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| Mini and Pumpkin: photo by Cliff Hutson |
This week has two days involving cats. National Feral Cat Day is observed annually on October 16. And, October 17 was the twelfth anniversary of a cat, who became known as Pumpkin, walking up our driveway while my wife was gardening in the front flowerbeds, and convincing her that he should live with us.
Feral Cats
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| Feral Cat: photo by Cliff Hutson |
A feral cat is a cat that has been born to a stray or another feral cat and is unaccustomed to interacting with humans. They may be so afraid of people that they are unable to be handled, let alone adopted.
Many people object to feral cats as they can create problems by urinating, defecating, digging in yards and gardens. I did not really mind them jumping on my car, but some people can see why others take umbrage at the paw prints. The feral cats can also be upsetting to owned cats. But, perhaps the main problem is that, left to their own devices, they will reproduce like the proverbial rabbits. Since a female cat can become pregnant as early as five months of age, the number of feral cats in a neighborhood can rapidly increase if cats aren't spayed or neutered. Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is a solution to this problem.
Many people object to feral cats as they can create problems by urinating, defecating, digging in yards and gardens. I did not really mind them jumping on my car, but some people can see why others take umbrage at the paw prints. The feral cats can also be upsetting to owned cats. But, perhaps the main problem is that, left to their own devices, they will reproduce like the proverbial rabbits. Since a female cat can become pregnant as early as five months of age, the number of feral cats in a neighborhood can rapidly increase if cats aren't spayed or neutered. Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is a solution to this problem.
TNR is a program through which feral cats are humanely trapped; sterilized and medically treated. The tip of one ear surgically removed - a "tipped" ear is the universally-recognized sign of a cat who has been spayed or neutered. The cat will then be returned to the location where they were found. Those cats found suffering with terminal or untreatable illnesses or injuries are euthanized.
My next door neighbor participates in TNR. She feeds them after their return, so they tend to stick around and form a colony. Her cats like to hang out on our adjoining wall, and in my drive. (They also liked to sleep on the hood of my car. I don’t think that they have fully forgiven me for switching to a SUV which is too tall for them to reach.) Many people on the block assume that they are mine. This enhances my reputation as "that strange old man".
Stray Cats
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| Pumpkin: photo by Cliff Hutson |
A stray cat is a pet who has been lost or abandoned, is used to contact with people and is tame enough to be adopted.
Pumpkin had a collar, but no tags nor ID. Our first thought was to find his owners by putting up posters. We took him in to the IVHS to see if he was chipped - he was not; or if anyone would inquire about him - no one did. So, he came to live with us. We thought we were really clever naming an orange cat "Pumpkin". (Especially in the month of October.) But, it seems we were not the first. "Pumpkin" is fortieth on the list of 100 popular cat names.
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| Mini: photo by Cliff Hutson |
We adopted Mini not quite a year later. She came from a cat rescue group that had found her in a vacant house. Picking a name for her was more difficult. It seems that during the first week it changed on a daily basis, if not hourly. She was very tiny, being only about five months, and it looked like she would always be small. So, I hit up on "Mini", after the car, and it stuck.
Cats make great companions in the right household. My cats and I have what could be called a strong bond. Both got along well with our dogs, too. The only downside for me is that they never encourage me to go for a walk, and I have gotten a little lazier as a result.
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