)Well, I brought her here on Wednesday night, and she spent the night in the garage (terrified beyond measure, no doubt). Around noon on Thursday, I put her on the front porch, showed her the food bowl and water dish (hers from the old house), and even though she was afraid, she adjusted pretty quickly and was purring, meowing, and exploring the bushes.
Well, this morning about 5 am, I was awakened by the most horrific "cat fighting" howls and screams I've heard in a LONG time. I practically fell out of bed trying to get to the door, and then remembered the alarm system on the house (which was just turned on two days ago). My husband had already set it off accidentally leaving the house the first morning it was on....and I was determined not to do it myself, so I had to think "how do I turn this thing off???" all the while hearing the cat fight sounds move further and further away outside.
By the time I got to the porch, there wasn't a trace of any cat.....SweetPea didn't come when I called, and I didn't even hear any "jingle" of her collar. I sat on the porch steps for a full half hour, calling her, hearing nothing. I walked all around the house - in my nightgown and bare feet, calling and calling her....
I worried ALL day, since she didn't come home. I went back over to the old house, thinking she may have found her way back there. There was a huge 4th of July parade just up the street, and I know that would have also been terrifying for her...... I called my neighbor from the old house and told her to be on the lookout. I sat on the porch steps and called and called and called for my sweet SweetPea, and she never came home.
I made up my mind that I was going to go door to door in the morning with her picture and explain the situation to all the neighbors both in this neighborhood and in nearby neighborhoods, since it was impossible to tell which direction the "cat fight sounds" went when they drifted away this morning. I worried and worried about SweetPea!
We went to my MIL's house for a very late supper/cookout tonight, and on our way home, we went by the old house AGAIN... no SweetPea. When we got back to the new house (around midnight), there was the cute little (new) friendly stray that I've seen at the new house, and when I started calling for SweetPea, my SweetPea appeared!!!!! She wasn't wearing her collar, and she wasn't too happy with the other little sweet stray being nearby. She hissed at the new little stray from my arms. (It was like she was saying "nyah, nyah" from the safety of my arms!)
The other two strays I've seen around here don't seem nearly as nice as this young stray that appears from time to time. They're the ones I worry for SweetPea about.
What can I do to protect SweetPea? This is HER house, but they were obviously in the area first, but I don't want her to be attacked by them.
My neighbor from my other little house suggested getting some live traps from the humane society and taking them to the local shelter. I know they can't be anyone's pets because they look so bad and they aren't friendly at all. They're just wild cats that could hurt my precious SweetPea. They look quite "worn out" and skinny, and run away at the slightest sound. I don't mind the little sweet stray kitty -- she won't take much to tame. (In fact, I was petting her this evening when she turned her back on me just a bit. She even came over to me to check me out!) She will be another "SweetPea" in no time at all, and I'll take her to the vet, too..... (My husband says, "Oh no, not another cat....")
What do you think? I cannot risk my SweetPea being hurt. Already, her collar (with her nametag and my name & number) is gone - probably from the fight - and that means about $8 to replace..... although that's nothing compared to any injuries she might get from these wild cats. I can't put up with this!
What should I do? Trap these cats and take them to the shelter?
I'd probably build them a small kitty house for shelter and just feed them, trap only when necessary for spay/neuter/vaccs.