A home for strays
Robin Hall
Back in 2018 we decided to try rehoming a couple of feral cats on the farm. There is a perennial problem with rodents in the grain store and the idea was that the cats would live in there and help to discourage unwanted visitors. So, in November 2018 two male cats, about 5 months old, were delivered by the RSPCA. They were provided with a spacious cage, bedding, toys and food and they spent about 3 weeks confined before they were released to explore their new home.
These cats, named Jock and Sly, had no contact with humans prior to being caught and were extremely wary of people. This meant that it was difficult to see them although they did start lurking in the grain cleaner and I could sometimes see them in there. I continued to feed them and there seemed to be some decline in rodent activity in that area. Sadly, about 6 months later, Jock was found dead on Plawhatch Lane and Sly disappeared.
Over the next year or so there were occasional reports that Sly had been seen and it was suspected that he was living under Maya’s house. Eventually he started showing up at my house and we began feeding him outside. Since then, he has become a regular visitor and we continue to feed him on the porch. He seems to be friendly with Merlin our older black cat although he is still very shy and wary of people. So, it’s been a partial success and I am happy that one of these cats has found a permanent home on the farm.
