Ona from Meows and BowWows sends in this update on Charlotte, the feral cat they rescued from a stick poking jerk at MAS in April. Charlotte has been spayed, vaccinated and ear-notched and is now getting acclimated at her release site:
One large house, one large barn and acres of perfectly manicured grass and lots of trees. There is one lone cat named Barney that lives in the barn now. We decided to leave Charlotte in a kennel in the barn for a week and will release her next Saturday. This isn’t just a barn somewhere, it is a barn that people are in and out of everyday and the owners live in the house nearby.
Thank you Meows and BowWows and everyone who contributed to the care of Charlotte and her newborn kittens.
Thanks to all who have made this possible for sweet Charlotte. As much as I’d like all cats and kittens to be family pets, this sounds like it will be the very best for her. Bless you all.
Looks like she’ll be living the good life!
I have a question about release – how can you guarantee the animal won’t leave the property? Do cats just, you know, not?
(I only have experience with hounds and shibas, so I can never get my head around an animal that won’t stray!)
I don’t think there are any guarantees, but they seem to know when there is food/water/shelter around and if it’s safe, they’ll stay. I also think that it depends on how they are released. The woman I know who manages a feral colony here (on property with a heated barn, etc) keeps them confined for a bit until they get used to being there and gradually releases them. Most stick around, although not all.
I have taken care of ferals who come here and if they feel safe and have food/shelter/water, they do come back. (Unfortunately, my last boy was both FIV and FeLeuk positive and not well and I sent him to the Rainbow Bridge).
It takes a special person to be able to love and care for ferals and not be able to touch/hold/love them up close.
Charlotte is a lucky girl!
Think they should have changed her name to Scarlett based on those digs!
Does my heart good to see a happy ending…
Those original pics of Charlotte being poked with a stick while pregnant are hard to look at. It breaks my heart. She has been living in one room in my home for awhile now and I must admit I keep looking for her. I will try to get more pics when I release her.
So Happy to see…..I wouldn’t mind being Miss Charlotte………Keeping them confined for about a week or two is the right way to do it…….I have a pigeon and when I moved I was advised to not let her out of the cage to fly for a couple of weeks……..WhooHoo for Miss Charlotte and the family that blessed her with a home.
Yay Charlotte! And she’ll never have to worry about keeping babies safe or idiots poking her with sticks again.
Sounds like a really nice set up for her. I think she’ll be very happy – big thanks to Meows and BowWows for getting her into such a good place that will suit her particular needs so well.
So happy for Miss Charlotte!
This is info on how a Barn Cats program usually works. Following an established program helps ensure the best chance of success for the cats. http://www.barncats.org/program.php
The other major organizations also follow similar protocols where relocation or release from a pound is occurring:
Neighborhood Cats.org, http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/HOW_TO_RELOCATION
Alley Cat Allies, http://www.alleycat.org/Page.aspx?pid=636
Best Friends Animal Society,
Video, http://video.bestfriends.org/community/m/programs/10384.aspx
Document, http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/FFcatrelocation.pdf (from Feral Cat Resources page, http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/resourcelibrary/feralindex.cfm)
Looks like a great place to be! I have fed and been able to vet a few feral dogs. I have never been able to contain one for a long period of time. I have come to believe that because freedom is their way of life and as they know nothing else…They are happy. The great thing for Charlotte is that she can remain free but be taken care of! I still feed “my” feral dogs but am unable to make their lives better as they won’t stay close, so no meds can be given, only good food and water! Hooray for Charlotte and her new “place.”
thank you to everyone who helped charlotte, does my heart good to know she is safe and cared for in such a nice place