Enrich a feral cats life – perform TNR

A few months ago I was made aware of a feral mother cat and her male kitten living in someone’s garden.

Obviously, left to their own devices, Kitt and Eartha would have been the start of an ever increasing colony so I stepped in to help.

Kitt, because he is so young, adapted to being in the company of people extremely quickly. In the space of an afternoon, he went from desperately trying to claw his way out of the carrier he was caught in to falling asleep prone on his back on my knee.

Eartha, however, was an entirely different matter. She was trapped; I was never allowed physical contact with her aside from when she was still coming around from anaesthetic from her spay, chipped and went to recuperate in the same foster home that Kitt was already settling in to.

It became apparent that Eartha had been left too long to fend for herself, and after three weeks the decision was made with some discussion that she be released back into the garden with a shelter in place for her daily meals to be placed on and her to have a sleeping spot in.

Although Kitt was thriving and growing in confidence, I felt I’d let Eartha down. What sort of life could she have when she was not in a home? Had someone acted sooner, Eartha would have stood a better chance of acclimatising to human contact; but if her mother had been left entire and she was born outside, her start was not one where this was the norm for her. Even cats that have homes and are allowed outside entire have been known to choose to give birth outside and make a nest for themselves and their young.

Thankfully it transpires she can have a pretty good life regardless, and ultimately things will be a lot better for her in terms of day to day life.

Discussion with Eartha’s feeders uncovered that despite being estimated by the vet at just a year old, Kitt wasn’t her first litter.

The first litter they were aware of had been born under their hedge; and all of the kittens had health issues of some kind, which they became aware of when one of the kittens stumbled to their doormat and collapsed on it. A vet deemed the kittens too ill to survive and they were sadly euthanised.

Kitt was a single kitten as far as is apparent. He’s a strong, cheeky, boisterous cat and Eartha has done a remarkable job. But at a year old herself, repeatedly getting pregnant, carrying young and then caring for them could do serious damage to her….ensuring Eartha was spayed could have potentially saved her life or at least given her a much more favourable life expectancy, as well as the obvious benefit of not having to try and rear and protect endless litters outside.

Kitt is now neutered, chipped and in a permanent home. He’s a brilliant little personality and play time is a permanent state for him, unless he’s unconscious. Eartha is back in her garden with her beloved companion, an elderly tom who has lived on the street for many years. She and her companion snuggle up together in the base of her shelter, content in the knowledge that the space is theirs and there will always be food for them.

And to Eartha, that’s the way her life should be.

Eartha letting people know… that’s close enough,  thank you!