by Lupe Gore

Feral Paws Rescue has several free-roaming cats who are permanent residents of the Rescue. All cats at the Rescue have been saved from high-kill shelters, and the free-roaming ones have all been spayed or neutered. This month we will introduce you to three of them.

Tara is a beautiful long-haired brown/black three-year-old tabby with white markings. She is also a CH (cerebellar hypoplasia) cat. Cerebellar hypoplasia is a neurological condition in which the cerebellum—the part of the brain that coordinates movement—is smaller than usual or not completely developed. Cerebellar hypoplasia is a feature of several congenital (present at birth) brain malformation syndromes, inherited metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders that begin in early childhood, or with cats, in kittenhood. Tara has a slight head tilt and slow gait when she walks. However, she gets along very well walking around the property, sunbathing on a soft cushion on the patio furniture, and most of all, has friendships with the other cats. For some time, she has had a fondness for hanging out around the house, and this fall she made her way inside. She isn’t one who wants to be held or petted very much, however, she takes great pleasure from sleeping near the fireplace or in one of the cat condos. Due to her medical condition, she is allowed inside whenever she wants, which now is most of the time since it’s winter.

Nikki is a gorgeous Snowshoe mix who is a rather recent addition to the family of cats at Feral Paws Rescue, having been surrendered to the CCSPCA this past year. At first, Nikki didn’t want any human contact which seemed a little odd since she was supposed to have been someone’s pet, although probably never as an indoor cat. Over time she has warmed up to us at the Rescue and definitely prefers to be a free-roaming cat rather than confined in one of the housing areas. Most recently she has taken to sleeping on the porch near the house where she has a warm bed and blanket, which she shares sometimes with a couple of other kitties who she is close to, a tabby and a tuxedo, in particular. Her sleeping area is also right next to the feeding area, so she is always first in line for the “buffet.” And even though she doesn’t want to be held, she appreciates being petted and loved and the attention she gets from all of us.

Tinkerbell has long gray and white fur and is older than Tara. She came from the CCSPCA as an adult after being picked up as a stray. Tinkerbell has been at the Rescue for a while and also loves to be near the house, and prefers to be petted, but not held. Every morning and evening, she is at the outdoor cat feeding area waiting for her breakfast and dinner, and during the rest of the day usually doesn’t wander far from the house. She seeks out human attention more so than Nikki, often by sitting at the glass patio door looking for whoever is inside to remind them to come feed her – although the kitties at Feral Paws Rescue never need to remind anyone, as the humans know they are their servants!!

We at Feral Paws Rescue hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

EMAIL: fprg.org@gmail[dot]com
Phone: 559-412-7226

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section & watch for more stories from Feral Paws every month, and we would love to have you join our KRL Pets Facebook group. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to Feral Paws.