A precarious position
She worked tirelessly throughout the night. Although the air was damp and heavy with fog, she was active through most of the night, securing her place in the world. Artistic by nature, she carefully crafted her home. Strand by strand it slowly came together. By morning, when the fog lifted, drops of dew enhanced her home allowing the web visibility in the low light.
She had placed it between the century-old pine tree and the supports of the cat enclosure. Her colors were vibrant, blue and green a typical garden-variety spider. I could see her web from the kitchen window as I scrubbed the breakfast dishes. She was about the size of a nickel and her web looked well constructed, tight and secure. She was feasting on her own breakfast, a yellow-jacket had bungled into her net, a left-over remnant of summer now that the nights were growing colder. I doubted the yellow-jacket had put up much of a fight as she dealt him a paralyzing bite and secured him with her silken strands.
She thought she was safe in her world. Perhaps she would have been had the cats not noticed her swaying in the wind. Intrigued, their predatory nature on full alert, several of them huddled on the overhead ramp pressing against the wire. Tentatively, paws would reach out and attempt to play with the spider.
She held on through much of the day. Several times when I passed the window, I would glance outside and see her in her web, or up on the limb of the tree waiting for the next snack to arrive.
Toward evening, I noticed her web had been broken. Apparently, one of the kittens had successfully made his way through the wire fence with his paw and swiped her down out of her web.
I wonder if she will be there in the morning? She had a good location prey-wise, several captive insects had been secured during the day. I doubt she thought she would be preyed on by a cat. With their elevated platform, they had a front row seat to this fascinating insect show. I am sure many of them turned away in frustration after attempting to hunt her down. It was the smallest of paws that managed to uproot her from her new home.
October 22nd, 2006 at 4:11 pm
I am learning about a feral cat and kittens. Her story is on the website blog http://ethylferalcat.blogspot.com/ It has been about 4 weeks since we saw the kittens and think she has moved them again out of the truck, but no idea where to. When will we see them again? Will she bring them to the food or will they just follow her? When they are about 7 weeks old they will be caught and adopted out, she will be fixed and returned, but I don’t think she will stay with us after being trapped. The other feral cat was at the building in 2001 left after he was trapped and fixed. If you have any help with them I would appreciate your knowledge.
October 22nd, 2006 at 5:37 pm
Kittens are vulnerable when they are outside. If they are ill she will abandon the sick ones so the healthy kittens will survive. You will have to wait for her to bring them to you if they are still around. Keep feeding her in the same spot (as long as it is safe) Try and set up a routine schedule for food delivery, and soon she will be waiting for you to appear. When she feels it is safe enough, they will come out with her.