Hope has left here today to go and live with a friend of mine who is a vet tech. I also adopted out Barnum and Merlin to a wonderful home in North Albany. I think this necklace is really lucky!
Feral Cat Behavior
Blogging about feral cats and life in general
I stumbled upon your blog while looking how to deal with bully cats who are chasing another little feral one from my back yard. I wanted to say thank you for the lovely job you do. Here in UK I find a lot of strays in my backyard but they are not really ”strays” but left outside for many hours by their owners – I know this as some of the cats are very bold and have a collar – and they come to steal the little feral kitty I ”adopted” ( a big word, since she will not come in nor let me touch her but she will now let me look at her and stay at about 20 paces from her as long as I do not make any sudden movements ). I have been trying to befriend t his little feral one for 10 months, I had her trapped and neuteured and her two babies adopted by good people, all through this wonderful uk charity Cats77. They trapped her for me, got her to the vet and returned her to my back yard. I have now been trying to befriend her. We have made giants steps because before she would run a mile as soon as she saw me and would come back only at night to eat. But the other cats are bothering me. They steal her food and her bedding. Some have owners in my street so I went to them because I thought they are not neutered to give them some leaflets of the charity and I was not very well received. But what can I do about bully cats who act like strays but they are not strays as they have collars. I feel bad to chase them away if my backyards is only safe place they have but the little feral one does not come in if they are there and they chase her away. And she has to sleep God knows where. I do chase the other cats at times though, especailly the collared one, by spraying water on them, and I think the little feral one is nearby because she comes back after she sees them running away. I saw a big bully male calico slap her with his paws!!!! and she does not fight, i do not know why.
Anyway, I admire what you are doing. On behalf of all the feral kitties out there, thank you!
She does not fight because according to your description, your little stray is what is known as a Pariah. In cat heirarchy, they have certain roles and there are Alphas who guard and protect, queens who have litters and pariahs who live outside the group. They are low cat on the totem pole, they eat last, they try not to have any type of interaction with the more dominant cats and they try to just be invisible. It is not something you can do anything about- it is what it is. She will not fight with the others and like bullies on a playground, they will steal her lunch money- bully her- and make her feel inferior.
Her only hope is to come indoors and if there is anyway you can start feeding her just inside your back door, I would start there. While she eats- you make yourself scarce, don’t frighten her by sticking around. Once she feels safe in this new feeding place, then start by sitting in the same room with her with your back to her ignoring her (although you should hear her eating) Over time, you slowly turn around staying on the floor and being less of a threat and never making direct eye contact with her. Once she is comfortable within this environment you slowly inch over till you can close the door and keep her inside. It won’t happen overnight- but if you have no other cats, this is an ideal place for her to be inside with you and safe from the others.