Feral Cats Rescued in the Snow

With extreme weather conditions in the forecast I needed to lure the feral cats out of their thicket dens and into our garage shelter where there was a window heater and space heaters.  The forecast called for blizzard conditions; wintery mix of snow, ice and artic wind.

The thicket dens are safe haven for the feral cats under normal conditions, however when there is a blizzard condition forecast with a severe snow and ice then the thicket dens become dangerous.  They will be buried under the snow and ice and the cats will be trapped inside.

My husband and I reacted to the weather forecast by hiking through the forest to the cat colony on the ridge.  We used our field glasses to look for the feral cats.  We saw a few cats lying in the brush by the elderberry trees and a black and white cat was viewed lying on a down tree.  

The forest was calm with an average temperature of 29 degrees.  Come late afternoon the temperatures will drop quickly as the arctic blizzard passes.

 I attempted to move the cats from their thicket dens by leaving a trail of seafood flavored dry kibble I was hoping the cats would follow the food trail to my garage shelter. Where there are kitty tube shelters, insulated cat boxes, and a window heater as well as space heaters to keep the cats warm.  None of the cats came to the shelter.

It started to snow in late afternoon and the white powder was coming down fast. By midnight there was approximately 20 inches of snow on the ground with ice and drifts. 

My husband and I went out to plow a path in the snow to the feral cat’s dens.  We did this to provide the cats with a safe passage to our garage shelter. The path was 30 feet long and 30 inches wide.   

We worked with snow shovels to make the path.  When we got to the main den we found that it was covered with snow and that a drift blocked the front and back entrances.  We used our hands to open the front entrance.  This was a slow and careful procedure because we did not want the snow to fall into the cavity of the den.  We worked in extreme cold conditions as the temperature was four below zero.

The snow was removed from the entrance and the exit.  I used my flashlight to check for the cats.  We called the cats with a clicker and waited.  The feral cat that I call Lucy came to the ticket entrance.  

I left her food and water and waited until she and the other cats had eaten before leaving.  The following morning we checked the feral cats at the thicket den and tried to lure the cats out of the thicket den with food kibble trail on the snow plowed path. 

  

Two days later at 1:20am there was movement on the path.  I viewed Lucy the feral cat walking on the path.  She was coming for food in the shelter.  

Three feral cats followed Lucy to our garage and remained close to our garage shelter until the winter storm passed.  

There were many thickets in the woods and we searched ten of them and helped the other colony caregivers to locate their cats.  We searched for cats for four days.

Feral Cats Are Prey For Coyote

Cats that are abandoned to parks, forests or wooded areas where there is hunting or poaching activity are susceptible to scavenger predators; coyote, wolf, and bobcat. 

Today I hiked to the forest thicket where feral cats are sheltered.  Along the path I noticed deer hoof prints in the snow.  The tracks went all the way up to the entrance of the feral cat thicket den.  

When I got to the entrance of the cat den I found the water bowl empty and I suspect the deer drank from the bowl.  The feral cats were out of sight. I made up the food bowl and set it on the straw under the tarp.  I then sat directly next to the thicket entrance.  I used this time wisely to scan the area with my field glasses.  

 While I scanned the area a cat came out to eat. The cat ate fast and then returned to hide in the thicket.  Normally cats will clean themselves after they eat, however every cat that ate immediately went back inside the thicket.  

I sat silently as I did not want to disturb the cats coming out to eat.  I went back to scanning the terrain with my  field glasses.   I noted motion in the brush about 30 feet in front of the thicket.  I suspected that the motion could be from a squirrel, deer, cat or fox.  I did not expect the wild animal to be a coyote.  This of course sheds new light on why the cats will not leave the thicket den. 

Coyote in clearing

Coyote have migrated into the woods from the state park that is a two miles away.  I am sure they are here because of the easy prey.

  Coyote are not picky eaters; if they are hungry they hunt  cats, and dogs.  To remove coyote from the area will be challenging, if there is one coyote then there are many.  The predator that feeds on coyote is bear, cougar and wolf.  To rid the area of the coyote I will need to mark the area with freeze dried predator; wolf, bear or cougar urine. 

Today there is snow in forecast so I will not be able to mark the area as the snow will wash the scent away. Therefore,I will bring food and water to the feral cats daily and thus the feral cat’s life will not be in harm’s way unless a coyote tries to enter the thicket den where cats reside.

Feral Cat at entrance of thicket Den

I am a feral cat colony caregiver, and I have adopted these wild cats. I watch over them with my husband and two volunteers and we all chip in to pay for the cats medical needs, feed the cats twice a day and provide shelter. 

 We all have taken the responsibility to protect these woodland feral cats from harm and to make sure that they are spayed or they are neutered and are up to date with  rabies, and vaccines for Feline Leukemia.  These cats live outdoors in controlled forest colonies.

Coyote Image credit:

.

Cats Rescued From Snow Covered Dens

On February 1, 2011 the Ozark Mountains had a blizzard snow forecast with extreme cold temperatures and the the feral cats that I care for took shelter in the thickets in the woods rather than stay in my shelter where there were insulated beds and a window heater.  

The blizzard covered the ground with 28 inches of snow and ice.  It snowed for 36 hours and when the snow stopped my husband I set out to rescue the feral cats that were trapped in the thicket dens in the woods.  

Thicket dens are man-made from piling pruned tree and shrub branches in an area.  Over time the pile of branches becomes entwined and the feral cat will then dig a tunnel into the thicket fortress and make it a den. 

Snow covered thicket den
When it snows the thicket is encased with snow and the tunnel into the thicket is blocked.  The cats cannot dig their way out because the snow will fall on them and trap them.  

A cat that is trapped in a thicket has limited oxygen, no food and may freeze especially if the snow on the thickets starts to melt and then freezes.

The water from melt down falls into the cavity of the thicket and the cats get wet, and then the temperature dips and the cats are freezing. The cats may develop frost bite, or Hypothermia  . Therefore, it is imperative that we act fast to rescue the feral cats.

Two thickets encased in snow and ice Image by Susan Golis ©

We searched the woods for four days and in that time we found 3 branch thicket dens with feral cats. There were many branch thickets along the mountain ridge and all needed to be checked. The thicket den that housed many feral cats was a large branch fortress; 12 feet high by 32 feet wide.  There were two southern exposed entrances that were encased with snow.  

Approaching the thicket was difficult because I had to climb over a smaller thicket that was covered with ice.  One wrong step and I would fall into the thicket below me. I climbed to the upper thicket slowly and carefully, my husband then followed me to the upper branch thicket.

In order to remove the snow from the entrance we needed to start at the ground level and work upward. Once the snow was removed from the entrance I was able to look into the thicket.  

I saw branches that were overlapping and the space into the cavity was shallow.  There was a strong cat odor that confirmed that this thicket housed the cats.   I poured  dry food into a bowl and shook the food in the bowl. 

 I then set the food down in front of the entrance.  Feral cats are fearful of humans so I backed away from the thicket entrance.  It did not take long for a cat to appear.  The cats had been trapped in the thicket for four days without food.  They stayed hydrated by eating the snow that fell into the cavity of the thicket, however the feral cats were very hungry.

While cats ate I went home to change into dry clothes and to get straw for insulated bedding, a tarp to cover the thicket entrance and to act as a wind block and two cans of  cat food.  By setting the straw at the entrance of thicket it allowed the cats to stand without sinking into the snow.   The cats ate two cans of food and a half a cup of dry food. 

Before leaving at dusk I took away the food bowl, as it is not wise to have food out when coyote are in the area.  Tomorrow I will go back at dawn to feed the cats and hopefully I will be able to complete the rescue by providing them with a path to dry land. 

I am a feral cat colony caregiver, I watch over the cats and I help them to survive outdoors.  This volunteer position and is not for everyone.  I took the responsibility to not give up on the cats. 

There were many people involved in this feral cat rescue they were praying for me and the cats, asking God to show me the way.   A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone for their prayers and support.  

Feral cats ate 2 cans of food and dry food Image by Susan Golis ©

Snowed In Feral Cats Rescued

Feral cats will go where they go for shelter, maybe an abandoned groundhog burrow, or a thicket, and some cats will go into the sewers. It is the colony caregivers responsibility to locate the cats by removing the snow from the front of the sewers and hiking through the woods to remove the snow from the thicket dens.

The blizzard of February 1, 2011 brought ice and 28 inches of snow to our area, and if that was not bad enough the temperatures have been record low with wind chills of 16 bellow.

Winter Woodland Feral Cat Print

I am a feral cat colony caregiver and have taken on the responsibility of caring for six to 10 cats.  I oversee this colony with my husband and two volunteers’ and presently we are all worried about the feral cats.  All of us are looking for the cats, we put out bowls of food for them and the food is untouched. The snow and the extreme cold has hindered the cats from leaving their shelters. they have no food or water.  They are cold and they must eat snow for hydration.

On February 2, the snow and sleet finally stopped at 8:00 at night and my husband and I made a path from our back door  to the thicket that was located in the woods.  We needed to make a path to get there because the snow was too deep.  It took us two hours to reach the thicket in the woods

As soon as we reached the thicket we realized that it was packed snow.  We took turns shoveling the snow away from the entrance.   One held the flashlight and the other shoveled.  

When the entrance was in sight I got down on my knees and removed the snow from the entrance with my hands. I then set a bowl of food and water at the entrance.  When the thicket entrance was cleared, I needed move on to rescue the feral queen cat we call Lucy. 

This feral cat has shelter under my neighbors back deck. I was determined to free her so I removed snow from the sidewalk and made a path to the front of the house.  

The snow on the street was too deep to cross and it was too late to be in my neighbors yard. My husband assured me that all of the cats ate well 36 hours ago and that we would get a fresh start early in the morning.

I spoke to my neighbor the following morning.  My neighbor told me that he would make openings in the snow to allow cats to get out.(There were no cats under the deck)

The feral cat we call Bob has been observed in the sewer by my home, and he may have gone there for shelters so we shoveled a path all the way up the hill to the area where the sewer is located.  

Cats will go into the sewers for safety the average temperature in the sewer is 55 degrees.  If the cats were in the sewers then I needed to get them out.  With all the sewers entrances blocked with snow the air was limited.  We also need to free the cats because it is not safe for cats to be in sewers when snow begins to melt. 

 We needed to rescue the cats by opening all of the entrances to the sewers.

Entrance to sewer is clear, cats can escape

The snow packed on the street curb made it difficult for me to determine where the sewer opening was.  I ended up shoveling snow for a half block and then I found the sewer entrance.  The snow was over 3 feet deep.  The snow removal truck had packed snow and ice onto the sewer drain opening. It was hard to remove with my snow shovel and my husband helped me with the task.  

When I could see the drain pipe opening I got down on my knees and removed the snow from the sewer opening with my hands.  I called for the cats and set a bowl of food and water at the opening.  I returned to the sewer a few hours later and the food had not been touched.  

I then replaced the food with canned food with strong fish scent to lure the cats out of the sewer. I provided the sewer cats canned food mixed with dry and set the bowl with water at the entrance of the sewer.  At 2 am my husband was walking our dog and he saw the feral cat that we call Bob head sticking out of the sewer eating the canned cat food.  

I was able to save one cats life.  There are eight feral cats  missing Lucy, Daisy Shadow, Stripes, Rusty, Charlie, Tommy and Buddy. These cats have not eaten since February 1st two of my volunteers presume they did not make it, that it was natures doing, but I have not given up on them.

I have provided the cat's with a shelter that is dry and it has insulated bedding and heat.  Plus the room does not freeze because of the window heater and a kerosene heater when there is power outages.  

___

All content and photographs are the copyright of Susan Golis, Sgolis all rights reserved

Forest Feral Cats - Information

Forest feral cats come from a long line of abandoned domesticated cats.  In the late 1970’s two Norwegian Forest cats were left behind when their master moved away. 

I was told that the residents of the neighborhood tried to capture these cats but they were so frightened that they ran into the woods: 50 acres of densely wooded terrain with creek, lake and rock ridges.  The cats were presumed dead however occasionally people would remark that they viewed a cat in the forest.

Over the years the woods became a dumping ground for domesticated cats.  People were abandoning cats on a regular basis.  Some of the abandoned cats were adopted, but many of them starved to death because they did not know how to forage, others died in the extreme weather: cold and heat, some died of diseases, many cats became part of the food chain and were killed by predators and some of the abandoned domesticated cats were killed by humans. 

Cat carcasses were found with arrows penetrating their abdomen or neck region.  Even though there were many cat fatalities a few of the domesticated abandoned cats found their way in the woods and over the years the Norwegian forest cats bred with these cats, and a small colony of cats survived.  

These forest feral cats sleep in the daylight hours and come out at dusk to forage, mate and socialize.  Feral cats are terrified of humans and avoid contact with them.  The only time one will view a forest cat is when they enter someone’s yard in the early morning hours or at dusk.  These cats are seeking, food or water.  

I am colony caregiver for 12 feral and stray cats.  I care for the forest cats as well as stray and abandoned cat in my community with the help of my husband and two neighbors that volunteer their service. 

We trap all cats for sterilization, tests for disease, vaccines, wormer and a dosage of revolution for fleas, ticks and ear mites.  We always try to socialize the cats.  If we can get them at a young age a year or under then taming usually can be achieved, otherwise we release the cats to a controlled colony.  Where we will feed, provide shelter and care for the cats for the rest of their lives.  

Sgolis Notes:
Many people will live their entire life in the city and will never view a feral forest cat.  These wild cats have a strong nature of the pack much like the wild cats in Africa. 

Each cat participates in the pack; some will hunt and bring back their prey to a sick or nursing queen cat. The male cat will watch over the kittens while the queen cat takes a break.   Other cats will lie on the high rocks watching the area for trespassers. 

In the winter the wild cats will take shelter in hallow trees or thicket dens and they will all sleep together and thus providing ample body heat.

All of the photographs that you view on this post and on the entire cat adoption and rescue blog are original photographs by Susan Golis

Photographs of Feral Forest Cats
  

A queen feral cat will have 4-6 kittens and out of that only 2-3 will survive to 12 weeks.  Out of a litter of 4-6 kittens two kittens may make it to three months.  The survival of forest kittens is maybe 1 kitten out of a litter of 6.  The population of feral cats is controlled by nature.

I have tracked these cats, by following their paw prints in the snow, and I have viewed their dens through the lens of my camera.  I do not trespass on their territory as these cats will feel threatened by my presence and the queen cat will then move all of the cats to a safer area.  So I respect these cats and watch them from a distance.

Adult Feral Cat Bonds with Colony Caregivers

Training an adult feral cat that resides in a colony is not easy however if the caregiver is  around the cat on daily basis and cares for for the cat for years, the cat will bond with the human and allow you to be a part of their world.

As a colony caregiver I have seen the inside of a thicket den while a feral cat stood on the upper branches and looked down on me. The cat could have hurt me but it did not because this cat was Lucy and she has bonded with me.

This winter I have not seen much of the feral adult cat that I call Lucy.  I put out food and fresh water for her every day but I see her rarely.  I think she is hiding because of the weakness in her paw that was injured last summer.  

My neighbor that resides across the street from me reported that Lucy is sunning herself on his deck in the afternoon and her sponsor he tells me that Lucy visits him often and that he feeds her and puts out fresh water. 

 Since Lucy’s spay she is staying close by and is not venturing too deeply into the woods.  My colony helper and I have agreed that Lucy is welcome to come indoors however we both respect her and feel she wants to live outdoors for the rest of her life then we will respect her and continue to care for her at the colony.

Lucy knows that she is safe at my home and that my shed-shelter  has warm insulated bedding for the feral cats.  That my pond never freezes over and that the small fountain has fresh clean water poured into it daily.  

There is always a bowl of food at three different feeding stations.  Yes Lucy feels safe at my home, and she also feels safe at the other caregiver’s homes.  It will be a tossup as to who she chooses to be her full time indoor caregiver.

This month Lucy is hanging out at Bruce’s; he has acres of densely wooded land and all of the feral cats find his land to be appealing to their needs. However, recently the feral cats are on edge because Bruce rescued a Bombay cat named Shirley.  

House cats generally do not get along with feral cats as they have no respect or manners.  

Lucy would prefer that she was the only female cat and has made it quite clear to Shirley that she is not welcome; from chasing Shirley up a tree and biting her tail to hissing fights and showing Shirley her razor sharp claws.  Then last week Lucy could take no more as the house cat tested her patience by eating out of Lucy’s food bowl.  

Lucy took off after Shirley; she was determined to chase Shirley out of the yard.  Shirley leaped to the top of Bruce’s back steps, ran inside the door, slid across the floor and jumped onto the table.  

Lucy did not hesitate she came inside after Shirley.  Of course when Lucy realized that she was indoors she did stop on all four paws and retreated to kitchen door, but instead of running away she stopped to rub all over the door.  She put her scent on the door as if to say this is my door and not yours, a message to all of the other colony cats. 

Bruce spoke softly to Lucy in a reassuring voice and thus Lucy was not afraid of being indoors.  For a feral cat this is a huge accomplishment, not one person forced her to come inside, Lucy came indoors on her own.

Norwegian Forest Cat Waits for Master's Return

Many cats are abandoned by their masters; left behind when they move or put out the house and forgotten. Some cats are rescued and adopted into other homes and other cats wait for their masters to return.

Bob is a cat that was left at the side of the road several years ago, he is waiting for his master to return .

In March of 2008 a car pulled up in front of my home and out the passenger side came a Norwegian Forest cat, the cat tried to get back into the car but the door was closed and the driver of the car backed up the hill and drove away.  The cat sat on the sidewalk most of the day, looking up the hill, watching and waiting for his master to return.

Children approached the abandoned cat and he greeting them lovingly.  He wrapped his tail around their legs and allowed them to pet him, the children walked away and the cat sat back down and waited patiently for his master to return.

I slowly approached the cat to see if I could take him inside.  The cat was friendly and did allow me to sit next to him and pet him.  I picked him up and he was okay with that too, but as soon as I walked toward my home he became agitated, he leaped from my arms.

The Norwegian Forest cat ran into the forest and was not seen for the rest of the day.  I called my neighbors and the caregivers that I work with to ask them to watch for the abandoned cat.  We all put out a bowl a food and water and we opened up the kitty door in our garages to allow this cat shelter.

The following morning the cat returned to the sidewalk and he waited and watched for his master to return.  Many people think that cats have no feelings and that they will adjust.  Cats love their masters and they never forget them.

This Norwegian Forest cat cat got lucky, as he was abandoned on my block.  My neighbors and I watch out and care for the feral and stray cats.  We trap them and take them in for medical care: tests, shots, vaccination for feline leukemia, pest control, wormed and spay or neuter.  Then we release them to a controlled colony that located on private property.  These cats have thicket shelters, insualted wood shelters, KH outdoor insulated cat houses and daily feedings with fresh bowl of water.

We named the abandoned cat Bob.  He is easy going and does not fight but he does love the queen cats.  He will meticulously groom them and I swear if he was human he would be a hair stylist.  He is also a bit of a lover boy, as he is always kissing the queen cats. Bob joined the colony and visits me three times a day.

Bob's daily routine:

1. Arrive at 5:30 am to the sidewalk where he was pushed out of the car and waits for his masters car to return.
2. Go to my neighbors house at 9 am for a bite to eat.
3. Visit with his cat friends at the colony.
4. Head over to my feeding station at 1:00pm
5. From 1:00 to 5:00 he is unaccounted for
6. 5:00 pm shows up at my other neighbors deck
7. 6:00 pm arrives at my feeding station
8. 9:00 pm after neighbors go to bed Bob stretches out on their heated porch

Bob got lucky he did not need to forage, or seek shelter.  He did not have to worry about feline leukemia, worms, or parasites.  Because he gets his routine shots and is treated monthly with Merial Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control for Cats. I am the one who usually brings Bob in for his annual wellness exam and vaccines and my neighbors who love Bob, chip in to pay for veternarin bill. 
.

The abandoned cat that we call Bob gets plenty of human attention as everyone who meets Bob immediately loves him. Bob is making due, filling his time but he is still waiting for his master to return.

Update 1/28/2012

Bob is approximately ten years of age and he has chosen to spend his time with my neighbor that helps me care for the feral cats.

Bob can be viewed sitting on my friends porch, or following her around her yard.  He will also spend time with me and I can count on him being in my yard or sitting on my front porch six hours out of the day.

This winter he has camped out in my shed/shelter and has allowed me to bring his food and water indoors to him.  He will stay in the bed rather then hide from me in a dark corner.  He also enjoys a thicket den I created for him out a wheelbarrow, wood logs and four feet of straw.

Here is a card I made at my zazzle shop that shows the winter den that I made for Bob.

 

Feral Cat in Winter Note Card Greeting Cards by Susang6
 

Bob's life is simple, as he has a routine, we all feed the feral and stray cats the same food so there is no stomach upset and he has a warm bed to comfort him throughout the winter months.

 He has cat friends that come to my yard to visit with him and they all lay in the ornamental grass garden by the back pond and groom each other.

But you should know that Bob waited for his master to return for 3 years, he sat on the sidewalk every day and stared up the hill.  He watched the cars pass him by, no car ever stopped.

Bob's master never returned.