Feral Caturday: Update on Spike

BROOKLYN, NY - A cat that had been rumored missing or worse has shown up on the deck of Hawthorne Street once again. Spike, one of the founding members of the Feral Crew, has returned to his gang after a lengthy disappearance.

The strange disappearance of Spike had been causing the residents of Hawthorne Street Central and the surrounding buildings much agita, owing mostly to the presence of Cow, a large confrontational newcomer. [Photo not available] Cow had long been suspected in Spike's disappearance but never formally charged.

Spike returned this morning hungry, gaunt, and slightly wary of his old friends, Blackie and Tanner. Former Feral Crew member and current HSC resident Ethel welcomed him back more warmly. Cow showed up and began harassing Ethel, however, so we still have our eye on him. (Or her; we've never gotten close enough to find out.)

We'll provide an update when Spike calms down and gives a full report on his whereabouts.

(Yes, I know it is Sunday, but Feral Caturday is a day that exists independently of your mere human calendar. Also, this post wouldn't have been possible yesterday.)

How To Tell If Feral Cats Have Already Been Spayed

After my post about fixing street cats the other week, inquiring minds may be wondering, "How can you tell if a cat has been fixed or not?"

Unless you are expert in feline genitalia, there's no easy way. Except for one: if the cat has been through the ASPCA's "trap neuter release" (TNR) program, one of his or her ears will be clipped. Like so:

So now you know.

It's That Time of Year: Time To Spay the Feral Cats

You know those feral cats you see running around the streets? Now is the time of year that they start having babies. Two cats beget six cats who beget twelve, and pretty soon that bag of cat food you're using to feed them leaves a mess of cats hungry.

While I can understand wanting to feed feral cats, doing so without getting the cats spayed and neutered ultimately only leads to even more cats being hungry and miserable.

Fortunately, those who genuinely want to help the feral cat populations have an option: The NYC Feral Cat Initiative offers free Feral Cat Colony workshops. Once you take the class, you become a certified Trap & Neuter Release Caretaker and can borrow traps from the ASPCA.

The next class is this Saturday, March 20, from 9:30 am to 1 pm, at Queens Library. (Info here.) I took the class a couple of years ago -- it's painless and well worth doing, whether you love cats or just want to stop them from crapping in your planters.

This would be a great project for a block association to tackle. It doesn't cost much (the rate for spaying and shots ends up around $7 per cat) and responsibilities are easily divided.

Feral Caturday: Update

The sweet kitten found on Hawthorne Street has a new home -- and it's not on the streets! Izzy is now comfortably living indoors in Ditmas Park, so she may still be able to vote in the 40th district. After a lot of sleep her first day inside, she has adjusted well to her new surroundings, and is running around, jumping on the furniture, playing with toy mice and living the good life.

Feral Caturday: All Fixed!

Those of you who frequently traverse Hawthorne I may wonder what has happened to the feral cats who used to hang around one of the apartment buildings here. About a month ago, the path that the cats used to get out to the street was closed off as part of a renovation, effectively "trapping" the cats in the backyards of the adjacent houses, including ours.

The cats, knowing an easy mark when they see it, started showing up at our kitchen window. We'll confess to developing a certain fondness for them, as the apparent ringleader, Blackie (top), is kin to our beloved Ethel. Though a real wild child as a youth, Blackie has softened to our affections and acts as a sort of surrogate parent to Spike (middle) and Tanner (bottom), the surviving kittens from Tabby II's November litter.

Speaking of.... We are pleased to report that there will be no more kittens emanating from this crew. After completing Neighborhood Cats "Cat Lady 101" course, I trapped Tabby II, Tanner and Spike and, thanks to the ASPCA, had them fixed. (The rest of the colony had already gone under the knife.) The boys handled the surgery like young champs and are now back to defectating in nearby gardens; Tabby II is still recovering, as she not only required spaying but hernia surgery and a cabortion. We will keep you updated on their progress.

Feral Caturday: Update on Ethel

Per reader request, we asked the new owners of "Ethel" — a formerly feral cat who lived around the apartment building at 15 Hawthorne Street (just off of Flatbush)—to write an update on her progress. Here's an edited version of what they had to say:

BACKGROUND: Some of you may remember a skinny, white and grey cat that hung out with a colony of ferals near Flatbush. Ethel is unusual in that she was feral since birth, yet people-friendly (though she strongly preferred women, and would run from most men and children).

Feral Caturday

According to local reports, two cats have been temporarily removed from the colony at 15 Hawthorne: the white and grey male born last spring to Ethel, and his father, a large tabby known to nearby residents as "The Roamer." The night of The Roamer's disappearance, Tabby II, mother of the recent litter at 15, appeared on nearby doorsteps crying and looking for her man but was eventually consoled with a hearty meal.

The cats are currently recovering from neutering and shots at the ASPCA and will return on Monday, minus their manhood if not their pride.

In other feral news: a new litter has been spotted on Hawthorne III, near Nostrand. Hawthorne Street contacted our resident cat lady to find out what local residents can do to help the kittens survive this frosty season:

If the kittens are old enough to eat on their own, they should be trapped as soon as possible. Contact Slope Street Cats for help. If you can take a free 2-hour class you can then use their traps. Depending on how old they are, the kittens should be spayed and seen by a vet. The ASPCA does this for just a few dollars; you can ask Slope Street Cats for the details. Young kittens can be tamed and adopted out, though it takes some patience.

NEXT TIME: Ethel's new owner speaks!

Feral Caturday

In PLG feral cat news: After months of indoctrination, Ethel has left the colony at Hawthorne at Flatbush for poshier digs. Known by locals as the "friendly" feral, Ethel's new caretaker tells us that she adjusted relatively easily to life indoors, using the litter box and covering her business as if burying the dead. As an adult feral, however, she prefers the outdoors when weather permits.

Back at the colony, Tabby II—possibly the only remaining fertile adult in the colony—recently gave birth to three kittens. The litter is currently nesting in the warm basement of a nearby apartment building. The woman caring for Ethel, known to residents of the building as "the cat lady," hopes to find a rescue group willing to take on new charges.

FERAL CATS ON YOUR (PLG) BLOCK? 
Send photos and reports to the email there on the right.