Strays

[Joanna]

Hey friends!  We found 2 stray kittens in our yard today.  One yellow and one very dark gray.  They're pretty small, probably just barely weaned.  Look to be very healthy though, so I think they probably have been well cared for ~ but I've really haven't seen them up close.  One went up a tree when I let Squirt out this morning and the other ran under the porch.  Now they are both under the porch, but won't come out for me.  I set some water & food out to try to lure them. 

I haven't seen them before, and there are too many "wild" things in the neighborhood for me to feel comfortable leaving them on their own.  If you know who they belong to (long shot) OR if you are willing to take them home, please come get them.  We can't have any other cats right now and while I can take them to the barn ~ the old cat there is gone now and these weren't raised wild so may not fare too well without anyone to teach them. 

Call me or come by.       PLEASE!         Thanks!  Joanna 374-2838

Also:  Here's a picture of them napping in the crotch of one of the cataulpa trees.   They're sticking pretty close together.  They did come down & eat some of the food I left out, but still won't let me get too close.  THey're very good tree climbers though!

[Janet Harrington]

I think you should just feed them and let them run wild.  ha ha.  They are cute.  I can't have kitties because the big mean dog I have kills them.  Sorry.

[Joanna]

Janet!  I can't believe you think I should let them run wild!     Oh, you were being sarcastic, huh?   

They are cute little things and they spent the night in the tree again.  They could not survive at the barn alone till they are quite a bit bigger, and I don't think they'll be around that long.  Or maybe someone wants them?  I would even deliver!  Whaddaya say, surely someone needs a couple of kittens...

We really musn't let them go off on their own, I don't plan on being a "cat lady" but don't want to see them get hurt or sick or starve either.  Our Puppy cat has already expressed her displeasure at their visit (you don't want to know); and Squirt sets point on that tree the whole time I let her outside when she should be "doing her business". 

She caught the yellow one yesterday and while Squirt thought they were playing and having a great time, the yellow kitten was not happy and shot back up the tree the first chance he/she got.  Later though, the kittens were sunning within a foot of Squirt in the yard, but they jumped & ran off when I got close.  I guess they are more wild than I thought.

[Tobina+1]

Joanna; if they are well-cared for, have you asked all your neighbors?

I'd consider taking them (after you check with all your neighbors), only IF they are NOT wild, though.  They don't have to be tame, but if you can coax them out of the tree when the dog is not around, and they seem to be friendly to people, then I'll take them.  They'll live on the farm in the barn at my house, too, though.  So if someone else can provide them with a more posh living arrangement, that's fine.

[Joanna]

Thanks Tobina,  I'll see about getting them to let me pet them later today.  They spend most of their time in the tree, so I've just let them alone.  They came down today while I was gone to eat though, and are napping under a trailer now.

I've checked with a couple neighbors.  I'll try to check with a few more people further away this evening ~ we live in a pretty sparcely populated neighborhood.  Also I'll check with the city office to see if anyone has reported them missing.

Places to go & people to see right now. 
     Later...

[Janet Harrington]

You could borrow the city's live trap, catch the kitties, call Tobina, she can bring a cage, take the kitties home, make sure you have food and water right there, then let them out of the cage and I bet they will be fine at the farm.  Good idea, huh?

Joanna, when I said let them run wild, I meant, just let them be as they seem to be fine with you.  They can be outside cats.  What do you think?

[Joanna]

Woo.  My bad!  These little darlings are wild ~ or else they just don't like me personally.  They are not underfed, but won't let me get closer than a couple feet ~ then they look like a couple of halloween decorations with their little front paws up, claws out and hissing at me.  Maybe they are still traumatized from their trip to our house (who knows how they got here).  They don't mind the dog much at all though, I guess they've probably called her bluff (Squirt really just wants to play with them).  

Clay came in this afternoon and said he'd petted them for a short time, that one of them has an eye infection or something.  I didn't see it before.  Now I feel like I've been trying to sell damaged goods.  Sorry!  Anyhow, Clay and Tony caught the gray one (the yellow guy ran under the porch) and we took it to the vet for a quick check-up.  "He" got wormed & flea spray, and some vitamins to put on his food for a while to prevent common infections.  "His" eyes seem okay.  We got stuff to do the same for the yellow one when Clay catches it tonight or tomorrow.  By the time we got home, the gray guy seemed to be fairly well tamed.  Guess we'll see how it is tomorrow.

We're still looking for a home for them, but feel like I need to do my part to keep them healthy while they are here.  They could be barn cats if they had some older ones to show them the ropes.  Otherwise they need to grow a few more weeks ~ till they get bigger than the rats anyhow.    However, I can't guarantee they are or will be tame enough to be around kids, so better not ask Tobina to take them yet.  The vet estimated them to be 6 or 8 weeks old.

And yes, Janet, I know what you meant, just teasing you.  There have been some wild stories going around about ferral cats, so thought I'd joke a bit.  Clay thinks he can catch the yellow guy/gal pretty easily when it gets out from under the house.  Tony & I went under to try to scare it out, but only succeeded in scaring it further back (and getting very dirty ourselves.)  I"m sure it will be out in a few hours if we quit chasing it for a bit.

[Jody]

yOU NEED TO TALK TO THEM EVERY TIME YOU GO OUT!  tHEY WILL LEARN YOUR VOICE.  tHIS HELPS THEM TO NOT BE SO SCARED.

[Joanna]

Well, I'm in trouble now! 
Clay has named them...   Fifi and Lester.
He caught the yellow one, Fifi, today and gave it the wormer, vitamins and flea spray.  Her eyes don't seem to be bad like he though yesterday, and he said there's probably no way I'll be able to catch her 3 times a day to put in eye drops, so we'll see how much luck we have taming them first. (We dont' know for sure she's a girl, just guessing since she's the bossy one of the pair.)  Clay can catch & pet them and they seem to be okay.  They don't want me to get close though, and Clay has to "catch" them, they won't come to him.

Jody, thanks for the encouragement.  I do talk to them every time I go out, but they must not like the tone of my voice even though I try to keep it low and even.  When Clay talks they are pretty calm, but when I say something, they duck under the trailer.  That's okay, I'm used to it.  All my guys duck and run when I start in on them too.   

[Wilma]

Joanna, don't feel bad.  Clay's voice is deeper than yours and so is more soothing to the kitties.  They will eventually warm up to you.  We have tamed many a stray cat.  In fact, Bud is the descendant of a kitten we found in the yard one day.  She and her brothers just showed up, sat close to the fence watching us.  We had never seen them before and we suspected the neighbor of dropping them over the fence.  They soon found out where the feed dishes were.  We called the little female Pee Wee and she soon became a favorite of my husband's.  He would let her in the house and she pretty much ruled.  She was 7 years old when Bud was born, in the house.  It was so cold that my husband took pity on her and let her stay in to have the babies.  I could talk all day about her, but I won't.