September 16th 2011 5:16 am
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OK, no one visible yesterday, though the food was eaten. Could have been Mama or Papa C. but probably was "Uncle Bob", as the pawrents call the other younger black feral (doesn't look full grown yet) who we think "belongs" to our neighbor, but sneaks over to steal food sometimes.
Eventually we'll have to catch him or her, too, plus the 4 kittens, we guess, though the pawrents did talk to the neighbor about the spays and he sounded interested. He's complained in the past about too many cats around his house, but then he feeds them and doesn't do anything about birth control for them. He's also complained in the past about one of the blacks that he says has killed kittens. We say "Not the Papa!" as we've seen him eating side by side with the Mama AND her babies - no problems. I know that's not an ironclad guarantee that he didn't attack someone else's kittens, but still we don't believe it's him - if it is even true that it was a cat that killed the kits. There are plenty of other predators in the woods.
Mama C. did show up at 7:00 AM this morning and had a good breakfast. Our Mama, acting on faith, had set the food out and called "Mama - breakfast time!" though she didn't see her right away. She must have been waiting just out of view, though, because in the time it took our Mama to pick up the water dish to put fresh in it, she was there. The pawrents leave water out, but they always pick up any food just after dark, because of the raccoons and possums, and I should add - skunks, though so far none have ever come on the porch! They're out there, though!
About our neighbor: this is out in the country, not like the city or the suburbs. There's a lot of roaming space and farmland in all directions, plus a duck preserve, marshes and lakes only a mile away in more than one direction. Lots of wildlife - including cats. We don't really fault him for not catching and caring for every stray that wanders through his property; we certainly haven't! We DO think it's not right to encourage them to stay by feeding, and then complain that they do stay and continue to produce families (which, BTW, we have to deal with, too!) Hopefully, he'll be giving this latest development some thought, and maybe take care of a few of his "regulars".
As the Tabbies would say: OK, then.
ewe got that rite, high paws two de dood if him be feedin de wee kittehs; but ewe got that rite; dont make a whinny babee face when de kittehs iz comin bak for mor foods just coz they be hungree....sum peepul just haz noe sentz samhain.... Hopefully, he'll think about spaying and neutering some of the regulars. They'd showed up in this order this morning: Mama C. Then Uncle Bob came after she left. Then Mama C. came back with one of the grey kittens! Then the grey kitten and Uncle Bob together (our Mama was glad to see this - she wasn't sure if he'd be a problem with the kittens). Then finally the grey kitten and one of the black kittens. You understand that in between these visitations, our Mama was running out and putting more wet food in the food dishes, just to encourage more eating - they all look like it wouldn't hurt them. No one would stay on the porch while she was there, except for Mama C., who alternately growled
and mewed in her tiny little voice.
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September 16th 2011 at 10:06 am