Stray Cats of Mandarin

Country Club Cats

Country Club Cats of DeerCreek: I've written quite a bit about those Country Club Cats of DeerCreek. Through my many web pages, you've gotten to know Bandit, Boots, Precious, Pug, and Tigger up close and personal. Over the years, I have worked with First Coast No More Homeless Pets in Jacksonville, Florida, to spay and neuter and return the feral cats to the colony. We also worked closely with Animal Care and Control along with St. Francis Animal Hospital and Wells Road Veterinary Animal Center to care for these 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.

Stray Cats of Mandarin: I have now moved a zip code away from DCCC. Keeping in mind, that I dearly miss those Country Club Cats, I am now visited almost daily by some new cats who seem to have found me! I call these cats, the "Stray Cats of Mandarin." First up, is Mr. Blackie. I met Mr. Blackie the first week I moved in. I first saw him last Summer, sitting in the street with an orange cat. Then he started coming to my back door. A neighbor tells me that he is a stray that the neighbors take care of; but I haven't found out if he has a real home.

Please meet another mister, Orange the Cat. Oh, I haven't yet penned a name for either of these two tomcats. It's interesting to see the interaction between the black and orange male cats; they have a mutual respect for each other. They don't fight with each other thankfully! Mr. Blackie is a bit more friendly, whilst Mr. Orange is a bit skittish.

The third cat is a beautiful white cat with a fluffy gray tail and a patch of gray on its left side with some gray markings on its face. I think this cat is a female and surely must be an inside cat that got out. Only two times have I noticed this cat at my back door.

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.