Two feral cat questions. (Perhaps more)

[john C. Losch]

4/15/09

To the list:

Over the winter and beyond I have fed two feral cats. They spent the
winter under a building I use as a machine shop, perhaps found enough heat
seeping through the floor that they stayed there, and they are still living
in either my barn (which I leave open for them) or under my shop building.
One is a cat I have seen in my neighborhood for at least five years, and I
thought she belonged to someone. The other is her daughter from a litter
within the last year. The mother cat is very pregnant, is, I think,
planning to give birth in my barn, for which reason temporarily I no longer
put my car in the barn . I don't want her to try to move her kittens
unnecessarily.

The young daughter has become sufficiently friendly with me because I
entertained her with toys on a wand, that she now comes into the office of
my shop, and even into my house. She will sit on a desk in the office ---
nice and warm---or even go into my adjacent house. I have fed both cats on
the porch of my house. The daughter now lets me pick her up, and is
obviously becoming adjusted to human contact although she will quickly run
away or hide if another person appears. Predictably, I would like to adopt
her since I lost my old "Otis" almost a year ago after 14 years of
companionship.

And now my questions. The calico daughter wanders around both buildings
where she is welcome, decides she wants to mark these places as her
territory, and so backs up to things, raises her tail, and attempts to spray
the outline of her world. So far nothing sprays out, but that is a
temporary situation I am sure. Quite simply, how do I stop her from
spraying?

Next, if I adopt the calico, she becomes my responsibility, and I am
willing to pay to have her spade. Still, there is the mother, and her
impending offspring. I once tamed and donated four feral kittens to the
local humane society. They accepted them, found homes for them, but it cost
me fifty dollars a piece to give them to the shelter. That was before I
retired, got old, and can no longer afford that kind of charity. I live in
Massachusetts, and I have heard that there are organizations that have the
funds to trap, spay or neuter feral cats, then return them to their original
environment. Does anyone on this list know any details about that
procedure?

I would like to help these kitties in the appropriate way, especially
the old "tortie" mother, but I need some advice on what I should do. Thanks
for any suggestions anyone can offer.

John Losch
Holliston., MA

[Robert A. Fink, M. D.]

On Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:48 GMT, "john C. Losch"
<jcl...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:

> live in
>Massachusetts, and I have heard that there are organizations that have the
>funds to trap, spay or neuter feral cats, then return them to their original
>environment. Does anyone on this list know any details about that
>procedure?

I suspect that there are a number of trap-spay-release organization in
your area. Check with a local veterinarian's office.

Best wishes,

Bob (who is currently feeding one feral, and has successfully adopted
two).

Robert A. Fink, M. D.
Neurological Surgery
2500 Milvia Street Suite 222
Berkeley, CA 94704-2636 USA
510-849-2555

**********************************
NOTE: The material above is not "medical
advice". Medical advice can only be
given after an in-person contact between
doctor and patient.
**********************************

[Granby]

Have been lurking here for awhile. You have to find someone who would trap
the Mom-to-be and care for her. I would get the one I wanted inside,
contact someone to come trap the mom to be. Have you got a litterbox and
will the one that comes in the house use it?

I really hope you can find help for the Momcat or, you will be trying to
figure out how to deal with the kittens.
"john C. Losch" <jcl...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
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