Home At Last

Muffy is the feral cat, trapped a couple of months ago after giving birth to 2 litters of kittens previously which were rescued and later adopted out.

Muffy was pregnant again when picked up, aborted and spayed.

Over these past two months, it was hoped I might be able to socialize Muffy enough to possibly go to an adoptive home. It was hoped that in watching other cats come to me and me petting and interacting with them, Muffy might begin to feel some elements of trust.

Those things did not happen.

Muffy was the most feral cat I have ever dealt with.

It was a "job" just to open the cage door, to feed, water and change Muffy's litter box without getting lunged and spat at. The one time Muffy got me with her claws, my fingers bled profusely.

Nevertheless, I hung on to Muffy during the cold months of January and February and part of March. The thought of putting her back out in 20 degree temperatures didn't sit well with me, though Muffy had previously gotten through at least three winters.

But, in recent days the weather had become warmer and Muffy was becoming restless in her cage.

I was running out of excuses to keep Muffy. It was "time" to let her go.

It took almost an hour yesterday morning, to try and corner Muffy in the back of the cage in order to get her to go peacefully into the Sherpa bag.

I had to use a small litter box as means to block her escape.

Finally, with no place to go, Muffy slinked into the Sherba bag.

I quickly zipped it up and rushed her downstairs to the back yards.

As soon as I opened the carrier, Muffy was out like a flash, quickly darted off and didn't look back.

There was no love lost in this hasty departure.

Muffy is the first stray/feral cat ever rescued to be released back to the outside.

I always kept the ones of the past.

But, in Muffy's case, she has a reasonably safe place to go back to. The yards have been her home from birth. Though she understands that good food can come from the hands of humans, Muffy had never been in a human home. Muffy is fine around other cats, but she apparently made up her mind a long time ago, that she was never going to trust humans or allow human hands to touch her.

It was kind of a bittersweet yesterday.

I was happy that Muffy could finally go back to her real "home."

But, a little sad that my efforts to show her a more comfortable life and a little human kindness fell flat.

I called to let my stray-feeding neighbors know that Muffy is back outside. They agreed to put out the extra food again.

Meanwhile, it is a beautiful, sunny, Spring-like day, today.

Muffy is out there somewhere -- home at last.

********

Written by mandy787 Blog about this entry

This entry has 3 comments: (Add your own)

#3 Comment from ubermom1111
3/17/08 8:47 AM | Permalink

Jmuhjacat (I hope I spelled your name correctly!)
I do love cats.
When a cat loves you... They almost love with an attitude of "I don't have to love you, but I do. Be honored that I adore you. And by the way, stop whatever you are doing and pay attention to me!".

Truthfully, I love all animals. OK, I'm not keen on cockroaches and mosquites. However, I try to respect them and I don't believe in spraying with chemicals that damage our ecosystem. And I don't think all animals make good pets. If an animal is happier being free -- it should be free. After all, we only share this planet. It's vast conceit on our part to think we own it.
#2 Comment from jmuhjacat
3/16/08 8:05 PM | Permalink

Ubermom, your thoughts are amazing and very perceptive! You sound like a true cat lover, as am I.

Patty, a million thanks to you for having helped Muffy all along. I know it probably feels like you've lost, or at best, like a pyrrhic victory. But Ubermom is right. btw, back when we moved to our desert home, we went to great pains to capture all of our neighborhood homeless cats who depended to greater or lesser degree on us for food, water, and shelter of sorts in one of our outdoor feeding stations or in our cat-flapped garage. My ex even finally caught Shah Rukh Cat, our one certifiably feral girl (who looks exactly like Muffy and who was also aborted, sadly but practically! She was all alone and living in our woodpile as a tiny kitten when we first noticed her and attemped to win her trust. She would eat and drink with us and actually let us trap her to be spayed/aborted/vaccinated, and would submit when she felt like it to head rubbings and pets on the back. But she never "tamed".) and brought her up to our cat-fenced stables compound. She panicked and tried so hard to get out that I was forced to call some feral cat expert friends, who advised me to return her to site, even though we were no longer living there and she had come to depend on us for regular food and water and shelter and kindness. There was another area resident feeding, we were told by a neighbor. So, Shah Rukh Cat was returned "home". We will never forget her, and I pray always that she is there still, living as she chooses, safe, and free.
#1 Comment from ubermom1111
3/15/08 2:50 PM | Permalink

Cats have always been less domesticated than dogs. A cat may choose to love you and may select you for a friend... or not. That's one of the wonderful things about cats. Every cat is a strange exotic jungle animal - who is capable of undying devotion, but not hard-wired for it.
Of course, this makes it all the worse for cats who have given their hearts to a human family and then find themselves abandonned and on death row. This also makes it hard for all the feral cats out there who actually would like a human to call their own but are labeled feral - as if "feral" were a sort of inferior type of cat.

However, again, Patty - you have succeeded. Muffy is back home.
For Muffy's "home" is not and never will be on a sofa. Her home is the gardens and alleys that run past the back of your building. Her friendships with humans are and always will be to her inconsequential. This is her jungle. Like her cousin, the tiger, she needs her independence. And, like the tiger, she will never say "thank you" - which makes your gift of care all the more precious.

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