Such a “Pritti” cat

A few months ago, the staff at Animals in Distress were told about a feral cat living in fields nearby who'd recently given birth to a litter of kittens. It was decided to try to get them into Animals in Distress, to give them the best start in life. Catching cats can sometimes be quite difficult, especially if they're feral, so this is done with a humane cat trap. If you've not seen one, it looks like a rather long cat carrier, and food it placed in one end, with the door at the other end secured in an open position. When the cat enters the trap and moves to the other end where the food is, they step on a plate that releases the door so that it shuts, with the cat inside. Then the cat can be transported in the trap to the sanctuary.

The staff were told that there were possibly 6 kittens, although when they're so small and snuggled together it can be quite difficult to count accurately. Bit by bit mother and 5 of the kittens were brought in – perhaps there were only 5 – as well as a rather straggly male cat who was also nearby. It was supposed that he was the father.

Now, there's a difference between ferals and strays, although the lines can sometimes be a little blurred. Generally feral cats have always lived in the wild and have not been used to human company, or living in a house with people. Strays have usually been pets at one time, but for a variety of reasons are now living rough, scrounging what they can from kind people and whatever they catch. Because strays have been used to human company some can be very adept at "adopting" a number of people locally to leave food out for them. Some of them actually prefer this lifestyle, and choose to live this way. Others very clearly are desperate to come and live in a house with people again. For these reasons strays can usually be adopted with few problems, although those who've chosen to be strays might just decide to wander off again at some point.

Because ferals aren't used to human company they are usually rather fearful of people. Some live in colonies where kind locals deliver food to them on a regular basis, but even in this circumstance, they'll keep their distance while the human is around, and only approach the food when the coast is clear. If you've ever been near a feral cat, you'll be familiar with the typical behaviour if a human is around – ears flattened on the head, the body kept low to the ground, and lots of hissing and spitting. Get too close and you might even be attacked.

You normally wouldn't attempt to find a home for an adult feral cat. Because they've never had close contact with a human (which would have shown them how lovely the relationship could be for them) they've learnt to distrust and fear us. As such it's almost impossible to domesticate an adult feral. And why would you want to anyway? They don't know any different to the way they've lived their life, so don't know that they're missing anything. It's how they've learnt to be, how they are. It's tempting to want to, if only to ensure that they receive medical treatment when they need it, and give them a chance of living longer and more healthily. But it really wouldn't be right, too much of a shock and change for them.

So, when the mum was brought in, it was tricky. Because Animals in Distress is a rescue centre, all animals are taken to the vet first for a check up, no matter what. Then any treatment can be given. In the case of the mum, the first thing was to neuter her so that she wouldn't be having any more kittens that would find it difficult to survive in the wild – there are already far too many. An overall health check discovered that she had some broken toes, so she was prescribed lots of cage rest until she was better.

Feral kittens, on the other hand, if caught early enough can make lovely pets. At first these ones were very hissy and spitty too, although the extent of this varied. Some were more outgoing and curious, coming to the front of the cage if a person came into the cattery, whereas others would cower in a corner or the cage, or high on the shelf. However, at first, all would be the same when the door was opened – ears down, eyes narrowed and yes, lots of hissing and spitting. The key to winning over ferals is by getting them used to people through lots of visits, handling and socialising. But it's important to take it at the right pace, and not force them. When I spend time giving Reiki to ferals I don't even open the cage door for the first few visits. I stay on the outside and send them lots of loving Reiki, to help them to settle and be at ease. When you can pick up a feral for the first time, they will still hiss, as this behaviour has been learnt – but by now most will allow contact. Sometimes you just have to give light, gentle strokes (and if you've got a couple of treats to give as a reward, they soon learn!). But eventually most will learn to enjoy human contact and for many it's not long before they come looking for a cuddle. All the kittens found good homes very quickly.

Dad was in a cage on his own, and it was apparent that he had been used to human contact. He was a lovely old boy who'd obviously been straying for a while, and found his way to this feral colony. He was so friendly, with a gentle nature. With the help of some expert vet treatment, good quality food, lots of safe sleep and some lovely healing Reiki, he was soon looking pretty good. He had a new home very quickly.

So, back to mum. There she was in her cage, obviously finding the whole experience rather strange. When she wasn't hissing, you could see that she had such a lovely little face, despite the ravages that her hard life had wrought upon her. All the animals are given names, and finding enough names is always a challenge. Because she was so pretty I thought that the Indian name Pritti would suit her very well. Names carry meaning and vibrations, and I felt it was important that she was made to feel loved and cared for, so choosing the right name was essential. It was impossible to call her by her name and not feel the meaning of what you were saying (in English terms, that is).

She wouldn't tolerate anyone going into her cage, understandably so. Staff had to be especially careful when feeding and cleaning up around her. Whenever I went to see her I'd just sit very quietly outside the cage, and let her take however much Reiki she needed. At first, it was clear she found the feeling of the energy rather daunting, so I'd let her just soak up the energy I was sending to the others cats there. Eventually though she'd let me sit there, and would start to enjoy the energy. It wasn't particularly easy tuning into her feelings and thoughts as she was still putting barriers up. But in her more relaxed moments, when her guard was down, I picked up that she was quite happy in her own way. She knew she was there because she was being taken care of, and liked the feeling of not having to look over her shoulder all the time. Her food was hers and no-one else's and it came regularly. She never really developed a big appetite, and would generally only eat when no-one was around. She was warm and safe, and although she missed the sounds and smells of her normal environment, she did appreciate the care she was receiving – even if she struggled to show it.

Her broken toes took a while to mend, and in this time we developed a good-ish relationship. She knew what I was doing, and got into the habit of falling asleep while she was soaking up the energy. The first time I managed to sit with her with her ears up, and purring away, I was thrilled to bits! I'd talk to her and tell her what was happening, that her kittens all had lovely homes and people to take care of them, so she didn't need to worry. I also told her that the staff were looking for a different option for her. Clearly she couldn't go and live with people in their home, and where she and her kitts had been found wasn't the best place to return her to.

Eventually a place was found for her on a feral colony that lived on an allotment, where they were all allowed to wander, but were all safe as they stayed within the confines of the allotments. There was plenty of space, and best of all she would be fed every day in a warm, dry shed. So finally, Pritti went to her new home. I've tuned into her again since then, and having spent so long at Animals in Distress she did feel a little strange and uncomfortable at first. But since then when I've talk to her, she's a happy cat who knows she's been very lucky.