RIP Rocky

[Chantal]

Thanks everyone.

I am sad that Rocky has died, but having shared so much of him with you all I'm happy that his memory lives one.

The new cats are insane, especially Filbert, my little avatar who is just four months old.

[Elaine]

Chantal, you sound as if you have your hands full with Filbert! A filbert is a nut, right?? I suppose you chose to call your kitten after a nut for good reason!

I have a new cat too...well she's been with me for 14 months now and it's been a very "eventful" time, to put it mildly! (See my reply to Peter's post about his new pooch.) But, perseverance and patience are paying off and Meg the Mog is turning into a lovely cat, now that she is feeling less insecure. My vet thinks she has been emotionally damaged by having 5 (including the RSPCA) owners in her 6 years...poor thing. I think she now realises she has found someone who will love her forever.

[Chantal]

Hi Elaine

Yes, Filbert is a nut, but it's also the name of the Leicester City mascot (Filbert the Fox), Filbert Street being the old ground.

My husband is a mad Leicester City fan. Enough said.

Filbert was a 10 week old feral when we took him in, captured on a farm the previous day. The first three days I was bitten, scratched and spat at every time I went near his cage. Then my neighbour came round, said "oh he'll be all right", grabbed him, stuck him up against his chest and that was it, he's been fine with us ever since! He's now the most affectionate kitten you could imagine, sleeping with us, playing with the other cats and generally an absolute delight.

I don't think his temper when he first arrived was good, partly because he had fleas, ear mites, worms and I unscrewed 21 ticks from him. Poor little mite was being sucked dry and eaten alive! I think I'd have been pretty grumpy if I had that lot about my person.

[Elaine]

Oh the poor little puss! No wonder he was tetchy! Combined with being whisked to strange surroundings, he was probably scared too. Aw!

My cat didn't give any indication that she was going to lash out or bite....other than a permanently swishing tail. She would be seemingly enjoying a stroke or ear tickle, then suddenly....whoa! Ouch!
Meg will occasionally give me a playful swat these days, (with retracted claws thank goodness) and just the very tip of her tail twitches now, rather than the furious full tail lashing of her first few months here!

[Monika]

One of our neighbours took in two kittens last year which had been born to a feral cat living under a workmen's hut in the centre of Bradford. They were absolutely vicious when they arrived, scratching and hissing at everything in sight and had to be kept in a large cage in the middle of the sitting room for the first two or three months. Every day they were allowed out for a bit to accustom them to the "normal world" . They then progressed to the garden and surroundings and soon became civilised. Unfortunately, one of them disappeared, possibly taken by a fox, but his brother is now a lovely and quite affectionate cat and has been joined by a new kitten.

[Johnboy]

We have quite a number of feral cats on the plot and the only thing they are given is milk. They keep me generally Rabbit, Rat and Mouse free and they are quite affectionate but only on their own terms. If they come to me that's fine but I would never consider approaching any of them.
When there is obviously illness they all get veterinary attention. We had a tomcat appear with mange and it spread very quickly to three of my ladies they were treated successfully and the tomcat was cured with lead.
That sounds harsh I know but that was the advice the Vet gave me.
I have one house cat who will have nothing to do with the ferals and considering he began life as one of them I think he is a complete snob!
I love him dearly.
JB.