"Something Pretty" in from the cold

[Marigold7]

I drew the line at my two rescue cats and two rescue dogs; a small pension and my disability has strict limits. But always there has been food put out for Ireland's ferals who are treated like vermin. Rarely glimpsed.. Early this year I had to relocate one who was appallingly aggressive to my two and also came in through the cat flap and sprayed the whole house.. being woken at 2 am by the stench is not Ok! Some weeks later another face appeared... or rather a glimpse then a vanishing backside in the Irish dark countryside. This went on for weeks and then one day he ventured in to the kitchen and since then had I thought become tame. Petting was allowed, after one painful lashing out for taking liberties... he is an ankle winder; but will not come yet to an outstretched hand and I do not trust him yet!
NB A loud voice frightens him which is needful to know as he learns his manners.. leaping on the counter when I am preparing his food is not allowed... worse is his aggression to my two and vice versa. Never knew cats had such a wide vocabulary...and I used to breed Siamese so I should know...He had started infiltrating upstairs..last evening one of my two was on my bed and he wanted on, so he reared up against the bed, ears back and waited. My girl saw him and hissed and he backed down then when she went leaped on and you could see him loving this new luxury... however, this morning he attacked my boy and I realised my girl is terrified if him so we are limiting his access to the kitchen. He is a wild creature and amazing he allows so much handling. I asked someone re his name saying I wanted something pretty.. so that is what he is, shortened to Sum Sum or just !!CAT!! He is looking good now, filling out nicely.

[angieh]

Bless you for caring for these ferals, Marigold. Just a word of caution about your pretty boy - I allowed a stray (not feral) in a couple of years ago. He was certainly not aggressive towards people (or dogs as it turned out) and I would have welcomed him in to a comfy new home BUT he started being a right bully boy to my two home loving cats and I could not have that at all. He went into rescue (and was lucky) and I still feel so guilty about that but my two came first and still do.

[Marigold7]

Bless you for caring for these ferals, Marigold. Just a word of caution about your pretty boy - I allowed a stray (not feral) in a couple of years ago. He was certainly not aggressive towards people (or dogs as it turned out) and I would have welcomed him in to a comfy new home BUT he started being a right bully boy to my two home loving cats and I could not have that at all. He went into rescue (and was lucky) and I still feel so guilty about that but my two came first and still do.

Smiling as this is exactly what I am starting to see with this one and am nipping it in the bid very firmly now. He became tamer so fast I am thinking he has been dumped or is just young BUT everything has to be in HIS terms and I am not having that.
So now I will be confining him to the kitchen.
And telling him off mightily for any sins! To which he responds by fleeing out through the cat flap giving me time to close doors etc!
Wondering if neutering will make a difference though. Was yours entire male?

Rescue here is not an option ; I rescued my two from the cat rescue from hell and I would not trust again.

PLEASE do not feel guilty; you did what was right for you.

[angieh]

He was when he arrived and I managed to get him neutered with the aid of a Cats Protection voucher. Sadly, it made no difference to his behaviour with my two - one male neutered and one female spay. He did live in an old chicken house for a while, which we re-roofed for him but it was at the beginning of one of the particularly cold winters we had a few years ago and hence the rescue. If it had been at any other time of the year, he could have stayed in the chicken house.

[Kazz]

Sounds like in the Wilds of Ireland he has found himself a home........

[Marigold7]

Sounds like in the Wilds of Ireland he has found himself a home........

Oh I hope so; so many ferals here. he is so calculating though; knows exactly what he wants and THINKS he knows how to get it! Makes me smile to watch him but I do not trust him; that wild streak..

I lost a cat to badgers in Ireland so I have always said Ireland owed me a cat.. that one was dumped too along with his two litter mates and I rehomed them all.