♥♥♥♥♥♥Courageous Little Shakespeare♥♥♥♥♥♥

Thank you ccatz...I had a DUH moment. It was just too obvious!!! Dear little Shakespeare, what a brave, loving little guy. I have heard differing stories of his fate, perhaps you could help? I know he was in the fight, I remember that one of the rival kats was found dead. Did they know if the dead kat had TB? I know the first thing that came to mind was that I hoped Shakespeare wasn't scratched or bit. Right after JE, it was said that a kat matching his description was found at the edge of the reserve dead, but then I am now reading about sightings. Any info?

Thank you and everyone else for everything!!!

NW67675

I wish I did have the answer. It is believed that it was not Shakes in the burrow that fateful day. The video has been thoroughly viewed and the babysitter has been identified as a "female"or so some say.

It was Big Cy in MM's story that attacked the burrow and yes he was put down due to TB. We have been told by the researchers that Shakes had babysat the day before, but most likely not on the day of the attack, but you probably remember all of this discussion.

He was of an age to rove for females, our handsome young man. Many believed he left the Manor and established a family, or so hints have been offered. The researchers are now allowed on these grounds, the farmers' lands, but not EarthWatchers. These mobs and their members are not followed or reported in the LH reports. Think Fluffernutter Moomins, my special meer.

A meerkat "resembling" Shakes has been reported to be seen. Many of us still hope.

Thanks for the explanation of CL. I was Confused Too...

Tailwraps to you ccatz...you have the patience of Shakespeare.

Oh yes, Big Cy. It's a shame about him. Now I'm thinking of who he fathered...sheesh, this is exhausting, but I love it.

Now that you mention it, I did read something about it being a female that was babysitting, but with it being said that a kat matching Shakespeare's description was found, I was worried. Yes, if he is still around, he is charming the ladies and with his kind and concerned nature, if he does have a mate, he is treating her like a Queen.

LH reports? Is this another obvious one?

I don't know of Fluffernutter Moomins, I think I have seen the name, but I can't place it.

Oh how wonderful it would be if Shakespeare were alive and well!!! I just loved him so much.

Well, I can't thank you enough for your kind patience. It seems that I will join in on this free-for-all and if I get too much with the questions, just put me on babysitting duty.

Oh, I am a cat lover, too...I have 5, all siblings...maybe someday we can share fekat stories!

Hi kach5503...I kept seeing CL and I just couldn't figure it out. Maybe this "confusion" thread will turn out to be a good idea.

Take care to all!!! Many, many thanks.
NW67675

NW67675

Begin your adventures here: LH Life History

http://friends.kalahari-meerkats.com/index.php?id=life_history

Fluffer is the "clawless one"

I have 4 of the furry feline Divas; the last a stray I named Tosca. Talk of confusion!

Just as inportant to the meerkat disease process was Basil's (Big Cy) DF Cazanna who often mated with Youssy. She also died of TB.

Good morning ccatz!

Thank you for the info. My 'puter does not want to update Adode, but I did put this page in my favorites, and I will definately be looking at it either after I get my 'puter to behave, or at a friend's house. I have seen some of the things at that site and the KMP, they are wonderful.

Yes, I have 5 fecats. I was blessed by a feral cat. I live trapped her (Fancy Feast works great), had her fixed and she slowly became a little friend. Unfortunately, she is no longer around, but her kids are! I love Tolkien, and they are named after some of the characters in Lord of the Rings.

Yes, this TB seems to be a problem for the little kats. I guess nature has it's way of keeping a balance.

Have a good day! See you around the burrow, need to forage!

Take care
NW67675

ccatz

I think my "little bit of information that leaked" was taken out of context. I didn't imply it was unimportant, or anything of the sort.

nightweaver67675

Three of my four cats are feral/stray. The fourth is a house cat that was not wanted. His people travelled a lot because of their job. Their loss, my gain.

Hello zettak.

I guess since my cat's mom was feral, they are too. Feral housecats? Somehow that fits them. Such spoiled messes, but they are good babies. I am glad that the house cat found a good home with you. At least the people cared enough to find him somewhere if they travelled.
Nice meeting you, I think I've driven ccatz up the burrow wall, but he/she is wonderful.

Hi ccatz.
OK, I was reading some old posts and found "IGI"??? At least my questions have gone to just getting initials defined. I am going to read around until I can get my 'puter to update Adobe, there's enough here to last me for a very long time. My fecats are going to think I've abandoned them.

Nuzzles to both!

NW67675

*She* says thank you; the forum has many wonderful members always ready to help.

IGI: Intergroup interaction.....a "Fight" between two mobs.

A great hint: at the top of the page is a *Find* tab, click on it and type in the word you are interested in. If nothing else you will find a lot of great reading.

What is so funny is a group split for one reason or another and each group sees each other, they begin to pronk (war dance) and then they smell each group's scent and recognize family. Then cuddles, hugs and hi fives all around!

We on this forum seem to be animal lovers of the highest order. I often think back to first hearing of Meerkat Manor....a cat house story....time to feed the girls.

Hi ccatz!

I am a *she*, too. You know, I was kinda close with what I thought that "IGI" was. Thanks for the tip on the "find" button...like you say, a lot of great reading to be sure.

I get a big kick out of the groups realizing they are family. And I actually did know what pronkering (sp?)was...amazing!!! They start charging like a massive army, tails in the air, backs arched, bouncing for all they are worth, they get close enough to smell, and they all just flop over and like you say, cuddles...

It is a riot. Kinda makes me want to cheer.

I can't wait for Season 4...I miss the little kats.

I have been enchanted by meerkats since I was little, I think I'd have drug home a Komodo Dragon if I got the chance. (Thankfully I did not get the chance LOL). I am just so fascinated by them, too. They have been around for a long time, says something for them.

I started watching MM from the first show, and I am not a TV watcher, but Friday was/is "MM Night".

Well, I need to take care of my furry little children, too. Have a great evening and a big tail wrap for all of your kindness.

Take care

NW67675

I don't like the perception that people give a cat they call "Feral". Feral cats are stray cats that run from people meaning they are scared. The main reason their scared is because the troubled past they encountered from humans. I feed 2 stray cats that will get only about 2 feet from me and that's it, they are not feral because they are the ones that walk up to me within a couple feet, but because what they went through with the humans from about a year ago; their still not to comfortable to get near any humans. A feral feline is a wildlife feline species. They are the ones that would not approach any humans or would not want any humans to approach them, which is their nature and a good thing because if those cats were not feral and approachable to humans; it may cost them their lives or may cost the humans their lives. Some of the humans may be poachers/hunters and may kill the feline, or, the feline may kill an innocent human believing the human is a threat to it.

[quote]A feral feline is a wildlife feline species. [quote]

Um, not exactly. Feral means that they have reverted back to a wild state. A domestic dog or cat could become feral if abandoned by his owner. There is quite the concern that dogs in particular could form feral packs and become dangerous to people or livestock. There is also the (unfounded) concern that domestic ferrets could become feral. This is why they are illegal in some states. They worry that the ferret will overpopulate and cause problems for the indigenous wildlife. Which could not happen because domestic ferrets are spayed or neutered before they reach the pet store.

Hi Philmeerkat!

I did not want to misspeak, the mother cat was scared beyond belief of all humans. I am not going to claim that she was a wildlife species, she probably didn't go that deep. The only reason I could get close to her is that she had kittens and would not leave them.

She would literally scream at me when I got within sight, hissing and tensing her feet, I just slowly worked up and started giving her good food and she finally realized that I was no threat. I did not mean to step on toes.

The only reason I refered to the kittens as feral is that the first time I picked one up, he raised both front pays, spread his feet, opened his mouth as wide as he could and hissed like a little demon.

I am sorry if I was misleading.

Good to see you in the burrow!

Take care

NW67675

Hello codyferret.

I kinda thought that what you said was what "feral" was about. If a feral dog or cat gives birth, is the baby considered feral, or does feral mean only that they "became feral if abandoned"?

Take care...see you around the burrow!

NW67675

NW67675-

Good evening!

I think in your case the babies could also be considered feral. They are part of a feral group and obviously have reverted to wild behavior, hence the hissing and defensive behavior of the kitten.

Hi again NW67675, Please don't worry too much about misspeaking and unintentionally offending someone. You are obviously a very nice, friendly person. The Internet is a free-for-all where people tend to speak their minds openly about all sorts of topics, often much more candidly than what they would say in person. Misunderstandings and differences of opinion are common. Ideally we can all learn from reading different points of view, but sometimes a hot button gets pushed and tempers flare. Things usually cool down after a while and, with luck and tolerance, we can stay friendly. So relax and enjoy digging. I'm glad you're here!

My cats were stray, not feral, I guess. They are not afraid of me, or the vet, but they are afraid of everybody else. One can stay in the house for some time, but then she wants to go out. The other two just come in for a few minutes from the enclosed patio (where they all live). They don't want to stay inside. They all love being petted; one can be picked up (it was not like this in the beginning). They are neutered/spayed, they are registered with the county, and they have a microchip.
I used to trap stray cats that were not wanted in the area (they would be killed otherwise), and take them to sanctuaries, where wonderful people would take care of them. My three were friendly, so I could keep them.

I'm a lifelong cat lover who has had many cats since I was very young, including one that I think of as feral. A friend found her while mowing the lawn (a lucky save) -- the tiniest kitten I have ever seen, less than 10 days old with closed eyes and folded ears. While we were standing in the yard near the kitten, the mother cat (who was moving her litter) returned. When she saw us, she had the most violent horrified reaction I have ever seen. She sprinted away and didn't return, so I took the kitten home.

Although she was lovingly hand raised from that early age, the cat's personality was naturally wild -- always extremely fearful and overreactive. I remember once trying to simply *look into* her ear a bit, and she screamed bloody murder and thrashed around so wildly you'd think she was being tortured. Yikes! When my mother came to visit for a week, she reacted so violently that my mom immediately said, "She's wild!" She then hid for a week, only appearing on the last day to race through the living room at full speed. Poor little girl suffered so!

I never did figure out if her wildness was nature (genetic) or nurture (environmental.) Based on my experience living with many other cats with a variety of personality quirks but NOTHING like this, I have to lean toward genetics.

To tie this into the meerkats , I find instinctual behavior fascinating and wish I understood how it works. For example, I had no idea how to teach our wild kitten to use the litter box. It turned out she didn't need to be taught -- the minute I set her down and scratched her paw in the litter, she peed and covered it up. LOL! What a relief.

I know meerkats actively teach the pups, but I also imagine that many/most meerkat behaviors are instinctual. Amazing. I'd like to read the KMP research papers to learn more. Has anyone here done this? If so, how does it work? Thanks!

Yes it is on the KMP research papers etc., but the jury might still be out on whether adult meerkats are teaching their young or merely engaging in stimulus-response ...(Hauser)

Not THE paper but very interesting articles & discussion nonetheless from my favs:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/science/18side.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5177594.stm

a listen now

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5557891

And finally THE paper I hope:

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5784/227?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=meerkats&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

Hi codyferret!

I figured he got it from his momma! If he had been any bigger, I think I would have headed for the hills. He had just barely starting to try to walk.

Hello kach5503. Thank you. I did see Philmeerkat's feelings about people's "perceptions"...we have exchanged posts and he seems like a really nice person. Thank you for the warm welcome! Nuzzles!!

It does look like we are wandering far off topic here, would it be a good idea to get a cat lover thread where I have seen many people saying hi and talking about everything? I don't remember where...new to all of this "chatting"...I almost never found the chat until I saw "blog" and that rang a bell.

Thanks to all!!!
NW67675

I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to disrespect anyone on here. I was not referring to not liking the perception that you guys were making about domestic cats being feral, I was referring to who ever started the perception of domestic cats being feral. "FERAL DOMESTIC FELINES" are not truely Feral! I took in a "FERAL" cat last October and send the cat to a "NO KILL" shelter. When I first saw the cat about a year ago it would not come anywhere near me or any humans, which means by some people's definition that it is feral, but eventually the cat would become comfortable with me and after a month or so; the cat would start to let me pet it and pick it up. There are 3 other domestic cats that visit myself and my cats and one dog that would not get near me at first, but now they walk right up to me and let me pet them. Since I moved to where I am at now a year ago last Feb I have seen 7 stray cats that were uncomfortable with humans, or "FERAL", but all the cats were raised together from an elderly lady who tossed them out into the streets without any protection which is really scary for these small animals who had a safe, protected life which all the sudden changed. The cats had hardly ever met other humans besides their human companion in the elerly lady, so they were not very comfortable with any humans. The term "Feral" does not mean permenant for domestic cats because they will eventually adapt to humans which is similar to wild feline animals, if a Tiger sees a wildlife biologist on a constant basis and realizes that the human/s are no threat to them, then they will have a less vicious meaner toward that human because the cat knows the human will not harm them. Most wildlife felines ramain feral because they do not encounter humans many times and that's a feral feline.

Hi Philmeerkat! How are you today? No offense taken. I completely understood who you were refering to when you said some people's perception. Yes, it is whoever started the...oohh...feral...

I do agree that there are animals that are truly feral and will not encounter people, I don't think the momma cat that landed here blessing me with 5 kittens meant for any contact to ever be made.

I did no go...oohh...feral, I just tried to show her I would not hurt her or her kittens, and it worked.

Thank you for the info...always enjoy your posts!

Take care!
NW67675

God Bless all of you for taking care of your little ones. I too have 2 cats who live indoors and I help another one about 1/2 a mile in town. I first laid eyes on her around Christmas time last year and she was very scared. Poor thing. I immediately started feeding her as she was so hungry. My husband and I were able to trap her and took her to the humane society and had her fixed. I wanted her to be adopted so badly, but that was not the case. I wanted also to be the last resort so she would not be put down. So, I took her back and placed her where she came from and have been feeding her ever since. EVERY morning. She is so sweet. I now am able to pick her up and pet her. Not for long but enough as she is used to me now. I wish I could take her home but I fear for the other cats as they probably would not get along. I worry about her but know that she is as safe as she could be. He name is Tobie. But 2 times when we went to feed her the music playing on the radio was "Wild Thing." Quite fitting at that time.

Janelle

Hello christopher9691.

I am so happy that Tobie has a friend who cares. At least you were able to get her fixed. Less stress for her, less poor cats without homes. Wild Thing is a great song. GROOVY!!!

I had to live trap the momma cat to get her fixed, unfortunately, she is not around any more, I miss her. She got food and water and she knew her kittens were safe. I just could not take in another cat...it breaks my heart, but she loved being in the street.

Her kids are indoor only, they were all fixed and they are spoiled rotten. I still refer to them as kittens and babies, but they are almost 4 years old.

Nuzzles
NW67675