I didn’t chose the cat life, the cat life chose me.

When I moved to Redding, I noticed a growing feral cat population in my neighborhood. The first spring in my new home, an adorable Siamese cat had her kittens in a small greenhouse in my side yard. This was all very new to me, and I was unsure what to do. I fed her and tried to gain her trust in hopes of assisting her and her kittens. I could not get close to her; she would hiss and growl if I tried. So, I would just leave food and give her space.

I did not know that leaving food near where she had her kittens posed a threat since the food would attract other animals. I live across from a greenbelt and creek where many critters and predators live. This resulted in her moving her kittens every time I left her food. I became very worried and started looking up reasons why mothers would move their kittens. I learned that feeding should happen far from where the kittens are!

Luckily, a kind neighbor took the mama and kittens in and helped find homes for them. I was amazed at how easily they did this! What I learned is that you can’t always earn their trust while they are out in “the wild.” Sometimes trapping and taking them in, and showing them a safe environment, can help this process.