One day when I was out in nature a man approached and we had a conversation about various nature related topics. He invited me to bird on his property, and mentioned that he has cats that he keeps outside, and every once in a while a Great Horned Owl will take some, but she has other babies. "It's the way of nature," was his shrugging comment. I had to wonder if he actually believed the words he was saying.
It's always uncomfortable to hear this philosophy since, for one thing, it isn't true. Cats are incredible hunters and, left outdoors, are devastating on their environment, which includes birds, mammals, reptiles and insects. In other words, the ecosystem. It is not the natural way and throws everything off balance. It is a terrible situation for the cats as well, who fall victim to coyotes, hawks, owls, and automobiles. I remember the anguish on a person's face just after they accidentally ran over a cat. I knew it was one of our neighbor's cats which was allowed to "cruise," the neighborhood. Even this fact can't remove the guilt you feel toward the victim.
Being a bird enthusiast you may think I have a vendetta against cats. You would be incorrect. In fact, we have our share of cats and love them dearly for their unique personalities, their genuine affection, and incredible capacity for love. We keep them indoors and all are spayed or neutered. I highlighted that line since it is the most important part of this entry. Cats are not the problem. The actions of humans with regards to cats has created an imbalance which can be corrected with awareness, and, honestly, regulation. This last action may seem costly until you think of how much it costs to run the humane society and other organizations. Just think of how many cats are still put down after not being adopted. It is a sad secret that many cats confiscated from "hoarders," are actually put down when not adopted. Was there situation really improved?. Other kittens given away are also at risk from others with harmful intent. We all know there's a better answer, and California has had success in their endeavors. Let's work toward a better solution for nature and cats!
I can preach all day but I'd rather tell a story of our cats, and how our bond started with our loving companions.
Paragraph Five
I was playing "fishing pole," with our cats the other night, and lay down on my stomach as they pounced on my back trying to get their prize. I suddenly had a sort of deja vue which took me back to our first encounter a few years ago, also in the spring but months earlier. It's funny how random events can sometimes shape the course of your life....
I suppose Kino was the first to discover their presence. My wife was out doing yardwork with him, but he wasn't laying by the door as usual (supervising as we say). Instead he had climbed up a hilly portion of the yard and lay down, acting almost like a protective sentry. My wife thought it was strange but let it go. The next weekend I glanced out our bedroom window and noticed a white puffball exploring the mouth of a Rock Squirrel den. Other black puffballs joined him at the entrance. I called out to Mrs S to tell her the news. That explained why Kino was so protective of the squirrel hole. But we knew this could be a dilemna.
Ironically our daughter was currently working at Casa de Los Gatos, a no-kill cat shelter (now Pawsitively Cats). From our conversations with her in the past we knew one thing, "black cats tend not to get adopted." All the kittens in our yard were black save one, which we would eventually name Scout. We already had cats, two of which had just came from the shelter. What would we do with all these kittens? How would we capture them, and when? If we waited too long would the mother become pregnant again? Was the mother feral? To make matters worse, we learned the shelter was not accepting new cats. The future of these kittens was one big question mark.
We decided to take it one day at a time. Mrs S cautiously brought out cat food to the mother every day.. Hopefully this would help the mother and kittens to be accustomed to us. It would also probably save the lives of many of our backyard residents, especially the lizards. Mrs S. was always a bit nervous bringing the food since we still didn't know if the mother was feral, but we knew she was a very caring and protective mother. When the kittens could eat food she would let them eat first before she had her share. She let the kittens play around our mesquite tree by their earthy home, but one danger warning from mom and they scurried into the hole. Scouts loved to play with a corn cob which had been left for the squirrels.
Soon the kittens were wandering further from their home, and most seemed weaned from their mother's milk. We were already attached to them and feared for their safety. When we spotted a male cat on the wall we knew we had to act fast. We only had a small window of opportunity to make things happen before the kittens became feral, or the mother became pregnant again. It was about this time when the incident happened.
One night we let Kino out not realizing the mother, which would be named Violet for her beautiful velvet coat, was on our porch. Both were startled and Kino rushed her. Before I could stop him he had knocked her over, almost like he was herding her. Then he trotted back. But Violet was furious and scared for her kittens, and charged back like a wildcat, jumping on Kino's back. I used a towel to push her off, but I think Kino wasn't even aware he was being attacked.
We decided it was time for action. Our first attempt with the trap ended in failure. We caught Violet using tuna in the trap, but could not get the kittens. I had grabbed Scout as he came out of the hole, but he squirmed and I had to let go so he wouldn't get hurt. As dusk fell we had to let Violet go again so she could join her kittens.
We still couldn't figure Violet out. She looked so imtimidating when Mrs. S. brought her food. After setting the dish down Mrs. S would always back up cautiously. I may have teased her about her apprehension. But she had the last laugh one day when I went to retrieve the tuna bowl. It wasn't empty and Violet made a short sprint toward me. The scared look I had on my face as I scurried away was enough for a lifetime of laughs for the Mrs. She said she never saw me move so fast!
We made another attempt with the trap. Luckily Violet's love of tuna was too powerful, and we caught her early in the morning. Or maybe she was ready for a rest after raising 5 kittens these past couple months. Perhaps she trusted us. After she was captured the others followed in one's and two's. We were glad Scout was one of the first. Soon all but one had been caught, but it was almost dusk. We were so nervous, then so relieved when we heard the trap door close, trapping the last jet black kitten. Now that they were caught we had a lot of work to do in a small amount of time.
When I look back I wish we had documented more accurately the events of each day, but it went so fast, with breakthroughs every day. First and foremost we took Violet to be spayed at the clinic. Since we thought she was feral there was the possibility she would have to be re-released. As standard protocol in this situation part of her ear was clipped to show she was spayed if encountered outdoors again. Later, after her recovery from surgery, our daughter visited to help our situation. She took one look at Violet and replied, "she's definitely not feral." Violet now lives with her and her husband in their home, and is the most adorable cat. She also loves our daughter's husband immensely, and greets him at the door every day.
TRAINING
Our first task was to gain the trust of these sweet, yet wild kittens. They were technically feral, and we had to overcome their fears. Scout would become our greatest challenge. He was very close to his mother Violet, and always seemed to be around her when they were outside. And the other cats looked up to him for leadership and protection. But you could tell he wasn't ready to trust us. As we put our hands close to the kitties in their cubby hole Scout would give the tiniest of hisses. It was meant as a threat, but sounded so cute you just wanted to hug him. I would pet him anyway, and he would slowly scrunch to the back of the cubby. But he never bit or scratched us, and I suspected his resolve was weakening. The picture below seems to capture Scouts early resistance perfectly.
Scout (aka Mr Tuffy), Pallas, and Olive
The official plan was to get the kitties acclimated to humans so they could be adopted at the shelter. Scout was the best candidate for adoption based solely on his looks. While we talked of that possibility I secretly knew when the time came I couldn't give Scout or any of his siblings up to strangers. I had fallen under their spell, and knew they trusted in me for their protection. I couldn't let them down. I suspected Mrs. S was under the same spell. After all, Kino and one of our other cats, Hadley (the hugger) had both enticed her to bring them home (with relative ease as well).
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| Scout (cute leader of "La resistance.") |
All the kitties were so cute, and coming around so quickly. We worked with them tirelessly knowing we only had a week before returning to our jobs. To overcome their fears we played with them with yarn or other toys. Once they ventured out I would lay on my stomach and let them jump on my back as the yarn was pulled over. Soon it became their favorite game. I was now more of a goofy playmate than a scary human. A couple kitties even attacked my feet, testing the waters. Scout was cautious still, and the others sometimes looked to him for leadership. But the toys were too luring, and even Scout would jump in once in a while. To this day whenever the kitties hear me open the fishing pole drawer they come running!
We wondered at first how Kino would react to his new siblings but he was readily accepting, even breaking into the play sessions at times to steal the toy and run off. He is very smart and I think he sensed the importance. He has been their protector, and herds them into the bedroom sometimes when strangers come to the door. It seems they think of him now as a large cat, and I can almost see his eyes roll helplessly when they rub against him. Even Violet forgave him for that one incident before they knew each other. Once while out with Kino a mother was walking with her daughter. The daughter exclaimed, "That dog looks like a cat." I replied, "Well, he does hang out with cats." That explanation seemed to suffice, but I had to wonder if she saw something I had missed. Do you see it?
One of the biggest breakthroughs came when our daughters were helping (AKA the cat whisperers). We were holding the kittens when they all began purring at once. We were so excited! Even Scout was purring. Our daughters would name all the kittens, and such names they picked! Pallas and Olive seemed to be our daughter M's favorites. They live with her now, and love her soooo much! In fact, they seemed to naturally love their new space when it came time to move in! We had given all the cats different colored collars since they looked so similar (except Scout), but they were beginning to develop different physically and their distinct personalities began to show.
Sweet Lilly, Pickle, and Scout live with us, and are so loving. Scout made a 360 degree turnaround and is now probably the most affectionate of our kitties here. He comes over to you now and falls over on your lap, turning over for tummy rubs. We still laugh when we see early pictures of him where he seems to be defiantly saying, "You will never break me, I will always resist....ttsssss...ok, if you must, but they must be tummy pets!.
I am thankful for the day when Violet decided to have her kittens in our yard. I often wonder if she chose us on purpose, being the incredible mother she was. The kitties have never shown any interest in being outside again, although they do like to watch the birds and lizards from the window. I still get nervous when I see a cat on our wall because, well, we don't have room for more. So please keep your cats inside for our sake and for the sake of your other non human neighbors. And, as Bob Barker says, "Please spay and neuter your dog or cat." We will all be thankful to you.
In the meantime, I suppose I am missing out on some great birding trips to sharpen my identification skills, but luckily the birds in the neighborhood give me plenty of nice surprises. There's always a convenient excuse to stay home...Scout wants to cuddle, Lilly wants to play, Pickle wants some neck rubs, Kino wants to walk, Daniel Boon wants a lap, Daisy wants to use your stomach as a headrest, Hadley needs a hug, Sassy wants some one on one, or they all want to take a nap together on the bed (bonding time). Thank you for letting me share our story.
Lilly, Hadley, Daniel Boone, Pickle, and Scout napping-bonding time.
Sassy on her headrest.
Daisy dropping a line to Mrs. S
Lilly and Hadley-inseparable.
Pallas in her home.
Olive in her bed.
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