My principal outsider-cat, Sable, has a hard life. It’s not as hard as many ferals, since she knows she can come to Café Cosy and she will find hard-food at any time of the day or night. If I am home, she will likely be offered soft-food, too. Nonetheless, she can meet with adversity and even danger at any time.
This fact was reinforced last week when I observed that Sable’s left ear seems to have been injured. Her right ear is rimmed in silver, which indicates that she probably suffered frostbite at some time in the past. This new damage is not on the edge of the ear, and looks like a gouge in her skin. She may have received it in a fight. If so, it looks already healed, at least to the point at which it no longer visibly bothers her. The old wound and the new are illustrated in the pictures below. Please excuse the unwashed pane of glass.
Yesterday, Sable brought her friend Arliss, and I was able to have a closer look at that white and orange fellow. While he is broad and big, his fur has that scaly, rough look that outsiders acquire, from not having the time and leisure to groom themselves properly. He didn’t stay for soft-food; he rarely does, being too skittish.
Also skittish is Cicero, a white-and-dark-tabby cat whom I have seen coming to the hard-food bowl. He is so timid that he will run if he sees me watching him from a distance through the glass door to the ditch. Even so, he has recently started to wait by the corner of the fence. This gives him the opportunity to see me leaving soft-food out for him. I am certain he now knows that I provide it, though this doesn’t mean that he will wait around for it. In fact, he usually runs off, and comes back later, to lick the bowl clean when I am not present.
I doubt that I will ever get to know these outsider-cats better than I do now. But at least I can make their hard life a little easier.
Yes I know what you mean about outside cats. I feed 6 and a 7th one is inside my workshop. When she first arrived starving and bedraggled I didn't quite want her added to my already burgeoning group. But she got pregnant, I thought she was fixed, nope, and well the babies were taken by racoons. I was devastated so I got her fixed and put her inside while she healed and she's stayed there. She is a very fuzzy white cat with a plume of a tail. But she's all a bitey cat. At first I really thought I would integrate her inside with Annabelle and Boo, but now I'm not so sure what will happen. But she's safe and not outdoors to all the elements like you are speaking to. It's hard to see them outside but I try and console myself with knowing at least they know they have food and water and if they are hurt I will take them to a vet for care.
ReplyDeleteIt breaks my heart to see cats living outside. I am glad you are helping these sweeties.
ReplyDeleteThey do appreciate that you have food for them even if they are a bit afraid. Thanks for helping them out.
ReplyDeleteI am glad they have a safe place to get food and maybe they will feel safe to hang around your yard if they need to sleep.
ReplyDeletePurrs, Julie and the mum
Poor baby being ferel ain't easy
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for helping those feral outsiders, John.
ReplyDeleteWe have two feral cats that live on the property owned by my apartment complex. A wonderful couple has been feeding and caring for them for years. I understand that one of the cats has been on the property for about 12 years. The cats are both quite skittish and will let only their 2 caregivers approach them.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to see them with injuries, but you help to make their life better.
ReplyDeleteIt must be tough for thses outside kitties. Thank goodness for your kindness to give them a full belly.
ReplyDeleteYou treat these outside cats the best that you can by giving them food and water. One of our feral cats that I recognize walked across my patio yesterday. You can't get near it can't talk to it and I feel so bad that it's outside year round. I used to put food out but unfortunately we have too many raccoons possums and skunks so I have quit doing that. I'm glad you're able to and that you don't get raccoons all that often.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same position as Lynn The raccoons and opossums and skunks hardly give the ferals I see occasionally a chance. It mAkes me very frustrated. They even climb all the way up the deck posts to the deck itself to take the hummingbird food in season, and terrify Katie.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad. Poor Sable. As I recall, when you first saw Arliss, you thought he might have a home. If he's out in that awful weather looking for food, I guess that proves he doesn't. I don't believe we have many ferals in my neighborhood right now (there are a lot of "cat rescue" people living around here,) but when I see them, I get terribly worried about their welfare. It's a dangerous world for homeless cats.
ReplyDeleteThank God you're at least providing the ones in your area with a secure food supply. That must mean so much to them.
My heart aches for those poor cats. Left out to fend for themselves in a world that has many dangers.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness, they have found the Cosy Cafe to make their lives a bit better.
Bless you for taking care of those outside kitties, They are dependent on you to keep them well fed, which helps them weather the coldness they are in. Do they have some kine of shelter to get away from the elements?
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