It’s been 7 months and the “taming” of the feral kitties into garden cats is complete. We went through the wettest winter on record, a beautiful spring, another stray and her kittens, getting used to the chickens. Tiny and Blue have been doing great, I am floored how sweet they are, how trusting. Both are a delight, though very different. 
Blue Boy is always up for playing, but she is the hunter, alert and aware. He did finally see it too, whatever it was.
She is the huntress, at least till about now. Gophers mostly. He is the cuddle bear, but she also is very very sweet and likes her petting units. I could not be more happy. They have both tolerated the additional stray, up to 5 feet distance anyway, who started coming around in the winter, ate like a horse…then showed up with 5 kittens, now 10 weeks old, 4 in a new home. But that is another story. Blue Boy and Tiny meet me by the shed every afternoon for a snack, and today she actually ate a little bit again. He grooms her still, but she has not been in the mood for any rough-housing lately and puts a stop to that.
I loved when she waited on the gate for me
At the end of April, my Tiny Lacy looked so thin to me, and she was not eating that much. Scratching a lot (fleas). I called the vet, we wormed her in May and gave her flea meds…and that seemed to help. Things seemed to be ok. But then this first week of July, Tuesday, she barely ate, 3 days, she barely ate and I would be ok with that knowing the hunts, but she is so thin. To be fair, all the cats have not been eating that much and it has been very hot. She also is not as eager to play and no longer shoots past me full of energy me as I walk through the garden. I gave her a distance energy healing today as part of the Friday healing event, and she ate more this afternoon than all week, but – I still took her to vet today, July 7, 2017.
The vet didn’t even think she was so so thin, her coat looks great too. She had not gained any weight, in fact, lost a few ounces. We started with this one test. The test for feline leukemia – it is positive. This little sweetheart has feline leukemia. She is a little over a year old, we don’t know exactly how old, or where she got it. She was very good at the vet, very trusting, very sweet. It is contagious, some day I will bring in Blue Boy to get tested, even though, as close as they have been, shared litter box, sharing food bowls, grooming each other, I don’t see how he could have escaped it. But some cats can clear it. I still can’t really believe it, even though I had sensed it – hoping it was just the heat or some stress from the other feral mom. She – will just be who she is as long as she can. I’d put her on raw food, but the only thing she even still touches is Pate…
If things go the average way, some day, she just won’t be showing up any more when the morning or evening meal call comes.
To everyone who has followed this journey, thank you. To anyone who is wondering how to tame feral cats – I hope my little journey telling helped. Patience, time and let them come to you seem to do the trick. I learned a few other things I could share, but, the journey is taking a different focus now. Should you adopt feral cats, take the time and let them learn to trust you. I got lucky, both of these turned out very sweet. They were young, less than a year too, and that might have helped.
So, this is the end of the taming story, it is complete. They turned into wonderful garden cats. Blue Boy even is even starting to be friendly with other people in the garden. Both are smart enough to not venture out into the dog area at least Blue Boy after spending the night in a tree this winter. I am not sure long Tiny will do any hunting, but she already got the gophers, or, some of them anyway.
Below some pictures I took today, maybe you understand why I am showing more of Our Little Tiny. Animals and the circle of life. Over and over I see: enjoy every moment you got, do your best to treat them right, all the time. Be blessed everyone.
One July 17, 2017, shortly after 6 pm or so, she left this realm. Tiny Lacy – Spirit left her body . For whatever reason, this was her time. The dogs had her, she must have gone outside the garden fence near the gate where they sometimes waited. There was no break in the fur anywhere. I am sorry, please forgive me, I did my best, I so love you, Thank you.
Despite her diagnosis of feline leukemia, in the last week she had eaten well, had more energy and, most astoundingly, seemed to trust more and became super affectionate, and, if cats can love, then I would say the loved me. In any case, she was trusting, showing me her belly, but that was not new. The head and leg rubbing was not new, it was the gentle “biting”, licking, and eye contact. Her greeting me, completely enjoying the time on my lap, she was just amazingly sweet. I told her I loved her, looking into her eyes. She was so gentle, so sensitive and a good hunter. She was gaining weight, as she was eating well again, her coat beautiful. She was bouncy and playful , though still not in the mood to roughhouse with the Blue Boy, and I had fantasies that she would beat the feline leukemia with good nutrition, affection and energy healings. Maybe it was better this way, going at this particular point, still full of life and having so beautifully connected with a human. Thanks for hunting all the gophers and for being such a delight. Of course my mind goes…what if i had fed her more at 4 pm, maybe she would have just gone somewhere to sleep, or something like that, but it is what it is.
I showed her body to Blue Boy …he tried to play with her, then licked her. Not sure if he got it. I will plant the little potted pomegranate tree, grown from seed, next to her. Been wondering where that tree was going to go.
Of the cats I have known, I love her best, mostly because my ability to love has deepened. Here the last pictures of her and them.
Her breakfast that morning
Within the hour after she died
A good hunter, she was such a gentle, sensitive little cat. A delight.
Shortly before we buried her.
You are free now, and this human here, me, misses you. You might live in my heart forever, but your delightful form and presence will no longer be here in this form.
Thank you for your presence and help.
I find working with animals amazing. In the case of these feral young cats, to slowly gain their trust, sense their yielding and softness, discover who they are and in her case, something I can only describe as love, is utterly amazing. It is worth it every time, no matter how painful it seems to be when they leave.
