Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Feral Cats

Mikah
These four feral cats are the last of my original colony that I tnr'd five years ago. Out of these four, Mikah , (the black and white) was the only adult at the time, so I have no idea of her age. I can guess between 7- 8 years old. The other three are approximately five and a half years old. All born completely feral. To this day, none of them have ever been touched by a human, including me.

Some people ask how I can get so attached to a cat I have never pet. They say, "They are just stray cats." I beg to differ. They are NOT just stray cats. They are the result of irresponsible pet owners. Humans that choose to not spay and neuter their pets. Humans that choose to let their cats roam and reproduce. Humans that think of our society as a throw away society. Humans that move and leave their cats to fend for themselves. It is a sad reality. But, it is reality. Until humans can accept responsibility for their pets, their will always be the homeless strays, and feral cats.

I long for the day that I can pet these beautiful souls. I know that will never happen with these four. All I can provide is shelter, food, a safe yard to play and sleep in, and my unconditional love.
Every night I sit outside and just watch how they interact with each other, how they communicate. I know they are thankful for what I can provide for them, although I will always feel it isn't enough, they are feral, this is their life.

Mikah
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9 comments:

Ryan K said...

They are beautiful! I love what you do!

Dog_geek said...

They are all absolutely gorgeous cats! Of course you are attached to them! And even if you can't pet them, they have chosen to share their lives with you!

Dana said...

Thank You for the encouraging words. sometimes that's what a person needs. I have one feral cat that comes to my porch, he didnt start out feral he belonged to my daughters playmate and she decided that since he jumped out the window she didnt want him anymore and went and bought a new cat, I should say aquired, I doubt they paid money for the cat. I told her that you cant just throw cats away. His name is Midnight, and he meows with a crackle in his voice. He wont let me pet him yet but he doesnt run from me anymore so we are making progress. The feral cats you have are beautiful. they look like they come from the same litter. Keep up the wondeful work you are doing. If everybody did their part the animal world would be a better place:)

Betty said...

I can't believe how beautiful their coats are...has to be the care you provide for them. Not knowing much about feral cats, I can't understand why they don't come to you after all this time. You can explain it to me when we meet..hope we get to meet these, also. Take care.

Shirla said...

The cats are beautiful!

I'm glad you liked the chicken and dumplings. Were you able to get the soup part thick? I can sometimes get it thick and other times its not. This time when I made it it wasn't thick, it was more like chicken and dumpling soup. lol

Dana said...

Thank You for complimenting my daughter, sometimes she can be very dramatic.

T said...

Thanks everyone.

Shirla, yes the soup part was thick. It came out perfect for me. It was a very easy recipe. I did use the boneless chicken, the easier the better:)

Betty,
A feral cat originates from former domestic cats that were lost or abandoned. To what degree a feral cat is wild depends on many factors. Young kittens have a higher success rate at being tamed. Depending on the generation of the feral cat plays a huge role on taming also.

A kitten born outside to a semi feral (formerly pet cat) mother, will be easier to tame, then a kitten born 2nd, 3rd or 4 the generation to a feral mother. When feral cats are born feral, they are wild and have been taught by their mothers to stay away and fear humans. They have never had any human contact.

It is not unheard of for someone to tame an older multi generational feral, but that is an exception. I have done it, but it takes hours every evening, sometimes as long as 2 years before I can tame them, and most times, that is only with me, as they bond with me, but continue in their feral state.

When you come out, you will not be able to see any of my outside ferals except through the house window. When you go outside, they will hide in the shelter.

Betty said...

Thanks for the explanation about the ferals...I didn't realize they wouldn't 'warm up' to humans, no matter how wonderful the humans are to them. Interesting...and thanks, again, for the explanation.

Suffolk Training Dog said...

This helps the reader very much. Carry on with this kind of writing.