tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3476582663759711920.post1756876085983913423..comments2024-01-19T13:02:42.603-05:00Comments on The Owl House: I believe we need to stop claiming that territoriality will keep new cats awaySusan Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00626324831005117127noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3476582663759711920.post-59487564128981345632011-11-08T13:16:37.187-05:002011-11-08T13:16:37.187-05:00I suspect mom-cat had either been dumped or moved ...I suspect mom-cat had either been dumped or moved from a really bad situation at least several weeks before the kitten showed. I had seen unknown cat eyes one morning weeks before kitten-I just figured it was a tom passing through. And I'm really, really far from the nearest road or house. But there's an active coyote population that I'm afraid got the mom.<br /><br />I also suspect kitten had been living rough because the second night with me she pounced on and ate a june bug that just barely fit in her mouth. And didn't throw it back up later on the bed. But then she's very tame/social. My oldest cat-who was snagged along with his brothers from a feral colony at 4 weeks-was hissy for weeks and still has a more cautious approach to life.<br /><br />Sorry about the rambling on, but Zelda kitten is such a mystery. And as for not feeding animals so they 'go away', well, staving to death is definitely 'gone away' for good.rheatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13106202307295596177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3476582663759711920.post-25347669948278272312011-11-08T06:33:42.653-05:002011-11-08T06:33:42.653-05:00You're right Susan. Cats rarely just "sh...You're right Susan. Cats rarely just "show up." That's why I avoid the use of the word stray. When cats get out they rarely go far & simply hide nearby. Dogs on the other hand take off running, exploring & once they stop they look around & wonder "where am I & how did I get here?" Stray cat puts the blame on the cat instead of the real perp - the person who drove the cat far away and dumped him/her. We need a derogatory word to describe these "dumpers" to shame & blame them for their heartless deeds.Connie, Orlandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03352603326494248659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3476582663759711920.post-24549075882884305892011-11-08T04:37:41.505-05:002011-11-08T04:37:41.505-05:00Hey rheather, I would guess you are right. Someone...Hey rheather, I would guess you are right. Someone probably dropped that kitten down by the road/street and she probably smelled or saw your cat, or knew that "house" = safety. She was lucky you were there for her. Some anti-cat people would have said you should have just not fed her and she would have "gone away."<br /><br />To get an idea of how many kittens are purposefully dumped, people should just watch craigslist for a week during kitten season. 5 -8 week old kittens don't just "wander away" from their homes. While it's possible someone could get a new kitten and have it get confused or lost if she gets outside, if someone has a resident kitten (born there) it's going to stay put. So when a strange kitten just "shows up" somewhere, it's because someone put her there. Chances are pretty good, she's not lost, although found kittens should always be advertised, just in case.Wildrunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09076048481680534342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3476582663759711920.post-35418190982092715862011-11-07T13:34:41.682-05:002011-11-07T13:34:41.682-05:00Your observation about kittens just sitting there ...Your observation about kittens just sitting there until they die makes my heart drop. <br /><br />My newest cat(all grown up and going to get spayed this month!) made it to my house at about 5 weeks old. I suspect it was my oldest cat's yowling that got her there. And once she was under the house she hollered. But knowing how close I came to missing her is horrible.rheatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13106202307295596177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3476582663759711920.post-84381959305825207652011-11-06T17:35:27.925-05:002011-11-06T17:35:27.925-05:00I'm with you on this. I agree with your asses...I'm with you on this. I agree with your assessment & have another point to add to this. Over the years I've had caretakers tell me that after they've trapped/fixed & returned all or most of their cats, they see new ones. I believe first that there are varying degrees of feral. Those who are the most wild may rarely venture into sight of the caretaker. They are there waiting for the others to feed & the caretaker to leave. There are also those who are hiding because they are often attacked by the intact or dominant cats in the colony. After being fixed, those aggressive tendencies can diminish, allowing the less dominant cats to feel more comfortable eating along with the rest of the cats.Connie, Orlandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03352603326494248659noreply@blogger.com