One of the last photos I took of Maya Girl when she lived by the pool

At that time she very strictly shared territory with Elvis, and Elvis kept her separated from Sheba, Gus and Buddy. Now Elvis is in America, Maya Girl is living indoors, and Sheba, Gus and Buddy rule the pool.

Orange Blossom on pine needles

If you ever need a guard kitty for your beer

Gus is your man. Actually he just wants to make sure all your 'empties' get back to the distributor for the refund.

Gus is Sheba's brother. He prefers to eat with her. So if you set down two dishes, he will eat with her and then wait for her to start on the second one and join her for that too. He isn't trying to keep her from getting the food. Indeed, he waits for her to eat first. Once she gets going, then he joins in. Gus used to be a very nervous cat, but now he is quite used to people--at least the people who feed him and don't harass him.

Sheba takes charge

Sheba is the leader of the Swimming Pool Gang now. You can see the renovated Swimming Pool facilities in this photo of her (newly plastered and painted wall).

Unfortunately for the Gang, they have lost access to the crawl space under the Kendo Gym thanks to the re-construction. Sheba, her brother Gus, and their cousin, Buddy now all sleep under the No. 3 building of the College of Science and Technology.

Sheba is now one of three female (fixed) cats on campus--Ragi and her daughter, Gwen are the other two. All the rest are males (fixed). With her long black-and-white coat, Sheba is a truly beautiful cat. She is very good natured towards people too.  

Maya Girl continues to rest and recuperate

Maya Girl was found around a mile from her home. We wonder if she had gone farther and was making her way back or if that was the farthest she got. At any rate, when she was found she was in ragged condition. She had nearly starved to death, and if that hadn't got her, she might have died from the cold. This year March was merely a continuation of winter, so she got no luck there. She was outside for the final week of February and most of March. She is back to normal weight and passed her physical. So we are so thankful and relieved.

 

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau: My Evolution Through Cats: A Tribute and a Memorial

by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau: My Evolution Through Cats: A Tribute and a Memorial

Where is Caramel?

We are not having much luck here at WERCHIIKINEKO. Maya Girl has been found, but now one of the dearest of the campus cats, Caramel, has gone missing. We hope he is o.k. wherever he is.

Maya Girl continues her recovery

My favorite picture of Ragi

Ragi (also known affectionately as 'Ragi-Mama') is mother or aunt to most of the Dining Hall Troop.

I like how I caught her with her tongue out here. Maybe I will use this photo at the top of the blog sometime.

My favorite picture of Shaun

Shaun is the guardian cat of the No. 2 building of the College of Education and the very heart and soul of the Dining Hall Troop. Everyone else wanders around, but Shaun stays put--unless I take him for a walk. Then he will walk hours with me. I walk with him around and around on campus because I don't really want him wandering off--it's far too dangerous.

Another look at Gwen

She could pass for a short-haired near-twin of Gracie. Both were born around the same time, but I think Gracie was born a bit later. Gwen is the daughter of Ragi. We never did figure out where Gracie appeared from. Someday I will get a clear close-up of Gwen in daylight. This one is in daylight but I couldn't get very close. By the time I zoomed, she had fled. She has the really pretty face of her mother, Ragi but also looks a bit like her aunt, Bootsie.

Maya Girl comes home

I trapped Maya Girl in January in the midst of a blizzard. She was taking refuge in the crawl space under the gym on campus. She was suffering from the cold. I had found a home for her and hoped she could adapt to life indoors. She lived with her new family for about a month, but accidentally escaped. For almost 6 weeks she didn't return. We searched all over her town trying to find her. And we were very worried because it was cold and rainy all during March. She must have found refuge somewhere, but it's obvious she didn't eat that well. Here she is back home, thank goodness.

Maya Girl is a tough little character and I'm glad she got back o.k.

Gracie continues her study of fish, snails and aquatic plants

Gracie is a truly lovely cat. Her personality combines the best of ferals with a really loving house cat. You can only really enjoy both sides to her if you know her really well. Thanks to Joe, Angie, Evan, Biddy, and Duncan (another cat who passed away late last year) for giving Gracie a chance for a happy and long life.

 

Gracie looks after the aquarium

Gracie thinks the fish tank is a neat combination--it's warm, has 'running' water, and it contains fish!

She and Elvis continue to enjoy their new life in Erie, PA. Thanks to Joe, Angie and Evan for hosting them--oh, and Biddy too (one of the cats who has been in the same home for a lot longer than Elvis and Gracie).

The power of three!

The Dining Hall Troop (Ragi, her two sons, Orange Blossom, the orange tabby, and Caramel, the white and orange tabby) have the power of three to make food disappear. Another summer of 2009 photo. I am looking forward to spending time with the Dining Hall Troop once it gets warm and doesn't rain every day.

Caramel by tree last summer (summer 2009)

I hope by looking at these summer photos, winter will go away. Caramel is so handsome here.

北陸地方に住んでいる大人しい猫は、里 親 募 集 中

里　 親　募　集　中

　　　　

ベーブちゃん (Babe): ♂

生後9 ½ ヶ月  
健康診断・ワクチン接種は、済み。

　

　　　　

連絡先：　werchikineko@gmail.com

　　0776-27-7102

　　　　　　　(留守番電話なので，伝言をお願いします。）

Where is Ragi?

Right now she is in a shelter, taking refuge from what we all hope is the last snow storm of the winter. Spring weather is forecast for late this week anyway.

But can you find Ragi in this picture of abandoned bikes taken last summer? Calico makes for very good camouflage.

Gwen by the east gate of campus

Gwen is the last-born daughter of Ragi. She is really the youngest member of the original Dining Hall Troop, along with Gracie, another calico (although their relation to each other isn't clear to me).

She spent her first summer, fall and winter under the handicapped access ramp of the library, However, once the library was reconstructed, that space was lost to her. So she moved over to the far north-west end of campus. Poor Gwen, construction keeps disrupting her living space, since now just about that entire quarter of campus has undergone or is still undergoing reconstruction. It looks to be finished soon. She has survived in some shelters I put into a bicycle storage area just north of all the construction, and a kind gate guard has taken to feeding her everyday (I cover the duty on holidays).

Gwen is very shy. I keep thinking if I can coax her into the center of campus, she will learn to be friendlier because she will see how acquainted with humans her mother has become (I can now pet Ragi when it is feeding time). Perhaps I can do that this spring or summer.

Gwen is probably the most beautiful cat on campus. She has the really round, friendly-looking face of her mother (Ragi) and her Aunt Bootsie (who lives just due north, over by the tennis courts). Like her mother, she is a calico, but her calico coloring includes patches of striped grey.

I will try to get better photos of Gwen once the weather gets better. Right now she is a mostly nighttime cat, except when she comes out to get fed by the gate guard.

福井市文京の地域猫は、里親募集中

More compelling evidence and arguments for TNR

The entire article is worth reading. I have excerpted it below. See the link for the entire article.


http://www.feralcat.com/sarah2.html

Would a smaller, stable and controlled population be acceptable in the area? Quite often those who are opposed to a teeming mass of 30 unneutered scavenging cats displaying all the problems associated with unneutered cats are amenable to a resident colony of 12 neutered cats which are fed in specific areas and which do not spray, fight, caterwaul, midden or breed. Those people who are opposed to seeing scrawny strays (on either aesthetic or welfare grounds) are often pleasantly surprised to find that cats in a neutered colony are healthier and altogether nicer to have around. Such a compromise might be possible if it is explained that the cats are not going off to some rural idyll, but will most likely be put to sleep.

How can a colony be reduced in size? Most colonies will contain cats which are FeLV/FIV positive, ill, injured or suffering from the ravages of age. For these, euthanasia is the kindest option. Feral cats are not co-operative patients and resent being kept captive while they are treated. Some cat sanctuaries have large enclosures with sheds, chalets and enough space for such cats to live semi-free lives, but there are always more cats than there are spaces at such sanctuaries and sanctuaries offering adequately sized enclosures which aren't overcrowded are few and far between. Other cats in the colony may be tame strays which are homeable; there may be tameable kittens or even a local landowner who actually wants to acquire some neutered ferals. The healthiest cats are the ones which should be neutered and returned to site as these have the best long-term chance of a decent life.

In contrast to the problems in San Francisco, Virginia and Louisiana, ferals in Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania were trapped, neutered and released and provided with litterboxes and shelters. At the same time, efforts were made to preserve or increase bird habitats in the gardens. Despite the presence of the cats, the bird population, including ground-nesting species, has increased. The cats themselves are an added attraction with visitors. Australian studies found that the neutering of several feral colonies led to an overall reduction in cat numbers as the resident, non-breeding populations deterred other cats which would have swarmed into a vacated area. The few cats which did join the managed colonies could be identified, trapped and neutered, or rehomed if tame.

Eradication methods, even if implemented humanely, cannot solve the feral cat problem. Trap-neuter-return methods sometimes seem like a drop in the ocean, but offer a longer-term solution, giving healthy ferals the chance of a decent life and freedom from the otherwise endless cycle of breeding while those which cannot be re-released can at least be given a humane and painless escape from their predicament.

Trap-Neuter-RETURN (to where they were trapped) (and PLEASE Maintain Humanely!!!!)

In many places, this is the single best way to deal with feral and stray cat populations. I have seen it with my own eyes. The best way to keep the cat population on my university campus stable (and slowly declining) is to have all the cats on campus fixed and then to maintain them. They drive away new cats. The only way we get new cats is when someone dumps one on campus (all too frequently unfortunately).

If the powers that be were to take away all the cats and have them exterminated, in one spring-summer season for mating we would have more cats than we had before. That is because the neighborhoods around the campus are bursting with un-fixed cats, looking for places to have their offspring. They tend to stay away from the campus now because of the way the fixed cats police the place.

See this article online about the program in Tokyo. 

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/npo-provides-unusual-solution-to-japan%E2%80%99s-feral-cat-problem

NPO provides unusual solution to Japan’s feral cat problem

By Jessica Ocheltree

TOKYO —

It used to be that the only two options for dealing with stray cats was putting them to sleep or finding an adoptive home. Obviously, euthanasia is not an ideal solution—even if you don’t oppose it on the grounds of cruelty, the cost of trapping and killing animals is high. Adoption offers more hope, but local shelters often don’t have the funds to support adoption programs, and many feral cats are too wild or fearful to be good candidates.

Recently, however, a third option has emerged that’s more effective both in terms of cost and results. Known as trap-neuter-return (TNR), it is being championed locally by a nonprofit group called Japan Cat Network (JCN).

The Shiga-based JCN was started 15 years ago by two English teachers, Susan Roberts and David Wybenga, who looked around their community in Hikone City and noticed many wild cats that were sick or dying. After the pair started a TNR program, the local feline population became smaller, healthier and less of a problem for the residents.

TNR involves capturing strays, bringing them in to a vet to be spayed or neutered, and then releasing them after they’ve recovered; tame cats deemed suitable for domestication are placed up for adoption. If a cat is found to have a serious health problem, it may be euthanized.

At first glance, TNR might seem like a counterintuitive method of dealing with a population of stray or feral cats—after all, many end up right back where they started. In fact, Wybenga says one of the biggest challenges they face is convincing local people that TNR not only works, but is better than just removing the cats. “The cats need to go back for TNR to work. If we simply remove them, new cats will move into the area and the cycle will start all over again. People have two choices: sick and dying cats having kittens, making noise, and marking around the neighborhood; or healthy, quieter, non-reproducing cats, which will slowly decrease in number until there are few or none. ‘No cats’ is not on the menu.”

Many studies on the efficacy of TNR back this up. An oft-cited article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association details a study done over a period of 10 years which saw a 66 percent reduction in a stray cat population. TNR proponents argue that, over time, the lack of kittens will keep the population at a stable minimum or see it fade away entirely.

JCN expanded to Tokyo this year, where it is hoping to open a rehoming center to support local efforts. “The sheltering that we do is completely in support of those actively doing TNR,” Wybenga says. “We think that by putting our support and resources behind those working to stop reproduction, we can have a much bigger impact on the situation as a whole.”

The biggest problem faced by JCN is a lack of resources. With no national animal welfare organization to turn to, the group must get all of its funds, supplies and manpower at a grassroots level. “We have to negotiate with veterinarians, and many are unwilling to adjust the cost of spaying/neutering for strays,” says Wybenga. “Right now, there are several projects where we could easily be out trapping in low-income areas—if we had funds and low-cost operations.”

Wybenga admits the feral cat problem in Japan is still large, but he’s convinced that there are a lot of compassionate people out there who just need some help and guidance. “We’d like people to know that even though they can’t do everything, they can always do something, and they don’t have to even do that alone.”

For more information about the Japan Cat Network, see www.japancatnet.com or contact Tracey Tanaka at tracey.tanaka@japancatnet.com.

This story originally appeared in Metropolis magazine (www.metropolis.co.jp).

SHAUN COLLAGE

SHAUN is such an endearing cat. He loves his cousin, Orange Blossom, like they were brothers. But OB already has a brother (Caramel), so sometimes he is reluctant to take on another one. Still, this winter Shaun and OB have huddled together and shared shelter space to stay warm. They usually eat lunch and dinner together as well. I think their spending time together makes it safer for them--they are less likely to wander off and get into trouble.

Pongo and Babe know how to stay warm.

They stay in my office, which is heated. And they love to cuddle up together--when they are not knocking each other around (just playing!). Babe is smaller and younger than Pongo, but seems to have more muscle pound for pound. But don't worry, if Pongo starts to lose he clamps down on one of Babe's long ears until Babe gives up. I'm going to call these guys my Office Staff.

Ragi's Portrait

I think I already posted this one. But looking at Ragi in the summer makes me forget the cold winter. Ragi and Caramel are huddling together in some cat shelters close to where this photo was taken. They are staying warm and dry, which is very important.

Orange Blossom contemplates his next move

Orange Blossom braves the winter weather. He is a lovely cat against the backdrop of the snow.

Babe posed for some portraits

Well at least I got him to hold still long enough to snap a couple photos that aren't blurred or depict him trying to snag the camera strap. He is an endearing little guy once he gets to know you.

 

 

Pushkin Collection

Pushkin (nicknamed Pushkerwhiskers, Pooty-poot) is one of the founders of the Swimming Pool Gang. I have a theory that she is related to Ragi and Bootsie, as one of the 'founding matriarchs' of the campus cats. However, my other theory is that she was someone's pet cat for much of her life and then was lost or abandoned (all too common here in Japan, unfortunately, and we have very few organizations concerned with animal welfare, making matters worse).

Late in 2008, as the winter got colder, Pushkin proved unable to live outside anymore. I brought her into my office and, after about two weeks of being sick enough to require hospitalization, she recovered. Being such a friendly and unique-looking female, I was able to find her a new home fairly easily. She is now living with a family north of Fukui City. It's just as well, as the entire Swimming Pool area is under reconstruction and there is no place for anymore cats (even though a new one has just appeared, another black-and-white one!). So it is a very good thing that Pushkin, Elvis, Gracie and Maya Girl have all found homes off campus with caring families.

I sure miss Pushkin, as she was such a relaxing cat to have in the office.

I have collected my photos her on the web. Click on the collage image below to be taken to the entire web album.

Collage of Pongo and Babe in the Office

Click on the photo to go to a full web album of their photos.

Tiger Boy and Maya Girl Collage

This a collage of Maya Girl that also includes Tiger Boy. The photo of MG on the left up against the glass shows just how much weight she lost when she was overwhelmed with grief for Tiger Boy. At that time, I was really worried about her. But I'm sure her time spent with Tiger Boy is now a really happy memory for her.