It finally happened! It really ought to be Fruit Bat posting this, since she's the one who puts so much effort into the local cats, but she's got homework and I've got time.
Mama kitty, the feral cat we've known for about two years now has been caught!
I'm not sure I ever really thought it would happen- this is the cat who snuck into the trap, ate the bait, and got back out without tripping it. This is the cat who would run whenever she saw us when we first met her.
This is also the cat that Fruit Bat has been working tirelessly to build trust with.
And boy did it pay off.
FB's been feeding the cats all year, and recently she's been sitting outside with them while she fed them, and made good progress. Zant, Mama kitty's son, not only lets her pet him now, but wants her to pet him. Fine distinction, that, but one that anybody who's ever owned a cat will recognize. Recently, Mama's been acting more friendly toward FB- allowing herself to be petted and such. FB decided to pull out the old trick from Operation Cat-in-bag of last year, with which we caught Mama's three kittens Solstice, Saul and Midnight. She decided to train Mama/Zant to eat in the pet carrier.
Yesterday she set it out, only putting the food in it close to the door, since I do believe it was only the second consecutive day that she was working with it. Mama-kitty put her head in to eat- her body blocking Zant, who pouted.
Due to this interaction however, the can of food got pushed to the back of the carrier, and Mama stepped all the way in. FB slowly closed the door, so slowly that Mama didn't notice until it was latched, and freaked out.
Ordinarily, when we catch a cat, we take it to a local vet to get them neutered/spayed. And Mama will be getting spayed- but right now she's about a week away from having kittens. FB has a coworker who will be looking after Mama while we wait for the birth- cursed dorm and its no pet rules!
Its exciting to finally see that she's been caught, but its also bizarre. From day one, August 2008, we've seen Mama-kitty around campus. Now she's not here... At least she'll be returning here once she's spayed though. Zant misses his mom.
The father of this batch of kittens is a cat we've named Capricorn, after the villain from Corneilia Funkle's INKHEART book. This is because Capricorn is really NOT a pretty cat, or even a nice one. He was smacking Mama around when he was "flirting" with her. Jerk. FB's REAL interested in getting him neutered. Especially since she went to all the trouble of getting the males in this area neutered in hopes of preventing any more kittens.
So far the cat-colony over here consists of:
Mama-kitty: female (captured, pending spay). Mother of Midna, Zant, Solstice, Saul, Midnight, and four other kittens.
Abel: male, neutered. Father of Midna, Zant. Possible father of Solstice, Saul and Midnight.
Zant: male, neutered. Brother of Midna. At least half-brother of Solstice, Saul and Midnight.
Trowa: new male. Unneutered. Shy. No known relation to other cats.
