I’m researching fencing options for my new house. My older cat is undeterred by ordinary fences and nowhere near as deterred by traffic as she was when I adopted her years ago. She is also adamantly indoor/outdoor.
I know you have written about your trials and tribulations with various fencing options but I can’t find that post. Can you direct me to the right place? Or alternatively could you give me a recap?
I know you have been very happy with the Purrfect Fence for years but given the size and shape of my yard that may not be my best option. I’m considering an invisible fence but I seem to recall that not really working out for you.
I’m actually not sure I wrote much about the electric fence except mentioning it here or there (oh wait, I just did a search – I mentioned it here and here). Basically, it was the PetSafe fence and we used it with the collars that came with it. They make wireless versions, but ours was wired. Fred ran the wire around the top and bottom of the back yard when we lived at Crooked Acres, and as long as the fence was running okay AND the batteries in the collars were working AND the collars were turned onto high, the cats were contained. But we had to replace the fence itself twice (and the collars several times), and if the batteries in the collar were starting to go, the cats figured it pretty quickly and would be over the fence and outta there.
Nothing else we tried – putting wire over the top of the fence to block them from getting over, putting PVC at the top of the fence – worked at all.
I will say that the Purrfect Fence worked great for us at the last house, and continues to work really well at this one. The only time anyone ever escaped the back yard at the last house is when there was erosion at the bottom of the fence and the cat (usually Kara; once or twice Archie) could slide through. There have been no escapes at this house at all. I highly recommend it, but do understand that it’s not for everyone.
(Note on the fence: we use the “existing fence conversion system” – at the last house we had a wooden fence that was about 4 feet high. When we first moved into this house, we had a wooden privacy fence (that was pretty close to falling down.) Since then, we’ve replaced the fence with a wooden privacy fence on one side, and chain link on the other 3 sides. The fence conversion system has worked with all those fences. At some point I’ll get a close-up shot of what the chain-link fence looks like now.)
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My mom once adopted a mother-daughter pair, and for the whole 15+ years she had them, the mama cat absolutely ignored her daughter. The daughter tried to interact with her, but she was not having it — ever. Daughter had to make friends with the dog!
I know that, out there somewhere in some mythical land, there are mama cats who would LOVE to be adopted with their kitten(s). I, however, have never once seen that. In my experience, by the time the kittens are ready for adoption, the mothers are SO OVER the whole kitten thing and want nothing more than to be kitten-free. I know Mimosa wants that!
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I was wondering, is it difficult to send the sprouts to their forever homes? I wish there wasn’t such a huge problem with unwanted and mistreated cats! Thank god for people like you! Have you checked out Furball Animal Sanctuary’s website? They’re in Fairbalt MN. If not, check it out.
It’s a little hard to say goodbye to them, but we’ve fostered 460+ cat/kittens now, and I’ve gotten used to saying goodbye. It’s a lot easier when they get to go straight from here to their new home instead of having to spend time at Petsmart (I’ve been really lucky these past few years; only a few fosters have had to go to Petsmart). Of course I miss them when they leave us, but it only hurts for a little while. There’s always a new litter waiting to join us, and so I get caught up in getting to know/love them.
I had not checked out Furball Animal Sanctuary, but now I have. What an amazing place!
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Mimosa doesn’t seem to be too miserable in her onesie.
Snoozing on my bed.
Snoozing in the basket.
Checking out the view of the back yard. What’s she looking at?
Archie and Charlie are out there watching birds. Here’s a closeup…
Her face is killing me. “Seriously, lady? Can’t I have a little time in my pie plate without a kitten harassing me?”
This is an up-high spot the kittens can’t get to. (That was a built-in desk Fred created; it got used as a desk maybe once). Mimosa can jump up onto the wood and then get into the hammock, but the kittens aren’t quite tall enough yet to make the jump.)
Sleepy little muffins. (Mondo was sleeping elsewhere.)
Kudzu thinks this pink bed in the foster room is still pretty comfy.
Hollyhock appreciates the Fancy Sofa.
All eyes on me.
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Archie might be a grump, but he’s a PRETTY grump, isn’t he?
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Posted on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Tumblr) yesterday.
It’s Thlurrrpsday and here’s a look at Kudzu’s form. Nicely done, Kudzu!
Throw Back Thursday: In 2012 when we were fostering the Pickles kittens, I got this shot of Percy Pickles’ toes, and it remains one of my favorites.
YouTube link
By request, I took a clip from the video I shared last week of Hollyhock leaping, and I slowed the leap way, wayyy down. She really does look like a flying squirrel!
Throw Back Thursday: From 2007 (!) when we were fostering the KATG2 litter (named after guests and forum posters of my favorite podcast, Keith and the Girl), this shot of Peyton in mid-leap/bite going after his sister Jesikat always makes me laugh.
YouTube link
Throw Back Thursday: While I’m sharing slowed-down leaping kitten videos (see the earlier video of Hollyhock, if you missed it), here’s a slowly leaping Roux from 2017.
It’s a Mimosa in a onesie in a basket havin’ a think. (The onesie seems to be keeping the kittens at bay, for the most part. They really are baffled by the disappearance of the milk bar!)
Good night innernets. (Clover, left, and Mondo)
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Previously
2021: When I take the onesie off her, the first thing she does is take a long, long bath.
2020: Would you like to meet our new fosters? You know you would!
2019: Almanzo pretends he can’t see me.
2018: No entry.
2017: No entry.
2016: I don’t know what I did, but Art Vandelay looks appalled by it.
2015: Skelton is all “Oh, these kitten ears are PARTICULARLY moist and tender!”
2014: “No, seriously. I can nap now?”
2012: No entry.
2011: “Yeah, come on down here, BRING IT ON!”
2010: “Mooooom! The couch is eating kittens again!”
2009: No entry.
2008: Here’s a hint: Mister Boogers? Not the man.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
I had rescued a pregnant momma decades ago, and kept her and 2 of her 4 daughters. Mom and head daughter were very tight their whole lives, but the needy daughter was shunned by both. It was sad to see that behavior, but I’m assuming it’s the animals’ world way of not coddling bad behavior.
The needy daughter would try to nurse on mom even after 5 years of age. I was surprised but totally understood the message the needy one was given: grow up, kid!
I have one of those rather rare mother/kitten combos. In 2017, we were fostering Sabre Stone until she had her kittens. They were then all supposed to be adopted through an agency in our town. That agency and another locally got into a turf war and we got caught in the middle. Nastiness ensued and out of the litter of six, only one kitten got adopted. We carried on with Sabre and her detective {middle names of heroes} kittens (in order of birth: Magnum Zeus, Beckett Xena, Sherlock Rogers-Holmes (deceased age three – urinary blockages, Higgins – only one adopted and changed name to Oreo , Watson Phantom, and Castle Moody).
Sabre nursed those kittens well after she was spayed. She permitted them to nurse all the way to 5.5 months old.
Even now, Sabre will cuddle with Watson, especially, but she will show affection to all four of her remaining children if they ask. She is least affectionate towards Castle and Beckett, but will still groom them and allow them to sleep curled up with her. So Sabre really is one of those rare instances of a momma kitty being willing to continue on with her litter even past weaning age. We are blessed.
Thankfully,we are blessed as well. We rescued a pregnant mommy and after she had her babies we were only going to keep her and let her babies be adopted out but decided to keep them. Maybe it was because she was such a young mother but two years later and she still plays with them,grooms them and shows them all affection. They all love each other and get along very well. They bring so much joy and meaning to our lives. We couldn’t ask for a better “furkid” family and feel so very fortunate.
Tiny Kittens HQ in Langley BC has had several mother and offspring pairs, like Caramel and Salty and Stella and Eveee. And there’s Jaxx and her mother. Can’t remember the name right off. So, rare but not impossible. 🙂
Sweetie, who sadly passed away.
I had one of those special mamas! She came to me with two kittens from her final litter, one boy one girl. They all three LOVED each other, particularly mama loved her babies. She out-lived them, was desolate and lonely, I had another cat who joined the family as an adult a couple years younger than the babies, they were ok together but not close. So I adopted two boys that were littermates at about six months old. She was thrilled to have babies again at age 15-ish! She loved and mothered them as though they were her own. It was awesome! She was a very special kitty, loved her humans too and lived well into her twenties 🙂
I’ve had one of each – one mom+kitten where she was Quite Done, thankyouverymuch (but, interestingly enough, perfectly willing and happy mother a pair of orphaned kittens later on in life — and even let one of them continue to comfort nurse occasionally well after said kitten had grown).
I’ve currently got a different mom+kitten, where mom was outright savage* until reunited with her then ~10-12 week old kitten (one of three, but I only kept one of the kittens) — and 2 years along, they’re still routinely curled up together, or grooming, or playing with each other (and there are other residents available to play or sleep or whatever with).
*turns out that 8lbs of upset momcat can manage to not only reach, but drag a 1 gallon plastic container of prevail to her crate, and somehow put holes through the container — something this much larger human has trouble doing with an awl and hammer!