[Franceen]

Hello everyone

A few weeks ago we noticed a young cat in our garden and we soon realized that it didn't go 'home' but lived in the garden. Then we saw that is was living off the food we put out for the wild birds! It must have been hungry to eat bird seed, but this is what it was eating!! She was also catching the odd bird to eat. I asked around the neighborhood to see if anyone had lost her, but nobody was missing their cat. I looked in the local newpapers under Lost Animals, but no luck there. I looked on the notice boards of the local shops where people put up cards to either sell something or say they have lost something. Still no luck. I have put up a card describing the cat and am still waiting for a result. So, either this cat is a kitten that strayed away from home a few months ago and has turned feral, or it is a feral.

I then phoned every animal society and animal charity in the phone book asking them if they would take her, but they all say that they are swamped with stray cats at the moment. They also don't want to take her in and spay her, give her inoculations and return her, for a donation from me. It seems I would have to pay for everything. I am allergic to cats and cannot tame her and have her in the house. In any case, Tootsy hates cats!! She chases her whenever she gets the chance and has almost caught her twice!! Can Yorkies ever been trained to accept cats? The poor cat is hounded by all the other neighborhood cats as well, who want her out of 'their' territory. There is a particularly nasty, feral tom who chases her and tries to attack her. The poor thing lives in fear. In the end, I couldn't take it anymore and after seeing her looking bedraggled in the rain outside, I made a bed for her in the garden shed out of a box and some cushions, so that she had a place to go whenever it rained, as well as a place to go to get away from the other cats and Tootsy. I went and bought her cat food and feed her twice a day. She loves the bed in the garden shed and spends a great deal of time in it. This is such a dismal life for this cat! She is a particularly pretty little cat, too, with such dainty features and the most beautiful eyes. I am sure someone would want her if she could be tamed. I wonder how long it takes to tame feral cats? She is looking so much healthier since she has had regular food and shelter. She had a bare patch on one ear before, but now it has completed covered in hair again. She lets me get fairly close to her, but won' let me touch her.

I just don't know what to do - any suggestions?

Luv

Franceen