Charlie Fineran’s Photo of the Week is about The Lady of his house

At first glance, this story may seem a little different from my usual wildlife, historic or natural places or events. But maybe it’s not so far off base.

My subject, Lady, started out as a feral cat.

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, “feral – adj. [[ ML feralis < L fera, wild animal < ferus, FIERCE + -AL ]] 1 untamed; wild 2 savage.” Ok, it seems to be on tract so far.

Feral cat? Back to Webster’s – Cat – “1 any of a family (Felidae) of carnivores, including the lion, tiger, cougar, leopard and lynx; specif., a small, lithe, soft-furred animal (Felis cattus) of this family, domesticated since ancient times and often kept as a pet or for killing mice.” The first part of that definition presents cats as wildlife, but the pet part? Most of us look at our cats solely as pets, not as wild. Today’s article, featuring my feral cat Lady should remind us, there are wild (feral) cats living out there and among us and that even our cuddly loving pet cats still have that wild streak hidden within their personalities. Just keep your eyes on their eyes when playing, every once in a while you will get that wild look

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO OF THE WEEK: This was a Facebook post from Nov. 2, 2019: “An unexpected new member of the Family!!! Came with no name – I am going to call her Lady, creating an LLC at my residence, Lucy, Lady and Cleo. Lady was apparently a feral community cat with two families feeding her. A feud develops between the neighbors and one of these geniuses decides she is going to end this by threatening to throw the cat into a dumpster. The other participant, believing her neighbor, calls PAL (Pet Adoption League) and has the cat picked up. Lady gets checked out, spayed and gets all her shots, but, there is no room at foster care so she has to be released the day of the operation. After hearing this story, well, someone has to break this string of bad luck!! Anyway, my home did have three cats, I have plenty of cat trees, toys, and am set up for 24/7 eating – WELCOME LADY!!! Got her home and let her out, Haven’t seen her since!! Hope she is not like my Cleo, I didn’t see her for two weeks at first!!

OBSERVING LADY:

Now I have had Lady for almost two years. She is a loving pet and gets along great with my other cats. There is and has been something different about her though, unique, from my other cats or any cats I have had over my lifetime. Many of these traits have moderated over time, but, I still have the sense that she is always on guard and slow to truly trust and relax. When I first let her loose in my kitchen she jumped up on the counter and went behind the microwave. For a week after that she was pretty much out of sight, even when meals were available, she would stay away and eat later. The second through fourth week she started coming around at feeding time, but she would observe from atop my dining room cabinet, so I brought the meal and water to her there. All the while she would back up as I put the dish down. During that first month I never could touch her, then she began to approach me, at which time I could bend over and pet her a couple of times before she would move away. It was about the third month, she came to jump up on the kitchen counter with Cleo waiting for meals to be served, but very skittish with touching. The fourth month was the first time she jumped up on my bed while I was petting the Cleo and Lucy and then she would just go to the far side of bed and sit observing. Lady was pretty normal with the other cats from the beginning.

After about six months Lady is part of the family laying with the other cats, but I still need to use caution when making my rounds saying hello and petting everyone. I stayed with petting her head and approaching very slowly. Quick movements, triggered that wild look in her eyes and an automatic reflex of shooting a paw with claws out. By the time she lived with us a year, I was able to pat her down the back, starting at the head and going straight down the back to the base of the tail, even periodically causing a response from her of raising her backside and purring! Keep in mind, the slightest meandering off that back, meant instant flopping on her side with all four legs stretched out ready for action, with claws! I tangled with her by accident several times and had to just grin and bear it while she retracted the claws; any motion on my part would only worsen the situation.

Now Lady is part of our group, actually pretty gentle with me, and when claws are involved she is quick to declaw. However, it is obvious, any moves she makes are instinctively fast, she is not thinking. I must be the one in control. While all my other cats have enjoyed sleeping on the bed at night, Lady prefers to sleep alone, high in her cat tree by the bay window! Even in the morning if she is in bed sleeping, by the time I get close, she knows I’m there. Lady has one trait I get a kick out of. Lady is fastidiously clean when going to the cat box and if she sees both are used she will come and notify me. Many mornings, she will come into my bed room, meowing, and then leading me to the cat boxes. As soon as I clean one, she jumps in as I clean the other right next to it.

OBSERVATION: I watch my other cats, stretch out, on their backs, legs apart sound asleep, not a care in the world!! Even if I touch and begin to pet them while asleep, they don’t move and can stay asleep. Put Lady in that same sleeping mode (never on her back) the mere fact that I ruffle the bed, will get her into a standing position looking around. Even when she is with the other cats, the slightest stirring, gets her stirring and the others remain fast asleep. She is a wonderful loving pet, but she must be the one initiating the affection. After my observations, knowing where she is coming from, I get it. In the wild, you must be in control and if things are going to happen, they are going to happen because of you. There is no total rest, you sleep with your eyes and ears working!!

I often wondered if she missed being out there! Several times she has got out onto the porch, had that confused look, and has just as quickly, run right back inside. When she greets me at the front door, there is never that urge on her part to leave the house. So I ‘kinda’ believe, just maybe, she realizes what a piece of cake being a house cat is.

Hope I have given you some interesting insight about the differences of a domesticated cat and a real feral cat. I think I am safe assuming, most adult feral cats like Lady, will always tend to keep their inborn traits for the rest of their lives.

I felt sorry for this cat with the circumstances she went through, and was willing to give her a break. I was not looking for a loving pet and I was not expecting it but am happy and satisfied things turned out the way they did.

Yours in Open Space, Charlie Fineran

Charlie Fineran is Allamuchy’s Director of Open Space, Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission Chairman and Allamuchy Historical Society President