My Feral Family

With the recent sub-freezing temps in the 'burg, I've been turning my attention to my other kitties. Yes, for two and a half years now, I've been cheating on my kitties with a little feral family -- Peggy Sue, Tux, Pegasus, Fergus and Funny Face -- in Oak Grove.

Actually, my two cat families are related. Roxie, who now lives in my house, was once part of the feral group. She is the mother of Peggy Sue and maw-maw to the other four.

Though the Oak Grove kitties are hopelessly wild, there are subtle, but telling, little acknowledgements of the relationship between us.

They know the sound of my car. Rain or shine, Tux waits expectantly by the pine tree every evening waiting for me to come feed them. I notice recently that he has trained his little brother Fergus to stand lookout with him. A sort of passing of the torch.


And they talk to me. Did you know that cats usually meow as a way to communicate with (ie: manipulate) the humans around them? Adult cats don't meow to communicate with each other.


Most telling -- when I returned from vacation after Christmas, Peggy Sue actually ran past the food, rubbed up against my legs and let me pick her up for 10 whole seconds -- the first sign of affection she has ever shown me. It actually brought tears to my eyes.


Funny how little gestures like that forge bonds. These cats will never be mine in the way the other kitties are, but still the urge to protect them is just as strong.


When the cold snap threatened, I created a makeshift shelter for the kitties out of boxes, plastic wrap, old blankets and shower curtains, and my Recurring Gentleman Caller's waterproof, thermal sleeping bag (Shhhh! He doesn't know this yet ).

And it seems I'm not the only softie out there. The new next door neighbor has been leaving his garage door open so they'll have someplace warm to sleep at night.


Sometimes it takes a village to raise a feral colony.

So far, so good. Thus far, everyone seems to be surviving the cold just fine.


New Year's resolution: Trap the kitties and get them fixed. It's the ultimate thing I can do for them.