Skittish Kitty and I seem to have developed a morning routine

[Siwsan]

Pretty much every morning she waits patiently, next to the Maple Tree, waiting for me to see her. I mix up a little wet food with a handful of dry and head out the door. As I approach, she stays put, but in definite 'launch' position, letting me get within a little over a foot from her. I put down the food, take two steps back, and she relaxes and heads in to feed. And if she's not there in the morning, the same routine plays out in the afternoon.

I've accepted that I might not ever reach the 'scritching' level of trust, but that's ok. She's definitely looking healthy and well fed, so I'll take satisfaction in that.

Spooky is not as frequent a visitor and still VERY nervous, but also looking a little healthier.

Which reminds me - as soon as Skittish is done eating I have to put fresh water in the water bowl. They REALLY like that fresh water.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Good for you and yes, they do love and need fresh clean water. I have one indoor kitty who...

as soon as I refresh the bowl, sticks his paw in it far enough to grab it and pull it away from where I put it. It makes him happy. Then he drinks.

[Siwsan]

2. I had to start putting the wet/dry food mix on a paving stone because she kept stealing the 'plate'

I'd put it on a plastic lid. She'd grab the edge and take off with it. Since I think she's sheltering beneath a shrub in my neighbor's yard, I didn't want her making a mess.

She's fine with the lack of a dish.

[CurtEastPoint]

4. Please don't feed on concrete, stone, pavement. It destroys their teeth.

[Siwsan]

5. WHAT!?!?!? Hmmmm. Now I'm going to have to get clever!!

Maybe I'll look for a heavy old dish or - I think I have a BIG old glass ash tray that she will never be able to cart off. She looks sturdy and determined enough to run away with the aluminum bowl I use to mix the food.

Thanks!!

[CurtEastPoint]

8. In a pinch with ferals feed on the grass

[lark]

3. We started feeding some feral kittens last summer.

One of them made friends within a few weeks, but his brother was much more shy. It took from last August until about a month ago for the smaller one, Junior, to let us touch him, but he now head butts us and stops eating to get more skritches. Cats are their own things and vary so widely. My daughter's cat has been living with her for 3 years and still will not sit on their laps, she lays right next to them and loves being petted, but on her terms. Even if your friend doesn't allow touches, don't be surprised if it starts winding around your ankles soon, that's often the next step.

[Siwsan]

6. All of the ferals I've been feeding look well into adulthood.

I'm keeping an eye out for ANY sign of kittens. Not sure what I'll do if I seem them (except be tempted to kitnap them, of course.) but no doubt I can get lots of good advice, here.

And a head boop would be absolutely glorious.

[CurtEastPoint]

9. Remember they can get pregnant at 4 months

[Siwsan]

11. My eyes and ears are on constant alert when I'm outside

I even have a Blink camera aimed at the back yard. That's how I found out about the raccoons and opossums that sometimes amble around, at night. BIG raccoons and opossums.

[lark]

10. Our kitten ferals let us pet them but totally freak if we try to pick them up.

We've stopped trying for the time being. We want to adopt them, but can't get them in a carrier. Hoping they get more tame before it's August and storm season. Last year we had no big storms and it's rare to go multi years without one. Anyway, if one's predicted for here this year, we will either pick them up & put them in the carrier or try to trap them.

[Siwsan]

12. Ideally, I'd love to trap and 'fix' all of the ferals I've seen

I want to have everything necessary, knowledge, resource wise, in hand before I even make an attempt. My brother has experience in this and I am pretty sure he has used a local rescue place - or at least knows someone who does.

I'd be up to keeping one kitten. I THINK Sophie Stinky Toes could adapt. She had to deal with her cousin, Dude, staying with us for a few months and no blood was shed.

[lark]

16. Yeah, I know our matriarch is not going to be happy with us bringing in more cats.

It's taken her since August to not be totally hostile to a kitty we rescued then. She will totally not be happy if we bring in 2 more and our dog isn't used to kittens as both our cats are mature at 5 and 13 and the 2 that passed over the previous past 2 years were 20. I think everyone would adapt, but do know that Coco and Finley would not be friendly at first and that it would be a transition. Coco is small and her aggression is short lived, she hisses and scratches at the offending animal, and then runs away. She never goes in for the big fight, never. Our other cat, Foggy, would be ecstatic - he's never met an animal or person he didn't like and would love to have friendly cats around - he's from a cat colony and obviously misses that interaction as he's constantly shadowing Coco.

[malaise]

7. I am truly amazed at how much cats like fresh water

Lucky kitty

[lastlib]

13. My last kitty (god rest her soul) didn't like our tap water.

I think it smelled bad to her. She had no problem drinking out of puddles on the driveway, and eventually, I took to collecting and storing rain water for her to drink. She liked that. A totally SPOILED fur-baby!

[malaise]

15. Interesting

Maybe cats know more than we do about unclean water

[Arkansas Granny]

17. I've been feeding a feral kitty for over 4 years and she has never let me touch her.

Every afternoon she waits on the back porch for me. I put down dry and canned food and keep water available. She has a bed on the front porch and the back porch which she uses when it pleases her. She has never had kittens. I would love to make her a pet, but she won't have it.

[zanana1]

18. When my cat drives me crazy, I remind myself that...

He is a rescue and he is not here for me, but a warm safe home.

[Siwsan]

19. My Sophie Stinky Toes is a rescue, and I guess I am, too.

She came from the home of an oxy-addict who also had serious hoarding issues. When we went in to rescue her, she crawled out from beneath a pile of gawd only knows what. The litter box was overflowing and there wasn't a speck of cat food in sight. It took her a couple of hours to come out of hiding, when I got her home, but we've been each other's bestie, ever since.

So, I rescued her from that nightmare, and she rescued me from losing my mind while dealing with a VERY toxic work place situation, family health crisis after family health crisis, 7 family deaths in 6 years AND over a year of self isolation during a pandemic. Sophie is about 13 now, still very kittenish, and she's getting pampered to the nth degree. I can never do enough to repay her.