# barn homes / feral colonies



## icklemiss21 (Aug 29, 2004)

Does anyone know of any barn homes or people that will look after ferals in Ontario. We still have the mother of the kitten from when we rescued them in December

We have pretty much given up on trying to make her homeable, and the vet said that she should be healed enough in a few weeks to spay her and then we can let her go, but now we are worried about how she will cope if we return her after 3.5 months of living inside, but she is still not taking to people.

We had thought we had found her a home as a shop cat at a trailer shop, but his wife doesn't want a feral there in case she ever brings the kids to see their dad at work and the cat scratches them!

Also, calling around shelters etc to see if they knew anyone they were saying it may be best not to spay her if we want a barn home or anything like that as the others will not accept her if she is spayed... is this true or was she just talking to hear herself?


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## Feral Fan (Feb 9, 2005)

icklemiss21 said:


> his wife doesn't want a feral there in case she ever brings the kids to see their dad at work and the cat scratches them!
> 
> Also, calling around shelters etc to see if they knew anyone they were saying it may be best not to spay her if we want a barn home or anything like that as the others will not accept her if she is spayed... is this true or was she just talking to hear herself?


The wife-very silly, the odds of a kid getting anywhere near a shy cat is slim to none, tell them that this kitty doesn't like kids so don't bother her. Sigh, one of my biggest problems is people who don't teach their children to respect animals and treat them properly instead of 'protecting' their children from the evil animals. But that is a rant for another day!

Spay her, 110 % spay her. That is nonsense about others not accepting her, she would have a new personality and smell going into any situation with strange cats and they would accept her or not based on that and their personalities. Spaying is a must, more likely she would become pregnant and the kittens would be killed by other cats than the other cats not acceoting her after spay. 

Three months is not a long time in the world of a feral. A better measure is a year, espacially if she was with her kittens for any portion of that time. She would not make much prgress with the kittens around. Is she violent? Destructive? Is there any possibility that you could find her a home where they would let her peacefully exist without needing to gt attention from her? These homes are out there! And these cats do blossom in these homes. I have seen cats in the shelter for a year or even two who have not made progress but given six months in a home are loving lap cats (only with their humans). Can you touch her at all? Is she integrated with your other cats? Ferals are perfect companions and get a bit depressed withouth another cat around, but on that note they also mimic other cats and can be brought around with a sociable cat. 

All of the cats listed as Shy on Meow's website were tamed from feral, some are still works in progress but there are a lot of success stories.
http://www.meowfoundation.com/ourcats/s ... intro.html

I think that it would be hard to TNR her now that she has started becoming domesticated. Even if you don't see it she has probably made progress in a lot of little ways and it would be a shock to be re-released. I will see if I can find anything in Ontario so far as managed colonies go, though sometimes that is hard for an outsider. I'll see what I can turn up.


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## icklemiss21 (Aug 29, 2004)

She seems to be getting used to me, and at times I have been able to touch her, she springs back and hides, but doesn't hiss or try to attack me as she does with most the people in the office.

This hasn't been helped by the fact that none of us work in this office everyday so she doesn't have contsant attention from just one person. I will feed her one day and someone else the next etc.

Also some of the people working here have different ideas than me on how to tame her - and just because I managed to tame the kitten doesn't make my way right (even though she is coming around to me more) like chasing her with a broom to make her come out because they can't be bothered to sit and baby talk her and coax her out like I do! (but we won't open that can of worms right now)

We actually had her separated from the kitten the whole time as he was a lot calmer than her and she was starting to attack him (more fright than anything else I would imagine). It helped that we got them over the holidays and for most days seen as I am closer, I spent time alone with the kitten in his first week as the office was closed for the holidays and once we came back a lot of people were still on vacation.

I thought it was bull too as far as the spaying... we can't tell how many litters she has actually had, but she is pretty messed up down there (we know of 2 litters that we rescued kittens from in the last year) and the vet is presently refusing to spay until she heals a little better down there 

She is pretty good as far as not being destructive etc... we have had her since December 24th and she hasn't once not used the litter box, she hasn't clawed anything (except the inside of a carrying cage when we took her to the vets - but that is understandable) she doesn't seem to like other cats much from what we witnessed before we rescued her (but she seemed to constantly have kittens so we don't know if it was a protection thing or if she is an only cat type cat)

I would love to take her myself and spend the time taming her (its not like I don't think it can be done) but I already have 4 cats as it is and I wouldn't like to put them in any danger from her.


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## icklemiss21 (Aug 29, 2004)

A photo of her!


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## rosalie (Oct 9, 2003)

Awwwww, cute tortie  ..

It's good you'll be able to get her a barn home, or other type. Sometimes 
a farmer with unfixed cats will take your feral but that's a no-go situation
because the other cats will at least drive her out..and somebody that keeps untreated barn cats won't pay vet bills either.
So if you can find her a barn home with cared for cats that is ideal..best of luck


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## Feral Fan (Feb 9, 2005)

I must have missed the update on this one! I must have been confused as well, fpr some reason I was thinking she was in your home already, silly me I think I actually knew she wasn't!

It sounds like you are doing a lot for this pretty little kitty. (She really is gorgeous!). It sounds like you found the biggest reason this kitty hasn't made huge progress, ferals do come around much faster in a stable environment. She might feel a little insecure with so many strange people and noises as well. What we have found with our rescue organization is that ferals take a lot of comfort from having another cat around as it makes them feel safer. 

Maybe you could find a nice quiet home willing to foster her after her spay? Sometimes an elderly or retired couple/person would be willing to spend time with a kitty like this (sometimes people like this don't want a long term pet but will put a lot of love into a long term foster, and sometimes it turns into a long term pet!). We have also had success placing feral cats into homes where people are gone a lot of the day and are looking for a quiet companion to a current cat, basically people who aren't expecting a lot of the cat right away. If you can find someone to even just foster her in a quiet home for a couple months you might have a better chance of getting her a home as a house pet. The fact that she seems to be getting used to you is GREAT because it means she is starting to come around and would probably make a great, quiet little pet. (I love my "reformed" ferals!!!) They really do bond closely with one or two people and aren't usually close with a lot of people. She's chosen you, it's a compliment!!

Keep us updated on this little kitty, I have my fingers crossed for her, she looks like a sweetie (BTW, did I miss a name? I keep calling her little girl and sweetie in this post worried that I did not see her name!).


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## icklemiss21 (Aug 29, 2004)

Her name is Cinderella...

We have tried finding a home, but when there are so many 'non problem' cats around, no one wants a feral that needs to be worked with  and there are no feral rescues in my area so people just look at us like we are crazy when we ask.

We have had a few people who said they were interested, but for one reason or another it hasn't worked out. She isn't always the friendliest of cats either (obviously never being around people they freak her out), she needs a lot of work and love.

There is an animal Sanctuary about an hours drive who we hope will take her and have the time to spend on her... still waiting to hear back... it sounds great though, from the description of the place, I want to go live there


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## Birdbrain (Apr 29, 2005)

Hi...I just now registered to this forum specifically for the purpose of replying to your thread...I see that you're in Burlington... Did you call the Burlington Society for Animal Aid? The phone # is 905-637-7325... The shelter is on Fairview St. Ask to speak to Jay or Maryann.


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## icklemiss21 (Aug 29, 2004)

Actually I did phone Animal Aid... the woman was quite rude to me and after telling me they rehome cats but if she wasn't rehomeable then there was nothing she could do... she hung up on me.

But welcome to the forum!


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## Birdbrain (Apr 29, 2005)

Oh boy...that's stinking rotten! Would you call again this week...ask for Jay Fisher in the afternoon or Maryanne in the morning? They are PAID volunteers at the shelter.... insist on speaking to them only & get the name of the volunteer that you speak to.

Tell them that this is a feral that is having 2 litters a year & that you would like to get her trapped & spayed.... That is the purpose of Animal Aid isn't it? To aid animals...

Having said that, I will tell you this...I had been involved with them since the inception back in 1974 or 75...( well with my mother at that time)... Up until last year, I have fostered pregnant moms since 1990...I did "kennel duty" there last year & that was a real eye opener. I was sooo disillusioned...

This is a very wealthy organization compared to other rescues...I cannot believe just how much is WASTED! (food, litter, toys, kennel cages, beds etc) They have got store rooms overflowing with unused supplies...it just staggers the mind...Infection control practices are very poor resulting in unecessary vet bills etc.

I could write a book for all the things gone wrong at that place....but the thing is they have the means financially to help this unfortunate cat! 

I would be elated if you could call them again & let me know what happens...I'm a heartbeat away from writing an expose to the board of directors & this would just ad fuel to my fire if they turn you down again.

It sounds as though I'm on a personal vendetta, but I assure you I am not...I am just plain disgusted & for the sake of the animals I would like very much to bring this ( as well as other issues) to the board of directors.

I am now with another rescue with an outstanding balance of > $6000 at Gagemount Animal Hospital in Hamilton... I am currently fostering 12 cats 
for them...with more to come... This rescue isn't a registered charity as yet...so very few donations are recieved...most of us pay for expenses out of our own pockets...most of the cats were feral...pregnant etc. Now I really sound like a whiner... sorry... but I'm a single working mom & I could really use a tax break...at least with Animal Aid I could get a tax receipt to write off some of my costs (LOL)...Grrr that's why it makes me so angry that they refused to help you.

Okay, so now that I'm finished ranting & raving, please give it another try? I'd be happy to assist you in any way...in the meantime I'll ask for help at my current rescue....if they won't help either...then perhaps you & I could start our OWN! (LOL)

Geez, I hope you guys don't think I'm a psycho (LOL)


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