Feral and Foster Friday: In and Saturday Spay Day

Tigress writes:

I'm in!  I'm choosing to be inside more often, and for almost all the day and the night now!  A couple weeks ago, I surprised Mommy while she was working on the computer.  She felt me ask her and thought I wanted foot pets.  Nope!  I hopped up onto the computer desk like I've seen Uncle Heimdall and Auntie Rori do, and I wanted hand pets!

C'mon, Mommy!  You take too many pictures.  I'll just take a nap while you photograph me, then maybe I'll get some hand pets.  (I eventually did get my pets.)

Autumn writes:

I'm learning a lot about "in" this week!  First, we had a fire in the fireplace, which was exciting!  And, no, I did not want to be "in" there with it.  I liked watching it, though.

Foster Mommy wore her rain boots one of the days, and I had to check them to make sure Foster Mommy's legs were still in the boots.  I pulled down the top of one, because it comes up to her knee, and there was her leg!

I stuck my head in the cupholder on Tabby's stroller, then bounced onto the bed and climbed in the pocket that hangs from the bed to hold books and a cell phone.  Foster Mommy pulled me out, but I was very cozy in there!  Next, I found some bags of treats that were hidden in a bag on a chair.  Everyone loved those, especially Uncle Carbon!  Yum!

I'm at the vet waiting for my spay today.  What's a "spay", and will I like it?  I rode in a car in a carrier today.  Auntie Cai came over and picked Foster Mommy and me up to take us there, then took Foster Mommy to work.  Foster Daddy had a doctor's appointment (not a vet one) today, so that's why just Foster Mommy went with me.  I was good in the car, but talked a lot and really wanted out so I could watch everything through the window.  I like riding in someone's arms better, but I couldn't do that this time.  Foster Mommy said I'll come back home this afternoon sometime.  The vet gave me a snuggly gingerbread stuffed toy, and I promptly lay down with it under my belly.  I'm not sure I like this "vet" place, but I was content to be carried back to the waiting area and get in my cage to wait for my turn to be spayed.  I'll get my vaccinations today, too.  I'm 7 months old now!  I'm adoptable to a good home in the Portland, OR,/Vancouver, WA, area.

We hope you like this post.  Remember, the word of the week is IN!

Feral Friday with Tigress

Tigress writes:

Hi everyone!  I know it's been a long time since I've done a Feral Friday post, but I've got some exciting news to share!  The Grandma person is an ok person!  She gives treats, foot pets, talks softly to me, doesn't chase me, and even will come let me out if I ask nicely enough!

At first, I was scared of her when she moved in a couple months ago.  The other cats love her and she'll even pet them occasionally.  I was scared of her, though.  I don't even know why, except that she was a new human.  She didn't do anything scary, but she was just there.  I didn't like being in the house with her, and would ask for out whenever I realized I was sharing the same house with her.  She tried and tried to show me she was nice, and my purrents told me I was safe and they wouldn't ever bring anyone around who would hurt me.  I believe them, but it still scared me.

I saw how nice Grandma was to the other kitties, though.  She would often pet them with her legs or with her feet, and thank them for giving her leg pets (winding around her legs) and wanting to sit with her (even though she can't have them on her lap due to being sick).  I would hear her coughing and would get wide-eyed, going to Mommy or Daddy for reassurance, but after a couple weeks I wasn't wanting out right away when I would see Grandma.  I would watch her from a chair under the dining-room table or from my comfy chair in the bedroom, then want out when she saw where I was.  I wouldn't hide from her, though, unless she was walking toward me.

One day, the twins had a birthday!  We all celebrated by having a big treat!  I didn't know what it was, but the others were very excited about it, and were milling around Grandma in the kitchen.  She got Mommy to help her open a can of something.  I hung out in the hallway and watched, wondering.  Mommy took out plates and showed Grandma how to spoon out the something onto each plate.  Then Mommy set the plates down on the floor in the dining room!

Feast time!  The others invited me to join them, but I said no because I didn't know what the treat was.  It smelled kind of good, but I wanted to watch them eat to make sure it was safe.  They told me it was something called "tuna" and it was a fish.  What fish comes out of a can?  I catch the little fish in the marsh sometimes, but they don't swim around in cans!

You can see in the picture how we social-eat.  Dare and Starla are sharing a plate, Missy's eating by herself, Panther's eating by himself, Carbon only eats by himself because he tends to be food-agressive, the twins are sharing a plate, Tabby's eating out of a can, and Little Bit's waiting her turn.  At this point, I was still in the hallway (the first picture).

Mommy brought a plate down the hallway to Rori so she could have some of the tuna treat, also.  She likes it, but she didn't want to brave the mob in the dining room any more than I did!  Grandma stayed in the kitchen and made herself something yummy with the tuna, too.  She put something else in it and mixed it up, then put it on bread for a sandwich.  Heimdall went in to see if she had some more for him, but she had mixed the remainder for her food, so he came back out and licked a can.

I finally got up the courage to go social-eat and found out the tuna was yummy!  Wow!  Do you see me over in the top left?  I'm trying to get to the plate with Freya and social-eat with her.  Dare decided to share the plate that Missy was eating from, and Little Bit got the can that Tabby had.  Tabby got another can that she and Heimdall shared.

After that tuna treat, I decided that Grandma must be an ok person.  I let her pet me once, and almost have come in the door when she's tried to let me inside.  About a week ago, I wanted out and she was the only human awake.  It was my hunting-time, around 5 or 6 in the morning.  That's when the mice and the birds are sleepy, so I can catch them more easily.  I went over to Grandma, who was in the kitchen, and wound around her legs, talking to her.  She thought I was Tabby at first, because she does the same thing when Grandma's in the kitchen.  Nope!  She looked at my paws and saw that it was I instead of Tabby!  She asked me if I wanted out, so I walked over to the door and pawed it.  She walked over and opened the door for me.  I looked at her and meowed once, then ran out like I normally do.  Thank you, Grandma person!

Since then, I've said hi to her most of the time and she's let me outside a few times more.  Today, I even went down the hall to her room to wait outside the door until she came out!  Hi, Grandma!

Sumptuous Sunday!

Miss Marble writes:

Does anyone want to come over for a mousie feast?  Daddy just finished mowing the lawn with the new riding lawn mower, and there are all kinds of fat, juicy field mice running around!  I just caught two really good ones.  *licks lips*  I was inside while Daddy was mowing, because Mommy wouldn't let me go outside then.  I tried to tell her I wanted out, but it didn't work.  I'm actually glad I wasn't out with the lawn mower, but I saw the mice jumping out of the way and wanted to chase them.

The raccoon with the bad eye (it's mostly blind in one eye) was also out in the yard hunting, but I think she was mostly interested in the salamanders.  It was good hunting for both of us!  The raccoon is one of the litter that's the same age as me, and this one is named R.K. (Raccoon Kitty) because she has learned how to behave like my sister and me!  She curls up on the deck like us and reaches up to the door handle like us.

I sleep on the bed now when I'm inside.  I love curling up on the cozy blanket, especially if Mama Freya is up there to snuggle with me.  I also like attacking Mommy's feet under the blanket, but I have to remember to use soft paws (claws in), otherwise she tells me I'm hurting her and snaps her fingers.  If she does that, I run away and come back once she is quiet again.

Tigress writes:

Yummy mice!  It was scary watching the daddy on the loud monster, but fun watching the mice scurry away from it.  I'm hunting, too, but staying back from the mown parts of the yard for a while.  I don't want to have that monster come and get me, too, even though no one's riding it now.  It's just sitting quietly by itself, so I think it's alright.  That's what the one next door does, and it's safe when no one's on it.

I've invented a new game!  I play it with the mommy!  She sticks her hand out the sliding window-door, and that's my cue to slink along the wall.  I get almost to her hand, then crouch down and reach my right paw up to tag her fingers.  I sniff them, then touch them again!  I'm very brave!  I even let her touch my ear when I'm eating sometimes, and other times just let her have her hand out toward me while I'm eating close by the door.  My sister wants to know why I don't just come inside again and let the mommy and the daddy pet me, but I'm not that brave yet.  I've seen how much everyone else enjoys that, but I'm not ready for that yet.  I do enjoy my game with the hand, though!

Feral Friday: Leopard & Miss Marble

Mama Leopard writes:

I've been coming regularly to the food place now, and have greeted my family in purrson.  I'm nervous around them, but I've let them groom me and rub against me.  I won't let Tux eat with me yet, though.  I will let my girls eat with me, just not Tux.

Why did the humans switch the water bowls?  Do you see the grey one in the picture?  That used to be the water bowl, before I went away.  Now the white one is the water bowl, but the grey one is still there.  I went to drink out of the grey one like I used to, but there was no water in it.  The lady told me that the water is now in the white one.  Why?  I drank it, but it's confusing.

I remember the name the humans gave me, and respond to it.  I've also meowed at them, but am still really nervous around them, like I was before I had my kids last year.  It will take a while of being around here again to get used to the humans watching me.  I get very nervous when my daughter goes in their house, but she always comes back out again and tells me she had fun.

Miss Marble writes:

I know my mama is always nervous when I go inside, as is my daddy, but I'm really ok!  I love visiting with my friends inside!  The humans always talk softly to me and pet me, give me toys, feed me, and make me feel happy.  My aunties and uncles all love me, and I love them.

I sat on chairs yesterday!  I got up on the wooden chair that Auntie Freya loves, and it's comfortable!  I took a bath on it and almost fell asleep.  Then Mommy came over, so I asked to be petted.  She sat down and picked me up to sit on her lap.  I was nervous about being that close to her, but her lap was a good place to be for a few minutes.  The other chair I was brave enough to get on was actually the organ bench.  It's got a puffy top that feels good to my paws.  My aunties and uncles say it's like a pillow.  I don't know what a pillow is, but if it's like that organ bench then it must be a comfy place, too!  I took a little nap on the organ bench before getting down.  I've also walked down the hallway on my own some more, plus gone into the living room to have Mommy pet me.  I'm not brave enough to go over to get pets from Daddy in his big recliner chair yet.  That chair squeaks like a giant mouse when Daddy sits up!  It scared me the first time, and I shot back over to the door.  They said it was ok, so I went back for more pets, then the chair squeaked again.  The second time, I was able to tell it was the chair, so I didn't go running away.  I just looked at it and meowed back to it!

Torbie Thursday: Miss Marble's Weather Report

Miss Marble writes:

This picture that Mommy took is what my world looked like the past three days!  It's now back to normal:  wet, cold, and windy.  This white stuff is called "snow", and it sticks to my fur!  It's very cold and wet, and turns to water when I lick it.  I can't walk anywhere when it snows, but I can pounce in it.  It's hard to catch mice in snow, I found out yesterday.  I pounced from the deck onto a mouse, but then it slipped from under my paws.  I'd bitten it, so it couldn't get far, but after I got it again I looked at my sister and at Mommy (who was watching from the door), asking for explanations on why my mouse almost got away!  My sister was as confused as I was, and Mommy was laughing!  My sister and I ignored Mommy and went under the deck to eat my mouse.

I've been coming inside more and more, now that it's been snowing.  There is a lot of new stuff inside!  There are things called toys!  I like rolling toys, I've discovered, because my auntie Freya keeps rolling them to me to play with after she demonstrates how they work.  I like a ball that used to flash, so the humans keep that by the door for me.  Auntie Freya gave me one of her special toys, which she calls a roller!  Actually gave me it!  It's the core of a roll of doggie poop bags, but she loves to play with the roller (the core), and now so do I!  Auntie Freya brought it out to show me, then pawed it around in the dining room so I could see how it works.  Then she pawed it to me!  I wasn't quite sure if it was ok for me to play with it, so I looked at her, then at the roller, then at Mommy.  Mommy hit the roller with her shoe, and then I batted it with my paw.  Fun!  I batted it even more, then picked it up in my mouth and carried it a little closer to the door.  I batted it some more, then picked it up in my mouth again, inching it even closer.  Mommy opened the door and I took my special toy out into my world!  My first favorite toy, besides natural things!  I've played with grasses, rope, and other outside things, but this is my special, inside toy that my auntie gave me!

There is something called a heat vent inside, just on the other side of the door, that keeps the house warm.  I like to stand by it and play with the blinds as they move in the wind.  Striped Girl and I have learned that the spot outside across the door from the vent is the warmest spot to stand, but now I know why!  I still get a bit nervous when the heat starts up, because it makes a whooshing noise, but then I like to play with the blinds as they move.

Daddy has been shutting the door when I come inside, to keep the warm air in.  Mommy has, too, but Daddy makes a game out of it.  I come inside, the door shuts, then I paw at it and wiggle.  The door opens and I bat at the track and at the door.  I go outside, come back in, and the game starts all over again!  I get so into the game that I sometimes forget that I'm not supposed to bite the humans.  They understand, though.  When that happens, they tell me it's time for me to be outside for a while to calm down.  I get to come inside again later, though!  I'm even beginning to purr out loud when I'm petted inside.

The release part of tnr, and the socialization part

The PDX pride Mommy here:

We sent Miss Marble on her way outside again. :'( I always choke up when we release a feral back into the wild. It's such a bittersweet moment! It's where she belongs, though. She just was freaking out too much inside. She bounded off like a rabbit, straight to a hiding place she and the rest of the family use, under the cedar tree (surrounded by rosebushes). Then, when she saw us wave at her and realized we could still see her, she bounded off to another favorite place, through the back fence into the wilderness of the wetland behind us.

Hemming did very well with his testing today!  We are sooo proud of him!  There were a lot of dogs waiting in line, and one other cat who looked like him, only female and a little older.  This was his first experience being around dogs, and he aced it.  He meowed the whole time we were waiting, while the dogs barked.  I really wish more dog owners would put their dogs through obedience courses, or at least train them properly.  Two barked and lunged at a lady wearing a straw hat, another dog kept nipping at its neighbor in line, and a lady made her dog walk right down the line to the end rather than walking around a different way to get to the end.  Maybe the owners need obedience training, too?

When we got checked in, and were in line again waiting for the vet, a big dog who was behind us in line came over to the carrier and sniffed Hemming through the bars.  Hemming sniffed him back, and put one of his paws up to the mesh door like he was asking the dog to play with him!

The vet and vet tech who did the blood draw couldn't barely believe that Hemming was born feral and that we'd only had him a short time.  They both said he looked and acted like a tame kitten, and were quite impressed with him!  He was so calm for his blood draw, even came out of the carrier nicely after the vet tech scruffed him.  He flinched and tried to look at his leg when they poked him, but he didn't mew in surprise!  Afterward, he walked right back into his carrier on his own, after the vet tech redirected him from wanting to jump down off the table.  We get his test results back on Tuesday, but are fairly certain that he doesn't have any bad diseases.

He's now in our office at home with the door closed, but free to roam in here.  He absolutely loves having a room of his own!  He walked around for a bit after I showed him his dishes and put him in the box to show him what that was, then I put him on my lap and petted him for a bit.  The first lap he's been on!  He wanted to climb, so he climbed up the door to the carrier, onto the top of it.  Then, after getting down from there, he climbed up the back of the computer desk onto the CPU tower and is very happy in his newfound nest.  Snuggly, purry, smiling, the picture of contentment!