2 posts tagged “winter”
Geez I go to take a short break from wildlife posts, and look what happens! I revert back to a cat rescuer. Oh well. This is a photo of one of the thousands of stray cats on the streets of Greece. If I ever visit this place I can't imagine the cost of my air fare back after I wind up adopting a few hundred of these guys. Sadly this may never happen.
Hans Sylvester made a big name for himself photographing these beauties, although he had a big advantage with the stunning beauty of Greek ports and the charm of the strays.
What's facinating to me is that many of these photos show the strays by the docks. This is exactly how cats were domesticated in the first place. Ships would dock near where wild cats lived, and the smell of cooking meat and the presence of rodents near the docks attracted the cats. The cats were happy to have such abundant hunting, and the humans were thrilled that the rodent population was kept down. The same thing happened on farmlands with rodents infesting barns. Cats' presence was first tolerated and then encouraged. Thus the beginning of a sometimes beautiful relationship.
In truth, the situation is quite dire for these cats now! People do not allow them in their homes, and they are treated by the authorities as vermin - rounded up and killed. Although they are not kept as pets, some sympathizers will put collars on the strays they like and it spares them from being collected by animal control.
Most of these kitties are very thin and never get veterinary care and suffer from chronic illnesses. As they are not "fixed" they continue to reproduce at a rapid rate and it becomes a vicious cycle. Here in the U.S. the problem is just as serious.
These cats are forced to kill thousands of wild birds and mammals, and often spread diseases to other wild cats such as cougars, bobcats, lynx and even to non-feline mammals. Needless to say, keeping our companion cats indoors is the best way to prevent these problems in the first place! It's good to know the difference between a stray cat and a feral cat. Stray cats are simply cats who were once owned but became lost at some point. They might look unhealthy or scared, but they have the general look of an unhealthy, but domestic, cat. (The cats in the photos area strays).
Ferals, on the other hand, tend to have a very different demeanor and look. They will always run in terror from humans, if they are seen at all. If cornered they may attack out of extreme fear. They tend to have squinty eyes and are usually very thin. They are absolutely not wild animals, but they are usually the offspring of a mother cat who has had no contact with humans and so are very fearful. If a "colony" is kept, they may appear only "semi feral" and of course the lines are constantly blurred. Alley Cat Allies is a tremendous organization and a great resource. I learned from their website how to build a fancy feral cat shelter.
For the record, I beleive that killing strays and ferals is the wrong move since thousands of people allow their unneutered cats outdoors, and once one colony is destroyed another one just moves in. This happens on Hawaii where thousands are rounded up and killed in order to save Hawaii's endangered birds. But Hawaii still allows people to bring their cats onto the island and it's the same situation. Until we have a moratorium on allowing cats outdoors, no feral cat should be killed. That's my stance.
How to help: If anyone lives in a cold area of the country, it is nice to put out a simple feral cat box on your front porch. Do not leave out food, and it will not attract cats but may save a cat from freezing to death. Most strays in cold areas do not starve, rather they die of hypothermia. All you have to do is take a cardboard box, place a fleece blanket in it, seal it up, and cut a square hole in the side. Prop it up on some bricks if it's in an area where it can get wet. Don't put out food unless you are going to find them an indoor home!
A more expensive, although much easier option is to buy a small dog igloo (doghouse) and put some fleece blankets or even coats inside. They work wonders by trapping the cat's own body heat. And it's really easy to keep them snow-free. If you have snow in your area, you may be surprised to find kitty footprints near your home! Okay, my cat rescuer side has had its fix. Thanks Voxters!
A HAPPY, HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE TO MY BELOVED VOX FRIENDS.
Peace, warmth, lots of colorful lights and good wishes. Love you all. I shall take great advantage of my winter break to visit!
Kisses.
