If I didn't know better

Ok, the scene is we're trying to keep our surviving feral cats out of
the clutches of the neighbor from hell, which includes keeping them well
fed, so they won't be so interested in the offerings of his baited trap or
worse. For chow call, I whistle the march song of the French Foreign
Legion, and the faithful show for feeding time. However, for the last week
or so, White Stocking shows more interest in being petted. He's actually
done *flop down, roll around, scratch my tummy, how about behind my ears,
can you do my back, and how about the top of my head again, etc.* then, when
I've left, sometimes walked off and left the food I set out for him and the
rest of the gang. Today, WS and I are interacting socially, when Bootsie,
our feral mother, shows up and pushes between WS and me, for me to pet her.
Then it was one pushing inside the other, so I'm petting them with the only
two hands issued at birth, when along comes a new visitor, a nearly grown
kitten, who seemed torn between hanging a safe distance back, and checking
out what's going on at our little social club. Ah, if I didn't know better,
I'd say WS and Bootsie gave every indication of what one might call sibling
rivalry..... feral cats? Can it be?
Bootsie, incidentally, apparently had her kittens yesterday in one of
our buildings out back. Until returning *home* for the blessed event, her
appearances were so irratic that I couldn't make the connection of capturing
and relocating her to a new home in the country. Best information I have is
that the next opportunity to relocate Bootsie and her kittens will be in
about 8 weeks. However, I'm wondering, if anyone has had any success in
relocating a mother cat and kittens earlier? Any suggestions?
Cheers,
Jack
PS--I also note that WS is making a bid to become House Cat, in residence.
He discovered the critter door (formerly our dog door) and come exploring
for some time. The last few nights, however, mother has discovered him
sleeping on the pillow of her bed, as she prepares to retire for the night.
When she shows up, he will rise, stretch a few times, and exit via the
criter door, at a leisurely pace. So, how do they know? Do cats receive
some sort of basic training, on where to sleep in a house? Is it in the
genes? There is, perchance, a standard reference book they consult?
Anyway, methinks the day is coming when, instead of leaving, he'll simply
move over.

Sounds like WS and Bootsie are quickly getting to the point where
you'll have to start saying ex-feral. For me that point came when
Rocky not only wanted his petting before meals, but started turning
into a finicky eater.

On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 22:11:04 -0500, "JHBennett"
wrote:

Ok, the scene is we're trying to keep our surviving feral cats out of
the clutches of the neighbor from hell, which includes keeping them well
fed, so they won't be so interested in the offerings of his baited trap or
worse. For chow call, I whistle the march song of the French Foreign
Legion, and the faithful show for feeding time. However, for the last week
or so, White Stocking shows more interest in being petted. He's actually
done *flop down, roll around, scratch my tummy, how about behind my ears,
can you do my back, and how about the top of my head again, etc.* then, when
I've left, sometimes walked off and left the food I set out for him and the
rest of the gang. Today, WS and I are interacting socially, when Bootsie,
our feral mother, shows up and pushes between WS and me, for me to pet her.
Then it was one pushing inside the other, so I'm petting them with the only
two hands issued at birth, when along comes a new visitor, a nearly grown
kitten, who seemed torn between hanging a safe distance back, and checking
out what's going on at our little social club. Ah, if I didn't know better,
I'd say WS and Bootsie gave every indication of what one might call sibling
rivalry..... feral cats? Can it be?
Bootsie, incidentally, apparently had her kittens yesterday in one of
our buildings out back. Until returning *home* for the blessed event, her
appearances were so irratic that I couldn't make the connection of capturing
and relocating her to a new home in the country. Best information I have is
that the next opportunity to relocate Bootsie and her kittens will be in
about 8 weeks. However, I'm wondering, if anyone has had any success in
relocating a mother cat and kittens earlier? Any suggestions?
Cheers,
Jack
PS--I also note that WS is making a bid to become House Cat, in residence.
He discovered the critter door (formerly our dog door) and come exploring
for some time. The last few nights, however, mother has discovered him
sleeping on the pillow of her bed, as she prepares to retire for the night.
When she shows up, he will rise, stretch a few times, and exit via the
criter door, at a leisurely pace. So, how do they know? Do cats receive
some sort of basic training, on where to sleep in a house? Is it in the
genes? There is, perchance, a standard reference book they consult?
Anyway, methinks the day is coming when, instead of leaving, he'll simply
move over.

Could be we are indeed close to that point, Steve. Actually, this
little affair got started this evening when I went out to the car. WS comes
up to greet me, does flop down, roll around, etc., and then Bootsie intrudes
on the scene, doing the *how about me?* routine. So, then I go back inside
and get some food for them. WS is spring loaded to the takeoff position and
did so yesterday when a neighbor lady came over to ask about something. The
moment she got to the end of the drive, he was gone. Also, any sudden or
unusual noise will cause him to flinch and take flight. Otherwise, I've
been conditioning him to being picked up (for loading in a carrier) a little
bit at a time. I lift him a few inches off the ground. Then, this evening,
as I started to go in for some food, WS apparently was curling around the
front of my leg, at the moment I took a step. He got lofted and pitched
about 4 feet. Surprisingly, he took it in stride (no pun intended) and came
right back for more attention. After the way Miss Kitty nailed me when I
tried to put her in a carrier, I'm trying to be smarter about it. Also, I'm
seeing if I can induce him to play by gently grabbing a paw and shaking it.
He's a neat cat, and I'd like to keep him, but the situation simply
won't allow it and I must send him on his way...and I might be guilty of
delaying that.
I have made the discovery that hand sanitizer seems to nutralize the cat
dander--or whatever it is--that I'm so allergic to and keep a small bottle
in my pocket all the time. That discovery is making much of this possible.
Please not to mention *finicky eater* on the same page with either of
these critter's names. We have enough to cope with at present ;-)
Cheers,
Jack
"Steve Touchstone" wrote in message
...
Sounds like WS and Bootsie are quickly getting to the point where
you'll have to start saying ex-feral. For me that point came when
Rocky not only wanted his petting before meals, but started turning
into a finicky eater.

On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 22:11:04 -0500, "JHBennett"
wrote:

Ok, the scene is we're trying to keep our surviving feral cats out of
the clutches of the neighbor from hell, which includes keeping them well
fed, so they won't be so interested in the offerings of his baited trap
or
worse. For chow call, I whistle the march song of the French Foreign
Legion, and the faithful show for feeding time. However, for the last
week
or so, White Stocking shows more interest in being petted. He's actually
done *flop down, roll around, scratch my tummy, how about behind my ears,
can you do my back, and how about the top of my head again, etc.* then,
when
I've left, sometimes walked off and left the food I set out for him and
the
rest of the gang. Today, WS and I are interacting socially, when
Bootsie,
our feral mother, shows up and pushes between WS and me, for me to pet
her.
Then it was one pushing inside the other, so I'm petting them with the
only
two hands issued at birth, when along comes a new visitor, a nearly grown
kitten, who seemed torn between hanging a safe distance back, and
checking
out what's going on at our little social club. Ah, if I didn't know
better,
I'd say WS and Bootsie gave every indication of what one might call
sibling
rivalry..... feral cats? Can it be?
Bootsie, incidentally, apparently had her kittens yesterday in one of
our buildings out back. Until returning *home* for the blessed event,
her
appearances were so irratic that I couldn't make the connection of
capturing
and relocating her to a new home in the country. Best information I have
is
that the next opportunity to relocate Bootsie and her kittens will be in
about 8 weeks. However, I'm wondering, if anyone has had any success in
relocating a mother cat and kittens earlier? Any suggestions?
Cheers,
Jack
PS--I also note that WS is making a bid to become House Cat, in
residence.
He discovered the critter door (formerly our dog door) and come exploring
for some time. The last few nights, however, mother has discovered him
sleeping on the pillow of her bed, as she prepares to retire for the
night.
When she shows up, he will rise, stretch a few times, and exit via the
criter door, at a leisurely pace. So, how do they know? Do cats receive
some sort of basic training, on where to sleep in a house? Is it in the
genes? There is, perchance, a standard reference book they consult?
Anyway, methinks the day is coming when, instead of leaving, he'll simply
move over.