February 2024

 Peaches had to go over the rainbow bridge. 

I miss her. 

She was my baby. The ferals are just not the same. I had her for over 5 years. She had a good life with me, better than what she had before. I hope she's getting lots of catnip treats. 

Spring/Summer '23

 Peaches is doing good. But she's annoyed by all the little ones running around. The feral mamas had their babies and now the partially grown kittens are out and feeding with mama. She don't like them cause they try to eat her food. Peaches likes solitude when she eats and the little ones don't get that. Well, the ferals don't either they want to see what she's eating too incase it's something better than what they're having.

Here's Spotty with some of her littles. Imagine 7 feral females with around 4 to 6 kittens each running around at feeding time. 

Another Fall/ winter

 Lost some of the kittens and had another round of them. The mommas run out of milk and start ignoring the kittens after while. But one grey kitten keeps coming around so he may stay around here. He's been eating the dry cat food with momma.

Peaches has been visiting the old abandoned house next door a lot, especially when it's cold or wet. So I guess that's her new lair. She hangs around during mealtimes at either the shop or at my trailer or lays in the sun at various places around the yard. The Ferals have learned that when she gives them a look they'd best leave her alone or she'll bat at them with or without claws depending on her mood. Otherwise they all seem to get along okay, though they like to chase each other around the place.

New Arrivals

 

Feral Fay's little ones. Just 3 of the new arrivals. Peaches doesn't know what to do with them. At least Fay no longer has them in the ice machine. Snapped the pic as she was moving them. This was her break stop between.

Survived Winter, now the Spring

 Peaches is doing well. 

She's getting along better with the Ferals we feed; she doesn't hiss at them any more when they walk by. But she still don't like them. Good thing they all do their own thing. She's taken to napping on the tractor seat when it's sunny. I disturbed her to take a pic and she got up and gave me a look.

And a sign of spring--some of the ferals have kittens. But what gets me is where they have them. Fay had hers on the old back porch, then put them in an old ice machine we have on the property. (No lid). I think she put them there so they wouldn't wander off. She had a time keeping them from squirming away. Now that I saw them she'll probably move them.

We feed the ferals so they hang around and keep rodents and other things away from our property. And because we wouldn't let an animal starve. But we don't own them and we allow them their freedom. I'd make them all indoor cats if I could (yes I'm a crazy cat lady) but I live in an 8 by 28 and Dad won't let me anyway. (He owns the 8 by 28, not me).  

Fall

 Dog got a hold of old Tom and we had to put him down. Peaches seemed to be looking for him for a while. She doesn't get along as well with the other ferals as she had with Tom. 

I increased her treats now that it's getting colder. The new cat house is out but the cats all seem to ignore it. We'll see how things go this winter.

Survived the winter

 

Despite the extreme cold snap we had, Peaches survived with the help of her beau Tom. They curled up together every night and sometimes during the day. We'll be more prepared next winter as I ordered a cat house.  I had ordered one but  when it arrived it was too small. 

Peaches spent most of the snowy time under Dad's old carport while Tom cuddled with another feral in the old cat house. I don't blame Peaches for not liking the old cat house, it stinks and the other females have used it as a birthing chamber during the spring. Thus why I ordered a new cat house.

If the cats like the new cat house I'll order another. We have 6 ferals and Peaches here so one cat house won't be enough. Once the other females give birth we may have more. Some of the kittens stay, if they survive. We have wild animals here  that kill them and cars run over a few so they don't always survive. And some just leave. 

I'm thinking about restarting this blog and calling it Peaches Adventures in the Wild or something catchy now that we've settled in. What do you think?