My mom and I have been feeding a feral cat in our side yard for a long time now. Its a long haired orange tabby, wild as a deer. At night opossums and raccoons eat her food and make a mess in the dishes, so she only has a small window of time when she can eat. Shes always been skinny, somtimes more than others, with a ragged and matted coat, but shes alive. Iv tried to trap her, but I only managed to catch a tame cat twice. (Most cats arn't stupid enough to go in a second time....)
My neighbors have a small, partly fenced area with a bench next to there house in our conbined side yards. The fence doesnt touch the ground in all areas, so she can squeeze through anywhere in it, but thats where she sleeps. Recentally, this week, Iv been feeding the neighbors 2 cats. They have a window looking into the fenced area, so I was able to get the closest look at the cat Iv ever had, just a few feet away.
I studied her, then went to feed the neightbors cats, but my boyfriend noticed a second cat. I didnt believe him, but when I looked closly, I spotted a half grown gray and tan kitten. It has long, shiny gray fur, with a few mottled tan patches and a tan front foot. She puffed her tail and tensed to run.
I called my mom and told her about it, and the next day at the shelter I got a live trap. I baited it at night, and within hours, I caught the kitten. She flipped out in the trap, but went into the carrier we had rather calmly. We put it on a table outside, but since were in texas, its hot. So when the dogs went to sleep, we put the carrier in the grass so she could catch a breeze. She hissed and lunged aggressivly towards the cage door. In the morning, I moved the cage onto the table again so the dogs wouldnt bother her, and she jumped around the carrier. My mom then moved her into the ground cover after the dogs went potty, and in the morning she had pooed in the litter box, then ran around in the carrier and box, dumped her water, and eaten all the food. She was a mess, as was the carrier.
I brought her to the shelter and somhow got her into a cage. The lady that works there knows me well, and is letting me tame her and decided if and when we should put her down (if shes untamable, shes an older kitten, 15 or 16 weeks, which makes it hard). I washed her belly and backside (as it was covered in poo), then I brought her out of the cage and took her up the the front desk, and as I sat down and started to pet her, she immediatally started to purr. She was nervous but still, but she pooed on me when she got really scared (She didnt seem that scared). I put her back and cleaned up, and later in the day brought her out again. I spent a long time petting her in a towel, and she purred and closed her eyes.
When my mom came to pick me up, I wanted to show her how sweet the kitten was, but when I opened the cage, she immediatally jumped out and went behind the shelter dish washer. I went to get her, with my mom and other workers, but she crawled into a hole that leads up into the wall. Thats bad, becasue a raccoon lives in the shelter walls and ceilings, and in the bloody battle that we knew would follow if she got up there, we knew the kitten would'nt win. I grabbed her tail, which was still sticking out of the hole, and my mom went to get the shelter works who promised to keep the kitten alive for me. She somehow got her out, and we put her back in the cage. I have to remember to plug that hole in the wall up.
Anyways, Ill keep you all updated in her progress, and show everyone that even an older feral kitten can be tamed. Ill try and get pictures soon
My neighbors have a small, partly fenced area with a bench next to there house in our conbined side yards. The fence doesnt touch the ground in all areas, so she can squeeze through anywhere in it, but thats where she sleeps. Recentally, this week, Iv been feeding the neighbors 2 cats. They have a window looking into the fenced area, so I was able to get the closest look at the cat Iv ever had, just a few feet away.
I studied her, then went to feed the neightbors cats, but my boyfriend noticed a second cat. I didnt believe him, but when I looked closly, I spotted a half grown gray and tan kitten. It has long, shiny gray fur, with a few mottled tan patches and a tan front foot. She puffed her tail and tensed to run.
I called my mom and told her about it, and the next day at the shelter I got a live trap. I baited it at night, and within hours, I caught the kitten. She flipped out in the trap, but went into the carrier we had rather calmly. We put it on a table outside, but since were in texas, its hot. So when the dogs went to sleep, we put the carrier in the grass so she could catch a breeze. She hissed and lunged aggressivly towards the cage door. In the morning, I moved the cage onto the table again so the dogs wouldnt bother her, and she jumped around the carrier. My mom then moved her into the ground cover after the dogs went potty, and in the morning she had pooed in the litter box, then ran around in the carrier and box, dumped her water, and eaten all the food. She was a mess, as was the carrier.
I brought her to the shelter and somhow got her into a cage. The lady that works there knows me well, and is letting me tame her and decided if and when we should put her down (if shes untamable, shes an older kitten, 15 or 16 weeks, which makes it hard). I washed her belly and backside (as it was covered in poo), then I brought her out of the cage and took her up the the front desk, and as I sat down and started to pet her, she immediatally started to purr. She was nervous but still, but she pooed on me when she got really scared (She didnt seem that scared). I put her back and cleaned up, and later in the day brought her out again. I spent a long time petting her in a towel, and she purred and closed her eyes.
When my mom came to pick me up, I wanted to show her how sweet the kitten was, but when I opened the cage, she immediatally jumped out and went behind the shelter dish washer. I went to get her, with my mom and other workers, but she crawled into a hole that leads up into the wall. Thats bad, becasue a raccoon lives in the shelter walls and ceilings, and in the bloody battle that we knew would follow if she got up there, we knew the kitten would'nt win. I grabbed her tail, which was still sticking out of the hole, and my mom went to get the shelter works who promised to keep the kitten alive for me. She somehow got her out, and we put her back in the cage. I have to remember to plug that hole in the wall up.
Anyways, Ill keep you all updated in her progress, and show everyone that even an older feral kitten can be tamed. Ill try and get pictures soon
