Since Smokey’s third operation, she has been doing very well and is slowly adapting to her new world living indoors.
You remember what Smokey looked like before her tragic injury.
Now she spends her time with Kiki and Khaki
Smokey explores very slowly and carefully walking through house which is a very different environment than what she is used to.
She has also made some new friends living indoors.
You can see that Smokey was having a conversation to the cat pillow, not quiet sure what to make of it.
Picture of her after her second surgery.
Since her ordeal she is still having some trouble with depth perception
Pictured with her stitches still in.
Remember, we named her Smokey because her right eye had a smokey haze to it. Now with her good eye gone and poor depth perception, she would not be safe in the wild. I will be continuing the enclosure soon and making the habitat safe for Smokey to live in.
I’m wondering if she will want to leave her indoor living when the time comes? Well, we will see.
Thank you all for your support and for following Smokey’s Story.
See Bandit enter the Porch just in time before Teddy and Pete got busy.
You remember the last cat fight that Bandit was not there to stop, so we had to intervene.
Well it was more like half a cat fight to be honest.
Orangey and Samantha still do not get along and we have started the water gun therapy for both of them. All the fights between them have to do with territory and the violation of that territory.
Since Orangey first arrived at Kitty Village she has made our rear porch her home. Orangey is always on the rear porch for most of the day and this is her territory.
Since Samantha first arrived she has spent most of her time outside and little time on the porch. Outside the porch is Samantha’s territory.
When Orangey wanders outside the porch, she usually will take to higher grounds.
Samantha will take to hiding in nature, waiting to ambush Orangey.
Hence the squirt guns, which will be used whenever we see aggression between them. This will implant a negative feeling when that aggression appears and will hopefully stop the battle between them.
The only trouble is trying to hide and catch them in the act. I feel it’s going to be a long winter here at Kitty Village.
Orangey is exhibiting all the proper ways to win a cat fight. You have observed that her ears are back for protection. Her swinging tail is indicating aggression. Her head is held down with her eyes intently observing her target. She is also exposing the entire side of her body to appear larger to her adversary. She truly means business!
Now Teddy agreed to show all the ways not to win a cat fight. Notice, he is in an “I don’t care” posture, also exhibiting a hardly switching tail. With great effort he raises his paws in a poor defensive manor. See the video below showing that he takes three strikes from Orangey.
Disclaimer: No cats were injured during the filming of this video.
Now for the rest of the story!
Don’t worry, after three attacks I stopped the one sided fight. This started right after dinner and for no reason Orangey started the fight. Teddy, who is larger then Orangey, was just laying there kind of saying “I just ate a great meal, please leave me alone”. No matter how many times Orangey attacked Teddy just did not care.
Teddy Won!
The judges anonymous Technical decision was for Teddy based on his ability to hold back and not rip Orangey a new one. Orangey was then banned from the porch by me.
We would like to Introduce you to another Villager and her name is “Samantha”
Samantha was born to Smokey and Bandit along with her two brothers.
The Kittens
Bandit is Sam’s stepfather. As I explained in Post Ten, a femalecat can remain in heat for up to 21 days. She can mate with more than one male during that period of time and can have a litter which contains kittens from both males.
Sam is different then the other villagers in a couple of ways.
If Sam gets a hold of one of your outdoor shoes she will play with them.
Purr-pee-ewe
Leave your shoes outside the door and one will be gone by morning.
Girls and Shoes!
Samantha also is a professional snake fighter as you can see below.
Whenever you call Sam, she always responds with a meow. She is the only villager that does that every time you call and she also has an obsession with shoes.
Whenever we take the dogs out to the yard, Sam will appear and hang out with everyone.
Sam said, that this is her favorite time of the year and on All Hallows Eve if you pass my home you might just see Sam striking up a familiar pose on top of one of the fences.
We are glad that you where able to meet Sam, here at Kitty Village.
I feel so sorry for this beautiful animal who has gone through so much since coming to our land to have her family. If you have been following the story, you know that Smokey and her man, Bandit
Bandit
had three kittens born on our property.
Their Family
Then tragedy struck with a severe eye wound to Smokey.
Smokey had to go through three expensive and intense operations to have her eye removed. It all was worth it in the end, because we knew we truly saved her life. The Veterinarian said she would have only lasted for a few weeks if she was on her own.
But now, there are brand new issues that have come to the surface that could have possibly been caused by the stress she has been under.
Smokey waiting for the tests to begin.
We have done everything we can to make her life a happy one with all the care and love we have given her by taking her into our home.
The on call hospital Cat came out to greet Smokey.
Even with my cat allergies, I could not turn her away. Before her injury, while living outdoors, she was very evasive and we could never touch her. Now she is the sweetest and most loving cat we have known.
If I hide they will not find me!
Well, Smokey has developed Feline interstitial cystitis, sometimes called feline idiopathic cystitis or F.I.C., which is an inflammation of the bladder that causes symptoms of lower urinary tract disease. However, in the case of interstitial cystitis, a definitive cause for the disease cannot be identified.
Smokey had to endure having blood and urine samples taken again. She also had a sonogram taken of her bladder.
The good news? Well for Smokey, we have now changed her food to a prescription urinary care for her condition and she now takes prescription medication, possibly for the rest of her life. That is the good news as long as nothing else develops.
Smokey’s Home
Well, Smokey is home and appears to be happy. I think she will be even happier when we can complete the enclosure and she can go outside again.
It might be hard to believe, but the ears of a cat contain over two dozen muscles, enabling them to do a 180-degree swivel forward, backward, up and down. No wonder they are called Halloween cats. Although their ears pan around like radar dishes scanning for sounds, they are not just for hearing.
A cat’s ears and tail are a vital part of a cat’s body language, and proper interpretation can help you better understand their moods and in some cases, keep you safe from injury.
Back Off!
Normally, a relaxed cat’s ears will point slightly to the side and slightly forward.
Orangey is saying I’m relaxed.
This indicates contentment and a sense of well-being. She’s neither fearful nor aggressive. She’ll usually greet you with ears erect, offering a friendly greeting.
When your cat is alert and something has captured her interest, her ears will assume a straight-up orientation, and a forward posture.
If your cat’s ears are twitching, she’s agitated and nervous. This might be a cue to offer her reassurance and a safe embrace.
But remember persistent twitching could be a sign if a medical problem.
A cat’s ears moving from a forward posture to a backward posture indicates increased aggression. A cat’s ears moving from an upright position to a full horizontal position indicates increased fear, annoyance, or submissiveness. This could be a warning for you to leave her alone. If you notice that your cat’s ears are maintaining a horizontal orientation on a regular basis, she could have an ear infection or ear mites, and a trip to the vet is warranted.
When the ears flatten against the head in a defensive position, your cat is frightened and may attack. She instinctively keeps her ears flat against her head in attack mode to protect her ears from claws and teeth during a fight. Ears that are pointing backward somewhere between the “alert” and “defensive” positions indicate an aggressive cat who may attack.
Understanding when a cat might attack can save you from injury. When the ears are back (the telltale sign of aggression), you should never try to touch or pick up a cat because you’re at high risk of being bitten or scratched. Injuries that could require more than just a Band-Aid.
Cat’s ears are also able to move independently of one another. When they’re in different positions, the cat is ambivalent and unsure of how to respond. She’s likely to withdraw to assess the situation.
We would like to Introduce you to another Villager and his name is “Pete”
Pete is on the left enjoying some milk with his brother and sister.
Pete is the shyest of the three kittens born on our land. That being said, is why he was the last to be trapped for the TNVR program in our county. Whenever you call the Villagers for meal time Pete would show up with Smokey. He is a Mama’s boy and as evasive as she.
Pete is a small framed cat, but when you pet him he is nothing but rock solid muscle. Pete is smaller than his brother Teddy and a little bigger than his sister Samantha.
Pete spends most of his time out and about the yard hiding in nature or under the deck or shed. Once in a while he will spend time on the porch with the others. During the winter, when it gets cold at night he is almost always snuggling with someone on the porch.
Like I said, Pete was the last one to be trapped and neutered. We spent over a week slowly persuading him into the trap with his meals.
Before this, I thought I would be clever and trap Pete onto the screen porch and then in the morning place him into the trap.
In the morning I found Pete was gone and the Houdini of cats had escaped. Pete was so motivated that he literally ate a hole in the screen to get out.
This became part of our learning experience with feral cats.
Now if anyone living in the village could be Pete’s best friend, that would be Teddy. These two always show so much affection with each other.
This is not a one time pose for these two buddies.
Over time, Pete became more and more trusting toward us but I still rate him as the shyest of the Villagers.
When it’s feeding time, Pete will tolerate being petted, and some times he will hang around and lounge with the rest of the Villagers. The other Villagers will not run off if approached during this I’m-too-stuffed-to-move event, but Pete will surely bolt away.
Pete and Teddy with their dad, Bandit
For some reason, when Pete was born we thought he was a girl and we named him Petunia. A short time later something popped up and hence we had Pete.
Well, Smokey is fully recovered and doing well. She is a wonderful little lady and has adapted so well to her new temporary environment.
Smokey watching TV for the first time.
Hey, what are you eating?
Smokey watching Khaki having a treat.
Do you mind if I try some?
Smokey went right in for a treat, and Khaki did not mind one bit. It is hard to believe she was a feral cat not that long ago.
These two are so comfortable with each other that Khaki does not mind Smokey grooming him.
Smokey must miss being with her kittens full time. Khaki and Kiki help to fill the void.
Simply amazing is how I explain it.
Well, we almost could have had a new member of the Village, but her mom was near by. We are always looking out for who else might need help.
Now More About Cats
When a cat greets another cat or a person with slow, relaxed blinks, it’s communicating affection.
Why? Because in the feline world, closing one’s eyes in the presence of another is the ultimate sign of trust.
By blinking slowly at your cat, you are communicating that you are aware of its presence and pose no threat. So the next time your cat blinks at you, try returning the gesture.
Cat’s eyes are beautiful and mesmerizing but they can offer all kinds of clues about how they are feeling and about the world around them.
Dilated pupils say a cat is surprised, scared or stimulated.
Constricted pupilsmight mean your cat is tense or possibly feeling aggressive.
A Stare down is likely a challenge from your cat.
Half Closed eyes indicate a relaxed and trusting kitty like the slow blinking eyes mentioned earlier.
More on Eyes
The biggest difference between human and cat vision is in the retina which is a layer of tissue at the back of the eye that contains cells called photoreceptors. The photoreceptors convert light into electrical signals that are processed by nerve cells and sent to the brain which translates them into the images we see.
The two types of photoreceptor cells are known as rods and cones. Rods are responsible for peripheral and night vision. They detect brightness and shades of gray. Cones are responsible for day vision and detect color perception.
Cats have a high concentration of rod receptors and a low concentration of cone receptors. Humans have the opposite. This is why we can not see as well at night but can detect colors better.
Bottom picture is what a cat sees
Well that’s all for now.
Thank you for reading Kitty Village News and don’t forget to visit
A cat’s ears and tail are a vital part of a cat’s body language, and proper interpretation can help you better understand their moods and in some cases, keep you safe from injury.
