# New Guy in Indianapolis - haven't seen outside cats for a while



## sycamore32 (Jan 9, 2014)

Hey guys. I join here in search of advice, and hopefully some positive news. My wife and I are avid cat lovers. We have 3 cats at home, and we have 2 that we've been feeding at my wife's work. Those two (Sophie and Caesar) are what brought me here today.

First off, I want to apologize for my first post being so sad. I'm normally a very up-beat person. That said, I'm very fearful that my outside kitties did not survive the ridiculous cold snap that we received these past couple days.

We have been checking on them twice a day, every day (even Christmas) for about two years now. Rain or shine, cold or hot, we go and check on them. Over this period of time, they've grown to trust us, and we'd even gotten to the point that we could pet one of them (Sophie) and pick up the other one (Caesar). At that point we knew we had to bring them home. We made a couple attempts to catch them, but they would freak out, so we'd let them go. But each effort went slightly better than the one before it.

Fast forward to Saturday (1/4/14). After a grocery run, we stopped to check on our outside kitties, who were both out and waiting on us (not always the case). We fed them their normal wet food, changed the dry food and water bowls in their little food shelter (thank you Indy Feral for that), and headed back to our vehicle, knowing the cold that was to come the next day. My wife says "we need to get them now," and I replied "we have no room in the car - too many groceries and no pet carriers." So we left them...

It has been 5 days now. They have areas they can hide from the wind, but nowhere they can truly get out of the cold permanently. The air temperature was down to -20 for a good 48 hours in our area. The only hope I have is that I've found some paw prints in the snow over by the Lowe's side lot (greenhouse/lawn and garden area), but nothing by the shelter. I noticed the prints on Monday, but nothing new since then, and they were still in the sub-zero temps for another 24 hours...

The guilt of leaving them out there is killing me. I haven't eaten much since Monday night, and I basically hide out in my office all day with the door shut, not wanting to talk to anyone. I have been checking on them 3 times a day the last couple days, and will continue to do so until I know for certain one way or another. They've been known to disappear for a week at a time and then appear out of nowhere like "what? were you looking for me?" I'm praying that is the case here.

Anyway, sorry for the horribly long and sad intro. I'm really hoping that fellow cat lovers can help me stay positive through this. Those cats didn't deserve this - no cat does...

I'll post pics of my indoor kitties in another thread. They all have pretty amazing stories. I love the site, and look forward to chatting with you all (hopefully with a less depressing tone).


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

I am so so sorry you are going through this. Doubly sorry I didn't see your post before now!! Is there any new news about the kitties??


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

I am sorry you and your wife are going through this. Any news?


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Have you guys seen/found these guys 
yet??
I know how easy it is to care about these kind of work kitties...I have two I worry about!
Hugs and Prayers
Please keep us posted!


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

If they have a shelter and will cuddle each other they'll most likely be fine.

Where I live (Edmonton, AB) it gets down to -40! Colder with the wind! I'd never choose to keep a cat out in that, but a few years back I took care of a feral colony. It got so cold, for a week or more. I didn't see them, but I'd see prints in the snow by the shelter. I changed the water dish and food bowl as often as I could and mixed hot tap water with their wet food. All of them made it safe and snug in the shelter. Not even any frostbite on their ears!

You'd be surprised what they can live through if they've got the right support. Once its warmer they'll be more active again.

I'd suggest considering using a live trap to catch them. Set up a safe room in your home and see if any vets in the area will s/n Gerald and give them shots and tests and a check up while they're under. Then you'll be able to catch them without too much stress and you'll know its safe for your other kitty.


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## Tiliqua (Jan 22, 2013)

I'm so sorry to hear this. Hopefully you'll have good news soon!


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## sycamore32 (Jan 9, 2014)

Good news update!

Sophie showed up on Friday night. I went out there to shovel the melting snow away from their shelter. My newest fear was they were alive but a giant plowed wall of snow was blocking them from their food shelter. So I shoveled a back lot at Lowes for about an hour, and Sophie came out! She was fine, overall. A little wet, probably a little cold, and very hungry, but NO injuries or ill effect from the cold snap (thank God).

Caesar showed up on Saturday morning. No one can imagine how overjoyed I was to see him. He seemed okay too, but was moving a little slower. I know he just woke up, so that could have been the issue, but he seemed fine as well. He was pretty hungry too. Caesar was holed up in an open shed at the Lowes back lot. Whether they left it open intentionally or by accident, those Lowes people have earned a customer for life (and I have a list of home improvements coming this year).

Thank you all for your concern. Over the past few days the routines of all parties have gone back to normal. I check on them on the way to work and on the way home, and they show up when they want. I spent a solid hour with Sophie tonight because she didn't want me to leave. It really is hard to drive away from that cute little face. I'm sure Caesar will be out tomorrow - he's usually out every-other day.

I'm now doing research on how best to transition these two into home life. I think I can catch them at this point with minimal effort, but I refuse to catch them without a plan in place. I want them to be pent up for the least amount of time possible.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Sycamore! YAY! The Cats made it through!
That's Great News! An action plan in place first, is definitely the way to go, so the transition is as easy as possible for them, to go from outdoor to indoor!
Very exciting! 
Will be looking forward to the further adventures of Caesar and Sophie!


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## emilyatl (Sep 9, 2013)

Awww, that's such great news! Cats are so amazing and resilient. If it were any of us, we'd probably have frozen to death. I hope you can find some place to give them a home soon. And thank you for taking such great care of them for 2 years!


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## sycamore32 (Jan 9, 2014)

7cats2dogs said:


> Sycamore! YAY! The Cats made it through!
> That's Great News! An action plan in place first, is definitely the way to go, so the transition is as easy as possible for them, to go from outdoor to indoor!
> Very exciting!
> Will be looking forward to the further adventures of Caesar and Sophie!


I am a great story teller and a master of nick-names, so there will be no shortage of humorous stories from me. 


emilyatl said:


> Awww, that's such great news! Cats are so amazing and resilient. If it were any of us, we'd probably have frozen to death. I hope you can find some place to give them a home soon. And thank you for taking such great care of them for 2 years!


I am definitely amazed at their durability/survival instincts. I remember a story about an escaped con in Kentucky who turned himself in because it was so cold out, and yet Soph and Caesar made it through. So tough.

We definitely have enough space in our home for more cats. 1800 sq. ft. on a single floor with just my wife and I. All windows have ledges for cats to lay in. We have (4) pet fountains throughout the house, (3) litter boxes, and (5) food bowls, and a "buffet" selection of wet food for even our most picky cat, Felix (who I can read fairly well). We just need to get rid of some of our clutter. Those cats will live like royalty here though, I can guarantee you all that!

Thanks for the support and well wishes though. It means a lot. It is nice to have my smile back (and my appetite).


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

That is wonderful! I am really glad they are safe and sound. I have a stray I feed and even though it never gets really cold where I live, I still get worried about him when I don't see him for a day or two. Your little guys are going to love being in your house! They are lucky kitties.


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## sycamore32 (Jan 9, 2014)

We're looking at another stretch of 20 degree weather and the chance for snow, but the temps keep bouncing back above freezing after a day or so, and no extreme cold like we had last week. 

I'm working on cleaning up my weight room (spare bedroom #2 full of weight training equipment) for the kitties to move into. I should have that done by the end of the week. Then I'm going to the pet store to look for cages big enough to hold them (and easily put them into - that's the trick). Then I'm going to the vet to talk to them about a plan once I catch them. I'm really hoping to catch them by the end of this month, but February 28th will be a concrete date for capture. Caesar will be cake, but Sophie is a fighter and much more nervous when you go at her with both hands...


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## Kneazles (Nov 18, 2013)

I am glad I just now read this thread because I would have been wondering and wondering what happened! I can't wait to hear how their new life goes.

Keep us posted!


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