Feral Made Family
Since January 2019, I have cared for a close-knit feline colony in the back yard of my Hudson Valley home. It has been a privilege to care for and watch these beautiful animals grow, and it has been amazing to see the most fearful and shy learn to trust and love human touch. Once that door is opened, their personality and inner light start to unfold like a lotus, and it is truly beautiful to witness.
When this website was started, I had 7 in my care in my backyard colony. However, I am very happy to report that one of them -- Sophie Grace -- was adopted on Saturday, November 4, 2023. She now lives with a lovely woman in Connecticut, and I am excited for both of them as they start their new journey together. While it is a huge transition to go from living an outside life in a colony to being an indoor cat (at least for now) in a totally different home, I am confident that with patience and love she will acclimate well in time, and her new Mama is more than willing to provide plenty of both.
Presently, there are 8 that live in my back yard: Mama and Papa, and their offspring -- Travis and Greyson, and two older males -- Dimitri, who is about 6, and Peter John, who is about 7. Mama and Papa came to my yard when Sophie and Travis were about 2 months old, and 4 months later she gave birth to another litter of 4. Greyson is the only little girl remaining from that litter. Dimitri and Peter John are two fellows who came into my yard for a visit and decided to stay. In 2024, 2 more have found their way to my yard -- Timber and Jack. I believe they are brothers and about a year old.
During the first year, I was able to trap 6 of the cats to get them spayed/neutered and vaccinated. Mama was the only exception, as she definitely knew her way around a Have-a-Heart trap. I was finally successful in trapping her when she was about to deliver her last litter of kittens, and she gave birth at the Hudson Valley Animal Rescue and Sanctuary. They kept her for two months until her 5 kittens were weaned and she could be spayed. The babies were kept at HVARS, as they could be easily hand-trained, socialized, and eventually adopted. Mama was returned to my yard.
Of the 8 now in my care, Dimitri, Timber, and Jack are ready for adoption, and on the "Ready to Meet You" page, their bios are listed at the bottom. Dimitri is very ready to be the king of his own castle, and Timber and Jack would best be adopted as a bonded pair. While all three are outdoor cats, they have all been in my home and are familiar with the sights and sounds of my house.
During the winter, Dimitri came into the house for the first time, and he did very well. He was calm and content indoors, used the litter box consistently, and he even started to play a little bit. Timber comes in and out of the house quite often, and he enjoys walking around and investigating. Jack is more shy, but he follows Timber's lead, and he takes his time getting to know things at his own pace.
When adopted, I am confident they will do well in loving, patient environments that will allow them the time and space to adapt to their new homes. Sometimes that may mean weeks, or even a few months, but it is a process that is helped with patience, love and interactive play. I would highly recommend they be the only pets in a household (at least initially), as they have never had interactions with dogs, and introducing additional new cats into a family can be very challenging, at best. Change is possible, but it is very important to keep in mind that it is a huge transition for them to move from an outdoor colony to a totally different home.
As mentioned in their bios, for now, Travis and Greyson are on hold for being adopted, as they both need a little more time for socialization before that will be a successful step. Being a feral animal is a tough existence -- even with the shelter spaces I have to protect them from the elements. They are constantly on guard to make sure they are safe, and they don't have many opportunities to relax in their environment. As a result, they often don't know how to play, because to play means they have to trust and feel totally safe in order to get caught up in the fun of the moment. Therefore ,interactive play becomes a tremendous bonding tool between a human and their chosen pet. It is a wonderful way to create trust and a sense of fun so when they see you, they know something good and positive will follow, and when that magic moment happens, it is truly a special event and a huge milestone.
Have fun exploring their bios to learn more about these sweet faces. If you are interested in adopting Dimitri, Timber, or Jack, or have general questions, please feel free to reach out to me by submitting a note on the "Contact" page.
Thanks for visiting!