Which cat food would you feed feral cats?

[Imdanny]

Kenny, interesting link.

"True ferals are born in the wild and never experience human companionship during their critical period of socialization (about 2 to 9 weeks of age), so they will always remain frightened of people. Only very young feral kittens can learn to adjust fully to living in a home."

My cat was hand raised in a program the shelter has where families do that before the kittens are ready to come back to the shelter, be fixed, and adopted.

I got her when she was 9 weeks old.

This explains why she wants to be around people constantly (like a dog). She wouldn''t do very well living outside. I''m sure of that.

OP, I wouldn''t hesitate to use the food you have to feed feral cats or what was most affordable!

 

[Imdanny]

Date: 3/8/2010 1:34:01 AM
Author: LAJennifer
And so my indoor babies don't get jealous . . . here are Electra and Seth. Electra is a blue Abyssinian and Seth is a bronze Egyptian Mau. Seth gave Louise his kitty bed - he prefers the sofa anyway.

BTW, I have an Egyptian Mau too. Aren't they great?!

Nice looking cats.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Most of the others have already said what I was going, I just wanted to add that its very possible Wellington is also a pure-bred Siamese (or close enough to go into a Siamese Rescue at any rate) - that kind of marking is called lynx point, with the striping on the points.

Poor baby - he looks like he is really suffering with his eyes, I wonder if that is why he is more shy/fearful?

Thank you SO MUCH for trying to take care of these babies - if they stay on the streets they will likely only live another couple of years at most, but if they can get into rescue, they could have many many years of healthy, safe lives ahead of them. And they are definitely not feral, if they are letting you approach them like that - they deserve a good home, and thank you so much for helping them find it

Also, your babies are GORGEOUS - I love them!!

 

[LAJennifer]

Date: 3/8/2010 4:33:18 AM
Author: Imdanny

Date: 3/8/2010 1:34:01 AM

Author: LAJennifer

And so my indoor babies don''t get jealous . . . here are Electra and Seth. Electra is a blue Abyssinian and Seth is a bronze Egyptian Mau. Seth gave Louise his kitty bed - he prefers the sofa anyway.

BTW, I have an Egyptian Mau too. Aren''t they great?!


Nice looking cats.

Thanks, Danny. Yes, I love the Egyptian Maus! Well, I really love them all - but Seth is certainly special. What color is your mau?

 

[LAJennifer]

Date: 3/8/2010 9:31:22 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
Most of the others have already said what I was going, I just wanted to add that its very possible Wellington is also a pure-bred Siamese (or close enough to go into a Siamese Rescue at any rate) - that kind of marking is called lynx point, with the striping on the points.


Poor baby - he looks like he is really suffering with his eyes, I wonder if that is why he is more shy/fearful?


Thank you SO MUCH for trying to take care of these babies - if they stay on the streets they will likely only live another couple of years at most, but if they can get into rescue, they could have many many years of healthy, safe lives ahead of them. And they are definitely not feral, if they are letting you approach them like that - they deserve a good home, and thank you so much for helping them find it

Also, your babies are GORGEOUS - I love them!!

AmberGretchen - thanks, I never even thought about him being Lynx Point, though I did think they are litter mates. Or maybe he was her kitten? I just love them. I will send his pic to a siamese rescue. Also, I would consider adopting him myself if I can get him handled. He is more skittish than Louise.

 

[Maisie]

Your kitties are so cute!!!

 

[MonkeyPie]

LOL Wellington looks grumpy

I used to have a kitty that looked just like him but was female - I hope he comes around and lets you touch him! His poor eyes

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 3/8/2010 3:53:28 PM
Author: LAJennifer



AmberGretchen - thanks, I never even thought about him being Lynx Point, though I did think they are litter mates. Or maybe he was her kitten? I just love them. I will send his pic to a siamese rescue. Also, I would consider adopting him myself if I can get him handled. He is more skittish than Louise.

Arghh...it ate my first post, I hate that

Anyway, what I was going to say is that I think its so wonderful what you are trying to do for both kitties. I will send hope and prayers that Wellington comes out of his shell - its been my experience that most cats that are even a little bit willing to be around people can be coaxed out, with time and patience, and I hope the same ends up being true for him. He looks like he would make a beautiful and loving pet.

I also wanted to share a story of my own fearful kitty - one of my girl cats, who we adopted at 6 months old, was so fearful that she just hid from us for the first few months we had her - she was absolutely terrified. With time and patience though, she came completely out of her shell, and is now one of the sweetest kitties I know - she purrs the instant I touch her or pick her up, she loves to be held like a baby, and she jumps on our bed every single night for cuddles. I sincerely hope that Wellington can undergo a similar transformation - he really seems like he would be a sweet boy. I will keep my fingers crossed for him (and for you).

 

[Selkie]

Date: 3/6/2010 8:59:17 PM
Author: kenny
You know, this thread got me thinking.

There are some strays around our house.


I think I will look into that trap/fix/release program since I''m in the LA area too.

Thanks for bringing it up.


Might as well be part of the solution.

Kenny, the Golden State Humane Society clinic on Artesia at the 710 spays, neuters and vaccinates ferals for about $30. It''s the lowest cost place I''ve found around here, although there are free clinics in Burbank and LA. There are a couple of caveats, though. You have to trap the cat in a Hav-a-heart type cage and bring it to them, it can''t be a regular pet carrier. You don''t need an appointment, but they only handle two ferals a day, so you have to basically be there before 8AM on weekdays to get in line, and if somebody already brought in two you''re out of luck for the day. And you have to pick the cat up the same day, between 2 and 4. Other than that, it''s a good option. They are extemely busy, and it''s not a glamorous part of town, but I think it''s a real boon to have the service available.

LAJennifer, I''m trying to do the same thing with a feral family living in our yard. Three of them are part-Siamese too! I just buy whatever big bag is cheapest at Target, usually meow mix or purina. It''s got to be better than what they''re finding on their own, I think. They were here before we moved in, and ignoring them didn''t work since they just get food out of the restaurant dumpsters nearby. They still hung around the yard, which we don''t mind. A few of them were young enough to socialize and adopt so I have been feeding them and gradually trapping them in order to TNR.
I took in one, my friend took one, and two others have been neutered so far. If you take them to a clinic, the first thing they''ll do is test for FIV and other communicable diseases. If they test positive for FIV, they''ll be euthanized (by law, they have to), so just be aware of that possibility.

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

LAJennifer. I''ve been checking in on this thread for the past couple days. I''m so glad you''re taking care of those gorgeous kitties!

Can I say that I love that you have a cat named Seth?!? That''s my fiancé''s name! Did you name your Egyptian Mau after the Egyptian God of Chaos? My fiancé and I were in Egypt last year and our tour guide saw his name for the first time and just raised her eyebrows as if his name was Hitler. It was pretty funny.

Sorry for the threadjack put I just had to pipe in when I saw your cat''s name!

 

[LAJennifer]

Date: 3/8/2010 10:04:30 PM
Author: Travel Goddess
LAJennifer. Did you name your Egyptian Mau after the Egyptian God of Chaos? !

Hi Travel Goddess. Yes, that is where Seth got his name. And boy was it fitting! He is very mellow now, but he was so wild as a youngster he couldn''t be picked up. He would also LOVE to get into the laundry and take off running through the house with your favorite bra or pair of shorts. He has kept me laughing for 10 years plus.

Funny that is your fiance''s name, too.

 

[LAJennifer]

Date: 3/8/2010 4:23:11 PM
Author: MonkeyPie
LOL Wellington looks grumpy

I used to have a kitty that looked just like him but was female - I hope he comes around and lets you touch him! His poor eyes

Thanks, MonkeyPie - I hope so too. I spent about an hour with him today. He rolled around in the catnip I gave him, so I think we had a good time. His eyes looked much better today - maybe he just needed to give himself a good bath. He also wasn''t interested in drinking much of his water today - so I think he is feeling better.

 

[Imdanny]

Date: 3/8/2010 3:49:42 PM
Author: LAJennifer

Date: 3/8/2010 4:33:18 AM

Author: Imdanny

Date: 3/8/2010 1:34:01 AM


Author: LAJennifer


And so my indoor babies don''t get jealous . . . here are Electra and Seth. Electra is a blue Abyssinian and Seth is a bronze Egyptian Mau. Seth gave Louise his kitty bed - he prefers the sofa anyway.

BTW, I have an Egyptian Mau too. Aren''t they great?!



Nice looking cats.

Thanks, Danny. Yes, I love the Egyptian Maus! Well, I really love them all - but Seth is certainly special. What color is your mau?

Hi, Jennifer. She''s bronze.

 

[LAJennifer]

ImDanny - I wonder if our kitties are related? Seth''s mother is Grandtrill''s Mecca Maat.

 

[Imdanny]

I got her at the shelter, believe it or not.

So I have no way to know.

I read there's only 6,000 of them in the US.

I'm sure they're distantly related.

 

[Gypsy]

[Jennifer, my Frodo holds hands, cuddles in bed and lets me do just about anytihng to him (I can hold his tail for hours if I want). But ONLY with me and John. He's only ocme out for 4 of my house guests, and with the exception of my best friend who was there when I rescued him (seems to have made an impression though she only held him for a few hours the day we caught him as a baby of 8 weeks), it's been a mistake. He's come out thinking guests were gone... and run back under the bed. When it's just the two of us, he's out all the time. But I can tell you, if for some reason he was turned out of the house with one of his housemates he would be completley unapproachable. He has no trust in humans, and is afraid of most things. But he's perfectly house trained and 'socialized'... just to us. Wellington (who looks so adorably grumpy) could just be simiilar. Louise and he could just have been house mates, and he could have been a rescue, and her a breeder kitty. Which would explain their personality differences. Frodo has been in my house since he was 8 weeks old, and I spent 2 weeks before that getting his trust in our backyard... it's just the way he is.

I'm so happy they have you. Send the pic out to a few other rescues as well. As they are a specific breed, some shelters will take them hoping they are easier to adopt. The hardest cats to adopt out are all black kitties. But siamese, especially Louise since she looks so oriental, are more sought after. Plus, you should ask your vet for recommendations of good places to foster, help them. Our vet will adopt out a couple cats occassionally. They have two big cages in the front office and they will adopt out a couple at a time. Worth asking around where you are... you never know who might know someone who knows someone....

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/im-being-stalked.95037/ BTW, Jennifer, this is Victoria (formerly known as Missy), Amber Gretchen's mom's kitty that found me... do Wellington's markings look like hers? She was purebred and tatooed with it, if my vet was right.

 

[LAJennifer]

Update on the kitties -

Louise is just the sweetest. She totally warmed up to me to the point where I could pick her up, look in her ears and at her teeth. She waits at my doorstep for me to come outside. I''ve spent at least 2 hours with her daily. I took her to the vet last week, had her tested for FeLV and FIV - both tests were negative, but she was very pregnant. I was so afraid that she would be mad at me for the stressful vet visit - but she wasn''t. I tried to bring her inside after the vet visit - I tried on 2 separate days. But she was stressed out by my overly friendly Egyptian Mau male. He wouldn''t give her some personal space and I had no way to keep them separated long enough to have kittens. I put a collar on her so that animal control wouldn''t take her.

I emailed many rescue organizations once I knew of her pregnancy and her FeLV/FIV negative status - siamese rescue, and several others. Siamese rescue got back to me and said they didn''t have anyone available to foster and recommended I contact kittenrescue.org. I emailed them last week. They found a foster for her today (which is cutting it close because she is looking like she is about to pop). I took her to her foster mom tonight (a siamese enthusiast) and it is going to be a wonderful situation for her. I cried all the way there and all they way home - in fact I''m still crying after taking 2 xanax. I love her so much and am so happy she will have her kittens indoors in a loving home - but I am so sad that I will miss her when I walk outside tomorrow and she won''t be waiting for me.

My next door neighbor, Rick, has agreed to adopt her once her kittens no longer need her. I''m confident he will let me visit.

I will continue to care for Wellington - he is much more of a project. He likes me too - he runs to greet me and talks to me and will take naps in my presence. However, I still can''t touch him. Louise always bullied him a little bit, so I''m hoping he will come around with some one on one quality time.

Sorry, that was long - but just wanted to give you guys an update.

Special thanks to Kittenrescue.org - what a wonderful and loving organization. I plan to become one of their volunteers.

And as for the cat food - guilt set in and I have been feeding them Wellness Core dry, Country Pet frozen and some wet food from Whole Foods (Everyday 365 brand).

 

[missy]

Great news LAJennifer!! Thanks so much for the update.
It is difficult when you become attached but it is so wonderful you did this!! I love happy endings!!!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Aw, I''m so glad you found a home for her! What about her kittens, did they mention who might be taking them? Gosh she would have beautiful babies.

 

[PumpkinPie]

You sound like such a sweet woman LAJennifer - I''m glad to read your update - I hope you have as much success finding a good home for Wellington!

 

[LAJennifer]

Date: 4/7/2010 5:34:23 AM
Author: missy
Great news LAJennifer!! Thanks so much for the update.

It is difficult when you become attached but it is so wonderful you did this!! I love happy endings!!!

Thanks, Missy. It is for the best, but my oh my do I miss her. Last week I put a collar on her with a bell attached (so she wouldn''t be scooped up by animal control). Every time I would walk out my front door I would hear that bell jingling towards me. Today was a rough day not hearing that jingle bell.

She is now property of Kittenrescue.org - but my neighbor, Rick, has assured me he will adopt her when she is available.

 

[LAJennifer]

Date: 4/7/2010 12:31:31 PM
Author: MonkeyPie
Aw, I''m so glad you found a home for her! What about her kittens, did they mention who might be taking them? Gosh she would have beautiful babies.

Hi Monkey! The kittens will be up for adoption through kittenrescue.org. All prospective parents get a background check and must agree to take 2 kittens if they don''t already have a cat at home. They feel it is important for a kitten to have a playmate. My very good friend, Kellee, wants to adopt a male kitten (she has one cat at home right now). Another friend of a neighbor is excited to adopt 2 kittens.

The foster mom said she would let me know when she delivers and also let me know how many she has and what they look like. I can go visit once the kittens are a few weeks old.

 

[LAJennifer]

Date: 4/8/2010 1:30:17 AM
Author: Maevie
You sound like such a sweet woman LAJennifer - I''m glad to read your update - I hope you have as much success finding a good home for Wellington!

Thank you Maevie. I believe that Wellington may be truly feral or that he has been a victim of extreme trauma. I will continue to spend a couple of hours each day with him. If he ever lets me handle him, he will have a wonderful home on my living room sofa.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Wonderful update Jennifer - this is such an incredible thing you have done!!

I hope that Wellington does warm up now that he is the only outdoor kitty getting your attentions, and that a good home can be found for him too.

And you know we will need pictures of Ms. Louise and her kittens when you go visit, right?

 

[LAJennifer]

Date: 4/8/2010 1:34:52 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
Wonderful update Jennifer - this is such an incredible thing you have done!!

I hope that Wellington does warm up now that he is the only outdoor kitty getting your attentions, and that a good home can be found for him too.


And you know we will need pictures of Ms. Louise and her kittens when you go visit, right?

Thank you AmberGretchen. Of course I can''t wait to get pics of the babies!

 

[LAJennifer]

Another Update:

Louise had 6 kittens, 10 days after she was placed in a foster home. Here is the message I received from her foster mom:

"Momma delivered her six babies early Saturday the 17th. Two black then a black and white, then a very small grey tabby, then a black tabby with lots of white, and finally a snowshoe. They are just starting to open their eyes. Mom is very protective and has been doing a fantastic job. The first two days she wouldn''t leave her nest so I brought little dishes of dry food with KMR poured over it -- and she''d eat like she hadn''t had a meal in weeks. I was so worried that she wouldn''t keep up her milk production if she wasn''t eating. Well, now all that is past and they are growing rapidly."


As for Wellington - well, he is my kitty. He let me pet him for the first time yesterday. I''ve been spending a couple of hours with him everyday for the last 2 months. He knows his name and runs to greet me when I go outside to visit him. He talks to me too. I started moving his wet food plate closer and closer to me each day. Then, I put the plate on my lap for about a week. Then I switched to a smaller bowl on my lap. He then placed his front 2 paws on my bare legs to get his wet food. He does this every day now. Two days ago, he let me grab his tail. He still likes his space, but I can now pet him on his back and tail - I think he likes it.

He now has so much self-esteem and is very protective of his "territory". I''ve given him a towel to lay on and he just loves it. He really looks good and grooms himself constantly. He likes to play with a cat teaser toy. We have lots of fun together. I plan to bring him in (provided he tests negative for Felv/FIV). I don''t want to force it though - I want to be able to handle him and pick him up, etc. It will probably be a few months, but I''m sure we''ll get there eventually.

Here are some pics - whenever I call him "sweetie" he rolls around on his back (so cute).

 

[LAJennifer]

Let''s try the pic again.

 

[LAJennifer]

Cute white tummy.

 

[LAJennifer]

Eating his lunch (Nature''s Variety Prairie kibble).

 

[LAJennifer]

Pretty face.