Heidi Chronicles: Where Are Those Silly Raccoons Anyhow?

You're very welcome - glad to help. I'm here, just lurking once in a while. I've enjoyed all your posts about the raccoons, and am enjoying the interlude about the cats (and Gladys!) while we wait for spring.

You certainly have a LOT more patience with Gladys than I would have. Had it been me, I'd have told her off years ago, and the HOA be d**ed. Actually, the HOA probably pays as little attention to her as possible. No one likes a complainer and a gossip.

Susan, that mummying technique for pilling cats is the greatest: saved my arms and face countless times in the shelter years. I'm just not at all sure that Cheryl can pull it off with Kitty's instant resistance to restraint. Cheryl, it does work like a charm, and most cats calm down when wrapped. The key is to do it very quickly, which requires practice with a cooperative subject. Perhaps you could practice on Widget? I doubt he'd be upset by it, just confused, and a few well-timed treats should buy his cooperation.

You're right, the cats' habit of covering waste developed in the wild as a survival technique: carnivore's poop is usually aromatic compared to vegetarian's, and alerting the prey to your presence is not a survival asset. I think you hit on the answer when you mentioned that covering is impractical to impossible in your outdoor environment; cats would probably lose the habit over time, and just look for fairly remote areas to use for toilet purposes. Hopefully over time, especially as you experiment with different litters, you'll hit on a texture Kitty really likes and she'll regain the covering habit. May not work that way, but I hope so. And it can takes weeks to thoroughly purge the system of generic food, so don't despair yet. Remember that Kitty did occasionally eat a bit of that awful Alley Cat at Gladys' place, and that definitely makes for horrendous poop.

The trap Animal Control is using is an older and less expensive design than the Havahart. Many agencies use them for trapping species like skunks, where approaching the trapped animal to unlock the trap and release animal can have, shall we say, very negative consequences. You can simply use a long pole to push the trap over on its side, and typically the animal will soon work its way out. There is a much better solution for skunks, a trap that opens the same way but has opaque sides to eliminate the risk of startling Pepe Le Pew and paying the price. This however is a more expensive option and really practical only for that one species, so many agencies don't invest in it. Using the trap you describe for cats, however, is a bad joke; a feral cat will panic and inevitably roll the trap over and release themselves. Either your agency's officers are not very well-trained and knowledgeable, or the agency is on a tight budget, or both. The fact that they recommended baiting the trap with dry food is a definite sign of deficient knowledge base; I'm surprised that even the male cat fell for that, and he will now be much more difficult to trap, having been through it once.

Poor Gladys; it must be very difficult for her to admit that someone else is more successful than she is at anything. And so very painful to have no control.

http://images.google.com/images?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1TSHBCENUS345&q=automatic%20litter%20box&oq=da&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab= which one of these automatic litter boxes Do y'all think is the best design for a cat like Ms Kitty. They are all so very different.. She might do better with a certain style. What kind do you think?

Hard to say, since it's hard to really gauge noise based on their descriptions. I really think the Robot number that rotates would freak out Kitty; jumping into an enclosed space like that doesn't seem promising for her at this point. The one that flushes is quite intriguing... but man these things are mega-pricey.

Cheryl -- just wondering how Miss Kitty is doing. Still having kitten sightings?

Hi Terese,

Yes, the kittens are at my house every night at the appointed times to eat. They are becoming increasingly comfortable around me even w/o their mom around. Last night they came out even before I got Widget back inside. After I did so, I put food in their dish and then sat on the bench about 2ft away. They came to the bowl to eat. When I get up to go back inside, they sometimes go back a foot or two, but don't run away entirely. All of these are signs of progress.

I've had some personal issues lately - when don't I, so I didn't write last night even though there was some very interesting stuff to tell.

Last night when I went up to Kitty's room to clean the litter box and water and give her some wet food (I do the 1st 2 items 2x day, the latter 1), I petted her and we played at length with the ball of yarn. Then She only ate a small amount of the EVO 95% duck wet (canned) food before going over to the door to let me know that she wanted out. She had been couped up in that room for week and had done very well. I understood that it was likely time for her to get out.

Not knowing just how she would handle this, I picked her up and headed down the stairs. I had 1/2 expected a struggle once she looked down the stair case and realized how high we were, but she behaved quite admirably as I carried her down, holding her against my chest. When we reached the foyer, I carried her outside and set her down.

Immediately, the kittens saw her and came running up the walkway to greet her. It was one of those fantasy moments, her standing there and the kittens gathered around her face, sniffing her nose, one later sniffing her tummy where she had surgery.

What surprised me so was Kitty's reaction. She was kind and gentle with the kittens, but she seemed more interested in following me than running with them. They were like, "Mommy, Mommy, come, let's run away and hide!" and she was like, "no, wait, I don't want to loose the human." It all but brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me very much of that saying "If you love something set it free. If it comes back to you it is yours forever. If not, it never was."

more...

I went out to the car and the garage, opened and closed noisy (by the cat's measure) doors, took the garbage can out to the curb, and then cleaned out the interior of the car. The kittens were still trying to convince Kitty to go with them, but she sat on the walkway watching me. While I was cleaning out the car, she came over, hopped up onto the car, and walked up on the wind shield in front of me. It was so clear that she didn't want to go.

Later, when I finished my work and headed back inside, Kitty tried to go in with me. Widget was right there at the door. Seeing him, she turned back and ran 'away' although I was sure she hadn't really gone far.

An hour or so later when I took Widget out for his last walk, Kitty came back inside with us. That I had given her the choice, and she had chosen to stay with me, was so touching, but I hadn't solved the litterbox odor problem and was still quite determined not to have the entire house smell the way the upstairs bathroom now does. In the foyer I picked her up and took her back upstairs to her room. She wasn't eager to go back into the bathroom, but she did. She really is a sweetie and is trying so hard to get along.

We played for a while more. I petted her, and she purred. All seemed right with the world except that this time unlike all previous times when I left, she tried to go, too. When I closed the door and left her in the bathroom, she started whaling at the top of her lungs, and I could see little paws coming around the bottom of the door trying to figure out how to open it and/or escape. I walked down the hall and to the top of the stairs hoping she would settle down, but she continued to meow loudly.

She wants to stay inside, but she doesn't want to stay alone in the bathroom - and who could blame her. Even though I do go up there 3 or more times each day to spend time with her, she is still alone most of the time and bored, I'm sure. She's a very social cat, and she wants to be with me, not stuck in the bathroom.

Sadly, not having a solution at that hour of the night, and given that i have other more pressing issues to deal with in my personal life right now - as previously mentioned - I took her back outside and left her for the night. It wasn't cold last night, BTW.

I'm not sure quite what to do. I would love to let her hang out with us, but that means I would need a litterbox in the main part of the house and, well, yuck. Whatever solution we come up with, it must not include a litterbox open to the main areas of my house. I'm just not going to be able to cope with that. I'm open to any OTHER suggestions, however.

I do have one possible idea but it's not something I can implement right away. The laundry/mud room, which has a door that can be closed much like that of the upstairs bath, actually has a small cat door (on the door between the mud room and the kitchen and rest of the house). It's a clear door, small, at the bottom of the door. it was there when I bought the house. It's the type with 4 settings: (1) closed, (2) open out, (3) open in (4) open both ways.

I would have to clean out that room. I could do that this weekend at the latest. I could put Kitty and her litterbox in that room, let her stay a day or so until she gets used to it, and then open the door to let her come into the house and go back in there to use the litterbox. If that works, the litter would still be closed off from the main areas of the house but Kitty would have the run of the house and would still be able to get back in there and out to access the litter box.

A couple of really good things that came of this:

(1) She can go outside, see the kittens, run around, get some fresh air, and be free, and she will still come back home and come back inside.

(2) She let me pick her up and carry her down the upstairs hall, along the balcony, and down the stair case without showing any sign of distress. Likewise, even though she didn't want to go back to her room, she let me carry her along the reverse trail and put her back in the room, again without problems. This is HUGE because it means I don't have to worry about letting her run loose in the house now. Before I was afraid I wouldn't be able to pick her up to put her out if I wanted to do so. Now I feel much more comfortable letting her run around the house once I get the litterbox issue resolved.

(3) Most of all - She wants to stay. I don't have to keep her hostage. She has chosen to stay.

She knows where the litterbox is, Cheryl, and she shouldn't have any trouble climbing up and down the steps to get to it. Can you leave the door to the bathroom open and let her explore on her own? She will find her way back for food, water, and the facilities.

I'm assuming the issues are.... Sharing the house with Widget [though he does not go upstairs] - jsut wonder about the possible destruction?? and the odor of the litter box ... leaving the door open would cause to odor to travel throughout the house.

Marylyn,

As Terese points out, my biggest concern is the extreme odor from the litterbox. I don't want that smell to permeate the house. Right now the smell is staying in the bathroom. If I leave that door ajar, the smell will quickly move through the rest of the house which is exactly what I want to avoid.

Kitty is doing better lately. She has started to cover that stuff up. Last night when I went up there everything was completely covered - amazing! There was a little pile of litter on the floor by the box, so you could see that she had actually worked at covering things. I figure I just need to get that Rubbermaid box to take care of that problem. It's a very good sign that she is starting to cover things, all things.

But the smell up there is still rough, and I just don't want my whole house to smell that way. I figure once I clean out the laundry/mud room, I can put her litter in there and she can come/go via the cat door between the mud room and the rest of the house. That way the smell should stay in the mud room the same way that it is staying in the bathroom now. That's the plan, anyhow. And, hopefully, if she continues to cover it up so well, there will be less odor in the future.

Terese,

You were correct that the big issue is not having that odor permeate the entire house. I'm not too worried now about Widget. Last night when we went outside - twice - he was off leash. He didn't even try to chase Kitty or the kittens. He just went outside, did his thing, and came back inside. I was very surprised at the change in his behavior. Having her in the house all this time (and her scent on me constantly) seems to have done the trick even though she was always upstairs and him downstairs.

I gather he has accepted her as family now. When she tried to come inside that 1st time, he didn't go after her. She just saw him there, got skittish, and left. Then later last night when he and I went out the last time, I held the door for her and called her. She came in behind us. Widget was standing in the foyer, and even though I was holding the door wide open he made no attempt to rush her or chase her. He just stood there while she walked in. I actually think they will be ok now.

thats great about Widget.

Terese,

Sure is. One big, well, I mean, pint-sized, problem pretty much solved.

Good news and more good news!!! And a (hopefully) cute story.

Good News:

I just came from my annual Dr's checkup. I went yesterday morning for the blood letting and today for the results. Are you ready? I'm doing great! All of my numbers were great.

Remember when I had the flu earlier this year and my liver enzymes went off the charts? That was scary. The Dr I was seeing then at the Emergency Med place said I had a "bum liver". He wanted me to stop all meds immediately - or risk dying. He had me convinced my liver was on its last leg. He tested me for all kinds of liver disease including hepatitis. All negative. Still he insisted my liver was 'bad' and I had to be very careful...You can't live w/o a liver BTW. So he had me pretty worked up at one point.

Well, my current blood work shows everything, my liver included, is fine. I discussed all of this with my regular Dr. She insists there is absolutely nothing wrong with my liver. She says the 'crazy' numbers seen during my bout with the flu were due to the illness (flu) at the time and are basically meaningless. Yay!

After all of the posts in prior threads about this, that, or the other problem, I thought it would be good to hear that, at least for the moment, nothing is wrong. I need to celebrate quickly before something else breaks.

The (hopefully) cute story:

As is often the case, I came home and took a nap - hey, I can't sleep at night these days, so I sleep when I can. When I woke up, I realized I needed to run an errand - fast - before they closed. Still trying to shake off the dullness of sleep, I grabbed my purse, keys, and shoes and headed out the door to find...

Kitty!

Kitty had been outside all night and day and had worked up a huge appetite. She had been waiting outside for me. Now she had me, and she wasn't about to let me go that easily. I spoke to her, said I'd be right back, and tried to step around her, but at every step, Kitty moved out of my way at the last minute only to move back in the way again before I could lift the next foot.

She zigged and zagged this way managing to get in front of me every single step of the way down the walkway to the car. I've never seen anything like it. It was almost like a dance. Kitty getting out of the way in time to avoid being stepped on and getting right back in the way in time to slow me down at every single step all the way to the car. I walked the whole way saying, "Excuse me, Kitty. Excuse me. Excuse me."

It really was quite genius, cat genius, how she managed to be in my way at every step, how she managed to constantly slow me down, all the while walking a path perpendicular to mine, constantly criss-crossing in front of me so as to be in the way, out of the way, in the way, out of the way... Even as I got into the car I was amazed at how smart she had been, how determined, and how relentless in her efforts to communicate her needs.

I was back again in 30min and Kitty was sitting by the drive as I turned in. I fed her and the kittens outside. After getting used to being near me alone, and now seeing how much calmer their mom is with me, the kittens are much more comfortable around me now.

I wish I could have been there last night as they discussed it all. I imagine the kittens saying, "OMG! Are you ok, Mom? Mom, what happened to you? Tell us. Tell us." and Kitty saying, "Kids, you will just never believe it. I had the softest bed I've ever lay upon. It was like a huge ball shaped cloud into which I sank each night. It was all warm and cozy inside the house. I was never cold. My ears and toes didn't ache from the chill at night. I was safe and warm, and I slept well. I had cool, clean water, changed several times a day. I dined on duck, venison, chicken, and seafood, some of the best food I've ever eaten. I always had a bowl of food to snack on and never lacked for anything. I had a litter box, something I'd almost forgotten about after all this time, my very own personal potty, and the human came several times daily to keep it clean. I had toys, lots of toys, and the human brought me new ones every day or so. The human came several times daily to sit with me, and pet me, and hug me. It was like cat heaven in there. I had everything I could ever want, everything, that is, except you guys."

Auuuuhhhhh!


Edited to add my 'After all..." comment above about celebrating before something breaks.

This message was edited Feb 10, 2010 1:22 AM

Ruth,

I loved your idea about using Widget for mummying practice. LOL. He won't like it, I'm sure, but he will probably tolerate it. That's what dogs do. I don't have time right now (this week) to practice, but I like the idea. Heck, there are times when I might like to mummy Widget.

All humor aside, I think it's a great idea.

The mud room sounds like a good solution for the litter box, if you think the odor will permeate your downstairs areas through a slightly open bathroom door upstairs. And the box odor should decrease over time, anyway.

There are times when we'd all like to mummy-wrap our beloved pets, I'm sure; and they no doubt feel the same about us on occasion, lol.

Due to a very important early AM meeting, I really must get to sleep ASAP, so not much time to chat today. Just wanted to tell you this though.

I almost didn't get to feed the cats/kittens tonight. I didn't get out there until after 1AM by which time they had apparently gone somewhere to find a warm bed as it is COLD out there tonight. I left the light on for a little while and then went back to call them one last time before bed. When I stepped out and called, "Kitty! Kitty!" softly into the night, the 2 kittens came RUNNING up the walkway at top speed and all but ran me down. I gather they thought they had missed me and dinner. Then when they heard me come out again and call, they weren't about to risk letting me go back inside w/o seeing them and hopefully feeding them. LOL.

I'm much more accustomed to them running FROM me not OVER me. I was so touched, I gave them the rest of the tuna and the sardines as well as the usual Iams dry food. (Then I had to sit out there with them to keep Tom at bay until Kitty arrived to take care of that for me - and he was sitting at the end of the walk.)

It's sounding like you may have 3 or 4 cats that have all claimed you. Hope the mud room idea works for the litter box. We need some photos of the babies when you have time.

Susan

Hi Susan,

I think you are right, except that I didn't want 4 cats. Some of them will have to go to the SPCA - soon.

I did my best to get pics of the kittens tonight. It isn't easy to get them to come close and sit still. They are hungry and timid. They are moving around trying to stay safe and moving around trying to find food. Even when I get them in the frame, they move out of it before I can get the pic. Here is what I got.

on the walkway

eating kibble

eating still

more kibble

the black kitten

tabby kitten

Someone or something left me a strange 'gift'.

It was dark when I got home. As I was standing at the front door fumbling with my keys, my eyes adjusted to the darkness enough to allow the dim and shadowy image of a small animal to take shape beside me on the concrete. The small animal was lying there in a manner such that although I couldn't even be sure what it was, I was fairly certain that it was dead. But what was it? And what had happened to it and why was it here?

I so hoped it would not turn out to be the tabby kitten. It was about the right size and color and certainly could be, but the form seemed more like that of a squirrel. It was only inches from my foot as I stood there trying to get the key in the lock. My mind vacillated between certainty that it was dead and fear that it might suddenly rise up and come at me in the darkness.

Once inside, I quickly turned on the porch light and stepped back out to confirm that it was, in fact, a squirrel, a dead squirrel. But who had put it here? Surely the squirrel didn't come up to my door to die. As I looked a little closer I could see that its face, neck, and hind leg were wounded. The leg had a small laceration as though it had been bitten or clawed.

The pic below, while slightly out of focus is that of the dead squirrel - so don't open it if you will be upset by such. (Don't look makj!)

Any ideas on this mystery?

I can't see the pics right now. I saw them earlier - all except the last one. I read in DG Forum that they are moving the pics around on the server (changing names/locations) and that this may cause temp problems viewing pics. I'll come back later to check on the pics and see if any need to be reloaded.

I may need to go back out and try to get a better pic of the squirrel - that is if you think you need a closer/better look to solve the mystery.

I hope all the other images come back... i could only see the squirrel [wish i didnt] but no kitty pics.

i read that Dave was working on something that involved images... this could be part of it.

Terese,

The other images are back now - for me at least. Yes, Dave is working on moving all images from the old system to the new system. He's changing the locations and names of the pics to match the system IB uses. This is explained in threads in DG Forum. The information there basically says some images may not work correctly, may not expand when clicked, etc over the next few days while he is doing this.

Anyhow, I can see the images right now, all of them, so I'm pretty sure they must be 'there' and will get 'straightened out' sooner or later. Sorry for the inconvenience.

What? No one has any ideas where the squirrel came from? Because now there is a new mystery as it is gone. Hope we don't need any more/better pics of it. Gone. Poof. Glad I got that one pic to prove I wasn't seeing things earlier - or if I was then at least I know the Nikon was seeing them too.

It has been suggested that Kitty killed the squirrel and left it at the door as a 'gift'. You know, the way some cats bring their owners gifts of dead mice, birds, etc. Anybody think that is possible/likely?

Also, when I was out there earlier Tom was out there in the front yard walking around making loud 'crying' noises, the kind I always thought female cats in heat made. Do adult, male cats make this kind of sound? If so, why? What does it mean?

Wait, there was a dead squirrel on your porch, and then it disappeared?? Seriously? Cats do quite often bring "gifts" to their favorite person, but usually it's a mouse or a vole. I'd be very surprised if a cat, especially a female, could kill a squirrel without getting bitten/scratched herself. Having been bitten by squirrels on occasion, I can tell you that they have a surprising amount of jaw pressure for such a small animal; their bite leaves a lasting impression, as it were. Well, maybe that's not surprising since they need to crack nuts open. I'm finding it hard to imagine a cat bringing down a healthy squirrel; though if squirrel was already injured or ill, it's then very possible. But the body disappearing makes no sense at all.

Male cats do have mating calls, but they sound rather different than that of a female in heat. The male sings, or chirrups, and it's somewhat melodic as feline vocalizations go. Along the lines of, "I'm so cool and so available; you know you want to get to know me." Females in heat, on the other hand, always sound to me as though they're in pain; it's typically a longer, lower sound that brings the males running while I just feel sorry for the poor lady who can't even walk upright.

Hi Ruth,

Uh, oh! I'd say Tom sounded more like a Tomasina based on your description. I need to get to trapping.

Yep. There was a dead squirrel on the porch by the door when I got home. I didn't get an once of sleep last night - and then got dragged out to a pub for 'social' work late this afternoon, so I came in and passed out. Didn't wake up until around midnight when I went out to walk Widget and found the squirrel gone.

It was all too weird. Like I said above, I'm glad I got pics of the squirrel even if they are bad ones, because otherwise I would be wondering if was sleep walking earlier when I thought I saw it.

My 1st thought was whether someone (a human) was 'messing with me'. I don't have any known enemies though, no one I can think of who might do such a thing, nor a reason for such behavior. Plus, I wouldn't expect that people who do such things would return in an hour or so to clean up after themselves.

The squirrel did have signs of trauma: a scratch or gash on the back leg that looked about 1-2in long (I didn't get down close to inspect it), relatively minor signs of trauma to the neck and maybe the face. If a human caught it, I would expect it to have been shot whether by small shot or a BB or air gun, something like that, or maybe poisoned.

I guess it could possibly have been a kid's prank, tweens or teens, I mean. In that case it might not have been particularly personal, just some kid's idea of 'funny'. I've never had any problem with kids in the area though, nor have I heard of anyone else having problems. For that matter, I don't even know of any kids in the immediate area other than the 7yr old next door, but I would think him too young for such things.

I did some googling and found numerous references to cats, esp strays, catching and killing squirrels. If Kitty is too small or whatever, I guess it is possible that Tom did it. Lately, he seems to have adopted me, too, and now hangs out here.

On this subject, there have been other potential signs. One night when I came in from petting and feeding Kitty I found a very small bird feather, a downy body feather not a wing feather, on my arm. A few days ago I found 'remains' on the front lawn, just very, very small bits that I couldn't ID and normally wouldn't have even seen except that I was looking closely at the grass while sitting on the bench in the yard that day.

I think it is important to remember that Kitty and Tom have been taking care of themselves for a very long time now. Both look very healthy for strays. They probably got some food from the wildlife buffet from time to time and may have eaten some of Gladys' handouts when really hungry, but it seems like they probably learned good hunting skills while on their own that way. All along I've been amazed at how well Kitty managed to feed herself and her kittens.

BTW, while I realize that some people worry about outdoor cats killing other creatures. I'm more inclined to view this as part of the natural order of things. I grew up in a rural area outside of Charleston where our cats always stayed outside and yet there was no sign of major changes to the flora and fauna of the region due to their activities.

As for squirrels, honestly, there are too many of them here anyhow, probably not good for them or us. Squirrels are all over the place here. The forest edge is almost comically lined with squirrel nests. In summer they run along the top of the backyard fence using it as a safe 'road' from the forest to the front yard. I could see how a cat might hide in the flowers and vines along the fence waiting for the squirrels to come by and...

I'm guessing Tom gave you the squirrel as a thank you gift for feeding him. Maybe since you did not take it right away, he thought you didn't need it as badly as he did or maybe some other animal carried it away. My cats are very generous with gifts. Got out of my recliner once and almost stepped on a dead pregnant mouse my Samson had layed at my feet. I praised him so much that he learned what the word mouse means. Now if I say, seen anymore mice? he starts looking around. I will have to say he has never caught a squirrel in his 13 years of trying. I have seen him running with a full grown rabbit in his mouth and found a few dead birds.

I did about pass out a couple years ago when I found this gift on my back deck. Thought old Samson had finally done it and caught himself a squirrel. Then I took a better look and decided maybe he had paid a visit to the daycare on the other side of the block. I wonder what was going on in his mind when he stold it?

Tess, that's just too funny; maybe he thought you'd be impressed with his faux squirrel gift... Still chuckling. My Mister takes care of any mice that venture indoors, for which I'm very grateful...though less so the night he left one on the bed. I thought it was one of his furry mouse toys, and was about to throw it for him to fetch...no, Ruth, that's real and no longer living. So glad I didn't throw it...he probably would've happily fetched it for me.

Cheryl, everything you've said about the black adult sounds like a male, and I thought you'd spotted "jewels" at one point. It's a shame he/she's not tame enough for petting. It's so easy to diagnose a female in heat by lightly running hand along spine from head to tail. Head goes down, butt goes up, rear legs tread: definitely x-rated and unmistakable. Maybe he's just a boy with laryngitis, or a lousy voice...

I don't get too exercised about cats going after the wildlife, as a rule; though up in VA, the neighbor's cat who went after our nesting bluebirds and young every year was among my least favorite animals. It is nature's way, but cats are not native wildlife and certainly can't distinguish between overpopulated species and rare ones, so I feel like owners have a responsibility to try to protect the wildlife who can't afford the loss. Gray squirrels are certainly not at risk anywhere in this country, as far as I know; if anything, they are overpopulated to their own detriment. From the photo, it looks like the squirrel had a wound on the throat, and this is not typically where cats would try to kill (too many teeth in close proximity). Maybe another animal injured the squirrel, and the cat either found it dead or finished it off; I just don't know.

Wishing I had time to tell you what happened this AM. Starting to wonder about that Kitty. She is a sly fox, maybe more so than I realized. Starting to think she may be a member of feline organized crime (i.e. cat mob).

Rushing (can you tell, lol, stop it) to finish doc before meeting. Will tell you tonight...