jmcquown wrote in rec.pets.cats.anecdotes:

On 10/24/2016 5:54 PM, cshenk wrote:
jmcquown wrote in rec.pets.cats.anecdotes:

It is good news! 43 feral cats. They've all had their ears
notched so they can be identified as having been trapped,
neutered/released.

Buffy has a notched ear. She was one of the ferals until her
former owner scooped her up as a kitten. Who says you can't turn
a feral into a completely spoiled love bug? Introduce them to a
life of luxury when they're young, of course you can.

Grin, you can even do it with older ones but it is much harder.
I've had Daisy-chan since Feb 2008 and she was estimated to have
lived wild 7 years before we got her. Accounting for her time in a
no kill where she went through 5 foster-moms until no more would
take her, she's between 17 and maybe 18 now (likely). Vet concurs,
she has that distinctive 'aged kitty face' similar to what horses
and dogs get in advanced age.

It's rare for a feral to live that long wild and rarer yet for them
to find the right home to tame in. I suspect, she wanted to be
tame and safe. Well, she's safe at least (grin) and generally tame
now. We still have, and always will have issues that speak back to
her wild times. Her issues are a little different. She wasn't a
colony cat and will not tolerate another cat (considers them as
dangerous and taking her resources).

We love her and she's perfect for us.

Thank you for taking in and taking care of Daisy-chan. She does
sound like a bit of a challenge. I'm glad you took her in, love her
and found a way to make it work. That is a rather old age for a cat.


Jill

True Jill. She is very unique and the rare example here where a
no-kill was about to be turned in. They had no one willing to foster
her and she spent the last 12 months in a cage before we adopted her.

If it helps, what made it work was she was at deaths door when she was
found with one surviving kitten of her last batch (he didnt make it,
half grown?) and she was pregnant. Under a bush. Dying.

She was in such bad shape, they could handle her and didn't know what
she was.

Taken to no-kill as a solid white cat with green eyes, they expected a
fast adoption. By the time we found her, we had to prove we could
safely handle her and her final of 5 'foster-moms' refused to come in
the room with her with us as she was let out.

She has mishandling issues from her first foster's trying to treat her
as a 'lap kittie' due to her looks. She isn't and never will be a
classic lap kittie. Frankly, I do not like lap kitties bothering me but
she suits me well.
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