East Grange Kittens
At East Grange House, we're trying to manage a local colony of feral/stray cats. There is an unneutered, female cat living in and around the back garden which has had at least two litters of kittens in the past year. From the previous litter it appears that just a single tabby cat remains, though we have also seen the mother with a similar sized young black cat, which might also belong to her.
We found another, more recent litter of four kittens cold and wet at the back of the garden. All these cats are potentially going to breed further so we have taken the kittens in with the intention of finding homes for them and/or getting them neutered before releasing them again, to avoid a potential population explosion. So far they are doing well, and we are attempting to trap the mother, having her spayed and then returning her to life outdoors. Ideally we'll do the same for the tabby too. We have been advised by local vets and the Cats Protection League and have not taken the kittens to a rescue centre because they are currently overwhelmed, and without some domestication the kittens are unlikely to find homes from there.
They have had a first visit to the vet where they needed names in order to be registered, so here they are:
Bruna
Bruna is the boldest of the two females and expert at finding places for them all to hide out.
Hilda
Hilda is the least social and loves to let you know if you get too close 😼
Eddy
Eddy is the leader of the bunch and happy enough to purr when stroked.
Rupert
Rupert can be distinguished by his slightly browner fur, and his habit of standing up like a bear.
We are making good progress in getting all the kittens used to human company. They are very playful and when relaxed will enjoy a stroke. If anyone is interested in providing a long term home for any of these, either email rjzealley@gmail.com or call 01609 748892 where you can leave a message if we're not available.