Our new family member is a feral kitten. He was born in Oct 99
so I chose Halloween as his birthday. He looks like my Calypso
I like to say that Calypso has come back to a new
jellicle life as a boy. I named him Bustopher Jones.
Here is his story and information about my Feral Cat Project.
Summer 99 I started providing food and fresh water daily for a
colony of feral cats in our neighborhood. At 5 PM each evening I
bring the dry cat food out and many times they were sitting on the
seawall waiting for me.
Fall 99 a shelter for the kitties was made of plywood and carpet. It was
caulked and covered on the outside with plastic and placed where it
would be the most sheltered from the weather.
Jan 2000 He started showing up with other feral cats at feeding time.
I was concerned about him getting enough to eat as the other 5 feral cats
are adults. I started buying canned cat food to mix in with the dry.
I would see him every day and he seemed to be doing ok.
I knew I needed to do more for these cats so I typed words "feral cats"
in a search engine and learned about TNR. It means TRAP NEUTER RELEASE.
This is the best way to help feral cats. I consulted my wonderful
veterinarian, DR R. Chance, and he agreed to reduced fees for spay/
neuter, rabies shot , health checkup and ear tip. Alley Cat.Org recommends
the tip of the left ear be removed when the cat is being neutered .
This is the best way to ID the cat so if it's trapped again. People
who
work with feral cats see the ear tip and know it's
already
spayed/neutered.
Feb 2000 I was prepared to start my feral cat project. Our SPCA
will let you rent a humane trap for two weeks at a time. My colony
is small so I didn't want to buy a trap. The fee helps our SPCA
Feb 20th I caught the first one, a 1-year-old male. To reduce stress
for the cat I cover the cage as this help keep them calm. Feral cats
either are hissing or growling or will be totally still and quiet when
caged. I only trap when I know I can take the cat in for surgery the
next morning. After I bait the trap with tuna, I check every 15 mins
to see if I have caught a kitty. If no one takes the bait by 9 PM
I quit for the evening and then give them their regular meal. Taking
on a TNR program requires a caring Vet that will do one more spay
or neuter in addition to surgeries he is doing that day.
Feb 22,2000 A 3 year male was caught and he went to see Dr Chance. After
surgery the cat would spend 2-3 nights with me. I would release him
he would go back to the colony. I named him McCavity.
Feb 24th I was so happy when I trapped Bustopher. I decided if I caught
him that he would never ever have to search for food again. Bustopher
was neutered, had his shots and a check up. He will never be on the
streets again so he did not have his ear tipped
I have been an animal lover all my life and support issues that help
improve their lives. Having your pets spayed/neutered is the greatest
expression of your love. Feeding and providing shelter for
our feral friends is something all of us should do. If possible
start a TNR program. I have 5 links to feral cat info on my Favorites
Page. I think alley cat.org has the most info and I followed their
guidelines.
Emily and Molly are like mother hens with Bustopher. He really
likes them. Emily is more attentive to him and plays with him
more. It will take time before he warms up to me. He does watch
when I am petting the girls or grooming them. Feral kittens that
are about 8 weeks old are easier to work with as to getting used to
being petted and handled. Bustopher is making progress but he is
still a hissy boy and shies away when we try to pet him. I am
confident that in time he will lose his fear of being petted. I'll
update this page as he makes progress. My Feral Cat Project will
continue as I have two more that need to be spayed/neutered.
Update 4/30/00
April 2000 -I have resumed My Feral Cat Project. Spent 3 nights
trying to trap a calico female that needs to be spayed as I
had observed her mating about a month earlier. I am convinced
that nothing is going to get her to enter a trap. I tried baiting
with mackerel, sardines and tuna and she is not going for any of it.
April 4,2000 Great night as I caught the male that mated with the
Calico Lady. I believe he has fathered most of the cats around here.
I named him Ears because his ears are tore up and
very flattened down and he is not a Scottish Fold Cat.
April 5th He was neutered and had a bad case of ear mites. He was
given a Ivermectin injection and a antibiotic shot as he had
scratched his ears a lot because of the mites. He was given a rabies
shot and had a Laser-ear tip done. He spent a few nights under
my care before being released.
I've only had one cat disappear and that was the first
one I trapped, I called him Inky. About month after his neuter, shots
Etc. I didn't see him again. Inky was the one that my Bustopher was
always with. I'll always think of Inky as being Bustopher's guardian.
Bustopher Jones is now allowing me to pet him and I was able
to trim his claws with relative ease. He now meows and I have
heard him purr. These are all positive signs as feral cats usually
only hiss and growl. He also talks to Emily all the time. Maine
Coons are very vocal and will make various sounds called murping.
Bustopher is now making these sounds. Emily is so attentive to
him and it is so cute to watch her groom him.
Update 8/10/2000
May 15,2000 A tabby female was staying out in my landscape bed in front
of my home. She appeared to be pregnant and I knew I must catch
and take her in to see my Vet. I was leaving for New York to see CATS
on Broadway at the end of May and would be gone for a few days.
When I returned, I decided to buy my own Hav-a-hart trap. Going out to
the SPCA and renting a trap was getting old. I have my own trap now.
June 2,2000 I trapped her and took her in to be spayed, shots and
ear tip and because she was pregnant she required additional medical
care. I took care of her for 7 days after surgery. I released her
on June 9, 2000. She was doing good and she was ready to leave.
I named her Jelly and she is about 1 year old.
She avoided me after I released her and I would only see her at a
distance. About July there she was in my landscape bed again.
I guess she has forgiven me for trapping her. When she does allow
me to see her I always give her a can of food . Being summer I never
leave canned food sitting out for very long. I keep dry food out
Update 8/26/00
Calico Lady was trapped on 8/22/00 and I took her to my Vet Dr. R.
Chance and she was spayed and all needed veterinary care was done.
My friend, Vickie has given a safe and loving home to 11 feral and
stray cats. She has given Calico Lady a home. Thank you, Vickie.
Bustopher Jones as become a very loving cat. Still a little skittish
but overall he has really changed. He is no longer a little hissy
boy. I love him so very much. I care deeply about all of my Feral
Friends. Visit my Feral Cat Project Album and see pictures of the
kitties I have helped or trying to help. A Rainbow in the first
position is for Inky who disappeared but is not forgotten.
Update 10/07/2000
Ears joined our family
on Sept 8, 2000 and he is doing
great. Visit Ears Page and read the story
of how he
joined the Smurgles Gang. He now has a loving and safe home
He
is happy and content to be indoors and we are happy he is here.
Update 11/01/2000
Jelly's been showing signs
of wanting to be friends. I have been
spending a lot of time outside with her
and talking very calmly
to her. I have been planning for some time now that I
would like
to bring her in the house and give her a real home. She finally
allowed
me to do that. She is more feral acting than I thought
she would be. She is slowly
adjusting, In time I know she will
be as loving as my other feral
cats. I welcome Jelly to my
home where the kitties rule. The Smurgles Gang
now has six
members. Each member is special and loved very much.
Visit Jelly's
Page and read her story.
Update 2/20/02
2 young
kitties showed up at my home. I knew I needed to
trap them and take them to
my Vet for spaying, shots, etc.
I trapped one on Feb 11, 2002. She was a
female about 8
months old. I named her April and she was spayed and received
all
needed medical care. On Feb 13 I was very lucky to trap
the other kitty also female
and 3 weeks pregnant. I
named her May. She was
spayed and received shots and all
needed medical care . I
released both on Feb 19,2002. I see
April and May everyday and they
are best friends with
McCavity. He was
neutered back in
Feb of 2000. I have pictures posted of April and
May in
My Feral Cat Project Album .
Update 12/24/03
Things had been quiet here till Aug 2003 when my neighbor alerted
me about 9 kittens down by the fishing pier close to our homes.
We trapped
the 9 kittens plus 2 adults and they were spayed/ neutered,
received shots
and ear tip. All the kitties are doing great and we
provide
fresh food & water daily . We provide 3 well insulated shelters they
can
access anytime they please. We see most of the cats on a daily basis
and
they are getting big and are all a picture of health.
This was done
in one months time. We were hit hard by Hurricane Isabel
I had
massive damage to my garage and my car was totaled. The last kitten
to be
spayed had surgery 2 days after the hurricane on Sept
20,2003.
All the feral rescue cats have names . The last kitten
was a solid black girl
We named her Isabel.
Sad Update Spring 2004
A few sick and disgusting
people on my street decided they didn't like the cats and
all
the sudden the cats started disappearing a few at a time. We learned these
low
life's were trapping at night and taking these kitties out and ..........
They
admitted to another person they carried them off and dumped them in
the
James City county. This person told us but when he was called and
questioned
by authorities he chose to lie and cover it up by saying
that was something that
happened many years ago.
We made very
attempt to have these scumbags prosecuted by the
local authorities.
City Attorney is worthless and would do nothing.
JCC
authorities were willing to prosecute if even one of the nine cats showed up.
To
this day June 2005 not one cat showed up anywhere. That's
why we are
convinced
they killed the cats. This incident has basically fractured the
neighborhood.
I don't talk with any of the ones involved and neither does
my
neighbor several houses down as we worked together trapping,
taking them in
to be neutered/spayed, get shots and ear tip. I would
keep the cats at
my house and provide care during recovery.
They were all
wonderful healthy cats, well cared for at my expense.
This was
heartbreaking and to this day I still think about it and will
never get
over it. The saying : "Beware of People Who Dislike
Cats"
I have always lived by these words.
***************************
MY
dear friend composed this wonderful poem.
Thank you
,Grace
BUSTOPHER JONES
******************************
Apply for Bustopher Jones
& Ears " Feral & Stray Kitty Award "
E-mail
