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| Country Club Cats |
With the finalization of my divorce, I gave up my home in DeerCreek Country Club to the ex. The care of the feral colony of country club cats subsequently fell upon his shoulders. DeerCreek is a gated community; I no longer have access to visiting or caring for these precious cats who were like family to me. In a sense, I have grieved for the "loss" of these cats. I can't possibly explain what it feels like to be separated from them.
Well, I hope you enjoyed meeting the Stray Cats of Mandarin. We weren't trying to sell you anything today, but just wanted to share a love and an appreciation for our feline friends.
By the way, perhaps you are a neighbor of mine and recognize these cats? I'd surely love to track down the owners. I believe both Mr. Blackie and Mr. Orange would benefit from neutering ... I'm guessing they need to be neutered judging from the size of their packages! Also, Mr. Blackie hurt his right paw and was limping for several days. Please contact me through my comments if you know anything about these cats or their owners. Thanks! Love thy neighbor ... love thy feline friends too!
--I am Jaguar Julie, the Cat Lady!
2014 UPDATE: On May 20, 2014, I spotted another white cat hanging around my backyard daily. Upon taking a closer look, it appeared she was pregnant! Oh dear. Such a beautiful mommy cat who surely shouldn't be out roaming the neighborhood. I was wondering to whom this adorable cat might belong. Could it be the pet of the next door neighbor's son who lives miles away? That neighbor doesn't really like cats, so maybe she put the little girl outside? By the first of June, I realized she had delivered.
It was many days before the neighbor two doors down asked if I had seen the white cat. We talked about all that had transpired. Then she told me, "I have her kittens in my bushes." That was on a Monday. After all the commotion with the neighbor telling another neighbor and so forth and so on, mommy cat moved the babies. It was not until Friday morning that I was able to tail mommy after her feeding and rescue the little ones. Oh my, I am now providing care for the found mommy cat and her six little kittens in Mandarin, Florida.
September 11, 2014: I just received word the other day from Jen at ACPS to give me an update on the white mommy calico cat and her three female kittens. On September 5th, the white kitten and the calico kitten were both adopted by the same family. On September 6th, the orange female tabby kitten was adopted by another family. And, it has now been two weeks since the mommy cat got placed in the Wild Whiskers program. I am not allowed to know anything about the adopters of the cat and six kittens. That makes me real sad. I asked that my personal information be shared with them ... and I am thinking that information didn't get passed on either. Why all the secrecy? You know, we have had a number of pet hoarding cases with the animals being rescued. Do they NOT tell people adopting any cat or dog from the agency to protect the fact of where these animals came from in the first place?
I'm feeling a little sad in that I poured all my time and energy into the care of the seven felines, to ensure that they would have the best start on their lives. Now, I only have the satisfaction of thinking of them in the context of the time they spent with me. Nothing more; nothing less.
It was many days before the neighbor two doors down asked if I had seen the white cat. We talked about all that had transpired. Then she told me, "I have her kittens in my bushes." That was on a Monday. After all the commotion with the neighbor telling another neighbor and so forth and so on, mommy cat moved the babies. It was not until Friday morning that I was able to tail mommy after her feeding and rescue the little ones. Oh my, I am now providing care for the found mommy cat and her six little kittens in Mandarin, Florida.
September 11, 2014: I just received word the other day from Jen at ACPS to give me an update on the white mommy calico cat and her three female kittens. On September 5th, the white kitten and the calico kitten were both adopted by the same family. On September 6th, the orange female tabby kitten was adopted by another family. And, it has now been two weeks since the mommy cat got placed in the Wild Whiskers program. I am not allowed to know anything about the adopters of the cat and six kittens. That makes me real sad. I asked that my personal information be shared with them ... and I am thinking that information didn't get passed on either. Why all the secrecy? You know, we have had a number of pet hoarding cases with the animals being rescued. Do they NOT tell people adopting any cat or dog from the agency to protect the fact of where these animals came from in the first place?
I'm feeling a little sad in that I poured all my time and energy into the care of the seven felines, to ensure that they would have the best start on their lives. Now, I only have the satisfaction of thinking of them in the context of the time they spent with me. Nothing more; nothing less.
4 comments:
Your new feline friends are just as beautiful as the ones you left behind, and I know they appreciate you just as much.As I said on Twitter, animals can sense a loving heart from miles away. I'm sure there will be more furry friends in you future.
We also have strays that come around, not just for food, but also for loving kindness. One cat in particular captured our hearts, but he was not destined to stay. I found out after it was too late that he was sick when he came to us. http://j.mp/I7ps07
Jackie, Leo was such a beautiful tabby. So sorry for your loss. My mom last lost PePe the polydactyl to some poison he ingested. I got attached to PePe when I visited mom in the winter of 2010. It's tough to get over these losses.
Kitty Cat Hugs!
The white cat is certainly a family member of the Mom with the kittens. What a lovely coat!
Really interesting to read about the cat colony that you were helping, looks like you have a new colony now :) 'domestic' animals living in the wild as nature intended really interests me.
Definitely spaying them was absolutely the best thing to do, and to let them be wild in a colony is really nice. Here in the UK I'm not sure if that would happen. I think they would be caught and destroyed, just for being 'out of place' or something :(
In Granada, Spain, there is a wild cat colony that lives in the banks of the river Darro (beneath the Alhambra palace)
What was surprising to me was that they have made lots of burrows in the river bank, and that they live side, by side, with a colony of geese!
The people of Granada go especially to sit on the walls above the river and throw food down to the cats and geese. I wish it was like that here.
Thank you for all that information. It is my goal to try and capture the mommy cat. This morning around 9am, she led me right to where she had moved her six little baby kittens. I rescued them and am now determining how I can get her to continue nursing them. They might be 3 weeks old.
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