These two siblings have been on our radar since the end of 2019, however, just as we were ready to start trapping for the season in 2020, COVID-19 became widespread and everything came to a sudden halt.
Needless to say, our plans were a bit derailed, but eventually things started to open back up. At that point though, the unfixed cats had stopped wandering into our yard due to some intense, summertime landscaping nearby. It took awhile for them to remember that we existed as a food source once that obstacle cleared up, but we did managed to trap and fix one cat in 2020. "My Buddy" was neutered on November 6th.
He's the first cat in the colony to have fused toes (a form of Syndactyly), which makes him unique. He's also the most relaxed feral we've ever met, which makes him extra unique. The vet had the same opinion of his odd demeanor. Nearly all the cats in the colony are unapproachable. Occasionally though, one warms up and decides we are OK. "My Buddy" likes hanging out, and really appreciates a good chin scratch!
None of this uniqueness applies to his sister. Although, she is one of few cats to come running over at feeding time with no hesitation the day after their big adventure to the vet. The days are getting longer, and it finally warmed up enough for us to trap her. She was spayed on February 22nd. Good thing too. It is definitely mating season, and the roaming males (the jowly, unfixed ones we often only ever see once), have been performing evening operas the last couple of weeks. We know there's at least one more female we need to fix at the moment (that at least sometimes comes through our yard), so wish us luck on our next fishing expedition!
