Sigh. Here's the newest addition to our family. We didn't even invite this one. (photo)

[bertha katzenengel]

Meet Mildred.



This cat is one of our ferals. About a month ago, she came into the house through the cat door. We don't really know when: day or night, were we home or out, no idea.

She's feral. She came into the house and stayed.

That cat door is fabulous. It relieves everyone's stress because they can go in and out whenever they want to (unless we're sleeping. We lock it so raccoons don't come in).

But this kitty figured out that it's warmer inside, the beds are softer, and there's much better food -- and no hunting.

Keeping in mind that she's feral, listen to this: last night she spent an hour or so sitting on my legs as I reclined. She played with strings, and reached out several times to touch my hand as it rested on my knee. Only thing is she doesn't know how to pat without extending her claws. Ouch. But I let her touch me. She's getting tame.

Sigh.

[Arugula Latte]

1. Aw. She's gorgeous.

Smart kitty to come inside in winter.

Love the name, too. :hi:

[bertha katzenengel]

3. My great aunt's name.

:)

We're hoping she'll revert to feral in the spring . . . . outdoors, of course. Sigh.

[ironflange]

27. I have an Aunt Mildred too

Actually, Auntie Millie. Your Mildred looks like a real sweetie. Send her to me, it's only 3000 miles or so.

I have my own bunch of feral friends now. We keep our trailer at a storage yard way out in the country, and one day last fall I noticed a furry grey blur zipping away from my vicinity. So now, when I go out to the trailer, I leave them some dry food in a foil lasagna pan weighted with a flat rock and hidden under the trailer. Man, do they ever polish that pan, there's never as much as a bit of dust left. I don't do this very often, as I don't want them to get lazy about their hunting, and since the yard is next to a farm I'm sure the people appreciate having mouse control units around. One downside: our trailer has muddy kitty prints all over the bumper and propane cover, and they may have jumped onto the roof. That's OK, I'm glad to give the furry beasts a little joy.

[bertha katzenengel]

30. "I'm glad to give the furry beasts a little joy"

You've just stated my philosophy. :)

[auntAgonist]

2. Mildred looks just like Rogue!

She's gorgeous K! You have such a way with these feral cats. I wish I could 'tame' my Rascal. Blackie loves Gryphon, jumps onto his lap and demands attention. Rascal's a weenie :)

aA
:hug:

[bertha katzenengel]

4. See, that's what Mrs. V. says.

"There's just something about you, baby." She says I've tamed three cats already. I didn't tame them They got tame. :shrug:

:hug: and :hug: for that weenie Rascal.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. Mildred, IMHO of course, is no dummy!

She is also beautiful!

It sounds to me as though she'll be tame in no time flat!

Congrats to all of you on your newest addition!

:toast:

[bertha katzenengel]

8. Peggy . . .

Check your email in a bit. And if you have it, please send me KW's addy. I have misplaced it. :(

:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. Will do!

PM incoming!

Stick around for my photo thread........:bounce: :bounce:

[xchrom]

6. you've been adopted!

so -- when will mildred be expecting?

don'tcha love the prospect of a trip to the dr.s office?

ah well one of life's little surprises.

[bertha katzenengel]

7. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Sure looks like she's preggers, doesn't it? Please god let her not be. She keeps getting, um, plumper, but I keep telling myself "it's the food, it's the food, it's the food." And the Nile is just a river in Egypt.

The low-cost spay/neuter shelter I use when I trap cats says they'll spay a pregnant cat no matter how far along she is. I don't hold with that. So if she's preggers, we have another litter to foster (or will have to find someone to foster it). If she's not, we've dodged a serious bullet.

[xchrom]

10. ummmm-hmmmmm.

you've been had, hood-winked, bamboozled....

i think mama mildred has had this well thought out.

[crim son]

11. Oh, she's awfully cute.

You do a good thing, taking her in.

[bertha katzenengel]

14. meh

Good thing - yes, and thank you. Wise thing? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA I kick myself repeatedly. I'm saying "no" now (except for Mildred, whom I won't kick out), but I wish I could've said "no" long ago.

[NC_Nurse]

12. Such a beauty!

My parent's kitty is in the hospital. My dad called today to give me a progress report. They are not sure what's wrong, looks to be neurological. He's only 3 and a 1/2 and has always been really healthy. My parents are so upset, he's my mom's baby. Please keep him in your thoughts Bertha, I know you have the kitty magic!
:hug:

[bertha katzenengel]

13. I will definitely keep him in my thoughts.

I'm sorry to hear it. :hug:

[NC_Nurse]

15. Thank you!

I know it will help. Poor baby...

[NV Whino]

16. You're owned

The late, great Floyd (Pink Floyd) did that to me. He was a Siamese mix with sort of pinkish points. He kept stopping by so I put food out for him. He was very polite--never came in the open door, nor in the cat door. Then one morning I awoke to find him asleep on my bed. I decided it was more that a passing relationship and whisked him off with my other little male to have him neutered. He lived out hte rest of his long, full life as my watch cat. No raccoons dared enter when Floyd was on duty.

[mike_c]

17. I doubt that she's feral....

More likely abandoned, and living rough. Seriously. Most cats have a fairly narrow window for full socialization with humans during their early lives. Spend times with humans then and no matter how wild they live afterward they will usually be inclined to want human contact if they can get it.

Truly feral cats who did not socialize during that window rarely overcome their fear of humans or their natural aggression issues with human-cat interactions.

On another note, I do some of the same feral/abandoned cat care that you do, and I bless everyone else who cares for our furry friends.

I still have issues with the raccoons though, LOL. I have to put everything edible up out of reach every night to foil the nightly 'coon raid in my kitchen. The cats ignore them utterly. At least the cat door keeps the skunks out. Of course, the skunks used to mostly keep the raccoons out.

[chiefnonot]

19. definitely owned...

cats picks humans. Not visa versa.

[Skittles]

22. aw tell me about it, mike_c

I had to order a feral trap over the internet to catch my injured stray (Riff Raff) at age approx seven months - a year later I am just NOW able to pick him up and set him down without him instantly springing ten feet away from me. I trapped his mom too, got her fixed and released - I've been feeding her for two years and still cannot get within a few feet of her - those are true ferals.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

26. Ain't it nice to have a biologist around?

:hi:

[graywarrior]

18. Just look at those eyes. Sooooo cute, I wanna hug her.

[Skittles]

20. she is quite a beauty

smart gal too; yes INDEED :thumbsup:

[SeattleGirl]

21. Mildred, you found yourself some wonderful parents!

Beautiful cat, bertha.

[uppityperson]

23. what a beauty come to share her space with you. Congratulations.

[Dangerously Amused]

24. Oh my goodness, what a gorgeous creature!

Those soulful eyes...

[latebloomer]

25. Bet you'll tame her in no time!

How many kitties do you have now?

[Patiod]

28. We have one who is trying that trick

We have a tiny apartment with 2 XL size people (both about 6') and a cat.

There's been a little skinny gray stray lurking around the property (small apartment, HUGE property). S.O. feeds her (he's a softie). This is the second time in a week that it snuck halfway up the stairs into the apartment (since it's a rental, we can't put in a cat door - we can only leave the door open).

I awoke last night to a long, low growl, followed by hissing -- I knew exactly what was happening in the other room: it was our kitty blocking the top of the steps, telling the intruder to get out and find her own pink monkeys. I felt so bad for the little gray stray, but the place is too small for one kitty, much less two.

/I warned S.O. that little gray cat might not be the only one eating the dry food - that you had posted a picture of a little fox here some time ago - eating cat food on your deck.

//she looks like a B.Kliban cat - the way her eyes are kind of close together....

[grasswire]

29. Mildred is the perfect name for that cat.

Well, Betty would have been good, too. But Mildred seems to fit.

[Fla Dem]

31. Is a cat still considered feral, if she was part of a feral family

but I found her almost dead and the vet said she was only about 6 weeks old?