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Thursday, April 11, 2013

some of the outside menagerie... and an update on Jack

Cold, damp, and raining again. I was taken by surprise by the temperature when I went outside this morning to go to class.  It was COLD!  And yesterday had been in the high 70's.  I knew it was suppose to rain and the temp would drop, but I didn't expect this. Had to return inside for a scarf, coat, and umbrella.

Our 'outside cats' which are mostly ferals and neighborhood strays stay close to our back porch on cold rainy days. The porch is covered and provides protection from the rain, and there are baskets with hay and chairs with blankets...  as well as food and water. On really cold days we have hanging heat lamps. And on hot summer days, there is a ceiling fan and child's plastic swimming pool.  Several generations of strays have grown up here. One of these is Bootsie.  She's a little black and white DSH that we've tried to catch and spay for a few years now. She is sweet, but smart and although she spends a lot of time around us, will not let us too close. Here's a picture of her up in a tree over the bird feeder. And the other picture is one of her with her daughter, Socks. Now Socks is a lot friendlier than Bootsie.  She may eventually let us close enough. We're trying. She will play with a toy through the kitchen door and runs to it when she sees us. but so far... no touching. However,  time will tell.






This bottom pic is of a SiameseTom that comes around a lot. We call him 'Sam'.  He doesn't stay... eats, causes havoc, then leaves until it's time to eat again. He has beautiful blue eyes (had to red-eye out them). We believe he actually lives somewhere close by... and just comes visiting because although we don't pet him, he doesn't seem to be afraid of people.

And here's a photo of our inside black and white siblings, Jack and Tux as they squeeze their fat selves into a Christmas basket.  (Tux has white face, Jack has black nose)




And news is that Jack is still not his ol' self.  He hasn't eaten in the last 2 days and is laying quietly in his box. When we pet him and bring him water, he drinks and purrs, but his gums and ears are very pale. We will probably bring him to the Vet's tomorrow if he continues this way. But... they have told us before that there is nothing they can do. His body is destroying his red blood cells and it's only a matter of time. However, he has always 'sprung back'... and hopefully, he will be able to do so again. There is another black and white sibling,  little Julie.  She is half the size of her brothers... but she is very independent.  Tux and Jack have been extremely close their whole lives and I worry how Tux will do when Jack passes.

Julie


I probably should have put all this cat info on my 'Cat, Chocolate, and Coffee' blog.  Oh well, too late. 


22 comments:

  1. Poor Jack. Purrs and prayers for him, for his Highest Good, whatever that might be.

    Bootsie and Socks are lovely. All the strays and ferals are lucky to have you to give them such wonderful care. Fingers and paws crossed that one day you get Socks--it doesn't sound like Bootsie ever will let herself be trapped. Do you have a TNR group in your area? If so, that could be an immense help, but if you don't, it's a lot for one or two people to try to take on.

    BTW, that's a great shot of Julie, she's so pretty!

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    1. Julie is a 'little Jack'... not only does she have some of the same markings, but she's smart like Jack. However, she also is extremely vocal and persistent... which can be annoying at times. But luckily we love her.

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  2. I love Julie's expression.
    Ferals rarely allow contact but the odd one can be tamed so good luck with the daughter.
    I am so sorry to hear Jack is still not back to his old self ...I do hope he improves ....I shall keep him in my thoughts.... and you too. xx

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    1. We have had good luck with ferals as long as they're taken in very early... (a few weeks old). Although we did take in Tummy Spot after she had a litter, spayed her, and found homes for her babies... and she was an adult, but became very friendly during her confinement. We did release her outdoors after she recovered and she has stayed close to our yard ever since.

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  3. They are all such good looking cats. Yes, even the annoying Siamese. I hope Jack feels better by now. It's awful when one of our pets is down like that. It just pulls the rug out from under me. I wish him well.
    Julie is very pretty. Deb

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    1. Jack is a little better today. He actually came into the kitchen and ate. He has since returned to his box. But when I went to check on him, he got up and climbed into my lap and purred. So, he may be on the mend... since he is eating and drinking. He just doesn't have much energy.

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  4. I'm glad you put it all here, since this is the one I follow, Rian. Such a saga with your kitties. I love your pictures, I feel like I know them all. And love them. I do hope Jack will recover, but if he doesn't that Tux will be okay. You're doing a wonderful job. :-)

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    1. We know that Jack will succumb one day, but we keep hopeing for more time. He doesn't seem to be in any distress (I wouldn't let him suffer), but he just doesn't seem to have any energy (which is probably because his blood count is so low).
      But his eyes are alert, his coat shiny... and he's still purring.

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  5. Hi Rian, lovely pics of your extended family. I hope Jack 'springs back' again for you. He and Tux look so funny squashing themselves into that basket.

    Diana

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    1. I know. They cram themselves together inside of baskets, boxes, etc. (and they are not small cats).

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  6. You are a true cat lover. I applaud your efforts to get at least some of the feral cats spayed.

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    1. We try, but are not terribly successful. We provide a safe place, food, and water (and sometimes heat) but spaying and vaccinating involves catching them (and they can be pretty evasive).

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  7. This post brings back memories, of long ago. When I was part of a 3 lady take-care-of-stray-cats grouping. We finally had to get the kittens into a safe cage and take them to our vet. Who spayed them and found homes for them. It was NOT EASY to "catch" them, though!!!!

    Best of luck to Jack... And to you... To make the best decision about his future....

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    1. We have better luck collecting the kittens at a young age, vaccinating them, and taking them to the Adoption Room at our local no kill shelter. Catching the adults is extremely difficult.

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  8. Thanks for letting me know about the photos. I had this problem when I brought them from facebook so I went to photo-bucket. Now I'm not sure what to do. Where do you host your photos from? Deb

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    1. "host your photos"??? Now I feel ignorant. What does this mean? I get my photos off the computer where I download them from my camera...

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  9. You have a compassionate heart my friend. It is nice to give safety and shelter to the kitties. I love the photo of your kitties in the basket together...so darn cute. :) I hope Jack perks up. :(

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    1. We try to provide a sanctuary... although some of our neighbors may not always approve. Some would rather Animal Control come by and pick them all up... but not all shelters are no-kill. Besides, I think the cats provide a service. We live on a creek and they keep the rat population down quite a bit.

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  10. You are so good to your cats, Rian, both indoor ones and ferals. I'm sorry Jack is still ailing. It does sound as though he may be gently fading. :-(

    We have feral cats that visit us when we're in France, but here in the UK there seem to be far fewer ferals than in the past, at least around where we live. Perhaps people are being better about neutering their cats and reducing the numbers of unwanted kittens.

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  11. They ARE spoiled... or we may just be well trained. But they do make us laugh (and sometimes cry).

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  12. Hi Rian, thank you for the update...and for sharing these lovely photos. I am sure that Jack appreciates the love you are showing him, he purrs and responds well in spite of his illness. Sending you a hug, and give Jack a hug for me as well.

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  13. I will give Jack a hug for you. He is very loving cat. When you pet him, he grabs your hand and licks it. And he is doing better... actually staying in the kitchen by the Aga this morning with his feline buddies... and eating.

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