Penfield colony diary

April 9: Assessed and started TNR on a large residential colony, in Penfield.  The caretakers were requesting assistance, and were referred by Penfield Animal Control.  They've been feeding cats outdoors for years, but recently the numbers have exploded!  They are able and willing to pay for the low-cost spay/neuter, and are assisting with trapping, with fostering kittens, and doing everything they can.
I estimate that there are 40 cats.


April 29:  the (3) 5-week old kittens were accepted by a local adoption agency, Four-Legged Friends.  We generally leave feral kittens with their moms until they are eating solid food.  At 4-5 weeks, they're still easy to catch, easy to socialize, and are at peak cuteness!  Legally, they can't be adopted until they're 8 weeks old, and they'll be spayed and neutered prior to adoption.  Since it's early in the season, there are lots of people looking for kittens to adopt, so they'll find homes quickly.  Good luck, little guys!
Now we can trap and spay their mom, whose name is Panda.



Thanks to Lollypop Farms and to Habitat for Cats for their low-cost spay/neuter services!!

Identifying cat genders in the field - coloration

1. We're interested in identifying which cats are female, because.... females have the kittens.  Selective trapping and spaying of the female cats can stop reproduction and growth of the colony immediately.   Immediately, is good.

a classic "patchy" calico - black, orange and white in solid patches of color.

A calico tending toward a tortoiseshell - lots of black, less white.

A tortoiseshell calico - no white.

a muted, or dilute calico: gray, tan and white

Looks like a tabby, but has orange mixed in, so she's a calico.  Sometimes called a "torbie".

Tortie - her orange might be faded, or she might be almost entirely black with one small orange spot or a few hairs!  still female.

I call this a calico tuxedo, because of her white feet.

2. Orange, or orange-and-white cats are often male (75%), but can be female.  

this guy looks male - long limbs.  He's less than 2 because he doesn't yet have jowls.

this girl is a mom - note her calico kitten.

Identifying cat genders in the field - cat butts

A cat's gender is written on its bottom - can you read it?

Un-neutered male, younger than 2 years (no jowls).  Starting at about 8 months old, you'll also observe that he'll spray to mark his testosterone-y scent.
I think he's showing them off.

Neutered male.  When neutered young, there's no visible scrotum.  This boy has 4 "spots" - top one is his anus, bottom one is his pee pee, looking closely, the middle pair are his former testis (highlighted by his coloration).

Same here.  Neutered male - 3 dots.  Note the distance of his peepee from his anus. 

A tomcat - un-neutered male over 2 years old.
Raggedy ears from fighting, the large "grapefruit" sized head, the jowls develop at 2 years + and will disappear after he's neutered. I admit he has bits of orange which might make you think he was a calico, if it weren't for his FACE.

A (goofy) female.  No way to tell if she's spayed.  Often her vagina will be highlighted by her coloration, and it looks like a slit immediately below her anus (visible here).  Male's "stuff" is an inch or more from the anus.