Conference misery::feline_v1

    Where are you located???  Are you looking for assistance in placing
    some of these kitties???  Let me know the details and I will see
    what I can do to help.
    
    Nancy

    Carol -
      I will be working out some ways to get the Weymouth Commons Kitties
    adopted.  This will include working some cat shows.  Perhaps we
    could work together and try to get some of your little guys adopted
    too.  You'll need to work on socializing them tho or they won't
    be adoptable.  Talk to me about it when you're ready.
      Nancy DC
    

    Sorry I didn't get back............
    
    Thank you for the advise.  I do talk to them when I feed them and touch
    them and hug some.   The smaller ones are getting more daring. I don't
    know what I can do to calm them down for strangers??????
    
    I would love the help in any adoption.
    
    I'll be glad to work with you anytime after NEW YEARS........
    
    

    I live in Berlin, MA near Hudson, MA
    
    I have been trying for a long time to place these kittens and cats in
    shelters for future adoption and they could be taken care of fed and
    kept warm.  I have recently had some people over for possible adoption,
    but they don't like strangers and it just didn't work out.  I hold
    them, and pat them, some still are even leary of me.  THey love my
    voice and know I FEED them.  I have two shelters for them and this is
    the best I can do.  I have 3 schedule to be fixed next month and
    another donation for more when I get the others done.  If there is
    anywhere ele that will take them and keep them for adoptions, I'll do
    anyting to help..........
    
    thank you!!!
    Carol
    
    

    I think you are not going to get your pusses to be comfortable
    around strangers in the short term.  It seems to take much longer
    for ex-feral cats to trust anyone but their own people.  The plus
    side of this is that when they are adopted, the new parents become
    their own people.  You probably have to find folks who are already
    cat people and who understand this.
    
    It took about a year of being an indoor cat before my ex-feral
    Pussycat trusted random people arriving at the house.  Little Bit,
    who came indoors around Thanksgiving, comes to me for cuddles
    but disappears instantly when someone else comes to the house.
    

    Sharon,
      Jack and I have noticed that the ferals we have are like totally
    different cats once we get them inside.  They revert, as Jazmine
    demonstrated, to the wary ferals once they get back outside.
    
    What might work better is if you can bring them in either into
    the house or into a garage. After a bit they'll become comfortable
    in their new home and introducing new folks to them will be easier
    if done on their own "Turf".  
    
    If you do bring them in however, it is very very important that
    you keep them isolated from your own cats and wash your hands
    thoroughly after handling them.
    
    I don't remember if you have any room to do this.  If you use
    a garage be very sure that there is NO anti-freeze there.  According
    to my veterinary handbook as little as 1 tablespoon can kill a full 
    grown cat.
      Nancy DC

    	Well, since the title indicates it fixin' time, I thought that
    I'd through in my .05 (inflation) worth.  I brough Pixie and Dixie
    down to the vet on 20-Dec-89 and I had them checked for worms and
    for a general checkup.  They got shots, I had them tested for FELV,
    and I had them checked for worms.  The results: everything is just
    fine, so I scheduled their neutering and spaying for 04-Jan-90.
    I will bring them down on Wednesday evening, they will be operated
    on on Thursday, and I will pick them up on Friday.  It will seem
    strange not to have the little monsters running around for a couple
    of nights, but I am hoping that they make up for it on Friday.
    
    	I do have a question for all you feliners out there.  How long
    does it take before cats/kittens respond to their name being called.
    I've had my kittens since around September, and they still don't
    respond to my calls.  Maybe it's because their names are too close
    and they don't know who is being called.
    
    	I hope everyones' kittens/cats had a good Christmas, and I hope
    that they all have a Meowy New Year also.
    
    
    
    			MEOWY  NEW  YEAR
                              from
    		   PIXIE                DIXIE
                               and
                        their owner - ME
    
    
    
    	Paul

    Well, Paul.  Bumpytail is 12 years old and NEVER comes when called.
    Dusty who has only been with us for 2 weeks and is about 7 months
    old not only knows his name, but will rollover for me if I ask
    him to.   You figure it out....Personally, I think Bumpy hates her
    name.(I didn't name her).
      N
    

    There are occassions when I'll get some attention from my furfaces when
    I call them but the best response is always gotten when their finely
    tuned sense of hearing detects food and drink.
    
    Oh, and Calvin always comes when she hears the door close after Hobbes
    has gone out -- never when she hears it open, of course.
    
    ed

    I've "trained" my new cat Little Bit to know his name because I always
    call it just before I throw a catnip mouse for him to catch (his favorite
    game).  So if I call him at other times, I get his attention.  Sometimes
    cats know their names, but they pretend they don't....you have to make
    it worth their while to "remember" :-)  What I like best is when I call
    a puss and the ears swivel in my direction, but no other part of
    the body moves a millimeter :-)
    

  I have two cats that love to eat and one (Orlando) that can take it
or leave it, so I'm always calling Orlando at suppertime. I think that
Orlando has decided that "Orlando" means it's time to hide and the other
two have decided that "Orlando" means it's time to eat.

  George

    	Today is the day both my Pixie and Dixie get fixed.  I brought
    them to the vet last night and when I was saying goodbye to them
    last night, they looked up at me with their sad eyes as if to say,
    "Hey where you going?  What about us?".  When I first moved into
    my house in August, I got used to being alone, but within a month
    I had adopted my 2 furrballs.  Now that they have been with me for
    the last 4~ months, it seems funny to be all alone again.  I am
    so used to seeing the little monsters chasing each other all over
    the house, and hearing the thunk as one of them jumps off or on
    my kitchen counters.  It seems so empty now.  I guess that I feel
    the same way that parents do when their children move away from
    home, so now I know what that feels like.
    
    	The little monsters will being staying another night tonight
    and I will pick them up on the way home from work tomorrow.  Ah,
    another quiet night at the home...

    Boy, do I know that feeling - when I take one to the vet for
    an overnighter, and am left with 17 at home, the house is SO
    EMPTY it's weird.  Probably hard to believe, but very true....
    
    E.

    Well I dropped Zula off last night.  He's going to be neutered this
    morning.  Chewy was following me constantly last night and this
    morning.  Something I haven't seen for a LONG time.  I can't figure
    out if she misses Zula or if she is celebrating.  She wasn't in
    the house when I took Zula out to the vet, but I am sure she knows
    he's not there.
    
    Now I know that neutering the mail is important to keep the unwanted
    kitty population down and to keep them from straying far or from
    spraying, but what are the health reasons? (I mentioned to the
    assistant at the vets office that I felt bad for Zula and she said
    yea but it's much healthier).
    
    Pam

    Two that I can think of off the top of my head would be:
    
    1.  Less chance of fighting and the infections/abcesses/health problems
    that can go along with that
    
    2.  Cancer of the "male" parts!
    
    

    3. Less stress for the male who no longer spends every waking moment
    trying to figure out how to satisfy that "urge".
    
    Jo

    I think there is nothing sweeter than a male alter!  They are
    so lovey - turn into reall mushie marshmellows after they are
    altered.  So much nicer than females - they usually remain
    aloof and independant.  The altered males don't usually 
    hesitate to be very affectionate.
    
    Just my opinion - my 18 are pretty evenly split between boys
    and girls - fun to watch the difference between the sexes.
    
    E.

    
    e.t. is right on track there!  my stanley is a little love.  purrs like
    a steam engine and can't get close enuf.  (is not happy unless he
    sleeps right on top of me; if i move in the night, so does he!)  
    
    i love little stella, too.  but she is more independent and aloof.
    loves to look at herself in the vanity mirror!  she likes attention,
    too, and even makes "happy paws"--which stanley has never done! 8-( 
    but she is usually less affectionate.
    
    but i wouldn't change either.  they know they mama loves them *just*
    the way they be...
    
    diane, stella & stanley
    

    I've got 5 neutered males (well, one will be neutered soon), and
    they're all different in the ways they give affection.  Murdock
    is the mushiest, my husband is convinced we should have gotten a
    Birman in the first place, since Murdock is always all over him
    (I'm okay when Dana isn't around).  Kelsey is "mine."  He'll love
    on me and snub everyone else.  Kirby is a real snot.  All he wants
    to do is sit around and look pretty.  T.K. is affectionate to the
    point of being a pain, and doesn't care who gives him attention
    as long as he is getting it.  Nikki wants attention on HIS terms,
    and is not above swatting you with his paw as you walk by to try
    and get you to stop and pet him.
    
    All different in their own way... we love 'em all!!