On May 13, 4:21=A0am, "Mike the Brewer" <mike_t...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> "Robert Bodling" <robertbodl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>
> news:481dcf8b$0$30213$4c368faf@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
>
>
> >I was out in my back yard last night cutting down the overgrown tall
gras=
s
> >and weeds and found a couple new born kittens (looks to be a month or
so
> >old, old enough to run and scamper around) hidding in the tall grass
and
> >managed to rescue one of them that had tried to escape and got caught
in
> >the 2"x3" (or so) wire we have around the base of our fence (due to the
> >fact that we used to have a dog in the yard trying to escape). =A0The
kit=
ten
> >is real fisty and as my son calls it, "a kitten from hell, a demonic
cat"=
> >(hisses and lashes at every movement around it [presently caged in a
cat
> >carrier]). Some told me last night that when a human handles the
kitten,
> >the mother cat will abandon it and let it wonder around and die.
=A0Would=
> >this young kitten return to it's family and be welcomed it we let it
back=
> >out in the yard this evening after we managed to finish mowing the tall
> >grass down and cleaning up the back yard?
>
> > Secondly, if this kiten was born in the wild, can it be house trained
an=
d
> > would it be tame enough to live inside with humans?
>
> I would like to tell my own story here:
> A female cat which appeared to be wild came around and I started putting
> food down for it. It came at regular times to feed but would run off at
th=
e
> first sign of a human. It had three kittens in the grass and I observed
th=
em
> until it took them under next door's shed. However it left the female
kitt=
en
> and did not return by dusk, so I took this in and reared it successfully
,=
> feeding it with an eye-dropper and Lactol milk powder mixed with water.
> I am told I was very lucky to succeed, gently "topping and tailing "
> regularly using a damp sponge. After about 3 weeks it's eyes opened and
> eventually she grew into lovely, but small, longhaired cat and lived for
> about 13 years.
> As for the two tom kittens, I saw them running around after about five
or
> six weeks. I took a cardboard box which I sealed and cut out a hole just
> enough for them to get through, put some cat food in and placed it on
the
> garden. I watched from a distance and when the kittens had both entered
I
> sneaked up and put my hand over the hole and brought them indoors.
> They would not come out for three days but tempted by food just outside
th=
e
> box and the presence of the female kitten who was now running around,
they=
> eventually became tame and domesticated. I had the two toms neutered and
> they too grew into fine cats...very loving and responsive to humans.
> Endnote: There were two more tom kittens the following year and after
> catching and domesticating those I was able to find homes for them
locally=
..
> The mother was around for several years and in that time I managed to
get =
to
> the stage when she she would eat from a bowl while I held it out, but
that=
> as far as it went....as soon as I lifted my thumb on the edge of the
bowl
> she would spit and back off.......At least I was able to give her a
source=
> of food......which was all she needed.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
I've heard of feral mothers who identified persons as qualified and
willing to take care of their babies and would bring them serial
litters over the years. Sounds like this mother may have acquiesced
to eat from your bowl as a token of gratitude, but beyond that line
she would step no further. Nice story, thanks.
--tension
|
