We can’t bring them all inside
HIYA!! SAVANNAH HERE!!!
I am hoping I can get a bloggy posted with this lousy new editor! I have a really good story to share and I hope Mr Gutenberg editor lets me do it. Here goes—
Mom L and Dad P, through our nonprofit Delta View Cats, helped a feeder who has about 15 cats to feed everyday. We helped get all of them spayed and neutered in 2018. Miss Elaine let us know that she had 3 new cats, a male tuxedo and a mom cat with her daughter—both calicoes. Dad P worked with one of our Delta View Cats’ volunteers to attempt trapping ALL THREE at the same time! Hah! I said!
But then there was Dad P with three trapped cats in our garage and he was setting up a place to hold them overnight before their surgeries!! Yay for Dad P and our trapper volunteer Miss Sue!
Dad P transported them to the cat clinic for their surgeries next morning. Mom cat, named Peaches is on the right with a trap bump on her white nose, and year old daughter is on the left with the brown nose.
When he went to collect them same day, the clinic staff asked if they could keep the handsome and apparently friendly tuxedo male to place him in a foster home and get him onto an adoption path! Great news! And he is now on his way to being adopted! The clinic suggested we try to foster the two calico girls as they also seemed like they might be able to get socialized. Mom L and Dad P agreed to work with them.
First Mom L and Dad P set up two cages, one 36 inch and one 42 inch and placed Peaches in the larger cage as she was apparently more friendly and baby Sunshine went in the 36 inch cage. They were so very afraid.
They really wanted to be together. We did not learn until later how very bonded Mom and daughter are.
Dad P wrapped a towel around his hand to reach into the cages and try to lightly stroke each cat. Mom L did the same several times a day, always both of them talking very quietly and soothingly.
The feeder who has known them the longest was eager to be with them again and quickly agreed to come for a visit. Look how much more at ease BOTH are with Miss Elaine!
After several days of being separated, but always pressed against each other through the cage wire, Mom L and Dad P decided to put them together in a large cage. And they immediately snuggled together. Unfortunately, instead of the daughter, Sunshine, becoming more social like her Mom, it was Peaches, the mom, who dropped back to acting more feral! So very disappointing. We invited Miss Elaine to visit with them again and they were better with her, but still not enough to encourage us to stress them more by trying to help them become social enough to get adopted.
After another several days, the decision was made to return Peaches and Sunshine to the care of their feeder, Miss Elaine. She will continue to work with both of them and who knows—one day they may decide they trust humans enough to come inside a home. But for now, they are safe on an eight acre site where Miss Elaine feeds them and nine plus other cats. There is amply shelter from heat and rain and cold for them and there is no auto traffic.
Enjoy watching their release day and their dance together the following day as they lead Miss Elaine to their food dishes.
We learned not every abandoned community cat that likes pets from its feeder is ready to come inside and live with humans. Peaches and Sunshine taught us a lot.
