Feral #33

This late season catch was an interesting one. The cats in the colony continue to surprise us.

"Shaky Legs"

This cat has difficulty walking. We aren't sure if it's a physical problem or neurological problem, but he has very little control over his back legs. His back half falls over and his legs are shaky. This condition seems to prevent him from jumping, so he has never actually been in our yard. We spotted him in the utility easement on the other side of the fence and have been tossing him food to encourage his presence. We devised a way to lower the trap over the fence and it didn't take long for him to figure out how to go in it.

This condition could be considered a side effect of a feral life. Had he been born into a home with a loving owner, a physical deficiency may have been corrected early on or a neurological issue might have been treated with medication. This condition does not seem to affect his quality of life in the colony, as he seems to be in good health otherwise and can move quickly when necessary.

However, his disability may have placed him at the bottom of the colony hierarchy. We thought this cat was a female when we first saw it because it was being mated with by one of the large males. Now that we know it is a boy, a quick Google search tells us that male cats will mate with anything if there aren't any unfixed females around. It may have also been a show of dominance in general as there were several cats watching this happen.