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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 17, 2020 1:22:01 GMT
Any cat lovers out there? Well, I have a question, but first the backstory. About two years ago, three little kittens appeared outside on our patio, cutely gazing into the kitchen. My natural reaction was to approach them and maybe pet them. Wrong! I took one step toward the patio and they immediately sped away. They never came back again, and I figured they didn't survive. Then a few months later, I got up one morning around 6:30 AM and gazed out the window, only to see these three kittens playing in the back yard, rolling around in the grass, chasing each other around, and obviously enjoy each others' company. They were still kittens, but they were now obviously getting bigger. Occasionally, I would get up early enough to catch them playing in the yard, and then in an hour or so, they would be gone. But where did they go for the rest of the day and night? Then, I didn't see them at all for several months, and I was sure this time they didn't make it.
But they did! This past spring, I started to do my annual landscaping, and there they were, in the next-door neighbor's yard - specifically under the neighbor's deck, in the weeds and anything else that was growing under there. They were now...cats. One was a rough looking black and white cat, actually resembling a skunk with a large bushy tail; kind of a rough-looking cat. Another one was the smallest of the three; a black, white, brown, and rust colored cat. This one was a "scaredy cat". All I had to do was look at it and he/she would run away. Then there was the third, a beautiful, sleek black cat with yellow/green eyes. During the day, the cats could either be found on the neighbor's deck or under the deck. I also noticed that they dug a little opening at the bottom of this same neighbor's shed, and they would retreat into the shed at night.
Now, in my lifetime I only had two cats. The first one I adopted from the local animal shelter as a kitten, and Kitty lived for 16 years. Then, I waited for a year before adopting my second cat, Scooter, from a farm. Scooter lived to be almost 17. So, for over 30 years, I only had two cats, and they were great cats. I'm still unsure if I want another cat. I kind of like not having to clean the cat fur off the furniture and clothes, not having large veterinarian bills, and not having to go through the grieving process when euthanizing the pet (I still haven't gotten over Scooter passing, and that was over two years' ago). But, the downside is that the house just isn't the same. It was nice having a cat, just to watch them play or stretch or just to have them greet you and sit on your lap. And then a funny thing happened.
I couldn't help myself and I started to feed those stray/feral cats. I don't think the neighbor was feeding them, but he obviously wasn't trying to get rid of them either. I started to put a bowl of milk out on the patio but the cats wouldn't go near it. But I was persistent. After a few weeks, one day the bowl was empty, and that continued on a daily basis. Somebody was drinking the milk, but I could never catch them in the act. So, after putting the bowl of milk outside, I decided to wait at the patio door. No luck. Finally, after a few weeks, the cats came to the milk more quickly, and one day I spotted them, and they spotted me. That didn't work out too well, as they became scared when they saw me and ran away. Except the black one.
The black cat saw me at the door, and slowly but surely, got used to me standing there and it wasn't a big deal anymore. Then, one day after drinking the milk, the black cat approached me at the door, took a quick sniff, and scurried away. But that was big step. From then on, as soon as I would put the bowl of milk on the patio, the black cat immediately came running over, and then, one day I put my hand out, and the black cat came over and "head-butted" my hand and proceeded to let me pet him/her. After a few weeks, I could not only pet the cat, but also play with it as it would lay on its back and even let me scratch its belly. That cat would stay and play all night if let it. The other two cats still keep their distance and only drink the water and eat the cat food (I switched from the milk) when I'm not watching. But, that was so neat the way the black cat became friendly toward me after the slow, months' long process.
I'm now seriously considering trying to catch and adopt the black feral cat. I think it's a female. It has a beautiful black coat. It seems like it would like to come inside the house. It has once or twice, only to "spin its wheels" on the kitchen floor and run back out the door. I just can't decide what I want to do. Obviously, I would have to immediately take it to the vet and have it checked out, get shots, get it spayed/neutered, and we declaw our cats (I know, I know). But, what if it turned out to be the "cat from hell", you know, spraying the carpet, maybe never becoming friendly around people, being aggressive, etc. If I do have the cat declawed and things don't work, I wouldn't be able to release it back outside again. Then what do I do? And I don't want to sound like I'm Joe Humane, but I also would feel bad separating the cat from his siblings. They've been together every day for two years. They are so cute when they play together, congregate around the bowl of water and food together, and probably snuggle up against each other to stay warm on cold winter nights. I feel like I have to make a decision soon. I've been reading about feral cats on the internet. Their life span is not very long due to illness, disease, and being killed, although some do live outside for several years. It is a bit of a myth that you can't adopt a feral cat and domesticate them. A large percentage make warm, friendly, loving pets.
So, there you go. That's my story. Does anybody have any cat stories that they would like to share? Tell me about your cat(s).
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Post by jk on Jan 17, 2020 9:24:20 GMT
Wonderful stories there, Sheriff! We don't own any cats (my wife is allergic to them) but our daughter has two. This one (in an unusually artistic picture by jk) is called Kookie:
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Cats
Jan 17, 2020 14:22:27 GMT
Post by bellbottoms on Jan 17, 2020 14:22:27 GMT
An invitation to brag about my cats? yep, I’ll take it 😊 I’ve got two cats - Mimi is 13 and Penny-Lane is 8. I’ve had both since they were young. Mimi came to live with me when she was just a year old and I was still living in my bachelor apartment downtown. A friend was forced to give her up due to a cantankerous landlord. Mimi and I got along well right from the start - she’s my gentle little tabby shadow. Penny-Lane’s story is a bit unique. Another friend who was living on farm in rural Manitoba took in a beautiful creamy orange stray one day, and that stray turned out to be pregnant. My friend helped her give birth to a healthy litter of 6. My friend kept the momma cat and one of her babies, and sent the rest of the kittens to friends in locations around the country by airplane! Yep, we picked up little 8-week-old Penny and her sister Sookie from the airport “warm room”. Two little fuzzy orange jellybeans nestled up together in their crate. We had both kittens for a weekend until Sookie’s new family came to pick her up from our place, and man, that was tough day, separating those tiny sisters. I cried a river. But Penny was only out of sorts for about a day. She imprinted heavily onto my husband and those two are now inseparable. So Sheriff, I would say to your concern about separating the siblings… they might miss each other briefly, but they will get on with their lives. Mimi and Penny are both indoor cats and have never known anything but the soft life. Even though they still have their claws, I have serious doubts about their ability to “make it on the outside”. Although Mimi did catch a garter snake that got into the house one time. Penny is scared of flies. There are quite a few feral cats in our neighbourhood and they are some rough critters. I’ve seen them withstand and survive some very cold winters and I always worry about them when the polar vortex inevitably hits but they somehow make it. A little while back, like you Sheriff, I attempted to start feeding the ferals to help them out a bit, and also to try and make friends with them so we could capture them and get them to the humane society. It didn’t go well. Turns out these ferals are in competition with each other for food, and a big loud yowling brawl ensued on our front porch that resulted in one or more of them clearly getting hurt, (clumps of fur ripped out and left on the porch ) and no one ended up getting food because the kibble dish got overturned. We decided it was maybe not in anyone’s best interest to try to feed them again. But in your case, Sheriff, I’d say it sounds like you have been able to forge a relationship with these strays and you have a chance at giving at least one of them a better life, and gaining a loving companion. He/she seems to trust you, and I’d say it’s worth giving it a go. It is so lovely and comforting having cats around - I can’t imagine my life without them. I swear, whenever one of the cats is cuddled up on my lap purring, it feels like she’s adding years to my life. They scratch our furniture and get fur all over everything, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
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Cats
Jan 17, 2020 14:46:49 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 17, 2020 14:46:49 GMT
Thank you for sharing that, bellbottoms. I really appreciate it.
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Jan 17, 2020 14:56:04 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Jan 17, 2020 14:56:04 GMT
I haven't had a cat as an adult, but I do have a relevant experience with previously feral cats. When I was a kid, my dad was prone to adopt animals ALL THE TIME. Unfortunately, my mom was allergic. So we went through endless cycles of him rescuing some cat or dog only to have her allergies get bad enough that we'd have to find a new home ... then a year or two later, repeat the scenario.
He once found a stray cat and her two newborns. We made them a little bed in the garage first and began feeding and caring for them: June, Wally, and the Beaver. We got them the typical services one would need to make strays into pets and moved them inside in no time at all. They were pretty good: June became very low key and the kittens had never really lived outside to begin with. They made very sweet pets (and Wally in particular used to lie on his back to sleep, which was adorable).
As the allergies part of the post would make one suspect, we did end up giving them away--to my cousin. But they had those cats for years with no problems.
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Jan 17, 2020 16:18:39 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 17, 2020 16:18:39 GMT
I haven't had a cat as an adult, but I do have a relevant experience with previously feral cats. When I was a kid, my dad was prone to adopt animals ALL THE TIME. Unfortunately, my mom was allergic. So we went through endless cycles of him rescuing some cat or dog only to have her allergies get bad enough that we'd have to find a new home ... then a year or two later, repeat the scenario.
He once found a stray cat and her two newborns. We made them a little bed in the garage first and began feeding and caring for them: June, Wally, and the Beaver. We got them the typical services one would need to make strays into pets and moved them inside in no time at all. They were pretty good: June became very low key and the kittens had never really lived outside to begin with. They made very sweet pets (and Wally in particular used to lie on his back to sleep, which was adorable).
As the allergies part of the post would make one suspect, we did end up giving them away--to my cousin. But they had those cats for years with no problems.
I like to read the successful rescue/adoptions stories. I'm been doing a lot research on the internet, and it is a myth that most or all feral cats cannot be domesticated. Of course, some may never adapt, but that goes for any pet. Yes, stray cats can have issues at the beginning, but I'm sure it's very rewarding to give them a nice home and a long(er) life.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
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Cats
Jan 17, 2020 22:46:00 GMT
Post by bellbottoms on Jan 17, 2020 22:46:00 GMT
Thank you for sharing that, bellbottoms. I really appreciate it. I hope you'll keep us posted on any developments
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 18, 2020 0:18:04 GMT
Thank you for sharing that, bellbottoms. I really appreciate it. I hope you'll keep us posted on any developments I'll be happy to. Just got done feeding and playing with the cat now - before the snow comes!
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Feb 12, 2020 1:21:54 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 12, 2020 1:21:54 GMT
I thought I'd give an update on the stray cats.
Of the three feral cats, only the black cat continues to be friendly enough to let me pet and play with it. All I have to do is open the patio door (the cat hears it), and by the time I put food and water in the bowls on the patio, the black cat appears. I strategically moved my chair that I sit in from the edge of the kitchen/patio to about six feet into the kitchen. Now the black cat thinks nothing about coming inside the kitchen and playing. That cat would let me pet it for an hour if I wanted to. I have intentionally stopped petting it for a minute or so to see what it would do. It either walks around the house, or more recently it just lays under the kitchen table for several minutes, then gets up and walks out the door, only to come back the next night.
Here's where I'm at with adopting the cat. I'm willing to risk having a feral cat adapting to being an inside cat, and that includes the possible peeing on the carpet. I realize it might never be a lap cat or be friendly with family and friends, but you never know; it's certainly friendly with me. I'm ready to accept buying the cat food and cat litter, and changing the litter box and cleaning the cat hair off the furniture. I'm prepared for the vet visits and bills, including the initial layout for spaying or neutering, and various shots and vaccinations. And then there's the declawing decision.
That's the last "issue" that I can not reconcile yet. As I mentioned above, I had two previous cats and had them both declawed - all four paws on each. But that was many years ago and declawing has come under closer scrutiny since then. Did you ever read about declawing cats, how it's actually amputating the ends of their toes, similar to the last knuckle of a human. It's all over the internet and several states have already banned declawing. It's now considered inhumane, that some cats change their personalities, and that it can lead to other physical problems like constant pain and arthritis. I've contacted a few local vets who said that they don't like to do it but still do, and will NOT declaw all four paws, just the front two. These vets also told me that it's just a matter of time before before all states ban declawing.
I've read several comments on the internet which say, "If you're so worried about a couch or curtains or clothing, then don't get a cat." Well, I'm that guy. If I didn't get this stray cat declawed, I would be a nervous wreck. I wouldn't be able to handle coming home from work and seeing my couch or curtains or carpet destroyed. I consider myself a cat lover, but I won't have a cat destroy the house, one scratch at at time. I don't have the understanding or money for that. So, what do I do? I wouldn't trust just a scratching post. I'm not going to cover the furniture or put tin foil on my speaker covers. I don't want to be spraying the cat in the face with a water bottle, and i don't want it secluded in a room for most of the day. Declawing seems to be the only answer for me, but seriously, I do feel for the cat. The last thing I want to do in saving its life is leaving it in constant pain. I have read some conflicting reports and opinions about declawing, but not many. Some of those opinions say that the negative aspects of declawing are exaggerated, and that their paws heal in a short period of time, that they adapt just fine to walking, and it's much more important to "save" a cat than by letting it survive outside.
If I can come to terms with the declawing, I'll adapt this beautiful black cat. If I can't, I'll try to stop feeding it/them, stop petting and playing with it, and go on as I have been without a cat in the house. I would appreciate any of your opinions, pro or con declawing, and keeping in mind these unique circumstances.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Cats
Feb 12, 2020 13:59:58 GMT
Post by bellbottoms on Feb 12, 2020 13:59:58 GMT
Nice to see you and your kitty friend are still trying to work out a deal First, I just want to say that I want you to make this cat a pet. I’m rooting for it pretty hard. I will say that I’m not personally in favour of declawing. I do think it can cause unnecessary trauma, and it puts the cat in a position of not being able to defend itself or save itself if it does manage to get out of the house and find itself in an unfortunate situation. I hope that if you are willing to bring your feral friend into your home, that you’d reconsider declawing. One of my cats is a relentless couch scratcher, while the other one miraculously restricts her scratching activities to the scratching posts. Different cats will do different things, some might be easily trainable, while others, not so much. I never had much success trying to train Mimi to not scratch, while it was never necessary with Penny. I don’t know if your options are so limited as to mean you either take the cat in and declaw, or else part ways. There are other options, such as claw covers. I’ve never actually tried these, but I know they exist. (I considered trying them a while back when Mimi had an infected cut that she kept scratching open, but I ended up putting a chihuahua coat on her instead.) They can be applied by your vet or a groomer, (or yourself even, if you’re confident enough to try). Basically they are durable vinyl covers for the claws that won’t stop the cat from trying to scratch (at least not initially), but will prevent damage to anything they do try to scratch. www.softpaws.com/soft-paws-cats/The caps are not permanent - they do wear down with time and need to be replaced every so often (every 6 weeks or something like that). But if you don’t mind having to replace them, they could be an option. And I’d like to think that after a while, a cat wearing the claw caps consistently might start to think there is no point in trying to scratch furniture. They could potentially work as a training device. Another option might be as simple as trimming the cat’s nails. This would probably need to be done on a weekly basis. Some cats might put up a fight, but others might not mind too much. I trim the chronic scratcher’s nails on occasion - I’m not consistent about it. But she sits for it and doesn’t fight me when I try to do it. Another option might simply be that you continue the “part time pet” situation. I know it isn’t ideal, you’d rather give the cat a more safe and stable environment and a loving home. But maybe the current arrangement isn’t so bad. The cat is free to visit whenever it feels like it, and you both benefit from the companionship.
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Feb 13, 2020 0:25:22 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 13, 2020 0:25:22 GMT
Thank you for your suggestions, bellbottoms. I have been reading about some of these alternatives and options on the internet (I'm spending waaaaay too much time reading about declawing ). One thing I do have to consider about Soft Paws and trimming the claws is that I don't when and if I'll even be able to pick up this cat and hold it. I only made one attempt to pick it up so far, and she (?) meowed and broke loose, but after scurrying away did come back for more play.
You mentioned that Mimi is a couch scratcher, and I'll say again, in all honesty, I just couldn't handle that. I didn't mention it before but we have a few antiques/family heirlooms in the living room, and I couldn't bear to see them damaged or destroyed.
I have been giving more thought to keeping the cat confined to a certain protected area when I'm not home, maybe even the basement. My sister and two nieces do that with their cats. But I am used to giving the cat free run of the house.
I'm sorry to keep rambling about declawing, but that is going to be the deciding factor as to what I end up doing.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
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Cats
Feb 14, 2020 14:03:27 GMT
Post by bellbottoms on Feb 14, 2020 14:03:27 GMT
On bitterly cold days such as today, I always think about the feral cats in my neighbourhood are hope they’re doing okay and have found a warm place to wait out the cold. I hope your cat friend is doing well today, Sheriff.
I’ve been thinking about your predicament. I see your point about potentially not being able to pick up and hold the cat long enough to put the soft paws on him/her.
Sometimes we have to make tough choices. This is nowhere near the level of a dilemma that you’re experiencing, but when Mimi first came to live with me 12 years ago, I was living in a very small bachelor apartment downtown. She was my first cat, and in those early days, we had some tough times, the two of us.
I am ashamed to admit it, but there were times I ended up confining her to the bathroom so I could sleep. She was SO NOISY. Bawl bawl bawl, loudly, and endlessly, for hours. She was spayed, so it wasn’t due to being in heat. I’m not sure what her deal was, whether it was just the change in her circumstances, coming to live in a tiny apartment, or if she just felt lonely at night and wanted me to stay up and party with her. But those first few months were not the smoothest.
I wondered at times if I had made the right decision, but I wanted it to work out, and we stuck those months out together and eventually there was no bawling coming from the bathroom, and I stopped having to put her in there at night. She started sleeping on my bed with me, purring instead of crying.
Nowadays we live in a normal sized house and both cats move about freely. Mimi is still rather vocal at times, especially when she wants food. And sometimes I have no idea what she friggin’ wants. But she keeps quiet at night, and that’s the main thing.
I’m not proud of locking her up overnight in that tiny bathroom in those early days. I had a lot of guilt about that. It was the only room in my apartment with a door, and that’s where her litter was, so I felt it was my only choice.
I guess my point of telling you this is just to say that whatever you decide to do, the ultimate goal is to make a safe home for the cat, and we all just do the best we can.
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Feb 15, 2020 16:16:20 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 15, 2020 16:16:20 GMT
I had a similar experience with my second cat, Scooter. As I mentioned above, my cats always had the run of the house - except the bedroom - for a number of reasons. I'm a light sleeper, I didn't want cat hair on the sheets and bed spread, there is clothing sitting/hanging all over the bedroom, and there is a bathroom off the bedroom that I wanted to keep cat hair-free.
The first night I had Scooter home as a kitten, he followed me everywhere, but when I went to bed I closed the bedroom door. Well, poor Scooter started meowing and pawing at the closed door for what seemed like an hour. I felt terrible but I considered it part of his training. And, EVERY NIGHT for YEARS, when I went to bed, Scooter would meow and paw at the door. Now, the length of time decreased over time, first the meowing and then the pawing, but not completely. I continued to feel guilty but I held my ground, rationalizing that the cat had the rest of the entire house to sleep.
Then a funny thing happened. Well, not really funny. One night I closed the bedroom door and went to bed but something was wrong. Scooter didn't meow and he didn't paw. He wasn't at the door. I jumped out of bed and opened the bedroom door but he wasn't there. I called out, "Here Scooter! Here Scooter!" But he didn't come. He stayed downstairs. And I had this terrible sadness come upon me. Scooter had given up, and I felt so guilty. It changed the way I felt about Scooter. I never took him for granted again and I appreciated him more. But I still kept the bedroom door closed.
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Feb 15, 2020 20:48:21 GMT
Post by lonelysummer on Feb 15, 2020 20:48:21 GMT
We seriously considered declawing our cat a few years ago, because she likes to claw EVERYTHING! But I read all the stories about what declawing does to cats, and decided that I could not go through with it. So I put up with her clawing our chairs, and ME! It does help a little that we got her one of those scratch pads/boxes. In fact, I just got her a new one yesterday. Our cat is named Angel, she was a stray that hung around the place where my brother lived; he adopted her, she had kittens, and many years later, she is still with us. She's a sweetheart. My family has always had cats. We've had some wonderful experiences with them, along with some heartbreaking ones. I was thinking just yesterday about the cat my brother brought home, named him George, grey/white tabby cat, big boned little guy; less than a year later, he was gone. Mom and dad believed in putting the cats out at night - looking back, that sounds horrible - but that's how it was. Little George kept wandering across the busy street to see a girl cat at the neighbors house, and the inevitable happened - he was hit by a car. Angel is strictly an indoor cat. She's 18 years old, and in great health.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Cats
Feb 16, 2020 14:13:10 GMT
Post by bellbottoms on Feb 16, 2020 14:13:10 GMT
We seriously considered declawing our cat a few years ago, because she likes to claw EVERYTHING! But I read all the stories about what declawing does to cats, and decided that I could not go through with it. So I put up with her clawing our chairs, and ME! It does help a little that we got her one of those scratch pads/boxes. In fact, I just got her a new one yesterday. Our cat is named Angel, she was a stray that hung around the place where my brother lived; he adopted her, she had kittens, and many years later, she is still with us. She's a sweetheart. My family has always had cats. We've had some wonderful experiences with them, along with some heartbreaking ones. I was thinking just yesterday about the cat my brother brought home, named him George, grey/white tabby cat, big boned little guy; less than a year later, he was gone. Mom and dad believed in putting the cats out at night - looking back, that sounds horrible - but that's how it was. Little George kept wandering across the busy street to see a girl cat at the neighbors house, and the inevitable happened - he was hit by a car. Angel is strictly an indoor cat. She's 18 years old, and in great health. Aw, that's sad about little George 18 years for Angel though! That's great. Indoor cats do tend to live longer lives, for obvious reasons. My grandma had one live to 19 and another live to 21. I remember her getting bitey-scratchy kitten Mindy when I was just a wee kitten myself, and that cat passed away after I left home for university.
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