Early Winter and the Ferals
It took everyone by surprise. Many of us living in Western Colorado feel cheated out of the beauty and benefits of an Indian Summer. Usually, Fall is the best time to enjoy life. After a hot summer, the temperatures have cooled down enough during the day to enjoy long walks and yard work without getting overheated. The colors of turning leaves are a joy to behold this time of year.
Instead, Mother Nature decided to strike down the harvest with an early frost. My modest little garden was producing a lot of tomatoes at that time, but they got nipped in the bud. That didn't bother me so much, but then we got a big winter storm that devastated my anticipation of Indian Summer with SNOW in OCTOBER! What a bummer!!
It's not so bad for humans, I suppose, but my Feral Cat Family was a little bamboozled, especially the half-grown kittens, Cami and Spooky, who didn't know what to think of this sudden change and discomfort in their young lives. Mama Cat was pregnant again and disappeared during the worst part of the storm. When she showed up two or three days later (still VERY COLD OUT), she looked like she had given birth ... yet I'm not sure what happened to her new kittens. She hung around the patio, waiting for hand-outs, and I pondered whether her new babies had perished from the cold.
Spooky and Cami, who were born in the Spring, stay close to the patio, where I have provided a heated cat house with blankets, heating pad and thermal energy, along with their feeding cart and access to food and water 24/7. However, the water and milk I put out froze within two minutes. They are especially hungry this time of year, trying so hard to stay warm. Camouflage-colored Cami, who is tamer than her all-black brother, has endeared herself so much to me that I invite her into my house for a few minutes at feeding time. She is so amusing, wandering around, exploring the rooms, mewing at me in her high, squeaky cat voice. Spook is more the fraidy-cat and has stepped inside the doorway, but runs out again.
The local animal shelter (Surface Creek in Cedaredge) offers a wonderful service for feral cats. They provide live, humane traps in which to capture the animals so that you can transport them to a local vet, who will neuter them at no charge. This, I am told, has been a very successful project so far. I obtained one of the traps a couple of weeks ago, with the intention of getting Cami and Spooky fixed as they are approaching the half-year mark of age. But it didn't work out because the vet was gone during the only two days I could get it done, due to my work schedule. Since they don't do the spay/neuters on weekends, that left me stuck.
Cami and Spooky now have to wait until probably December to be humanely captured (one at a time) and taken in for the operations. Mama Cat is another story. Until I can verify her situation (whether she's nursing kittens or not), I will probably have to wait several months. Unfortunately, she has been a bit hostile toward her half-grown kittens. I saw this occur when she had the first Spooky (a female black cat) last year. Spooky No. 1 was driven away, which broke my heart ... which is why I was overjoyed to have Spooky No. 2 and his sweet, affectionate sister, Cami.
I now feed four cats, including the old orange tabby tom, "Pete," who is so docile and gentle. Except for Mama Cat's maternal instinct of wanting to run off her first brood, my Feral Cat Family is a congenial bunch and I enjoy feeding them and having them around. They look healthy and appear to be happy in my fenced backyard with all the bird feeders, trees, shrubs and bushes to play in. Since I cannot keep an indoor cat (due to Doug's allergies), these outdoor kitties have satisfied my maternal needs for pets.
It's amazing how feral cats can endure the harsh Colorado winter weather. I am happy to provide them shelter, food and a feline paradise without the burden of having indoor pets. As for Cami ... who knows? They say feral cats cannot be tamed. I beg to differ ... at least right now.
