Alley Cats

My cousin was worried that I was putting cat food out just for the raccoons and other critters, but I assured him that I was also putting it out for the neighborhood cats.  We have lots of cats in our mobile home park.  Some do belong to people that live in the park, but many more don't seem to belong to anyone.  We have the organization Paws Watch that have done wonders by taking the cats in, spaying and/or neutering them and then returning them to the park.  If it wasn't for them, we would have so many more.  Some of the cats are not truly feral because you can pet them and they are fairly tame.  Others you can't really get close to and will avoid you if you approach.

My cat Tanya (see my 'Tantalizing Tanya' post) that I took in was part of a litter of five cats that were born and lived under my shed for a while.  This a picture of her mom.

They look almost identical.  She's been in the neighborhood for years and my neighbor across the street call her 'The Grandmother'.

Then there are the Three Musketeers.  These three almost always hang out together - one male and two females we call Romeo and Juliet and Miss Kitty.

The black and white cat in the foreground is Romeo.  The black cat in the back is Juliet.  Those two are so loveable with each other - always snuggling and rubbing against each other, hence their names.  The gray and white cat is Miss Kitty.

Then there is One Ear.  When the cats get spayed or neutered a tip of their ear is clipped so just by a quick glance you can tell if they've been fixed.  One Ear (I like to call him Van Gogh) either had an ear clip go horribly awry or most likely he lost part of his ear in a cat fight or maybe even frost bite.

Then there's Droopy Eyes.

Don't know if you can tell by this picture why she got her name.  She is an older cat and I don't think she can chew very well.  I sometimes take some dry food and add water, let it soak for a bit.  She seems to appreciate the softer food.

Then there's an orange tabby we call Tang.

There's a long haired cat I call Fluffy.

There's a very mottled calico whose name is Sarah.

She's a real character and likes to get up on top of my neighbor's house and chase the birds.

And, last but not least, is the newcomer Sammy.

At first he seemed to get along fine with the others until someone (something?) bit him in the butt and now he seems to fight with everyone.  He spent a few days at a vet's office recovering and when he arrived back in the park he seemed like a different cat.  We're hoping he will calm down again.

There are several of us in the park that make sure they get food and water.  My neighbor that takes care of my cats when I'm out of town enclosed her porch and puts a heating pad in a big chair for them in the winter.  She also takes care of them and makes sure they get medical attention if they're hurt or injured.  The same organization pays for that as well. Somehow they make it through.

They are a familiar and welcome sight in the neighborhood - to most of us anyway.  They all seem to get along with the squirrels, woodchucks, raccoons and other critters.  The birds are another story!  But I would definitely miss our 'alley cats' if they weren't around.