Kyra and Feral Cats

I’ve been telling people about this face to face and everyone seems really amused by it, so maybe it belongs on the blog too.

Since taking so many cats to surgery I’ve been trying to do a little extra feeding to make sure they’re all recovering well. In addition I’m trying to use the feeding to move some of the cats that are hanging out in the yards of people who don’t like cats to more hospitable locations.

Because Pookie was the first cat we took to the clinic and also seems to live apart from the larger colony, I’ve been feeding her the longest.

My rescued shepherd-mix Nikita is unsure how she feels about stray and feral cats, but my rescued hound-mix Kyra loves all smaller animals, especially cats. Though Kyra is pretty much food obsessed (going back to her time as a starving stray) she’s very good about the concept that when we put down food for Pookie that is not food dogs are allowed to steal. However, Kyra seems pretty focused on the idea that this is food for Pookie, not anyone else. We’ve slowly worked on Kyra with this, and she’s at the point where she can accept that Omar might want some of that food too and this is acceptable. And if Rizzy the tabby wants a bite or two that’s ok, though Rizzy won’t usually come over until we start walking away—she’s intimidated by dogs. So Pookie and Omar can eat just a couple feet from Kyra and that’s fine.

However there is a huge and really beaten up old tom, whom the neighbors have dubbed “Pimp Daddy.” I’ve not been able to catch “Pimp Daddy” despite many efforts. This cat is also huge, and very jowly in the way that older male cats can get. Unfortunately his raging hormones have caused him to get into a lot of fights and his ears are practically shredded from all that fighting. So imagine the largest, most scratched up orange and white tom cat you can conjure up and there’s “Pimp Daddy.”

Kyra is really firm on the idea that “Pimp Daddy” cannot have any of Pookie’s food. And for good reason. “Pimp Daddy” doesn’t share. When Omar comes up for some food he sidles over and takes little bites while letting Pookie keep eating. When “Pimp Daddy” comes up he hits Omar and Pookie and growls at them to chase them off, and then he tries to eat all the food himself as quickly as possible. Kyra won’t stand for this, so she has started letting loose with her hound howl the moment she sees “Pimp Daddy” approaching. She really seems to be saying “this is for Pookie, so back off.”

Although I’ve started putting a little food a few feet away so “Pimp Daddy” can eat without chasing off Pookie and Omar.

Kyra is also getting used to the idea that we feed best friend ferals Leilei and Deedee in a different place, but because Deedee was the shyer cat, Kyra sometimes still looks at me and gives a little whimper like “are you sure she can have some? I thought this was for Leilei?”

But all in all Kyra is very good with cats.

Below is Kyra with Buddy. Buddy is now inside with us looking for a forever home of his own.