Every spring kittens and cats are abandoned at the side of the road. I am not sure why people do this but I can tell you that in many cases a house cat that is left to survive outdoors is usually a fatality. Some abandoned cats will survive a week or two and during that time they may be chased by a stray dog, tormented by humans who take after them with brooms and some may become fatalities. The life of an abandoned cat outdoors is terrifying.
Last week my neighbor called me to tell me that there was a white and gray Aegean kitten approximately four months old that was left at the side of the road close to their yard. My neighbor put out a bowl of food and fresh water. The kitten was stressed and was meowing loudly and we decided to rescue the kitten by trapping.
We set up the trap and waited all day for the little kitten to go inside the trap, but instead the kitten laid down in a cube that was on my fiends porch. We tried to trap it inside the cube by putting a board in front of the opening but the kitten leaped from the cube and ran into the woods. None of us saw the kitten and presumed that it had perished.
We set up the trap and waited all day for the little kitten to go inside the trap, but instead the kitten laid down in a cube that was on my fiends porch. We tried to trap it inside the cube by putting a board in front of the opening but the kitten leaped from the cube and ran into the woods. None of us saw the kitten and presumed that it had perished.
They say that cats have nine lives and it certainly is the case for the white and gray Aegean kitten. On Friday May 6 four days after the kitten went missing I noticed a feral tomcat sitting in my Hosta Garden at the base of my maple tree. He was looking up into the tree. I raised my eyes to see what he was looking at and sure enough it was the Aegean kitten.
The kitten was in an uncomfortable situation
because the feral cat that had chased him up the tree and was snarling at the base of the tree.
The feral cat was relentless, and pursued the cat in the tree; the kitten climbed very high into the tree and was balancing 30 feet off the ground.
I did what any cat lover would do I made the feral cat uncomfortable by walking toward him, he did not snarl but he did look worried…I followed him into the woods all the way to the thicket and when he laid down I was satisfied that he would go to sleep.
I then addressed the kitten up the tree situation and put out a bowl of food and water close to the base of the tree however the little kitten was so frightened that he stayed in the tree for the remainder of the day. I stayed in the front yard by working in the gardens and eventually the kitten climbed out of the tree.
This abandoned Aegean cat was suffering from anxiety and she was meowing loudly and was stressed. At dusk the kitten came down from the tree and ate the entire bowl of food. I was unable to get close to the kitten as it was afraid of me and ran back into the woods.
This abandoned Aegean cat was suffering from anxiety and she was meowing loudly and was stressed. At dusk the kitten came down from the tree and ate the entire bowl of food. I was unable to get close to the kitten as it was afraid of me and ran back into the woods.
The following day when I was weeding my gardens I heard loud meowing and I followed the direction of the mournful meows. I went to my backyard and walked toward my garage and there was the little kitten sitting next to the shed door. I quickly went indoors to make up a bowls kitten food 
and fresh water. When I approached the kitten it ran, so I set the food down next to the garage door and returned to the garden.
Ten minutes later the kitten approached me. I did not look directly at the kitten, I lowed my eyes so the kitten would not be threatened. I waited for the kitten to make the first move.
The kitten rubbed on my back, and then came to my side and climbed through my arm to sit in front of me. That was it; the kitten trusted me and knew I would not harm it. I sat down on the ground and the kitten climbed onto my lab. I then spoke softly to the kitten and petted the kitten lovingly. I allowed the kitten to tell me everything and all the while I petted the little Aegean kitten.
and fresh water. When I approached the kitten it ran, so I set the food down next to the garage door and returned to the garden. Ten minutes later the kitten approached me. I did not look directly at the kitten, I lowed my eyes so the kitten would not be threatened. I waited for the kitten to make the first move.
The kitten rubbed on my back, and then came to my side and climbed through my arm to sit in front of me. That was it; the kitten trusted me and knew I would not harm it. I sat down on the ground and the kitten climbed onto my lab. I then spoke softly to the kitten and petted the kitten lovingly. I allowed the kitten to tell me everything and all the while I petted the little Aegean kitten.
Note: It is not a good idea to abandon a cat at the side of the road. If you cannot keep your cat then you must take the steps to find the cat a new home or to surrender them to a no kill shelter.
Spay and neuter people--a cat in the wild does not live long. Even if they make it to adulthood, they face battles over territory, disease, countless offspring, dogs and wild animals and cars. The idea that cats like being outside is a big myth and I've got formally feral cats lounging on my couch to prove it! :-)
ReplyDelete