She is slight, she is scared and she is crafty. The newest arrival here, the mackeral tabby (possibly pregnant) somehow got out of the Intro cage and into the cat enclosure.

When I saw that she was gone, I couldn’t believe it. This three-level walk-in cage (I thought) was escape-proof! Apparently not- she was found on the top of the highest cat ramp and we have spent one day trying to coax her back into the cage. She’s not having it.

I blocked the access tunnels so the other cats wouldn’t hurt her. The only cat out there at the moment is Dash and Dash wouldn’t disturb a fly if it landed on her nose!

Then I lost her again and found her hiding in one of the cat bed cubicles we built.

My options were to capture her and put her upstairs; leave her be and deny access to the cat enclosure for the resident cats (not really an option) put her into a carrier and let her live in it until she trusts me (NOT a good option) NO cat should be forced to live in a carrier for days on end- just because she is unsocialized.

I could bring a larger dog cage in the enclosure and put her in there (but then she would be open to the other cats seeing her and bugging her. I strongly suspect she is pregnant.

So I started looking at the bed she was living in. Mike and I built these, they are insulated and warm and there are escape hatches in each one of them (so there are no kitty ambushes).

What I decided to do was give her access to three top beds (they vary in size. One for her and her food, one for the litter pan and an extra one where she can hide when I invade her turf and change her water, give her water and clean her pans.

With Mike’s help, I blocked the last access to the other beds and then we designed doors for the front of the beds made of stout wood and pet-proof screen. That was the easy part, although I was sad to watch my husband struggle with building something that in the past would have taken him maybe 15 minutes, but these days it took both of us 3 hours. He didn’t really want to ask me to help him so it was a bit of struggle for him. But the doors were made and installed.

I knew that Mike wouldn’t be able to help catch her, so I called in my good friend Haley. Within 15 minutes, I had Velcro (a name I HOPE she grows into!) cornered. I wrapped her in a blanket and poor girl was so terrfied, she let loose of her anal sacs all over me. PHEW! Well at least I won’t have to express them! LOL

Carefully, I put her inside the cubicle and Haley shut the doorand locked it.

Now, if she is still in there- she is safe. She has a large area to roam in, places she can hide, food water and shelter which is more than she had from where she came from. I am trying to still trap her remaining kitten and hope to do so by the weekend. He is eating solid food, but that Tom is stil in the area and where there is one easy meal, there is another.

My hope is by removing mom out of the picture, he will leave the kitten alone. Toms kill kittens that don’t carry their scent in order to force the queen back into heat (from grief). Although her smell will still be around the place, perhaps I have bought little furr-ball some time.

I can’t do anything today, I am going to the doctor about my dang foot which flared up again and doubt I will be able to walk after the procedure is over. Guess we will have to find out. Now, the sun is just starting to come up and so I am going into the enclosure to see if the kitty managed once again to escape! I hope not! Stay tuned- it is always an adventure in this house.

Cat beds

5:30 a.m- she is settled now, next to her litter pan. Her first compartment shows frantic moments; overturned water, dry food scattered, wet food turned over. I cleaned the first compartment talking softly to her all the while. I told her she doesn’t have to worry anymore. There are no nutrias to attack her, no bully tomcat to terrorize and mate with her. She will be warm, she will be safe and she will be loved.

I need to get some tap lights and install them in there. It’s a bit dark in them, thar caves! 🙂