September Wrap Up

As September comes to a close, we thought it would be a good time to provide some information about things coming down the line and update our numbers.

October 16th is National Feral Cat Day! We registered with Alley Cat Allies and have a special blog post planned with the tips and tricks we’ve found that work best when living with a large feral colony nearby. We also plan to better advertise our blog to neighbors in the community so that they can follow our efforts more closely. Along with that, we will spread door-to-door educational material provided by Alley Cat Allies to inform the community about feral cats in general.

New kittens from July & August mating will begin showing themselves soon as they're getting old enough to start venturing out. We have already caught one and turned it over to the humane society to be socialized for adoption. We have also, lamentably, found several deceased kittens. They were taken by either a predator or by neglect from an inexperienced mother.

Our contact at the local Animal Control let us know that they discovered a litter of kittens recently which they already adopted out. This is extremely beneficial to our effort. We caught seven kittens earlier this year that the humane society was able to socialize and adopt to welcoming homes, but seven was only a fraction of the kittens that were born. Using improved tools & techniques that we've developed with the knowledge from that experience and the experience with cats throughout September, we hope that we will catch even more of these young cats before they become too old to adopt out.

We will begin October with a documented total of 49 cats in the clowder. This number has risen slightly over the weeks as we have noticed cats we had forgotten about and have seen some for the first time. It is slowly inching towards our initial estimate of sixty cats.

We had sixteen cats fixed in September and don't plan on stopping now. Our effort, combined with the cats that were already fixed, brings the total number of fixed cats to thirty. That puts the colony at 61% fixed. This a huge step up from the beginning of the month when only 26% were fixed. The remaining unfixed cats include several that will pose no challenge to catch. After that, a little finesse and tweaking of our tactics will be required. We have a number of different tools and plans laid out for this phase of the process.

Ferals #14, #15, & #16

We consider this set of feral catches to be one of our greatest successes so far. Two of these were actively mating this year AND they had never ventured in the traps before. We are very excited to have them added to our "fixed" list!

"Scarface"

Scarface first showed up at the beginning of summer, turning up at dinner time once or twice a week. Not for food, mind you, but for booty. He got his name from a gash that was present across his nose and right side of his face. It has since healed up (except for a scar on his nose), but he kept his nickname because it fit. He's definitely got the alley cat attitude, but doesn't flaunt it. He also has no discretion, and is the most actively mating male we've encountered. His nickname could also be Casanova. For example, one evening after we had dinner outside, we walked over to look at the garden. When we looked back, Scarface was "carving a notch in his bedpost" with one of the females right on the chairs we had just been sitting in! It wasn't the first or only time. He always watched the other cats from a distance while they ate in the traps, but only went into the traps once himself. This time, we sprung it on him.

"Orange Mama - Orange Eyes"

This lady is one of the more skittish adults in the colony. She has been mother to at least one litter (which included "Twice Escaped Orange One"). She never showed interest in going into the traps, but she did watch others do it. This week, she suddenly started exploring the traps. Luckily for us, she figured it out and once she was in, we got her!

"Tiny Tabby Female"

There are a lot of tabbies in the colony, and most of them are fixed already. Just like "Male Tabby" in this post, this lady is young enough that we haven't been able to figure out a nickname for her.

Additionally, we caught a kitten with this group that was 4-5 weeks old (forgot to take a picture). It was quick to figure out how to get into the trap for food. Then we transferred it to a pet carrier and brought it to the the humane society. They will socialize it and adopt it out. This is the age that most kittens in the colony get their first upper respiratory infection, so we're excited that this cat will get to live a healthier life! This was also a signal for us to get "kitten-ready" because seeing one kitten this age means there are more to follow.

Featured Colony Member: Fuzzy

This is the ONLY cat in the colony that doesn't have short hair. She is also the oldest cat in the colony (at least 5 years old). Anyone familiar with the life span of a feral cat knows that this is cat is ancient, and we feel it's time she moved into a comfortable retirement.

"Fuzzy"

The story told to us is that Fuzzy once gave birth to 18 kittens over the course of a single year. Each litter was born in a window-well of a neighbor's house. That neighbor was able to find people to adopt each kitten (they even kept one for themselves as an indoor cat). We believe because of this, Fuzzy is no longer related to any of the other cats living in the colony. She basically lives like a hermit. She does not socialize with the other cats outside of feeding time, and when she does, it is to swat, hiss, and fight them off for being too close to her. She will eat almost anything put in front of her and stuff her face to the point that it is getting in the way of our trapping tactics.
 

However, the most unique thing about Fuzzy is that she will let you pet her or grab the scruff of her neck, but only if food is involved. This characteristic has made her the focus of what we're calling our "Retirement Program." A couple friends of ours recently moved to the country and live on a good sized chunk of land. They have volunteered to take Fuzzy as a Barn Cat. There are mice and things to chase, and our friends will provide food and fresh water for her. We will also be constructing an insulated shelter for her to sleep in. She won't have to live with the stresses of her current urban environment or the other cats she clearly dislikes. 

Keep an eye out for updates about Fuzzy and our efforts to help her retire.

Ferals #11, #12, & #13

These three cats are all part of litters from Spring 2015 and are hopefully some of the last cats to grow up in this colony. A couple of the more skittish mature cats were getting pretty close to going into the traps last night for the first time ever. Perhaps the idea of Winter is making them desperate, but once they're in, they're fixed.

"Seal Point"

There is already one cat in the colony with markings like this. It is older (approx. 2 years), already fixed, and we have a different nickname for it. This girl did have some eye issues when she was young but somehow pulled through.

 "Black White Spot Two"

This guy also has markings that match an older cat in the colony that is already fixed. The only marking is a white spot on his chest. The vet gave him a de-worming treatment to attempt to remedy some digestive problems that put him at risk for infection. There are several small black cats that will most likely be treated for the same issue.

 "Goggles"

There are a lot of tabbies in the colony, and most of them are fixed already. This guys is recognizable because of his eyes. They are quite sunken into his head. For a long time, he always had his second, inner eyelids up. We don't know if it was because he was sick or something, but it seems to have gone away.

Featured Colony Member: The Cute One

The nicknames of the cats in the colony are given to help us keep them straight in our notes. These names come from either physical or behavioral traits. This girl has some unique things about her, but her nickname really sums her up.

"The Cute One"

This little girl is the only calico cat in the feral colony, as surprising as that might be. There are a large number females with the tortoiseshell pattern, but The Cute One is the only one with the white, which is the defining part of the Calico pattern. She was born in 2014 and was fixed early in 2015 when she was just old enough to start having kittens. She showed up in the yard one evening with her ear tipped. This was a sign to us that one of our neighbors must be actively practicing Trap-Neuter-Return this year and gave us a boost into looking at the program seriously ourselves. We don't think she ever had any litters.

Coming soon...

Watch for special posts October 16th!

Ferals #9 & #10

We're into the double digits now. These are a couple interesting kitties.

"Tabby Point Siamese"

There are several cats in the colony that resemble the Siamese breed. This little lady has it in addition to the popular tabby pattern. She was from a Spring 2015 litter. This is the first feral cat that the vets have told us that they noticed something out of the ordinary. She looked to have a digestive issue, so they gave her an antibiotic shot. She should be easy to keep an eye on.

 "Total Black"

Of all of the black cats in the colony, this boy is the first one we've noticed that has ZERO identifying marks. No white patches, no cool colored eyes, he is the definition of black cat. Quite a contrast from the tabby point above! He is also from a Spring 2015 litter.

*Update* - Total Black DOES have an identifying mark: They clipped his right ear instead of left on accident.

Compiled Clowder Quantities

Later we will be posting ferals #9 & 10, fixed today, but we wanted to document where the colony stands now.  We know of and regularly recognize 45 cats in the colony (a new one appeared last night, possibly a transient male).  Of the 45 known, there are now 22 that are not fixed.  Of these, we have our targeted priorities, and we are effectively making it through our list.  Half of the 22 (11 exactly) are this past summer’s kittens we did not catch (now that we have developed a method for catching the kittens, we hope to let fewer of these grow up in the colony – on a side note, all of this summer’s caught kittens were successfully socialized and adopted out!).  The growing kittens are not of breeding age yet, but we are targeting the young males.  We want to get them before they become transients and are more difficult to catch.  The unfixed females will maintain residence in our yards with the food sources, like the fixed cats, and we have several months (until approximately next April) to get to them before they start producing new kittens. Several of the cats have just given birth, and we cannot humanely trap them until their kittens are weaned.  Taking them for 36 hours would mean death to their kittens.  That’s probably it for this fall’s kittens though, so that’s good.  No more known pregnant cats.  Several of the new moms have no problem feeding from the traps, so we will catch them once they become eligible.  A couple of the cats are of little breeding concern as, while they are around, they are not accepted members of the colony and do not get much in the way of breeding “rights”, like former featured member “Balls”.  They are lower on our list than the male kittens, but we will be fixing them soon enough anyway.  In the end, not counting the kittens and currently ineligible females, this leaves 7 cats we would very much like to fix soon.  These are pretty encouraging numbers!  Wish us luck in finishing this by Spring!

Ferals #7 & #8

These two feral cats are the 7th and 8th we've trapped and had fixed; a boy and a girl this time. We had been hoping to get these two for awhile now. After practicing some patience (read that as "let almost every other cat go in the traps, eat, and leave), they finally went in.

"The Pretty One"

This cat's coat of fur is the inspiration for her name. She is from a litter in 2014 and has a traditional marble tabby pattern with tortoiseshell mixed in there. She has also got the attitude to go with it! She was caught once before but she escaped after some clumsiness with the trap. She has mothered at least one litter, but we assume more.

 "Balls Jr."

Balls Jr. gets his name because he looks like a young version of another male in the colony. We can't be for sure if he is the son of Balls (Featured Colony Member), but he sure has the look. He was born in the spring of 2015 and this guy liked to strut his stuff around, but he doesn't have it to strut anymore.

Featured Colony Member: Balls

If there is a hierarchy in the colony, and our last Featured Member is at the top of the chart, then this boy is at the bottom. At feeding time, the other cats all push him out of the way; he is literally at the bottom of the food chain.

"Balls"

Balls was born early in 2014. As a kitten, he developed a bad eye infection. We guess it was upper respiratory, but it could have been something else. His eyes were glued shut with nasty gunk at one point (we referred to him as "Gooey Eyes") and we were certain he would not survive, but he did. His eyes are no longer glued shut, but they are definitely not in good shape. Based on our interactions with him, we can tell that he has difficulty seeing and is easily startled. He does, however, have a huge set of testicles (hence the name he has now) and he does not hesitate to show them off. There is a Spring 2015 kitten that looks just like him which we assume is his offspring, though we're not sure how he mated since all of the females shove him out of the way at dinner time. When we get around to trapping him, we will have to change his name to "Former Balls" or something.

Volunteers #5 & #6

Chalk 'em up, here are our 5th and 6th trapped feral cats. Their photos are after surgery, so they're a little groggy. These ladies won't have to know the hardship of giving birth in the wild.

 "Tux"

Tux may be a funny name for a girl, but of the whole colony, she is the only one with a tuxedo style coat pattern. She is from a spring 2015 litter. We set the trap up and went in the house to get food for the trap. When we came back outside, she was already in the food-less trap waiting. We are manually tripping the traps, so we just pulled the rope and got her.

"Pale Spotted Tabby"

Pale Tabby is also from a litter in spring 2015. She is pretty big and we thought she was a boy because of her size. The dull fur coloring trait is pretty popular in the colony, as well as the spotted tabby pattern. She happened to get them both.

An hour after we let Tux go, she was right back in the traps for some food. We'd been told that after a cat is trapped, they would most likely avoid going back in. Half of the cats we've caught have gone back in the traps later, and all of the already-fixed cats (that would have been trapped in the past at some point) go in, too.

Featured Colony Member: Buddy

Some of the cats in the colony have more personality than others. We thought it might be fun to introduce some of them individually. This guy was caught by neighbors in the past and fixed through the Trap-Neuter-Return program.

"Buddy"

Buddy is one of the oldest in the colony, born in spring 2013. He was a kitten when he went through the TNR program. He is a very curious cat and is always watching while you work in the yard; sometimes from far away, sometimes from almost at your feet (but he will not let you touch him). He was quick to realize that if we were grilling food outside, he would get a scrap or two. As he got more comfortable with us, we realized that if we fed him, other cats would come to the yard looking for food. He became our "bait" to attract feral cats to the yard so we could trap them. It has become routine when feeding the feral cats that Buddy gets fed first. He understands that he is special, but he is not exactly sure why. With our help, he is the unwitting "Alpha" of the colony.

The First Volunteers

These are the first four cats from the colony that we trapped and had fixed. That's two males and two females less with their reproductive bits!

We've been putting out wet food in the traps (not set to trip) for a while now. The cats have gotten quite used to going in the traps to eat. Even the already fixed ones, who must have been trapped at some point in the past, go in. We decided that we would stand nearby and manually trip the traps with a rope so that we can avoid catching cats that are already fixed.

 "Twice Escaped Orange One"

This  little guy is a kitten from the spring 2015 litters. We actually got him twice in our drop-trap when he was young, but he escaped both times. First because we forgot to reset the door properly (Oops!) and the second because he was big enough to use his weight to get out. It took a number of weeks for him to return to the yard.

 "Tumor Mama"

Tumor Mama might be a peculiar name, but between all of the black cats, we had to find something. This summer, she developed some sort of swollen wound on her neck (that did heal), but gave us an opportunity to name her. She has given birth to at least two litters, one in 2014 and one in 2015. We are glad to have finally gotten her fixed; she would get quite skinny and frail after each litter. Now she can finally retire from exhaustion of birthing.

"Pointy Noise, Big Eyes"

Not the most creative name, but her features set her apart from the other female tabbies. We aren't 100% sure if she had any litters, but she definitely would have been a candidate to breed if we hadn't gotten her.

"Stripes"

 

Unfortunately, we didn't get a good picture of it, but this tabby male has great stripes on his legs. Males travel from colony to colony to spread diversity, and this guy showed up to the colony only a week before we trapped him. Since his release, we have not seen him around.

It is Out of Control

This is the start of us helping to get the population of the feral colony under control. It doesn't matter how the colony started; blaming anyone for letting it get so large and out of hand does not lead to a solution. Now is the time to gather facts and consider options. Today we compiled the first list of the colony and found there are at least 42 cats, and there are more most likely. Of those cats, 31 are unfixed.

Thanks to the people at Wild at Heart and Humane Society of Boulder Valley, we can financially afford to start the process of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for these cats. If we happen to catch kittens that are young enough, the humane society will attempt to socialize and adopt them out as pets (which they have successfully done with the seven kittens we were able to catch this spring). Slowly, these efforts will bring the population under control. 

The journey begins here.

 

 "What do you think these things are for?"

"We'll go in here, no-questions-asked, for food."