Of our four cats (Alexa, Hannah, Queen Fatima, and Jelly Bean), two are from a feral cat I named Ming Li. Although these two are extremely friendly and not only allow me to pet them (but enjoy it profusely), they have certain characteristics that definitely separate them from Hannah and Alexa. For example, cat parents can always pick up their babies and even walk around the house or yard with them – I can certainly do so with my non-feral cats.

However, picking up a feral cat is generally not something they enjoy and I would only attempt it if it were to remove them (or a smaller animal) from harm.

The most unfortunate, and even heart-breaking thing, about caring for and loving feral cats is you never know when they’ll leave you. It’s been my experience that they aren’t often the healthiest little things (I recently lost one, “Bullet”). Plus, by nature, they love to roam and scout out new territories.

Fortunately, the two we have now were born on our property and have known us since they can remember – so I’m pretty certain they aren’t going anywhere. I also get the feeling that each was the healthiest from their prospective litters. Jelly seldom ever leaves the carport or front yard and Queen Fatima’s never gone on one of her infamous “hunts” for very long. While they “seem” like the other cats 98 percent of the time, occasionally there’ll be a reminder that there are definite differences.

For example, just this morning, as I was feeding the three outside cats, I leaned down and kissed Hannah on the head. It was met with a hard, fast purr and she continued eating. I then did the same to Jelly Bean and you’d have thought he’d been attacked by a giant, cat-eating owl! The smooch sound, alone, jolted Fatima even before it was her turn for a kiss. Each went back to eating as I petted their backs and heads, but they each kept one eye out for the ridiculous noise I’d previously made.

All along, I’ve tried to take things very slowly with them, on their terms. When you’re fortunate enough to have feral cats in your life, you have to remember that it’s all about them, not you. You can’ t let a selfish desire to touch or hug one get in the way of what really matters: You’re providing food, water, love, and care. You’re building a bond of trust and establishing a relationship, but know that they’re always in charge of how close you can get and how fast the bond is built.

There have been some feral cats that I’ve never been able to touch at all. It took months (LONG months because I was dying to pet her precious little head!) before Ming Li allowed me the honor of rubbing her. When she first threw her tiny body against my arms and purred, tears rolled down my cheeks because I was so happy – and completely honored by her trust. She honored me another way, too. Twice. I call one Queen Fatima and the other Jelly Bean.

I will always believe that Ming Li knew she wasn’t well. She had her babies near me so I could take care of them, and again, if I thought about it long enough the tears would flow once more.

The t-shirts in this post pay homage to feral cats and the patient individuals who care for them. These are really super cute – almost as cute as wild, unpredictable feral cats, themselves!

Click each for a closer look and spread the word about Feral cats and Feral cat care. The best thing about t-shirts such as this is that people will very often ask you, “What’s a feral cat?” Then you have a golden opportunity to educate them about feral cats and maybe even convert a feral cat car provider in the process. When you click through, you’ll find other t-shirts as well as other colors and sizes.

I love feral cats Light T-Shirt

Feral Cat 4a Organic Women’s Fitted T-Shirt (dark)

Takes a Village, Feral Cats Women’s V-Neck T-Shirt

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If you’re familiar with me at all, you know that I have 5 cats. One (Alexa) is an indoor diva and the other four (Hannah, Bullet, Jelly Bean, and Queen Fatima) are outside cats.  Alexa – who was “here first” as she likes to remind the others – will not even consider allowing the others to get so much as one paw through the door.  Fortunately, these outside babies don’t seem to mind the arrangement.  No doubt if they did show interest in coming in out of the weather, I’d have to have a long, hard talk with little Miss Alexa.

We live outside the city limits, on a large piece of land.  There is actually an old barn, as well as a garage (my husband keeps the door cracked for them to come and go, then cleans it out when spring hits…. sigh, I love him).  When Bo and Svenn were alive, they absolutely loved the garage.  They could be found sleeping up in the loft even in the summer!  Bullet is also big on the garage and when the weather is particularly cold or stormy, off he goes.  Jelly Bean likes to go back and forth between the garage and the barn.

Odd that he’s the only one (of the many, many, many cats we’ve had over the years) to seek warmth and refuge in the barn.

HOWEVER, my little outside girls (Hannah and Fatima) will not head for the garage unless it’s storming or snow is on the ground.  No matter how cold it gets, they see no need to leave the carport.  I always make them a little tent in the corner – with many thick covers and blankets draped over a few lawn chairs.  When it isn’t too cold, all 4 cats can be found in their tent!  Yet I always wanted something more – another warm option for them….

…something like a little house.

Ironically enough, I had been thinking about this situation when I got an e-mail asking if I’d like a KatKabin to review for Cat-Pause.com.  I was thrilled to accept and watched for its delivery daily.

When the KatKabin arrived, Alexa and I anxiously opened the box.  The KatKabin was bigger and even prettier than I had hoped for!  They sent me a beautiful hot pink version and Alexa couldn’ t take her eyes off of it.  I put it on the ground – without the little removable door on the front – to see if she’d go in.  She’s kind of an odd duck about things like that, so I was skeptical.  However, she marched right in, turned around and laid down on the soft little pad it comes with!

Unfortunately for her, I had the KatKabin in mind for the outside kids – after all, she has a heated home with warm couches and warm beds!  I hauled the beautiful little KatKabin outside for the fearless foursome to inspect.  It was a chilly day but not cold enough to send the boys off to the barn or garage.  Jelly Bean was the first one to try out the KatKabin.  He actually took up residence for about an hour before the others got a shot at it!  Bullet’s snide, mocking looks (imagine, a tough guy cat lounging in a hot pink cabin) didn’t faze him. He just went to sleep in his comfortable surroundings.

The minute Jelly Bean left the KatKabin (nature called), Queen Fatima (a very small, adorable, fragile gray cat – she’s the spitting image of her feral cat mom, Ming Li) went in. Since we lost Ming Li (I loved that little eccentric cat!), Queen Fatima looks at Hannah as her mother – something that Hannah endures with great humor.  The fact that she separated from Hannah long enough to try out the KatKabin kind of caught us all off guard.

Over the course of the day, all of the cats took turns with the KatKabin. At one point, Fatima and Hannah were in there at once. Fatima looked blissfully happy but Hannah looked like she could use a big old helping of “ME time.”

Even on the coldest days, when I stick my hand into the KatKabin, I’m amazed at how much warmer it is in there.  The cat’s body heat sort of creates a little sauna. When the weather isn’t overly cold (we’ve actually enjoyed some really nice weather for over a week), I take off the little removable clear door.  My cats love to sit in their KatKabin and watch birds, one another, me…..  Bullet actually tends to lie in it toward the front with his little arms sort of sticking out – it reminds me of a dog in a dog house.  A comparison he doesn’t appreciate.

Product Description

Product Description

KKZBL Doors: Single Door (as shown) The KatKabin DezRez is the new outdoor stylish house for cats. It is a light yet sturdy house with unique, feline-shaped ends that will appeal to cats of every type. The KatKabin will stand securely on any type of ground and comes with a KatKushion and a KatFlap door to keep wind and rain out. Please Note: Double-door KatKabins are special orders, and thus NOT returnable. Please allow an extra 24 – 48 hours for processing on double-door orders. Features: -Royal blue is the ideal choice for that cool, confident cat about town. -Includes KatKushion and a KatFlap door to keep the rain out. -Optional double door setup has door on each end (special order, not returnable). -Outdoor stylish house for cats. -Light yet sturdy with unique feline-shaped ends. -Great shelter for abandoned, wild or feral cats. -Specifically developed as an outside cat house which withstand extremes of temperature. -Made from the strongest materials and will not fade in sunlight. -Will stand securely on any type of ground and comes with a KatKushion and a KatFlap door to keep wind and rain out. -Dimensions: 13” H x 16” W x 22” D.

Whether your cat is an inside cat, an outside cat, or enjoys the best of both worlds – he or she will LOVE this KatKabin. You’ll love how beautiful it looks and love the fact that it keeps your baby warmer even more. Read more about the KatKabin by clicking the link or order your’s today on Amazon.

Order the Blue KatKabin.

Order the

Order the KatKabin DezRez Standard in Hot Pink.

Remember, the KatKabin is available in many colors. Just click through one of the links above and find the color you want! Those of us who love our cats like family (which is exactly what they are) do everything in our power to make them healthy, safe, and happy. This is just another way to show our babies how much we love them.

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Three of our outside babies are currently huddled together in a nice big, round basket that’s lined with bedding and a baby blanket. Since Ming Li had kittens, I think we need a second basket or cat bed outside. I’m flipping over the Atmosphere Bamboo Pet Bed with Cushion above but it looks too gorgeous to put outside. I’m thinking it should stay inside with Alexa… then I can move one of her favorite beds outside for the little ones.

The last thing I’d need would be to order this beauty, set it up outside for my little kittens and have a possum or raccoon ransack it. Both of these adorable animals (who are frequent guests in our yard) love to ransack and I know they’d look at this fancy pants bed as their Waterloo!

From the Website:
A unique piece of furniture bed specifically designed for cats. The spherical shape of this elegant bed ergonomically contours the natural curled sleeping position of the cat. The luxurious golden striped overfilled cushion provides a comforting resting and sleeping area for any feline. Trendy chocolate stain and the spherically arranged bamboo strips complements one another making this bed a wonderful piece of modern pet furniture. Bed is made of environmental friendly bamboo and wood; Cushion cover is made of cotton/polyester blend, with 100% polyester filling; machine washable.

Bamboo is an Eco-Friendly material, easily renewable and requiring very little water to grow, making it a great choice for any home!
This item ships directly from the manufacturer. Product usually arrives in 4-10 business days, depending on destination, including order processing and shipping.

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A few days ago I happened to be outside walking around our yard, enjoying the gorgeous weather. It won’t be long before the trees are leafless and covered with frost and the grass will suddenly crunch beneath my feet. That’s fine, of course, I absolutely love winter – there’s something positively cozy about it.

I walked toward our pear tree and noticed, from a distance, all the fallen pears on the ground. They weren’t exactly attractive lying there, half exposed, and rotting. But as I got closer I realized that there was, indeed, a great deal of beauty. There were, literally, hundreds of the most beautiful butterflies imaginable feasting on the fallen fruit. There were yellow, white, orange, red, purple, and pinkish butterflies. I plopped down on the ground just to watch their colorful show.

I kicked myself for not having my camera on me.

As I was watching the butterflies enjoying their find, I couldn’t help but think about the poetic scene. Here was a pile of nastiness on the ground – not one of the fallen pears looked even decent, let alone attractive. Yet, some of the most beautiful creatures on earth – delicate little butterflies – came to the scene and enjoyed the spoils.

That’s how it happens so often in life. Just when we think we’re hovering over a situation that couldn’t get much uglier, something beautiful springs forth.

To a certain degree, that’s what happened when I lost Bo and Svenn. I sat outside so many mornings, afternoons, and evenings – missing my boys. The yard (and my life) were missing something and I felt it in every inch of my body. Anyone who has lost a beloved pet knows the profound sadness that I’m talking about.

God certainly did. And God is generous!

Flash forward to today. When I go outside, there is absolutely no emptiness or sadness – whether it’s in the morning, afternoon, evening, or middle of the night! (People who have visited this blog before know that my beautiful, spoiled little Alexa lives inside – which is why all of the other babies must live outdoors, on the carport and in the garage loft)

When any of us go outside now, we’re once again greeted by precious cats:

• Ming Li – A feral cat who has become extremely friendly – she allows me to pet her now and rubs against me.  I’ll add pictures of her soon, I don’t think the camera will frighten her now.  She is very tiny and, of course, perfectly adorable!
• Hannah – Beautiful Hannah is a sweetheart.  She’s the girl in charge out there.  All of the other cats defer to her and she relishes the arrangement.
• Cynthia aka”Cindy Clawford” -  She’s a beauty.  She came along about a week or two ago.  She reminds me a great deal of Prissy, in her younger days.  Very pretty, very friendly, and never met a bite of food she didn’t want desperately.  When they’re eating, Cynthia will hiss at the other cats if they come near food that she’s interested in.  Ming Li and the boy cats will back off, but Hannah ignores her.  Hannah slapped toward Cynthia once and she hasn’t hissed in her direction since.
• Jelly Bean -  Jelly Bean is solid, solid, solid black, precious, and very playful.  I can only touch him if he’s in the middle of eating or distracted.  His shiny black fur feels just like silk. He is one of Ming Li’s kittens, so he has pure feral cat blood in him.  Hopefully, with patience, I can win him over like I did Ming Li.
• Peanut Butter – PB is Jelly Bean’s brother and is even more standoffish than him.  Even Ming Li was never as overly cautious as PB is.  He’s adorable but seems as interested in being touched as I would be in drowning.  I’m not giving up, though!  I’ll win him over.

Cats are so precious and so much fun. I’ve always had cats in my world and I’ve always cherished them.  However, lately I think I may cherish them even more so.   I have three human daughters.   I was always a stay-at-home mom and even homeschooled our girls all the way through school – Kindergarten through 12th grade.  They’re in college now, have boyfriends, work, and so on.  For any parent, it’s a huge adjustment – but for one who, for over 20 years had little ones near her, depending on her every single day – it’s an adjustment that I can’t even begin to describe.

Put simply, my cats keep me sane!

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One of Ming Li’s kittens, Jelly Bean, has become a member of the family.  Since his mom (Ming Li) and dad (Jet Li) were both feral, he’s very, very cautious of humans – including this cat-obsessed human even.  However, unlike his two siblings (nameless until I determine their sexes), he comes close enough to touch.

He lives in the garage with Hannah and she has sort of assumed a motherly role with him.  Ming Li came through about a week ago and was majorly pregnant.  I haven’t seen her for a few days, but I have a feeling that when she shows up again, she’ll be her slender self again.  Jelly Bean went running up to her, glad to see his cat mommy – but she hissed at him and stopped him in his tracks.  He ran back to Hannah’s side.

Can’t say I blame him!

A few nights ago, I took out a couple of Alexa’s toys to entertain Hannah and Jelly Bean.   Hannah is hilarious when she plays.  She’ll sit really still, acting like she’s only half-interested in the ball, feather cat toy, catnip mouse (whatever).  As I rub her head, she seems only interested in that – nothing else in the world seems to matter.  Then, all of a sudden, she’ll prance on the toy and give it heck.

Then…. back to the head rubs.

The first time Jelly Bean saw a toy ball, he looked so adorable sweet it brought tears to my eyes.  He hunkered down, sort of unsure of what he’d do next, then he threw caution out the window and joyously pounced on the ball.  Then he swatted it in my direction.  When I rolled it back to him, he swatted it back again.

Even wild, feral babies enjoy a good game of pitch and catch.

His siblings – who are both beautiful with dark gray fur and black stripes – always watch the playing but never approach a toy until I’ve gone back inside.   When it comes to cats, patience is my middle name, so I’ll win them over.  Funny thing is, these two are going to be really hard to tell apart.  One was a lot smaller, but it has caught up with the other one.   Jelly Bean is totally and completley black – even the bottoms of his paws are black.  He doesn’t have any white or gray on him whatsoever.

When I lost Bo and Svenn, the outdoors (which I’d always loved with a passion) just seemed sad and empty to me.  I can’t tell you what a blessing it is to have Hannah, Jelly Bean, Ming Li (when she shows), and ???? and ??????.  It’s as though God knew how empty my yard felt to me and filled it with something that means the world to me – precious, beautiful, wonderful cats!

**** I’ll add pictures of the kittens as soon as possible – I also have new pics of Alexa and Hannah to add.

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