OP
susieqz
Absent Comrade
actually, i have 5 gallon buckets around. i have no idea why i didn't think of one. thanks, bek.
they run $5 n $2 for a lid.
they run $5 n $2 for a lid.
MY GARDEN IS PROTECTED !
- Thread starter susieqz
- Start date
susie:
I know that I'm not the only one who is following the saga of "Notorious HPK" (to use bigwheelzip's nickname). We need at least bi-daily progress reports!! Needless to say, we are rooting for you and HPK equally!!
Best Regards, Les
I know that I'm not the only one who is following the saga of "Notorious HPK" (to use bigwheelzip's nickname). We need at least bi-daily progress reports!! Needless to say, we are rooting for you and HPK equally!!
Best Regards, Les
I have a clowder.
OP
susieqz
Absent Comrade
cool, rusty, a new word for me.
i'm making progress by leaps n bounds.
it was smart of me to feed her in the morn. see, i wanted to use wild animal psychology.
what i know for sure, is no animal fears me when i'm flat on the ground.
the deck under my arbor is only 10 '' above grade. i put down pads n a rug, so i read there, drinking cocoa while resting on my elbow.
in this heat i only go out in the morn, so this trick didn't help with a night visitor.
but today, as i was reading she jumped up onto a 4x4 upright of my fence.
there was only a screen of grape leaves between us.
we could see each other so i decided to ignore her. she spent some time surveilling the garden then jumped in.
she went to the shade under my smoker n watched me.
she was only 12' away, so i said ''hi'' n went on with my reading.
eventually, she moved to a more comfy place, under a bush not more than 8' from me.
staying flat works great with wild animals.
by this time, i really wanted to get up but i stayed down.
finally, she got up n wandered slowly out of the garden.
this was what i wanted. she now knows that she can leave my presence
when she feels like it, without being hindered.
this is big.
tomorrow i put out breakfast while i'm reading.
i'll call her n see what happens.
i'm making progress by leaps n bounds.
it was smart of me to feed her in the morn. see, i wanted to use wild animal psychology.
what i know for sure, is no animal fears me when i'm flat on the ground.
the deck under my arbor is only 10 '' above grade. i put down pads n a rug, so i read there, drinking cocoa while resting on my elbow.
in this heat i only go out in the morn, so this trick didn't help with a night visitor.
but today, as i was reading she jumped up onto a 4x4 upright of my fence.
there was only a screen of grape leaves between us.
we could see each other so i decided to ignore her. she spent some time surveilling the garden then jumped in.
she went to the shade under my smoker n watched me.
she was only 12' away, so i said ''hi'' n went on with my reading.
eventually, she moved to a more comfy place, under a bush not more than 8' from me.
staying flat works great with wild animals.
by this time, i really wanted to get up but i stayed down.
finally, she got up n wandered slowly out of the garden.
this was what i wanted. she now knows that she can leave my presence
when she feels like it, without being hindered.
this is big.
tomorrow i put out breakfast while i'm reading.
i'll call her n see what happens.
These work pretty well.
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Gamma-Seal-Lid-Yellow-Buckets/dp/B005W322L0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1501802592&sr=8-2&keywords=5+gal+container+screw[/ame]
I use them for bird seed. Rim locks on a regular 5 gal plastic bucket. Just screw it off. No more cussing those snap on lids.
Hit the lower "Amazon" in the image.
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Gamma-Seal-Lid-Yellow-Buckets/dp/B005W322L0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1501802592&sr=8-2&keywords=5+gal+container+screw[/ame]
I use them for bird seed. Rim locks on a regular 5 gal plastic bucket. Just screw it off. No more cussing those snap on lids.
Hit the lower "Amazon" in the image.
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Fancy Lids for bucket cost too much.
Fancy Lids for bucket cost too much.
If you want to avoid having to fight with the lids as often - low cost method.
When the bucket is open fill a couple of caning jars. (or empty pasta sauce jars etc.) These jars have good lids. A couple of quarts would be more than a weeks supply for any one of the cats I know.
Glad to hear about the progress. Some cats are very slow to make up. Some never do.
Bekeart
Note: susieqz has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space.
Fancy Lids for bucket cost too much.
If you want to avoid having to fight with the lids as often - low cost method.
When the bucket is open fill a couple of caning jars. (or empty pasta sauce jars etc.) These jars have good lids. A couple of quarts would be more than a weeks supply for any one of the cats I know.
Glad to hear about the progress. Some cats are very slow to make up. Some never do.
Bekeart
Note: susieqz has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space.
OP
susieqz
Absent Comrade
good idea bek. i'll do that. i cleared the msg box.
sorry for that.
i'm now going out for major training.
the funny thing is, i'm training feral cat to accept me exactly like i train lizards.
sorry for that.
i'm now going out for major training.
the funny thing is, i'm training feral cat to accept me exactly like i train lizards.
OP
susieqz
Absent Comrade
well, i know she will come to food in the morn, if called.
i also know i don't scare her when i'm lying flat, so i decided to combine the two.
got my outdoor nest set up. book, carafe of cocoa, pads.
put out a snack n called her.
she didn't show n eventually i wanted to get up, so i gave up n went to the other end of the garden to dig some garlic.
when i came back, i was pleasantly surprised to see the milke gone n half the friskies eaten.
pretty good because at least she was willing to eat when i was in the garden.
as i was sipping my cuppa n getting my book, i saw something hidden under a fig tree.
hoho, she hadn't left, she just found a cozy place to relax.
she always eats half her food n leaves for 15-20 minutes before coming to finish, so i just waited.
this creature of habit then came out to finish her meal. the food was only 6' away.
she came even closer to get at her water dish.
good stuff.
she then retired to her fig tree n just hung out.
i was happy about all this. getting tamer by the minute.
plus she found out how comfy it is in the shade of a fig, with nice soft mulch to lie on.
the neat thing is she could have fount that same comfort at the far end of the garden, with a better route of escape. instead, she chose to hang out close to me.
i think she's lonely.
also, she decided to meow at me. meows don't fit with a wild animal. do you think that means she wants to be my friend?
here's something cool. you have heard of a rusty voice.
or a skill that got rusty due to lack of use?
well, her meows were super rusty. to me, it sounded like bob wire rubbing against an old pick up.
never heard metallic sounds come from a flesh n blood throat before.
late in the evening i came with supper n there were more meows, but now they sounded like a normal meow.
she really was rusty. since she obviously hadn't meowed in years, meowing now must mean something, but i don't know what.
i also know i don't scare her when i'm lying flat, so i decided to combine the two.
got my outdoor nest set up. book, carafe of cocoa, pads.
put out a snack n called her.
she didn't show n eventually i wanted to get up, so i gave up n went to the other end of the garden to dig some garlic.
when i came back, i was pleasantly surprised to see the milke gone n half the friskies eaten.
pretty good because at least she was willing to eat when i was in the garden.
as i was sipping my cuppa n getting my book, i saw something hidden under a fig tree.
hoho, she hadn't left, she just found a cozy place to relax.
she always eats half her food n leaves for 15-20 minutes before coming to finish, so i just waited.
this creature of habit then came out to finish her meal. the food was only 6' away.
she came even closer to get at her water dish.
good stuff.
she then retired to her fig tree n just hung out.
i was happy about all this. getting tamer by the minute.
plus she found out how comfy it is in the shade of a fig, with nice soft mulch to lie on.
the neat thing is she could have fount that same comfort at the far end of the garden, with a better route of escape. instead, she chose to hang out close to me.
i think she's lonely.
also, she decided to meow at me. meows don't fit with a wild animal. do you think that means she wants to be my friend?
here's something cool. you have heard of a rusty voice.
or a skill that got rusty due to lack of use?
well, her meows were super rusty. to me, it sounded like bob wire rubbing against an old pick up.
never heard metallic sounds come from a flesh n blood throat before.
late in the evening i came with supper n there were more meows, but now they sounded like a normal meow.
she really was rusty. since she obviously hadn't meowed in years, meowing now must mean something, but i don't know what.
susie:
You are making progress faster than I thought!! Thank you for keeping us posted on Kitty's status. She (or he...do we know for sure?) is wanting to be friends. You are slowly but surely bonding with her. I think that your patience and steady, non threatening support of her is winning her over. Good job!! She will pay her way, but not just by catching vermin. She will worm her way into your heart as well!!
PS...I have read that cats only meow for their humans. They do not communicate with each other by meowing...so I would say that she is trying to talk to you, but has not (maybe never) talked to anyone for a long time.
Best Regards, Les
You are making progress faster than I thought!! Thank you for keeping us posted on Kitty's status. She (or he...do we know for sure?) is wanting to be friends. You are slowly but surely bonding with her. I think that your patience and steady, non threatening support of her is winning her over. Good job!! She will pay her way, but not just by catching vermin. She will worm her way into your heart as well!!
PS...I have read that cats only meow for their humans. They do not communicate with each other by meowing...so I would say that she is trying to talk to you, but has not (maybe never) talked to anyone for a long time.
Best Regards, Les
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OP
susieqz
Absent Comrade
les, i'm thinking when people talk about a couple years to do this, that's to make a house cat.
i told her the deal right out. she kills anything that moves in my garden n i will do my best to keep her alive.
to fulfill my end igotta make her comfy enow to move in. but more, she needs to be able to ignore me moving about.
i smoke there, grill there, garden there, shoot there.
i can't just lie down n never move.,
if she wants to be friends that would be a nice bonus but it's not in the contract.
she has the lead here.
i told her the deal right out. she kills anything that moves in my garden n i will do my best to keep her alive.
to fulfill my end igotta make her comfy enow to move in. but more, she needs to be able to ignore me moving about.
i smoke there, grill there, garden there, shoot there.
i can't just lie down n never move.,
if she wants to be friends that would be a nice bonus but it's not in the contract.
she has the lead here.
vonn
US Veteran
Didn't know cats only meow to people but not other cats. My feral cat is very talkative and listens very well when you talk to her but I have been living with her a lot of years. NO one should try to hold or pick her up! She gives some pretty rough love bites on occasion when she is enjoying being petted. She loves to rub on my boots when I take them off and goes nuts on them when I come from my hunting lease. I think she can smell the wild on them.
Lee in Quartzsite
Member
Looks to me like your new friend is well on her way in getting you trained! The beginning of a long term bond has been made and over time it will only get stronger. I can see this Thread expanding to many pages in the future.
I, along with your followers, appreciate the updates.
bigwheelzip
Absent Comrade
If anyone incurs the cat's wrath, see a doctor.
A friend's son ran out to their backyard when he heard his house cat in a fight. He see's a large cat fighting his pet and grabs a broom to use for separating the battling felines.
The strange cat turned on him, and tore him up. He's a big tough New York City firefighter, so he just cleaned his wounds himself. He blew up like a balloon, and was admitted to the hospital in intensive care. The cat had given him Cat Scratch Fever, and it almost killed him.
Of course his fellow firefighters never let him live down losing a fight with a kitty cat.
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OP
susieqz
Absent Comrade
yow! i just looked up cat scratch fever. no way will i try to play with feral cat.
i don't recall ever playing with a kitty n not getting scratched.
can't get her toys either. most toys seem to mimic mice. fine for house cats that never have seen a mouse, but kinda silly for a professional hunter.
looks like my garden won't be fully protected. i have problems with locusts.
no organic method works, so i've been using poison.
but today i saw her pounce on a locust n eat it.
so, i can't use sevin anymore.
i'll get hurt by locusts but they aren't as disgusting as mice n rats, so, i'll deal.
after eating the locust she trotted over to the other side of this little fig tree by my head. she had the tree between us, but was only 4' away.
i think feeding her twice/day, while a pain, is getting her to just hang out in the garden more.
when i took out a load of laundry to hang on the line, around 8 am, i got some irritated meows from under a bush close to the door, so she was there even without food.
i'm super happy about this. the more time she spends in my walled garden, the longer she will live.
i can now say even tho not calico, i think she's a girl. well fed by now, but lean n muscular with very developed hind legs, which is why she climbs so fast n has avoided coyotes.
attractive black n white markings. looks to be maybe just over a year old, but i'm no expert.
she is hyper sensitive to threat.
she almost didn't come for breakfast because the laundry was flapping in the breeze.
while she ate, a shirt would flap n she would crouch down n prepare to fight.
i think she knows about hawks n owls that eat kitties, hereabouts.
she gives the impression of overall compitance, but that might be in my head.
i don't recall ever playing with a kitty n not getting scratched.
can't get her toys either. most toys seem to mimic mice. fine for house cats that never have seen a mouse, but kinda silly for a professional hunter.
looks like my garden won't be fully protected. i have problems with locusts.
no organic method works, so i've been using poison.
but today i saw her pounce on a locust n eat it.
so, i can't use sevin anymore.
i'll get hurt by locusts but they aren't as disgusting as mice n rats, so, i'll deal.
after eating the locust she trotted over to the other side of this little fig tree by my head. she had the tree between us, but was only 4' away.
i think feeding her twice/day, while a pain, is getting her to just hang out in the garden more.
when i took out a load of laundry to hang on the line, around 8 am, i got some irritated meows from under a bush close to the door, so she was there even without food.
i'm super happy about this. the more time she spends in my walled garden, the longer she will live.
i can now say even tho not calico, i think she's a girl. well fed by now, but lean n muscular with very developed hind legs, which is why she climbs so fast n has avoided coyotes.
attractive black n white markings. looks to be maybe just over a year old, but i'm no expert.
she is hyper sensitive to threat.
she almost didn't come for breakfast because the laundry was flapping in the breeze.
while she ate, a shirt would flap n she would crouch down n prepare to fight.
i think she knows about hawks n owls that eat kitties, hereabouts.
she gives the impression of overall compitance, but that might be in my head.
This thread just keeps on getting better.
HOUSTON RICK
Member
My experience is that once you start regularly setting out food, the raccoons will soon chase the cat or intended critters away to get the food.
Coons & Coyotes in Wyoming?
Sounds like fun...?
Sounds like fun...?
bigwheelzip
Absent Comrade
Recently saw a cat eating some scraps at the edge of a strip-mall parking lot, when a larger raccoon slowly approached. It got to within three feet and the cat turned it's head toward it. The raccoon turned and retreated. That alley cat didn't even look concerned about the visitor as it turned back to it's meal.
OP
susieqz
Absent Comrade
too dry out here for coons.
in any case, not a problem.
the gun toting chick is always armed for snakes anyway
n she is now fed during daylight.
she gets a tuna can full of kibble, 1/2 at each feeding.
she eats most right away, then comes back in 15 minutes to polish it off.
there is never any food left out past feeding times.
only water is always there.
in any case, not a problem.
the gun toting chick is always armed for snakes anyway
n she is now fed during daylight.
she gets a tuna can full of kibble, 1/2 at each feeding.
she eats most right away, then comes back in 15 minutes to polish it off.
there is never any food left out past feeding times.
only water is always there.
OP
susieqz
Absent Comrade
yeah, zip is right.
this cat will defend her stuff n is quite formidable.
this cat will defend her stuff n is quite formidable.
