Maverick Cats

Maverick Cats by Ellen Perry Berkeley       Hardback Book: 142 pages             

This is the true story of how Ellen Perry Berkeley and her husband Roy befriended a colony of feral cats that lived in the woods on their property in Vermont.   When they moved to their new home, they loved the rustic atmosphere and scenery they could survey on their deck and out every window.    It was such a wonderfully natural setting, yet, not so rural that they couldn’t get in supplies as needed.   They loved watching the deer,  rabbits, owls, and other creatures at play in their element.   Being animal lovers it was their own private paradise.    Then the began to learn about the feral cats in the woods.   First eyes shining among the brush.    Then a cat stepped out tentatively from the trees and into their yard.   As soon as Ellen and Roy stepped out onto their deck, the cat disappeared back into the woods.   Roy decided to befriend the cat and began by setting out an offering of food and water to tempt the kitty to come a little closer.   After a few days the plan worked and while skittish, the cat decided to let craving overcome trepidation as it ventured toward the bowls.    Of course, even the slightest movement or word on their part had the cat scrambling for the safety the forest cover gave.   Eventually a second cat took the chance and strode out.   Interesting, they thought.    They started wondering just how many cats might actually be out in their woods.    Like Christopher Robin in the A.A. Milne book Winnie-The-Pooh,  they decided to explore their own (hundred acre) wood to see what they could find.    Apparently, the cats’ coloring and marketings kept them camouflaged because neither Ellen nor Roy were able to see any on their treak, but, by leaving little bits of food out, they began to become acquainted with different cats as time went on, including repeat visits of some.     Maverick Cats is what Ellen called the feline souls who lived on their own in the wild that she and her husband befriended, fed, nursed, eventually got to pet and hold on their laps, even allowing them to put them in carriers to take to the vet.  Ellen and Roy never considered themselves cat owners, just friends of the cats that came and went over the years until the female tortoise-shell colored cat they named, “Turtle,” came to stay in the house with them.    This is the story of two animal lovers sharing their environment with their many friends of another species and how they all learned to communicate with one another    They share all they learned from their reading,  researching statistical information and in-depth findings and surveys from many different specialists in the field of animal studies.    They conferred often with speakers giving presentations and share the highlights of the multitude of knowledge they gleaned on feral cats.    It is enlightening and an easy read for anyone interested in the lot of feral cats and how we can help them even if cats tend to have an aura of independence.   Their lives are not easy, the lifespan of a feral cat is very short no longer than 2-3 years unless they have a constant food source (abundant indigenous prey or friendly folk offering meals).   Feral cats contend with diseases brought in by vermin if that is their diet, and diseases common in cats – diabetes, liver problems, as well as the tragedy of humans shooting them (feral cats are considered vermin and/or pests in many places),  to being hit by vehicles,  attacked by other animals, and of course subject to the weather which if there is no shelter for  them to get out of the rain, snow, heat, etc. they are subject to dying from exposure and sadly abandonment – many people drop cats off out in the boonies figuring they will be able to fend for themselves, but, it might be a trial for domestic cats taken from a home environment and tossed on the road like so much trash.   These cats do not have the know how to hunt like a predator though hunger and instinct kicks in – many studies have shown cats unschooled at hunting tend to subsist off of bugs and other unlikely fare.    Lots of good information here and lots of genuine love for these often overlooked  creatures.     Explores the reasons some cities welcome cats to curb their rodent problems while others shun cats being in the cities.    Also discusses the love of cats in certain foreign countries (Italy, Turkey, etc.) and how there are cat ladies and cat men who make it their business to see that large colonies of feral cats are fed and watered so that they can flourish even in urban settings.    Good book, very easy read.    I definetly enjoyed this book.