The Vagabond Princess Story... Feral and Stray Cats and Their Kittens (pictures)

Responsible cat ownership...

Abandoned cats become part of feral colonies breeding more kittens and creating suffering by disease and malnutrition. Do your part...spay or neuter your cat!

My pet cat's mother is a feral cat. The mother cat breeds two litters every year ranging from two to six kittens. The normal is four to six. That is, at least, ten new strays each year. Fortunately, her kittens have found homes.

She is considered a feral stray in the neighborhood because she does not belong to anyone. She is a beautiful cat, either an American Bobtail or a Cymric with a very bossy attitude yet is a very gentle soul. However, Princess, as she has been collectively named, regally claims ownership to a few households that she pans for food and sometimes asks for shelter from when she is ill or in the family way.

If I had the resouces, I would have her fixed myself. However, all I can do is keep her from malnutrition and get her kittens adopted. Her kittens are the lucky ones, for there are other cats producing kittens in the neighborhood and their future is quite bleak. No one cares for them! Fixing Princess would just be a drop in the bucket. What has to happen is responsible pet ownership. If you cannot afford to have your cat fixed, please do not take one as a pet.

It really is that simple. Municipal governments ned to implement spay and release programs for the rest of the strays: together, owners and government could eliminate the problem.

On May 31st, 2010, Princess showed up once again at my door to greet me as I left to work. Beside her was a new kitten. Feed me and my offspring she demanded in loud cries. As usual, she got food before I left for the day. How could I refuse?

I came home to Princess lounging in the driveway and on my landing were an additional 5 kittens! Somehow, perhaps because she knows I have one of her babies, she trusts me. Here we go again!

Have I mentioned, this isn't the first time she has honored me with the distinction of helping her with her brood? Princess, as a good little mother, knows kittens need food and she also knows I can't resist those tiny,helpless,little creatures.

There they were clustered around and behind my flowerpots and a dead robin had been left there by Princess for food.

Now I have to fashion a shelter and play area for them, help them learn to eat kitten food, teach the little ones to use the litter pan and get them ready to be adopted by contact with human touch. The adoption process is left to my good-hearted neighbors, who chip in their time to find the little ones good homes. Princess know how to work her resources.

The kittens are now feeding and using a small litter tray...almost ready for adoption. The mother is very skinny ( you can feel her backbone) and needed help. This is a reminder for those that abandon cats thinking they will take care of themselves...they don't. In short, they breed kittens that also become strays. These kittens will be the lucky ones to find loving homes.

The kittens have had their adoption portraits taken. Soon they will be off to their new homes and families! They are fattening up and becoming increasingly playful and getting used to being handled and cuddled. All of them will be wonderful additions to their new homes... if Coco ( the kitten of hers, I adopted!) is any indication of personality.

Oh yes, Coco will "mascot" my pages for many years to come, the vet said Coco was the most beautiful and healthiest cat she has seen in a long while. I knew that! He is the son of a princess and has those regal genes!

Sunday, June 13th, 2010. Three kittens have been adopted. Three small cheers!

Sunday, June 20th, 2010...all the kittens have found loving homes due to the great effort by my neighbors! Adoptive families have sent back feedback that kittens have visited vets and been pronounced healthy and everyone is happy. Princess is on the mend, putting back weight though missing her brood.

I just discovered a neighbor has a male cat that isn't fixed and it is outside adding to the mayhem! People please get your cats spayed/neutered! My cat is fixed and he is just as lively and wonderful as he could be! It makes them more content as well since they don't have those uncontrollable urges...and that ain't fun for anyone.

2011 Updates: The local animal shelters are not accepting adult stray cats. They are filled to capacity. I cannot emphasize enough...you need to get your pet cat fixed, there are way too many unwanted cats in the cities! Their future is grim without a family to feed them and give them shelter!

The Conclusion

I wrote this story almost a year ago. At that time, my neighbours were finding homes for the kittens of Princess and we were feeding her and sheltering her in times of distress.

Sometimes, a little bit of luck happens. This didn't seem to be the case when the neighbors decided they had had enough and were not that interested in the latest litter. This happened to coincide with my move out of the neighborhood!

I called a few groups and shelters and wasn't able to get much response. The move date loomed. I just could not leave the mom and kittens and i didn't want them to go to a shelter where they would be killed if space wasn't found.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. One night I lay in bed pondering and just got up and went through a list of rescue groups I had found and sent individual pictures and an appeal that homes were desperately needed.

I was surprised and delighted to get a number of responses from concerned groups. Not only did they get Princess spayed and fostered with the hope of finding her a forever home, they also had her kittens dewormed and vaccinated. How do i know that? I brought mom, Princess to the vet myself as well as the kittens for their shots.I donated $175 to sponsor Princess' spay...a sum far below the cost of doing it on my own. They will screen and find homes for all of the little family.

Five of Princess' kittens have already been adopted and the Vagabond Princess has retired and had her last litter! My heart is at ease knowing Princess is in capable and caring hands.

Oh yes... I did manage to move as well!