Sylvester
Hit the Road
- Joined
- 7/12/17
- Messages
- 1,939
Yes, kitty cats who are dumped out in the middle of nowhere without any food or fresh water usually resort back to hunting. Either that or raiding dumpsters.But even a cat that has been dumped ends up being feral to a certain extent for purely survival reasons. Some dumped cats remember life with a loving human and can be brought back in (we've had 3) but 2 out of the 3 were avid hunters no matter what. The really feral cats don't trust anyone.
When we lived in Argentina, my mum made friends with a feral cat and would put out food and water in the front of the house. When she became pregnant, mum put out a wooden box lined with old towels/cloths and kept feeding her. Mother cat would bring her "presents" like dead or half dead rats and leaving them on the door mat. She was never tame enough to pet and I'm not sure what mum did about the kittens (I was maybe 14-15).
But S. America is different, animals aren't neutered or spayed, it's considered normal to just let them breed and multiply. That was circa 1960s-1970s, but I don't know that very much has changed. Strays were always visible and skeletal.
That was so nice of your mother to give that little feline castoff attention and love. Your mother sounds like such a cool person. In her own special way she was trying to thank your mother. Not the most desirable way to show love but it was the only way she knew.
We have taken in half wild cats. I will never forget 'Lady Alice' a gold and white long hair cat my sister found in a barn. She was only about four months old but as wild as they came. One day I was sitting on the chair in the living room and she laid my hamster proudly down at my feet. I ran screaming through the house for my mom. Poor thing, she didn't know any better but it took a few months before I could look at her again.
A friend from Russia told me that Russia was the same way. Tons of stray dogs and cats can be found anywhere you turn. He always went out at night to feed the stray dogs and cats.