Bobsey Goes Home to His Colony

Today I picked Bobsey up from the vet where he has been recovering from his neuter surgery on Monday.  He looked rather frightened when he came out to the front counter in a carrier.  I put him in the back of my van just behind the passenger seat and checked on him at every red light.  He seemed less frightened once we were under way.

Twenty-five minutes later I pulled into the location of his colony.  Just before releasing him I managed to get this one last picture.  When the carrier door was opened he bolted as if shot out of a canon.  Poor little cat.

Bobsey with his back end shaved

While at the vet he was shaved to remove mats from his fur but it looks like he only got shaved from his middle to the puff on the end of his tail.

Bobsey and His Brother Piccolo



In the van ready to go into the vet's office

This young fella is thought to be Piccolo's brother.  Robin was able to trap him at a colony down the road from my colony. This morning I took him to the vet for his little snip snip and then he will stay at the clinic for a couple days to recover before being returned to his colony.  He is a very good looking fellow, just like his brother.



The empty trap on the left should have contained Piccolo
 

Yesterday and very very early this morning I went out equipped to trap Piccolo but neither time did he show up.  Piccolo was there Saturday for a bite to eat and it was the first time I had seen him in 10 days.  This guy is a wanderer so trapping him is going to be somewhat of a challenge.

Because I showed up so early, the East Side Gang was quite surprised to see me and to get their breakfast.  And after about 20 minutes little Rachel Raccoon showed up.  She is quite unafraid of me and we had a couple of tug o'war episodes with my bags of food and supplies.  To keep her away from the trap I had to give her some kibble.

I really want to get Piccolo so am going to keep trying.

Happy Doodle

It's a holiday and the sun is out and it is a great temperature for being outside.  After feeding I played with Spirit for about ten minutes with Da Bird then sat with the kitties for about 15 minutes. Doodle is the picture of contentment in these photos.

Uncooperative Piccolo

Today I was to trap Piccolo so that he could go in for his snip snip, aka neutering.

When I arrived to feed the East Side Gand there was no sign of Piccolo but the other kitties wanted food so they got their brekky and then I got myself comfy and waited.  And waited.  About 30 minutes later Piccolo made an appearance.  

I had to run back to my van to get the trap.  It's a long way from where I park to where I feed.  Of course when I returned no Piccolo but I set everything up and resumed my card game on my iPad.  Another half hour went by and Piccolo came out from the lumberyard.  He could smell food so I was hopeful.  

My fingers were crossed Piccolo
would goin

For the past few weeks I have been feeding Piccolo in the spot that I had planned to put the trap.  Piccolo walked towards the trap and my heart began to race, as it always does when I'm trapping cats.  He walked up to the trap but didn't seem to be the least bit interested in the food.  He hardly looked in the direction of the two food dishes.

C'mon Piccolo.  In ya go.

He walked around behind the feeding shelters and made himself comfortable in the straw on the sleeping shelters.  I continued to play cards while trying to watch him out of the corner of my eye.

Seems he's not too interested in eating

Eventually, maybe 20 minutes later, he walked behind the feeding shelters again and over to the trap, stopped under the raised trap door but again didn't even glance in the direction of the food.  Arghhhhhhhhh......  Then he walked away, under the opening in the wall and disappeared into the lumberyard.

I waited and waited hoping he would come out again but no.  I decided to run home for a bite of lunch and then go back as soon as I was done.  

This afternoon I only saw the raccoon who was attracted by the stinky smell of the sardines I brought with me.  I ended up giving her a large handful of the dry cat food away from the cats area.  Doodle and Spirit where making moves on the sardines in the trap so I had to give each of the a few bites.  

After an hour and a half and no Piccolo I packed it in and headed to the garden centre.  When I was poking around I saw a sign that indicated there was a birds nest on the top shelf.  The picture is not that great but a robin has built her nest in the plants on the top of the rack. I think it's great the Loblaws garden centre is going to allow the nest to stay.



Mrs. Robin on her nest

The above picture isn't great but if you look closely you will see Mrs Robin's above the middle plant tag.  Good luck little bird. I hope the customers are as kind as the staff and allow you to raise your family without too much disturbance.

Doodle

Doodle can't believe he's 11 years old today

I have no idea when Doodle's actual birthday is however a long time ago I chose May 10th so Happy 11th Birthday sweet boy kitty.

Coming to me for a kiss on the
top of his head

Of all the ferals I have cared for over the past 11 plus years, Doodle is the most affectionate fellow craving attention more than food at times.  He is such a love bug.

Happy Boy

Jag and Ollie in background

I love my Doodle Noodle.

Me and Piccolo

I love it when the weather is good and I have time to sit with the kitties.  They get to eat while I sit watching them and talking to them.  It is very peaceful way back between the two buildings on the weekends - most of the time.

Today Ollie, Jag, Spirit and Doodle were all there immediately after I arrived.  I didn't see Piccolo but used my clicker to let him know I had food.  A few minutes later he arrived.  Because I wasn't in a hurry today I decided to sit just out of sight from Piccolo in the hopes that he would come out to eat while I was close by.  And he did after about 15 or 20 minutes. 

I had bowls placed in different spots but what surprised me is he chose to eat from the bowl closest to me because it had the dry food.  I could have leaned forward and almost touched Piccolo while he ate he was so close.

I sat quietly while he ate occasionally saying a few words.  He ate until his tummy was full then saundered off through the hole in the wall and back into the lumberyard.

I feel I made a wee bit of progress with him today by letting him know he could trust me and I think he is beginning to.  The entire time he was eating he only glanced at me a few times.

This Wednesday I will be trying to trap Piccolo so that he can go in to be neutered.  I just hope he will be there.  Shhhhhh.....don't tell him.

Still no signs of either Jazz or Que at the other location.

Piccolo and The Raccoon

Tonight I went back to feed Jag, Spirit, Ollie and Doodle some dinner.   Piccolo was there this morning for breakfast but I don't usually see him at the end of the day.  

The little raccoon with the stubby tail came out and she was very hungry. She kept coming over to me and no way was I going to scare her off. She could smell food and she was going to have some.  I gave her some dry cat food away from the other kitties and shortly after Piccolo appeared. 

Here's a short video of Piccolo and the raccoon

http://youtu.be/AiDmf5JIt5E. 

Meanwhile the other kitties finished eating and then relaxed

I'm very happy that the raccoons and the kitties get along.

The end of a colony.......?

Last October Tess died after being hit by a vehicle early in the morning.  Since then whenever I would see Jazz, her best buddy, he cried and cried.  In the eleven years prior I never heard a single meow from him so I feel he was mourning the loss and of course that broke my heart.

Que and Jazz are litter mates and were about 5 months old when I began feeding the Logan Gang in November 2002, along with a number of other kitties, including Tess.

Now that Tess is gone Jazz seems to have stopped coming to the feeding shelter and has not been using the nearby sleeping shelters he shared with Tess.  Even though I never saw it, I know the two of them curled up together in the shelter to sleep during the winter months.

Que has never been neutered so he continues to roam but he always returns after a few weeks.  I haven't seen either of the boys for a month and all evidence points to the fact that a raccoon is enjoying the food and water.

The plan had always been to care for the kitties until there were no more kitties and now I wonder if I'm at that point.  Are the two boys still around but have moved to new locations.....  My fingers are crossed they will both return.   Every morning I pull up beside their feeding shelter looking for them.  I still leave fresh food and water just incase.

The feeding shelter is waiting for them to return.  I miss them.

I hope one day soon to be ble to report back that they have returned.

The joys of TNR

Yesterday the plan was for me to try trapping Piccolo so he could participate in a spay/neuter clinic.  I got a trap from Robin a few days before, spent 20 plus minutes orienting myself to this unfamiliar trap and collecting the items needed.  The weather wasn't that great but it could certainly have been worse.  My thought was to try to trap Piccolo early afternoon so he wouldn't have to spend too much time in the trap in the back of my van before being delivered to the clinic around 5 pm.

Piccolo has been around everyday for the past week and I feel he has decided to make his home with the East Side Gang.  They don't seem to be upset that this handsome orange and white fellow is hanging around and of course I am already madly in love with him.

It was overcast yesterday with a threat of more rain.  However it wasn't raining when I arrived to feed the other kitties.  Ollie, Jag, Spirit and Doodle all came out to eat but no Piccolo.  I made myself comfortable sitting on a board that I use as a shelter for Spirit to eat under.  I was pretty sure Piccolo was around but maybe he was waiting for me to leave.  He usually comes out but keeps his distance.  I sat and sat and sat waiting.  No Piccolo.  I had my iPad so played card games while I waited.  Then it started to spit so I leaned forward protecting my iPad from the rain while I continued to wait.  After an hour of waiting and no signs of Piccolo I decided to pack it in.

This morning I went early to feed, but no Piccolo.  The other four kitties all came out for brekkie.  Later this afternoon I went back again to feed and could tell Rachel Raccoon had been by to devour any food remaining from this morning.  All the kitties ate well this afternoon and I hung around for about 45 minutes to see if there was any chance Piccolo would show up.  No luck.  Piccolo is off doing what unneutered boy cats do.  He will return and I hope to trap him when he returns.