GUS AND US - A FERAL CAT JOURNAL - PART 1

My first cat was part of a package deal. Got a wife - got a cat. Tippy was my wife’s cat he became mine too. A Tomcat, the best mouser in my long list of felines, he was tough and independent. First, we were at odds, whenever my wife and I sat together he would lodge himself between us. Next we tolerated each other and eventually became close friends. I cried the day he died and several days afterward. I still keep a picture of him on my desk. We have lost four more over the years and cry over each of them. Today we are a family of eight cats.

One mistake I made with the latest crew was to think we made them a part of our family. The reality is they let us into theirs. My revelation is that cats are my connection to nature and creation. When you love and respect them they bond with you. I tell people that “If you have an insecurity problem you should not own a cat, get a dog”. One of my friends, Dougie, (doo-gee) would see me off to work and get a belly rub. He would meet me when I arrived home and sit next to me at dinner. We try to keep the rascals out of the kitchen with a barrier. It could not deny Dougie. When I got home from work, he knocked down the barricade to get to me, no small feat for a nine pound cat. I love all our cats, but Dougie and I were a special bond. He belonged to me and I belonged to him. I still tear up when I look at his picture.

Through all this cat mania we became involved in feral cats. Most of them are homeless they fend for themselves. Hunt, eat and drink without the help of humans. Some better at it than others. The less fortunate are gaunt and weak. Winters are hard on them without that layer of fat to help insulate them. We started to put food out for them. Most are skittish. They run away from people and cars. That is a good thing for their safety. One danger that is much harder to escape is predators. Coyotes are in our area and they are efficient hunters. Cats, dogs and other small animals are on the menu. Animal agencies are not interested in controlling them. They haven’t struck that nerve yet. When a child is taken then you will see action. It is unfortunate we live in such a crisis-oriented society.

GUS AT THE DINNER TABLE.

One thing feral cats enjoy is freedom. Their day is their own. They come and go, sleep and fight whenever the mood strikes them. Despite the pitfalls of being outside they wouldn’t want to give up their freedom. They might come inside to avoid the rain or cold, but not permanently. How do you help these waifs that live nowhere but everywhere? That is what I am about to tell you about in a few journal entries. It is about Gus, one of our feral‘s , and us. Now I have put that in print I will call the series that. “Gus and Us”. I will have video and pictures and the journal entries.

Charles Rollo is the Executive Director of G1NBC and a Certified Feral Cat Care Giver.