One day I started feeding and sheltering,
(on my porch, in home made igloos) three
starving feral cats (it was winter).
One I named Smokey (he was a solid smokey grey),
the other Grizzly (thick, matted grey cat with no ears
---well stubs--his ears had been frostbitten, and the
last cat (who showed up months later) I named
Hunter.
Smokey, disappeared after the summer
of last year, Grizzly ( in the care of a baby sitter)
disappeared three weeks after my husband
and I left for Charleston for the winter. We don't
know Smokey or Grizzly's fate, but Hunter has
become an adorable pet. He doesn't scratch or bite
(he has FANGS), and is very affectionate. He has
his own spot in the house, complete with bed,
scratching mat and toys.
We try to keep him in the house as much as possible
because he is a KILLER, more so, I believe, than
most cats because he had to survive without humans.
I had contacted the Feral Cat Society in our town and
had each trapped. FYI it costs $30.00 to have feral
cats neutered, administered shots and wormed.
The downside is that the vet cuts the tip (quite a bit)
of the cat's left ear so it is recognized quickly as being
neutered and free of rabies. Feral cats are not adopted,
but returned to the person who brought the cat(s) in
or returned to their original location or colony.
So now we have a pet with a clipped ear as you can
see in the photos below.
I am teaching Hunter how to "catch and release"
because if anyone knows me well, I am a bleeding heart
when it comes to animals. I can't blame Hunter for his
instinct to hunt, but I see a trend of him now bringing
the prey into the house and releasing for me to take care of!
Hunter has inspired a children's book!
1 comment:
I have "killer" pound puppies. They are really cute until they start growling at little girls and bullying the neighbor's dog. We're lucky to have a big yard with tall, secure fences.
It's funny how nice-looking people and dogs aren't always nice-acting.
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