Allotments – our family is growing
by Betty
(Walsall Road Allotments)
Triangle and Felix in the cage
We have another cat at our allotments - but he isn't a feral. Felix has been re-homed to us by the Cats Protection (CP) and we have had him for about a month now.
Please see these earlier posts too:
Feral Cats at Allotments in Birmingham, UK
Another Feral Cat at the Allotments
Allotment Cat Is Getting Really Brave
Now there are three at the allotment!
So many people have shown interest in our allotment cats that I decided to start a blog about them. If anyone is interested, click on this link to see it. I update it regularly, and there are lots of photos.
He was found in someone's garden with a badly injured tail and was caught and taken to the vet where the tail had to be amputated.
The CP tried to get him to live in a house but he didn't settle so they thought he would be better as an outdoor cat and asked us if we would have him.
I was a bit concerned as we already have feral cats and I didn't know if they would accept an adult stranger suddenly arriving on their territory.
I needn't have worried. He has settled down remarkably well and made friends with one of the feral kittens. Felix had to live in a large cage for the first two weeks to get him used to being with us.
One morning when I went to feed him I saw a feral kitten in the cage with him. It had squeezed through a small gap in the cage bars and was fast asleep next to him!
As soon as it heard me it ran out of the cage and went back to the gap under the building where it must have been living.
Felix was given his freedom shortly after and the kitten has been Felix's constant companion ever since. They eat together every morning and Felix lets the kitten share his bowl of food without any problem.
Felix is a very friendly cat and loves to be stroked, although he isn't too happy about being picked up.
I've named the kitten 'Triangle' because of the white markings on his head.
Update 6th Oct 2010 - Triangle the feral kitten on the allotment:
Triangle is the kitten who squeezed through the bars of the cage which Felix had to stay in for two weeks when he came to our allotments. This was almost two months ago and now that Felix has the freedom of the allotments he always has his little friend Triangle with him.
But the most exciting news of all is that Triangle lets me stroke her! I started by putting her food down and gently touching the top of her head while she was distracted with the food. Then the following day I did the same, but stroked down her back. She arched her back, just as I've seen Felix do so I'm assuming she likes it. She comes to me for titbits too and takes them from my hand. I don't think anyone (except maybe the people here) can understand how thrilling this is to me. A kitten which started off by being so frightened that it ran to hide under the building now trusts me so much that it lets me stroke it!
The Cats Protection have arranged for her to be taken to the vet on Friday to be neutered then she will be returned to us and there won't be the worry of more kittens.
Update 25th Nov. 2010: Janet the feral kitten
Janet is a beautiful tabby kitten living at our allotments. She might be from the same litter as Triangle, but we are not sure. She is nothing like Triangle in character though because she is quite shy and wary of humans. We think she might be about five or six months old now.
Recently we managed to catch her inside a pet carrier and with the help of the Cats Protection she was neutered and returned to us.
Betty
Hi Betty... a tender loving story - thanks. Triangle has Turkish Van type markings. That doesn't mean he is a Turkish Van cat though....Michael