Black cat in a hay barn

Earlier today.

I enter the hay barn, and cautiously peer into the gloom to see if the coast is clear. It isn’t.

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Me
‘Hello, black cat. I need to fetch another bale of hay. Would you mind if I rolled down one of those just ahead of you and to your right?’

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Black cat
‘*#%#*§} OFF’

Me
‘Ah, ok, shall I come back later?’

Black cat
‘*#%#*§} OFF’

Me
‘Ok’
 
I'm heartbroken that I'm having to rehome our "was feral" kitten after just a week. Via an excellent rescue centre. I think she is pregnant, and she is now so tame, she is a "lap cat" once everything is sorted. My dog will not tolerate a cat in the house, and Edith is still quite nervous. I love her dearly ?

Watch "Edith ( or Edo) our feral barn kitten." on YouTube
 
Shysmum said:
I'm heartbroken that I'm having to rehome our "was feral" kitten after just a week. Via an excellent rescue centre. I think she is pregnant, and she is now so tame, she is a "lap cat" once everything is sorted. My dog will not tolerate a cat in the house, and Edith is still quite nervous. I love her dearly ?

Watch "Edith ( or Edo) our feral barn kitten." on YouTube
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Such a little bundle of gorgeousness ? no wonder you want to keep her! Such prettiness, she’s bound to get a loving home.
 
Shysmum said:
I am paying for her neutering, vaccinations and a brand new cat carrier. Life is so tough sometimes, but j have to do what is right for Edith x
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And you have done everything that you possibly could, it was a very lucky day for Edith when her and your paths crossed ?
 
Unexpected but good updates re the feral hay barn cat :). I had posted on another thread asking about why he might be meowing at me.

Upshot.

I offered him food yesterday, and he was ravenous o_O. He has since been munching his way through cooked chicken and a bit of Chappie, pending us getting in some proper cat food.

Once he realised that I was bringing food, he became much more friendly, and approached me for a stroke. Today (Christmas Day) he even started to purr when I was stroking him.

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And I’m now pretty sure, after getting a view of his rear end, that he is actually a she :D.

So, for whatever reason, she seems to be a tame cat who is down on her luck. We’ll feed and care for her while she needs it. I *think* I know where she may be from, and they are not coping well at all at the moment, and have carers in. She’s free to take herself back there at any time if she wants to.

I’m busy washing bedding and an old dog bed to put out in the hay barn for extra warmth. Inviting her inside the house will not be easy, due to the resident and highly indignant JRT who already can’t quite believe what I’m up to!
 
Now I’m looking at ideas for brands of cat food, and am getting boggled by the choice :oops:.

I don’t want to buy the feline equivalent of Bakers dog food o_O. What would be decent but not über spendy brands to look for? Was thinking of getting both kibble and a wet food.

ETA Have discovered that Orijen do dried cat food as well as well as dog food (which the JRT is on), so that’ll be the kibble sorted.
 
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Tiddlypom said:
Now I’m looking at ideas for brands of cat food, and am getting boggled by the choice :oops:.

I don’t want to buy the feline equivalent of Bakers dog food o_O. What would be decent but not über spendy brands to look for? Was thinking of getting both kibble and a wet food.

ETA Have discovered that Orijen do dried cat food as well as well as dog food (which the JRT is on), so that’ll be the kibble sorted.
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I was about to recommend Orijen, their sister brand (slightly cheaper) is Acana which our cats agree is equally good!
For wet food Meowing Heads is good, and lots of cats really like Applaws but ours wouldn’t eat it. Alternatively you can buy bags of raw frozen chicken/lamb/beef mince from Pets at Home and just offer that, defrosted, alongside the biscuits?
 
Rumtytum said:
Totally off subject but I like the name Hazel (after where you found her ) ?
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That’s a great suggestion! Top of the short list. Though the only other name currently on the short list is Black Cat...

DirectorFury said:
Alternatively you can buy bags of raw frozen chicken/lamb/beef mince from Pets at Home and just offer that, defrosted, alongside the biscuits?
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I didn’t know PaH sold frozen food, thanks for the heads up. Though I think I need all cat food to be tinned, pouched or dried, so that I can store it out in the (horses) feed room in an airtight bin.

I was so quiet and careful this morning when I got some more sliced chicken out of the fridge, but the blimmin JRT heard me and was right on it. Her face when I left her in the kitchen and headed out with it to feed the cat :oops:. If looks could kill...
 
We acquired some feral kittens in the summer, not sure where they came from they just appeared in one of the barns. There were originally 3 but only 2 have stayed long term. No 3 visits from time to time, seems the neighbours may be feeding him. The 2 who’ve moved in both turned out to be female, after a day trip to the vets ? one is very friendly the other not so much ? ?. They’re called ‘Black cat” - there are no others! Seem to be good mousers but they’re noisey with it!! In fact they’re very demanding, they’re fed after the horses or before if they’re getting under my feet. Seem to look ok on whatever’s cheap in cat food, they turned their noses up at the dog food l offered them so l decided they couldn’t be that hungry?
 
Black cat wasn’t around on the evening of Christmas Day, and I didn’t see her again til this morning, when she had taken possession of her new (old) basket and asking for breakfast. If she was a cat with a home, she’s surely have been kept in last night as Storm Bella raged?

Cat food should be arriving via Amazon tomorrow. Meanwhile, OH has been told to go easy on the cooked meat for his sandwiches until it arrives, as he can have cheese instead and the cat can’t :D.

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