Gerald visits Samantha

Gerald was making a racket outside our front door. I think he wants to visit Samantha. So I let him in and he followed me upstairs.

Here’s Gerald mewing in Samantha’s room.

But the calico queen decided to ignore her friend.

Even Riley and Tabs came up to join in the visit.

Tabs was curious and wanted to sniff at Samantha. This attempt ended with a small hissing event. Tabs is very easily frightened and when she is frightened, she instinctively defends herself.

Gerald is your typical friendly I-love-everyone ginger cat.

The plan is for Samantha to deliver in the room so that she and her kittens will be safe. For new readers, Samantha had a pregnancy prior to this (mated by Gerald, which I witnessed, on the street) and she delivered her kittens, but we don’t know where she did it. After three weeks, she was back for good in our porch (not returning to feed her kittens anymore) and she was mated by Gerald again on 6th December 2022 (yes, I witnessed it again). That is why I think she should deliver around now, latest 8th-10th this month. Cat gestation period is around 65 days.

As to why Samantha isn’t neutered, well, she is a street cat and I thought she belongs to the RYABK (Rumah Yang Ada Banyak Kucing) down the road. Maybe she does, I don’t know. Also, she started coming to our porch to eat but she is impossible to catch. She would not even allow me to touch her. Ever cautious and suspicious, in a very calico-way.

We had to trick her into the house for food, then slam the door shut by pulling on a raffia string tied to the door handle. It took months of feeding before she was willing to step into the house.

Now, after she delivers, I would have to rehome her kittens once they are old enough. Then, I will get Samantha spayed (finally!!) and return her to the street since she definitely feels happier living on the street.

We did not want to adopt anymore cats and the plan was just to see our six cats through (Cow Mau, Bunny, Cleo, Indy, Tabs and Ginger). That is why I had rehomed Minnie and her sons. But the rehoming did not work out and I brought them all back after one-and-a-half years. We had to renovate our house to make the catio for them. That added five to our cat family. Total: eleven. At that time I was still unwell and thought I might die anytime soon (well, yes, we can die anytime unexpectedly), so I had made plans with a dear friend (thank you, thank you, if you are reading this) to take care of all of them should I die unexpectedly and I had already left money in my will for every surviving cat.

Then Riley came long. She had been following Samantha all around on the street but she was so tiny. Took some effort and the same raffia string trick to catch her. The vet thought she was a 3-month old kitten until she checked her teeth and saw that she was “more than 5 months old” and definitely needed to be neutered. So Riley was neutered but being so small in size, I did not have the heart to return her to the street. So we let her stay indoors.

The total number then came to twelve.

Then came Gerald, Creamy and Samantha. Gerald and Creamy have been neutered and returned to the street. They come for food. Now, it’s Samantha’s turn and hope she is the last….? And the rehoming of her kittens – I foresee that to be quite challenging as adoptions have dwindled ever since the MCO. Times are hard.

One day at a time. I will find a way. If things don’t work out (like Minnie and her boys’ adoption), I will find another way.