogs looked threatening in stature merely because they were large and filled the gap, although in reality they were excited and fascinated to see these two new cats and wouldn't have harmed them. But they were a bit of a nuisance. In the end I had to place a mobile phone call to one of my family members who called the dogs away so I could continue undisturbed with out breaking the momentum of what was happening.

Samson's presence relaxed the cats. They began exploring the room with me sitting in the middle of the floor. The black one was the front runner – modeling on Samson's behaviour and climbing up on the window sill to look outside, climbing down and through some boxes I had set up for them to create another hiding space, and then using the kitty litter tray which I thought was absolutely fantastic.

I then set up a fresh bowl of canned cat food on the floor. Samson ate a little (they may think of him as the food tester!) and then the black one came and started eating too. The little white one soon followed and before long the bowl had been licked clean. They then started cleaning themselves and I breathed a sigh of relief – it was going to be okay. They had taken the first step.

Slowly but surely I need to gain their trust. It will be interesting to see how long this takes.

In the meantime, if there are any loving people living in the Sydney district or surrounds who ADORE cats, RESPECT their complexities and who are interested in adopting these cats in the next couple of weeks once the socialisation process has been completed, please contact me by email: julie@blackmermaid.com.

Great Feral Cat Article

I came across this on article on Wikipedia – check it out! The Canadian Prime Minister has completely endeared himself to me. So that you know what I'm talking about, here's a quote:

For many years, a feral cat colony has existed on Canada's Parliament Hill in Ottawa ... they are fed by a volunteer who is given a stipend by the House of Commons... At any time, about 15 cats live in the colony. The present Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, is a cat fan and takes feral kittens into him home to socialize them before they are put up for adoption in Ottawa's shelters. Visitors to his official residence can expect to be asked if they have room in their homes for a cat.

If I were Canadian, he would so totally get my vote!

How to Socialise a Feral Kitten - Part I

Preparing Your Room or Space for Feral Kittens

You will need a dedicated room in your house or your property for the purpose of socialising a feral kitten. I recommend you organise a room according to the following criteria:

1. Window/s and doors – the windows need to allow in natural light and air. The window should be covered in fly screen/mesh to prevent the kitten from escaping, but please note that the kittens will climb up the mesh so it will need to be stretched tight and secure over the frame. Cats like to sit on window sills and watch the world go by, so that can be one of the considerations when you are choosing a room in your house as the cat room. As far as the doorway is concerned, make sure that the door can open and close securely and with ease in order to keep the kittens in and strangers (including other family pets) out until you are ready to introduce the kittens to your human and pet family.

2. Hide- or crawl-spaces – the room needs to contain a variety of different furniture with some crawl and hide spaces. I have a large carpeted rumpus room that contains three windows with views to the rest of the farm so that the kittens can watch human or animal traffic from the safety of their abode. The room also contains a single bed covered with an old bedspread, several stacked boxes of newspapers, a ping pong table, two old desks covered with material, a bookshelf covered with a tarp, and several filing cabinets. There are gaps between the furniture and the wall for the kittens to hide when they are first introduced into the room. This is VERY IMPORTANT for the socialisation process to go smoothly, as the first thing the kittens will do is dart for cover until hunger drives them out to look for food.

3. Feeding station – Lay old newspapers on the floor; the broadsheets such as the Sydney Morning Herald or the Australian (or similar if you are an overseas reader) are the best because you get better space coverage and they are also good for wrapping up rubbish. The space should be about two or three double sheets wide. On top of the newspaper place abowl for dry food, a second bowl for wet food and a container for water. Depending on the size and age of the kittens make sure the water container is something they can't fall and drown in. Place a second water container in another part of the room as a backup in case the first one is tipped over when you are not there. Allow some sitting room next to the feeding station, as part of the socialisation process will have you sit by the kittens while they eat.

4. Toilet station – lay down more newspaper for the toilet station close to (but not right next to) the feeding station. The kittens want to be able to spot the toilet station but being clean animals they don't like having to do their ablutions next to their dining area. The toilet station should contain one kitty litter tray per two kittens. The trays are available for around $8 to $10 in cheap shops. These will need to be cleaned morning and night – you will not need to remove all the kitty litter but just the droppings and the soiled clumps. I have trialled a number of kitty litters and the most economical one I have found that is also durable and low maintenance is the Woolworths Home Brand Cat Litter (large red and white bag) which sells for just under AU$4.50 for 15 litres. One bag lasts me about two weeks looking after four kittens serviced by two kitty litter trays. You will also need a kitty litter shovel, which costs around $2.50 in supermarkets or cheap shops. 

5. Cat toys – best thing out are ping pong balls. You can also buy balls with bells in them, or rip up old rags into strips, or depending on how elaborate your set up is and how much you want to spend, get a scratching pole. What is important is for the kittens to keep themselves entertained. Cats are extremely curious and they love to play and be mentally stimulated.

This is your basic set up. I recommend you prepare the room prior to bringing your kitten in so that things can run smoothly and that you don't spook the kitten too much.