=C▲TS= (Chapter 1)
The Black One
Last year during the winter, a very emaciated black cat decided to live under our mobile home. It hung out there because the heating duct cross-over was torn up and venting warmth (and many of our energy dollars) underneath. It also hung out on our porch, and looked pitiful from being nothing but fur and bones. Incidentally, it had an almost identical brother that hung out across the street. The only 2 differences between them (other than the unhealthy weight difference) is that his sibling had tan eyes and a small white spot on his chest while he himself had green eyes and had no white spot.
This black cat apparently had problems and so did we. We didn't have many options. One option was was the "Humane" Society, but their policy was that most strays (especially feral cats) would be euthanized. To add further insult to injury, they would CHARGE you to drop off the cat. At that time I couldn't find any "No Kill" facility, so that left the only option to take care of the cat myself. (Since ignoring it would end up with a dead cat under my home.)
I went out and bought some wet cat food to help bulk up the kitty. I gave smaller portions at first and built up gradually. After about a month, it didn't look as if it was gaining any weight. [Hmmm...] Maybe he had parasites? I looked for some dewormer that was not too harsh. I dosed the food for this severely underweight feline hoping I calculated it right. It worked! He started gaining weight and was very friendly and grateful. In fact, he was so grateful he did what any good kitty would do... Demand Attention!
He turned out to be a very friendly cat that loved to be petted and skritched, but wasn't too keen about being picked up. You might say that he was "Second Hand Shy". If you petted him with one hand, he would love it. If during that petting you bring in a second hand, he would evade or run off. Yet, this cat is so mellow that you can run a lawnmower or vacuum cleaner near him and he would look and have the attitude of "Oh... I wondered what was making that noise. Carry On..."
I had discovered from other neighbors that his brother, whom I call "Dot" (to describe the dot on the chest), and the black cat now named "Tod" (which is the reverse of "Dot") had both been previously captured by a mobile pet hospital for neutering and re-release. I hadn't notice the one clipped ear on either of them because it was "Straight Across" cut and not "Notched" one like I had seen on other feral cats who went through the same thing. It brings me relief that these cats won't be reproducing more feral kitties and is ONE LESS THING I would have to worry about doing in the future. Tod now has his domain on our porch whereas Dot has his somewhere across the street. (No, the street isn't a busy road. These are roads within a mobile home park with a speed limit of 14½ MPH)
One year has come and gone since then.
Tod is doing well and remains to be his own cat.
Last year during the winter, a very emaciated black cat decided to live under our mobile home. It hung out there because the heating duct cross-over was torn up and venting warmth (and many of our energy dollars) underneath. It also hung out on our porch, and looked pitiful from being nothing but fur and bones. Incidentally, it had an almost identical brother that hung out across the street. The only 2 differences between them (other than the unhealthy weight difference) is that his sibling had tan eyes and a small white spot on his chest while he himself had green eyes and had no white spot.
This black cat apparently had problems and so did we. We didn't have many options. One option was was the "Humane" Society, but their policy was that most strays (especially feral cats) would be euthanized. To add further insult to injury, they would CHARGE you to drop off the cat. At that time I couldn't find any "No Kill" facility, so that left the only option to take care of the cat myself. (Since ignoring it would end up with a dead cat under my home.)
I went out and bought some wet cat food to help bulk up the kitty. I gave smaller portions at first and built up gradually. After about a month, it didn't look as if it was gaining any weight. [Hmmm...] Maybe he had parasites? I looked for some dewormer that was not too harsh. I dosed the food for this severely underweight feline hoping I calculated it right. It worked! He started gaining weight and was very friendly and grateful. In fact, he was so grateful he did what any good kitty would do... Demand Attention!
He turned out to be a very friendly cat that loved to be petted and skritched, but wasn't too keen about being picked up. You might say that he was "Second Hand Shy". If you petted him with one hand, he would love it. If during that petting you bring in a second hand, he would evade or run off. Yet, this cat is so mellow that you can run a lawnmower or vacuum cleaner near him and he would look and have the attitude of "Oh... I wondered what was making that noise. Carry On..."
I had discovered from other neighbors that his brother, whom I call "Dot" (to describe the dot on the chest), and the black cat now named "Tod" (which is the reverse of "Dot") had both been previously captured by a mobile pet hospital for neutering and re-release. I hadn't notice the one clipped ear on either of them because it was "Straight Across" cut and not "Notched" one like I had seen on other feral cats who went through the same thing. It brings me relief that these cats won't be reproducing more feral kitties and is ONE LESS THING I would have to worry about doing in the future. Tod now has his domain on our porch whereas Dot has his somewhere across the street. (No, the street isn't a busy road. These are roads within a mobile home park with a speed limit of 14½ MPH)
One year has come and gone since then.
Tod is doing well and remains to be his own cat.