I live on a farm in the middle of nowhere Ohio. It's the kind of place that attracts stray animals. I think when one shows up and sees that they can get fed and treated well, they tell their friends, and then more come on out....or people drop them off, I don't know which, but we end up with our share of lost souls.
Lucky for these animals, I have a huge heart and a soft spot for them, and so does my family. When they come around, they are fed and if they are brave enough, they will get close. Over time they learn to trust, and soon are rubbing up against legs and begging for a scratch behind the ears. One female and one male is all it takes for a litter to show up.
This is how the cats we have now came about. Long story short, strays showed up and mated. Over time, some cats came and went, and a couple of them ended up indoors. In the end there were a few litters on the farm...a couple outdoors and one indoors. The mommy of one outdoor litter went missing, and my brother took the kittens home with him to take of them (he now has a nice little kitty family of his own.) The mommy of the other outdoor litter snuck her babies into our garage, and they soon became very socialized to people...as did the mommy. The indoor litter was born (I actually had to help with the delivery,) and sadly one kitten did not make it, and passed away just a week after birth. The other three babies grew to be playful kittens.
The indoor male was fixed, as was the indoor female and one of her babies (he had an umbilical hernia and had to have surgery at about a month old, so he was fixed at the same time.) We knew we had to get the rest fixed...it was already looking like we had a cat farm. Because we were not able to afford the procedures for the rest of the cats, but we knew we had to do something to stop the population growth, we contacted the Black & Orange Cat Foundation and they helped us to get all the other kitties spayed and neutered.
So, now we have 5 indoor cats, and 4 outdoor cats We bring our outdoor cats into the garage at night for warmth and safety. A couple of them like to sneak in the house now and then--that would be Onyx and Applesauce, and our indoor cats love to go outside to play.
They are all loved, well fed and cared for. They get plenty of behind the ear scratches, strokes down the back, and even kisses. And in return, they give unconditional love and happiness.
Lucky for these animals, I have a huge heart and a soft spot for them, and so does my family. When they come around, they are fed and if they are brave enough, they will get close. Over time they learn to trust, and soon are rubbing up against legs and begging for a scratch behind the ears. One female and one male is all it takes for a litter to show up.
This is how the cats we have now came about. Long story short, strays showed up and mated. Over time, some cats came and went, and a couple of them ended up indoors. In the end there were a few litters on the farm...a couple outdoors and one indoors. The mommy of one outdoor litter went missing, and my brother took the kittens home with him to take of them (he now has a nice little kitty family of his own.) The mommy of the other outdoor litter snuck her babies into our garage, and they soon became very socialized to people...as did the mommy. The indoor litter was born (I actually had to help with the delivery,) and sadly one kitten did not make it, and passed away just a week after birth. The other three babies grew to be playful kittens.
The indoor male was fixed, as was the indoor female and one of her babies (he had an umbilical hernia and had to have surgery at about a month old, so he was fixed at the same time.) We knew we had to get the rest fixed...it was already looking like we had a cat farm. Because we were not able to afford the procedures for the rest of the cats, but we knew we had to do something to stop the population growth, we contacted the Black & Orange Cat Foundation and they helped us to get all the other kitties spayed and neutered.
So, now we have 5 indoor cats, and 4 outdoor cats We bring our outdoor cats into the garage at night for warmth and safety. A couple of them like to sneak in the house now and then--that would be Onyx and Applesauce, and our indoor cats love to go outside to play.
They are all loved, well fed and cared for. They get plenty of behind the ear scratches, strokes down the back, and even kisses. And in return, they give unconditional love and happiness.
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