I leaned that what I thought was a neighbor’s cat is actually feral. And pregnant. And liked my barn enough to pop out her babies inside it. And is smart enough to repeatedly go into the live trap, eat the food bait, and walk out again without setting it off. I’m thinking of naming her Houdini
Is there a local rescue who can help you? Most rescues will take a feral mom and kittens if they can return the mom spayed after kittens are weaned. You can PM me if you need help finding one.
Animal control is the one who supplied the trap and will be taking momma and kittens to a rescue so that the babies can be socialized and then adopted out as pets. She agreed with me that momma cat is feral, not a stray, and will likely not be able to be adopted unless she suddenly becomes tame while with the foster (very unlikely). She said after the babies are weaned they will have momma cat spayed and ear docked, and then if I agree (which I do) they will release her back into my yard since releasing her into the same area she came from will give her the best chance of survival
My only concern is that I will be responsible for keeping her up to date on vaccines after that. Seeing how skittish she already is, catching her again in the future for booster shots of vaccines will likely not be easy
I have learned that my five year old doesn’t keep accurate track of how much chocolate is in his Easter basket and doesn’t question when more is missing than what he actually ate
Animal control is the one who supplied the trap and will be taking momma and kittens to a rescue so that the babies can be socialized and then adopted out as pets. She agreed with me that momma cat is feral, not a stray, and will likely not be able to be adopted unless she suddenly becomes tame while with the foster (very unlikely). She said after the babies are weaned they will have momma cat spayed and ear docked, and then if I agree (which I do) they will release her back into my yard since releasing her into the same area she came from will give her the best chance of survival
My only concern is that I will be responsible for keeping her up to date on vaccines after that. Seeing how skittish she already is, catching her again in the future for booster shots of vaccines will likely not be easy
Might be easier to work directly with the rescue, from my experience. I have friends who are magicians at trapping and helping people manage individual cats and colonies. I'm a mediocre trapper and used to help a man in his 80s manage a colony in Orange and found homes for the kittens. I had one TNRd feline who just died of cancer. I gave a bit of thought to having another single guest. See how it goes and definitely ask who the rescue is. This was one of the kittens from that colony. You can see her ear tip.
I have learned that my five year old doesn’t keep accurate track of how much chocolate is in his Easter basket and doesn’t question when more is missing than what he actually ate
As to Easter candy, that reminded me of the Halloween one of my nephews was maybe four. My sister and brother in law learned the hard way that somehow this preschooler’s brain had done an (accurate and exact) inventory of the contents of his plastic pumpkin bucket. It didn’t go so well when his inventory didn’t match the actual candy he came downstairs and found the next morning. Lesson learned.
Momma finally went in the trap and set it off. Animal control is on her way over now. I got the four babies down from the storage space and we loosely wrapped them in a towel to keep them extra warm
Three normal healthy looking babies, one half sized runt
You are a really, really good person, Mrs. Spontaneous. Like, really good. And what an excellent example you are setting for your children about kindness and compassion and humanity. Even the child who made a mold of his head in your ceiling.
As, thanks. I just wanted to make sure the kitties got good homes and that momma cat doesn’t have more kittens. I think in the same situation most people would do the same
Here is a picture of all four babies together. The dark one in the middle with some tabby markings really stole my heart, but I’m pretty sure that my current spoiled house cat would NOT be happy with any new additions to the household
As, thanks. I just wanted to make sure the kitties got good homes and that momma cat doesn’t have more kittens. I think in the same situation most people would do the same
Here is a picture of all four babies together. The dark one in the middle with some tabby markings really stole my heart, but I’m pretty sure that my current spoiled house cat would NOT be happy with any new additions to the household
I have never met an adult cat that didn't eventually either fall in love with or tolerate a kitten. Consider adopting one. No matter how much our cats love us, it is instinctual for them to be with their own. What is funny to me in foster situations is to watch which adult a kitten will adopt as their parent. Over the years I've watched senior males be nudged into being the most loving guardians. Older females may initially hiss and then a few weeks later be washing and cuddling a kitten. What makes the kitten pick that adult over another.
Go for it. Ask the rescue if you can foster to try it out once they are weaned. We simply don't have enough fosters or adopters.
And for anyone wanting a kitten or adult, while rescues and shelters are mostly shut down Associated Humane Society in Newark which is by appointment, has 130 cats and kittens stuck in cages.
I have lived with a cat/cats most of my life, and find myself fascinated and rooting hard for the little one - how often does that happen in a litter? (All of those look like they will be beautiful creatures as they age, by the way.)
I have never met an adult cat that didn't eventually either fall in love with or tolerate a kitten. Consider adopting one. No matter how much our cats love us, it is instinctual for them to be with their own. What is funny to me in foster situations is to watch which adult a kitten will adopt as their parent. Over the years I've watched senior males be nudged into being the most loving guardians. Older females may initially hiss and then a few weeks later be washing and cuddling a kitten. What makes the kitten pick that adult over another.
True.
We had a distressed kitten in our backyard. We took him in, 11 ounce shrimp. We introduced him to the other cats after being isolated for three weeks to assure he was disease free. Cats are territorial so there was the usual introductory hissing and growling. That lasted all of three days. He was playing with the other four by the end of a week.
Being socialized at so early an age, he's become a real lap cat. You sit in a chair and he'll jump right into your lap, purring happily away. He'll also burrow with us under the blankets in our bed.
I might consider it. My current cat, Button, is a special case though. She came to me because at her last home she peed on everything. Not just stuff on the floors, but chairs, beds, etc. She was repeatedly checked, no health issues, completely behavioral. She was eventually living in the basement after yet another piece of furniture was ruined. When I took her in (I’m a sucker for sob stories) she hissed and spit at me for two weeks straight. We do have the occasional accident, but luckily only on laundry, not upholstered furniture like used to, and I have a cold water laundry method using a hydrogen peroxide soak followed by a vinegar rinse that seems to work even better than nature’s miracle
Getting another cat might work out, or it might stress her to where she reverts to her previous behavior, and I’m nervous to find out
I might consider it. My current cat, Button, is a special case though. She came to me because at her last home she peed on everything. Not just stuff on the floors, but chairs, beds, etc. She was repeatedly checked, no health issues, completely behavioral. She was eventually living in the basement after yet another piece of furniture was ruined. When I took her in (I’m a sucker for sob stories) she hissed and spit at me for two weeks straight. We do have the occasional accident, but luckily only on laundry, not upholstered furniture like used to, and I have a cold water laundry method using a hydrogen peroxide soak followed by a vinegar rinse that seems to work even better than nature’s miracle
Getting another cat might work out, or it might stress her to where she reverts to her previous behavior, and I’m nervous to find out
What a wonderful rescue story. I'm a sucker for the odd ones as well. I took in one I thought would be a quick easy adoptable. She tested FELV+ but as she was a kitten I was advised to quarantine and retest as it was a faint positive. She finally turned negative after 4 tests over 4 months, but by that time she was not socialized with other cats and had a deep mistrust of me, a real love hate relationship. Climbing on top of me, kissing, then her ears would go back and she would attack, I guess flashbacks that I was the meanie who confined her. She now is only a kisser, so either she finally learned to trust me, or she has big plans to kill me in my sleep now that I've let my guard down.
I've learned I can get a lot of use out of one of those Bounty half sheets.
I don't use paper towels unless I really have to and that rarely happens. A long time ago, I cut up some old bath towels and I use those approx. 16x16 square towels for all wiping, cleaning, shining, drying, instead of paper towels. I use them on the kitchen floor, all over the bathroom, etc. And I throw them in the wash. Are they ecologically better? I don't know as they add volume to the washer and dryer. But I like using them.
Sounds good, Mr. T, finally something to do with expired/expiring towels!
I have been using old, holey, low-cut cotton socks, perfect for the little spills, but the original owner isn't wearing that kind of sock anymore, so my supply is threatened.
So does that count as learning something, even though not quarantine-related?
I've learned that in a quiet city street, in the centre of quarantined and socially-distanced Adelaide, in South Australia, it's possible to see a kangaroo on a Sunday morning.
@jonesy, re: Thomas More: he would have known about the Wycliffe Bible and also about Jan Husse. (Wish I still had my Uni texts so I could quote the right references for you) From memory, both advocated for ‘worshipping in the vulgate not Latin’, and eventually prompted Luther to write his German version. @jamie, the Freegal app from my library thinks I’m in California not Queensland, Australia. Quite weird. Libby app, also from my library, knows exactly where I am.
I’ve learnt to adjust the accessibility settings on my devices as my vision deteriorates. All these fine controls I hadn’t realised were there! Some better for night, others for daytime. (See ophthalmologist next week)
I’ve learnt to improvise a rowing machine from a balcony post and a theraband. Also to convert that to one of those pulley- arm/torso strength machines.
I’ve learnt barbers can trim a man’s hair and beard from a rough sketch with labels like ‘jazz beard’, so I no longer have a shaggy terrorist for a housemate.
I've learned that in a quiet city street, in the centre of quarantined and socially-distanced Adelaide, in South Australia, it's possible to see a kangaroo on a Sunday morning.
@jonesy, re: Thomas More: he would have known about the Wycliffe Bible and also about Jan Husse. (Wish I still had my Uni texts so I could quote the right references for you) From memory, both advocated for ‘worshipping in the vulgate not Latin’, and eventually prompted Luther to write his German version.
Animal control is the one who supplied the trap and will be taking momma and kittens to a rescue so that the babies can be socialized and then adopted out as pets. She agreed with me that momma cat is feral, not a stray, and will likely not be able to be adopted unless she suddenly becomes tame while with the foster (very unlikely). She said after the babies are weaned they will have momma cat spayed and ear docked, and then if I agree (which I do) they will release her back into my yard since releasing her into the same area she came from will give her the best chance of survival
My only concern is that I will be responsible for keeping her up to date on vaccines after that. Seeing how skittish she already is, catching her again in the future for booster shots of vaccines will likely not be easy