Timber & Jack - The New Kids on the Block!

Timber & Jack are about a year old, and they started coming into my yard around thanksgiving of 2023.  At first, I thought there was only one black cat coming into the yard, but one day, they both came at the same time and were sitting on opposite sides of the property.  They were almost identical, and I believe they were from the same litter, as they are about the same age, have the same body type, and have black "fever coats," meaning they have white fur randomly interspersed in their black fur. This is caused when their mother was ill, or had a fever, while carrying her kittens.  

The only way to differentiate the two is that Jack's eyes are wide and round, and Timber's eyes are more narrow.  Timber's features reminded me of a wolf, which was how he got him name.  In March of 2024, I trapped both boys, and they were neutered, vaccinated, and released back to my yard.  

Jack was the first to be trapped and like many of the others, ran off and hid for a few days before coming back for food.  Timber was different.  When he was released, he ran about 20 feet, stopped, and then returned to the back porch.  Now, they both stay in the yard for most of the day and don't venture much beyond the fence. Initially, when they were each trying to gain territory and protect their food source, there was a good amount of hissing and a few altercations. Now that they have been neutered and no one goes hungry, they have started to bond and play together, which I am very happy about. 

Both boys are very sweet.  Timber was the first to be hand trained, and that came very quickly.  He really enjoys being around people and is very curious. He came into my house without hesitation, and he was quick to feel at home.  He enjoys going in and out, and he follows me around wherever I go, and he loves every opportunity to get affection and to play.   He loves the cat trees, and since there are plenty of opportunities to exercise his claws on those or on wood outside, he has not gone after my furniture.  

Jack is more shy, but he is gaining confidence and becoming more trusting every day.  He follows Timber's lead with things, and now that they are starting to bond, it's great to see them hang out and play together.  We are still working on hand-training, but that is coming along nicely.  Like Timber, Jack loves interactive play with feather wands, ping pong balls to chase, and catnip.  They love to play, and when I step outside with a toy, they both come running.  Jack is also wonderful at supervising the bird feeder and he is excellent at chasing squirrels.  

Both boys would do best adopted together and to a home that would allow for indoor/outdoor space, as that would help their transition from living in a colony to a new home.  They have such sweet, loving temperaments, and I feel they would do well within a family.  I would recommend they go to a home that has no other pets, as they have had no interactions with dogs, and acclimating to other animals (cats included) and a new home would be very challenging.  

As with all of the ferals, they need time, patience, and a loving environment in order to flourish.  Given the opportunity, I have no doubt that they would.  Thank you for your interest, and it you would like to learn more about the boys, please feel free to send me a note through the the "Contact" section on this website.