Saga of the remaining cats

Posted Friday, October 23, 2009, at 1:53 PM

MJ & HJ

Last night I was a bit worried that we had lost some. I was running late and not able to get food to them until after dark and surprisingly there was still some food left from the morning feeding. I could not find all of them in the dark and I think they were scared by the truck lights. That was a good thing.

This morning they had eaten everything and all were accounted for. As much time as I am spending with them (not as much as I would like) their personalities are coming through.

Interestingly the papa cat (not sure of paternity test) will chase others away if he is the first to the dish, but if he comes in late, he is not concerned who is eating next to him. He shares with no issues.

The cat you see in the foreground seems to hang a lot with the black and white one. I have a picture of them rubbing heads but my editing software is temperamental this morning. She is more timid than any of the others, but I would bet she would be the most loving of the batch.

By the way, the blip on HJ's nose seems to be mud. He did not have it originally and it is washing away in the rain. He was the original first choice of the family who adopted a calico, but they could not catch him..

Comments
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oh man that is so cute. I hope they al get great homes..

-- Posted by 4fabfelines on Fri, Oct 23, 2009, at 4:51 PM

I'm glad you can get rid of yours. I ended up with 12 and couldn't get rid of them. I did go on and have the females fixed. I do believe MJ's & JH'S dad is a traveling man. They do have personalities and you can't help but get attached. Good luck in finding good homes and be patient. They will tame down if you talk to them and offer a pat on the head just as they start eating.

-- Posted by olderthandirt on Fri, Oct 23, 2009, at 7:35 PM

Sure wish that I could take MJ. She looks so much like our Lucy that we lost last year at 18 years of age. But I have 8 now, and I'm afraid the husband would divorce me. Hehehe!

-- Posted by cherylrichardson on Sat, Oct 24, 2009, at 10:19 AM

Yeah,my husband warned me that I could live with him or more critters.

While they're both cute,I think the animals would be easier to re-home and get properly trained.

Alley Cat Allies is one of several groups that deals with feral and stray animals to give them alternatives to being homeless,ending their lives in pounds or landing one of the all-too-scarce spots as a family pet in a decent home.

Trap-Neuter-Release programs reduce the number of unwanted baby animals,halt the spread of disease,provide shelter and other necessities and help humans and beasts live alongside one another peacefully.

Such programs can be utilized by animal lovers who (for whatever reason) can't support the number of critters they would like.

Instead,they can sponsor animals by providing food,shelter,medical care,education and socialization.

Ideally,the "orphan" beasts find forever homes with responsible,caring humans.

Others who are too wild to be pets are looked after in ranches or colonies.

The neutering reduces the number of unowned domestic animals until their group is so small that the territory is taken by a new,unaltered population and the cycle begins again.

This "homing the homeless" reduces the number of strays and ferals who can contract or spread vermin and disease.

It reduces the erosion of habitat,predation on species such as songbirds and competition with wild animals for food.

Some think eradication is the answer but a "dead critter solution" only works in a finite area for a limited time after a long,consistent period of implementation.

A good TNR operation can reduce the number of abandoned,stray and feral animals by 50%.

Incentives for shelters/pounds based on licensing,vaccination,neutering,adoptions and cruelty/neglect convictions would reduce the numbers even more.

Eliminating irresponsible breeders and educating people in how to be good stewards of animals could prevent a great deal of needless death and suffering.

It'd be nice if there were enough Steves,Cheryls etc. to go around.but,until then,making a critter house or feeder,buying food or bedding,buying a voucher for a vet expense or volunteering for office work,grooming,cleaning or training could make a big difference.

There are needs any of us could meet-even if we're broke,allergic or live in apartments in the city.

-- Posted by quantumcat on Sun, Oct 25, 2009, at 4:32 PM

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Steve Mills

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Steve Mills and his wife have one daughter and live on a farm outside of Bell Buckle. They previously owned two coffee/ice cream shops, currently operate an internet sales company and teach classes, but his primary job involves the paper industry worldwide. Hobbies and interests lie in gardening, photography, recorded music and of course, their pets.

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