(no subject)

[spatch]

The grey cat is back on my outside deck. It is snowing and he's leaving little pit-pat tracks all over the place. I have done nothing to encourage or facilitate or in any way make easier the existence of stray cats on my porch, but lately two of them have taken to standing on the couch out there and yowling at each other.

MerowwwwwwWWWWWwwww, one of them will say. MerowwwWWWWWWWWWWwwwwwww, the other will reply. MerowwwwWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWwwwwwww, they'll say in unison, having reached an apparent accord. I think it has something to do with mating, as my spaded-and-noodled indoor cats aren't even remotely intrigued by the cat sounds coming from outside. I did hold Martha up to the window so she could see, in an oddly sadistic experiment (or masochistic, considering whose arms she'd shred should she decide to take a leap) and all she did was go "grrr" very softly and then look away. I suppose it meant "Aw come on, you guys, get a room" (Cana suggested that Martha was saying "Sheesh, kids these days...")

One of the cats is a grey tabby, slightly plump but very stray-looking. The other is a black-and-white tuxedo cat, quite gaunt and stray indeed. I am forcing myself not to even remotely consider giving them names as that will only make the problem worse. If you give the cat a name, it's yours, brother, so if you want to give them names, that's fine by me, but I won't use them. (I know someone whose parents once had a stray grey cat visit their backyard regularly but they were adamant that they not adopt the cat, as they didn't want a cat, so it was never allowed inside. Feeding it outside, however, was A-OK, and so they came to regularly keep kitty in constant supply of cat food and water -- but, following the naming logic, it wasn't their cat because they never named it. It was known simply as "that old grey cat", as in "Oh look, that old grey cat is back in the yard again.")

So these two cats have figured out that my deck is a swell hangout. This does not mean that I will be naming them, or even leaving food out for them, even if that black-and-white kitty is lookin mighty thin indeed in these lean winter times. I can't. Not even leftovers. I already have two cats; I can't support more. If they decide to regularly stay around here, it won't be on my invitation. The grey tabby runs if I unlock the deck door and open it up, but the black-and-white cat stays and stares at me. I have yet to actually open the screen door and make as if to step out on the deck, so we haven't fully tested the cat's human interaction threshold. And again, making contact with these strays is not a good idea.

I'm just glad I haven't heard them actually getting down to the heart of the matter yet. That's yowling that I will interrupt, dangit.

Comments

[platys.livejournal.com]

I found a stray cat outside the last ex-bf's apartment complex. It was cold, and I so wanted to adopt her (I decided it was a her, and I named her Victoria), but I knew I couldn't do three cats, even in my spacious one bedroom apartment.

But she was mostly white with grey tabby patches, and she was so nice. Brian, the ex-bf tried to convince me that she had a good home (she didn't look malnourished), but then I just got pissed that people would let their cat outside in an apartment complex when it was freezing out.

[spatch]

Cats can do all right in the cold sometimes. The outdoor cats we had when I was growing up did all right out in the cold, but they would clamor and scrabble to be let in when we were going inside too. These strays have yet to make a "Let us in and feed us and give us pillows!" beseeching move yet, and for that I'm grateful.

These critters could be the animals in my walls, now that I come to think about it, if they're playing about on the deck like this. It's only a hop over to the roof and under the eaves.

[abbetaka.livejournal.com]

The inner me (who has considerably more money than the outer me) would launch a sneak attack to abduct the cats and then take them to get spayed/neutered.

Our neighbor got two kittens and doesn't seem to want to deal with them, so sometimes lately they've been outside all night on our adjoining decks, mew-ing entire symphonies and appealing to be let in.

I'm not encouraging them either - if I went out to pat them I'd have to change my clothes & wash my hands when I came on, on account of Brad.

I don't think they're in heat though, they're just kitten "HEY I'M A KITTEN I NEED ATTENTION AND PLUS I'M CUTE HI HI HI HI HI HI MEW!" mews. It nonetheless hurts my heart that I'm not letting them in. Again: eep.

[skatiemom.livejournal.com]

My parents adopt any and all stray cats that cross their path. The most recent one was a very mangy looking, feral, female. She ran the moment you opened the back door of the house. But, my parents named her, fed her and my dad created a warm house (lined with wool blankets) for her when the temperature dropped. When she turned up with half-grown kittens at one point (she'd disappeared for part of the summer) they just gave them all names and put out more food. Sadly, the whole family wasn't very strong (one of the younger ones had minor seizures all the time) and they stopped showing up one by one. The cats never did accept a human's presence, but they were cats and my parents can't resist a feline.

[off_coloratura]

I'd try to catch them and take them to the local no-kill shelter.

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[(Anonymous)]

How are *Tux* and *Tabs* doing tonight? They sound so cute, someone just had to name 'em. At least I'm far, far away in NW Pa.

Come on, what's 2 more cats when you compare it to the couple in Virginia Beach I just heard about on the news. They had 96 cats removed from their house today. The only law on the books regarding pets is a limit of 4 dogs - no mention of cats whatsoever. All seemed to be healthy, by the way.

Aunt Rose, TTDQ Pit Crew, who was happy to see ya at PPP 2003!
P.S. Been reading awhile - always great stuff!

Re: Need Tidy Cat Crystals Blend Litter for Multiple Cats?

[spatch]

I hope to never become a Crazy Cat Lady. Well, I can safely say the third part won't ever happen, but the first two? I don't know. Two cats are enough to keep me awake when I should be asleep. I shudder to think of what 96 would've been like. That's nuts. I don't think I'd be able to eat a bite of food without being swarmed by a horde of hungry pesky "Mine!" cats.

And it's great to hear from you, Aunt Rose! I hope the off-season is treating you well. (This is the part where a Californian or a Floridian chimes in with "What's an off-season?" and the rest of us throw snowballs in return.)