Little Silver Tabby is Curious - Feral Kitten Photo Of the Day

This is a very pretty feral kitten... we've seen her/him before, in the duo 'best friends' two feral kittens - I just thought she looked very cute here. Several of the kittens are sick as is common with ferals but this one has escaped illness so far.

I have very mixed feelings regarding images of sick kittens. It's reality but it isn't fun. This is one of those things about which I go back and forth; on the one hand I want to depict feral cats as they are - their real lives. On the other hand, there is more than enough sadness in the world. I know when there is finally a book about these cats, I will have to show the reality of their lives. Here on the blog about the project, I'm much more ambivalent.

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Kittens Playing In the Forest - Feral Cat Photo of the Day

Two feral kittens, all that is left of their litter, play together in the forest. Little friends, happy to be alive, can still enjoy a game. Even though danger lurks around every bush... sometimes it's better to just enjoy life and not to think about the bad stuff too much. At least, that is how I feel.

There are a thousand things to be afraid of, to be sad about, to cry over ...maybe the kittens have a lesson for us; to let go of all those things over which we have no control - and enjoy life, naturally....

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Copper-Top Ginger - Feral Cat Photo Of The Day

This portrait of a copper-top kitty looks almost noble to me. It's the calmness, perhaps. She is an interesting case because although she was born feral she has little fear of people. I guess she has little fear of anything, really. She was one of the early trapped/and spayed cats in the colony, so that means she's several years old now. I use the term "trapped" loosely because I really just picked her up and put her in a carrier even though she was a feral cat. And yes, I am very sure she was born feral: I saw her grow up from a tiny kitten as part of a litter hidden in a barn.

This is an interesting thing I've seen with one or two other ferals: Even though they are born wild, they simply lack the fear gene, I guess. They don't run away from anything. If I leave my car door open, they will climb inside to investigate. And even go for a ride if I let them.

It happen in humans too, although rare. But it seems to be rare in cats, too. Whatever it is that makes us scared of things - not everyone has it.

Lack of the fear gene creates humans who take ridiculous risks. In the case of cats, it is also dangerous because there are many things out there that can really hurt them.

Nevertheless, that's just how Copper-Top is; you can pet her, hold her, carry her around until she gets tired of it. Whatever. To Copper Top, it's all good.

Lucy The Cat - FORMER Feral Cat Photo Of The Day

This is Lucy The Cat today - a former feral rescued as a kitten. Lucy has the bobtail that is so common in one local feral cat community. As you see her today, Lucy is beautiful, smart, curious - and very people friendly. Once she was feral kitten, abandoned by her mom - she had a rough start to her life and it almost ended much too soon....

One day in June of 2006 while out on a morning feeding session, I heard a kitten crying. At first I couldn't find it and had to give up. I came back about an hour later, though, because I was worried. I finally found this little gooey eyed little kitten under the corner of a barn. There were no other kittens or mother cats around so I cleaned her up and moved her closer to where the other cats were - hoping some mom would take her in. I guess I just didn't want to face bottle feeding yet another kitten; I already had one I had rescued the week before and the idea of taking in another kitten so young felt like too much.

Baby Lucy, right after rescue - June, 2006

She cried and cried. No mommy ever showed up so I took her in and bottle-fed her.

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Fluffy Orange-Beige-Ginger Kitten - Feral Kitten Photo Of The Day

This is a pretty big fluffy kitten! I call this kitten "big" because it's about twice the size of other kittens its age. It's also very scared of people (some feral cats are worse than others about this) and thus hard to photograph.

Perhaps continuing a line of oversize fluffy-puffy orange/buff/beige cats as the daughter or son of the cat we called "Son of Sick Boy" - and that is probably a good thing because we haven't seen Son of Sick Boy lately. I fear he may have met the same fate as his daddy.

"Better not be watching me!"

So far this kitten has been able to avoid getting seriously ill and if it stays as nervous as it is now, it may be able to stay out of other kinds of trouble, too.

First Case of Swine Flu in a Cat! (Cat News)

Sick Iowa Kitty Had Swine Flu - NPR Health Blog : NPR

Cat-owners everywhere have a new worry. Iowa health officials have reported the first known case of the new H1N1 flu in a kitty.

The important lesson here is that authorities say you can prevent Swine Flu from infecting your cat simply by washing your hands before petting / handling your little kitty friend.

Cat Photo of the Day - Fluffy Ditsy Willemina

She got the name Willemina because she is the daughter of the abandoned Maine Coon "Willem 'Willie' DeKooning" - she's very pretty and possibly the worlds dumbest feral cat. Seriously, her attention span is so short that she's actually difficult to feed!

When you put down food you have to move your hand away very quickly, else Willemina will follow your hand instead of eating the food in front of her. She's always been a very good hearted kitty, though, if somewhat difficult to approach. I remember when she was a half grown kitten how she always took care of and looked after her ill sister we named Sick Baby Frida Khalo. I'm sure she would have been a good, if ditsy, cat mom too but she was spayed at 6 months of age.

I think Willemina is about five or six years old now - I've kind of lost track. And I continue to be amazed at her ability to remain alive and healthy despite her air-headedness.