Beautiful little black kitty needs loving, patient home. Please read :)

[Flaxbee]

Here's Ella: http://www.petrotele.com/ella.html



Backstory: I started feeding a feral female near my work last winter; sometime in May she had three kittens before I could catch her, so when she started to bring her babies to the area where I fed her, I hatched a plan to catch them all.

I caught all four of them in mid-August (kittens = two boys, one girl). All spayed/neutered as appropriate, all vaccinated, and all tested FeLV negative.

The two boys mellowed out almost immediately and a woman associated with Alley Cat Allies is continuing to socialize them and work to find them homes.

Feral mama (whom I call Lily) I have released and she stops by our office regularly for food. She's fine.

The woman working with the male kittens said she couldn't also handle the little black female kitty whom I call "Ella" (started calling her "little black kitty" then "LBK" then "L" then "Elle" then "Ella&quot . So I have her at our offices, where she cannot stay forever. I also can't bring her home because we have 5 cats, are only supposed to have 3 where we live, and my mom is really beginning to fail and I need to spend some serious time with her, and she lives out of state so I will likely be gone more.

Anyway. Ella is a very sweet, precious, beautiful kitten, maybe 5-6 months old. She's going to be small - her mama Lily is a very small female, maybe 7-8 lbs and I doubt Ella will be much bigger.

And while she isn't fully feral, she had 4+ months to run free before she was handled by a human - she's very gentle, and likes to play, but she's very unsure of herself, very very shy, and prefers to curl up in dark corners where she feels safe. She's hissed at me maybe twice, but has never tried to scratch or bite me. She's nibbled a little on my hand after I handled some tuna, but that was tuna-lust, not any sort of anger. I can pick her up and carry her around, but loud noises scare the crap out of her, and so does fast movement.

Anyone interested in her would need to be very patient and willing to socialize her and wait for her to come around. I have no doubt she will - she prefers to sit in my lap when I'm at work - but it may take her a while to feel safe and not hide.

I'm in northern Virginia. For the right family, I'll do whatever I can to make sure she gets to you. I'm also being very very very cautious because Halloween is coming up (black cats and all that) and I will not give Ella to just anyone.

Please let me know if you'd like to give her a forever home. She needs someone understanding, and she can't become a feral cat; I will not release her, but she stands the best chance of becoming a loving pet and being adopted while she's still young.

Thanks for reading.

(cross-posted in the Lounge)

[Curmudgeoness]

1. I wish you luck finding a forever home for Ella, Flaxbee.

I am still not ready for another cat in the house with Sammy and me. Besides, I will only take declawed cats (I know, I know, no lectures please), and I will not do the declawing. Ella is a beauty, and I hope you find that special place for her.

[Flaxbee]

2. Thanks, Curmudgeoness...two possibilities here have fallen through; waiting to hear

about a foster situation in the next day or so. Fingers crossed. She needs more handling and time and socialization than I can provide ...

I do know of a declawed, 3 year old female whose owner just died ... I know you're not ready, but if you change your mind, let me know.

[madinmaryland]

3. We will have to pass. We have a Big Sonia and a Not so Little Sonia. Totally different

personalities!

[Flaxbee]

4. But ... but ... don't you want THREE black cats?

How's the new place?

[madinmaryland]

5. We actually have two and a half with Panda!!

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Wish I could take her, but I'm in Arkansas. I have 4 semi-feral cats

that all just showed up and stayed. They are all toms and I caught each one to have them neutered and vaccinated. I can pick up and hold 2 of them, but the other 2 remain elusive. Two of mine are black and the others are gray and white. They are outside cats as I have 2 acres of woods where they roam. Three of them almost never leave the back porch.

[Flaxbee]

7. Sounds like those toms knew a good situation when they saw it!

Glad you were able to catch them and have them neutered and vaccinated. In turn, I'm sure they keep your two acres free from rodents, monsters, zombies, and all other manner of intruders. Cats are very loyal, you know.

[TexasBushwhacker]

8. FYI, be careful about rehoming her in October

There are a few sickos that do bad things to black cats at Halloween.

[KC]

9. I'm really glad

that you brought point that up.
It makes me so angry thinking about the
people that do such horrible things to animals.
I happen to love black cats, they are so beautiful. I wish I could take her but
where I live (apt) we are only allowed two pets

[Aerows]

11. I found a little boy in the parking lot of the grocery store

and he ended up getting adopted by the sweetest family imaginable. He is incredibly lucky, and so am I because i get regular updates and pics from his family. He was tiny and crying, now he's huge and ... pretty much just huge.

I would do anything to take her in, but I'm way far away from you. I'm sending you good thoughts. Buddy (the little grey kitten) found me, I think, because he knew I'd find him a great home and I did. Everyone adores him.

My cat adopted me after she was pretty much grown up, and I wouldn't trade her for the world. She's a brown and white tabby with a personality that is so sweet, butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. She's got some incredible genes though - she's so long and regal, no one would mistake that she has Egyptian lines. She "burbles" and has a high standing tail that does a little twitch. It's pretty unmistakable, but she was a cast out stray. I started feeding her and she jumped in my lap and the rest is history, 4 years later. She's wonderful

Good luck. Everyone finds their perfect cat somehow.

[Flaxbee]

12. She found the perfect place for her, with a wonderful family and several four-legged friends

I'm glad you rescued the little boy kitty Buddy. And that you have your regal tabby girl. We have five of our own.

[Aerows]

13. I absolutely adore my cat

I can't help it.

She's currently rather displeased with me because a raccoon - I don't know if it is orphaned, comes by to eat. I didn't intend to help her and have the little kit live here, but she was as pathetic as my kitten was when she came by.

I guess I just try my best to help critters that come my way.

EDIT: and she isn't a pet, just something I'm helping along the way. She is wild, and I respect that - don't touch her unless she initiates it, etc. I just feed her good stuff to help her on her way.

[AndyA]

14. Have you found a home for Ella?

She's beautiful. I would love to have another cat, but I can't at this point. I hope someday soon, though.

Haven't been on DU for a while, and am just curious if Ella has a new home. I'm so glad you're being careful with a black cat at this time of year, some people can be so cruel to kitties.

[Flaxbee]

15. Yes, she has a wonderful home now with people who are ardent animal lovers / protectors

I trust them completely, and I get regular updates - she's doing extremely well.

Thanks for asking. I think her brothers are coming along, too - the woman who helped me catch / spay-neuter the kittens is working to place them.

[AndyA]

16. I'm so happy!

I love all animals, but cats especially are dear to me. I've had a few over the years, and I still think of all of them often.

Thank you for helping the kitties and the mom. A friend and I once trapped about 8 feral cats and took them in to have them spayed or neutered, then released them again. He'd been feeding them for about a year, and continued to feed them for a long time after that.

I know Ella will be a wonderful addition to the family. I hope her brothers find forever homes soon as well! Wonderful story--at least these kitties have a chance, thanks to you.