If anyone has been keeping up with the narrative of “Whatever happened to Baby Blake” the feral cat I’ve been trying to rescue and domesticate for…over a year now. In a nutshell. I rescued Blake a tuxedo cat around a year ago, and a while before that David, a near blind Flamepoint Siamese who had been coming around for years for food. He was under my porch in bad shape, half-frozen. I got them medical care and quarantined them both separately. David Whichway in the Basement and Blake in my bedroom-turned-kennel for 4 months. Both cats didn’t like humans and to spite going up there daily to feed them and spend time with them, they never warmed up to me. When spring spring, Blake (the wild one) bounced. It was sad, because after their respective quarantines, David and Blake played together all the time on the second floor which they had all to themselves. David saw his opportunity to leave and bounced. A couple of weeks ago, Blake resurfaced, as big as a house. (well, at least his fur is fluffy) and friendly as ever, rolling on his back and up against the post but still very much afraid of me. Sigh. Backstory. When he first escaped in Spring 2022, I set out a catch-release trap for him, but it went off prematurely and scared him off, and now he won’t go near the trap. I try easing the food towards the trap entrance, but this takes time and setting up the trap nightly which is a pain. But I do it. I also ease food nearer to the door, and I turn off my heat and even open the front door for about an hour. (I know) in the hopes that my cats whom he follows and plays with, he’ll follow in. But he doesn’t. Last night, Christmas eve…I now make sure he knows the wet food emanates from my fingers, and he got the connection and is warming up. I’m VERY concerned that temps have plummeted and I saw last night that he is experiencing some paw discomfort because of the cold. He looks well overall, but we have only had a few sub-32 degree days and I don’t know how he’s surviving…under my porch? Last night I made a shelter on our porch with some foam cushions, plastic, and his old blanket with his and David’s scent, and stuffed it with food. He likes food. Every day between 8pm and 10pm he comes for his feeding. I’m worried, but he has survived 3 subzero days, but I don’t wanna push it and will call animal control if I can’t get him indoors in the next couple of days, he looks strong and healthy and is showing no signs of injury, illness or distress. On the contrary, he looks well. But again, don’t wanna push it. Thinking of installing a camera under my porch to see how this clever cat is insulating himself. I have included a chart to show the recent sub-freezing days we have had.

#cats

#feralcats

#catrescue

Below are the sub-zero days Blake has survived out of doors.