Stranger & Co.

Sammy

2010-12-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

WARNING: this post is little depressing.

As a senior in highschool, I acquired an orange cat named Sammy. My mom's friend had taken in Sammy when her pastor had moved away, but the female cat of the house, Mittens, dominated the household. Sammy ended up staying in the basement. He was free to come upstairs whenever he desired, but would only venture upstairs at night.

I remember sleeping over at her house when he was there - he would always come upstairs and sleep on my chest. I thought he was the sweetest cat in the world - and he really was.

We brought Sammy to our house the Christmas of '04. I was so excited to have a cat - the only cat I had ever had was in childhood. His name was Bustafer (I really don't know how to spell that - it was from the musical Cats). My mother told me that we had to get rid of him b/c I was allergic to him. I found out a couple of years ago (from my dad) that she got rid of him simply b/c he was a kitten, climbing on things, tearing things up. I was never allergic to cats, something I believed until I was 21. We won't digress into the multitude of my mother's lies right now.

Unfortunately, life for Sammy wasn't much better at our house than it was for him at Pam's. My mother insisted that he be kept down in the basement b/c of the litterbox and for fear that he'd scratch the furniture. I was not comfortable in basements, so I would bring him up to my room when she wasn't looking. I fought with her often, b/c although I knew little about cats, I knew it was wrong to keep ANY animal away from loving contact with other animals, including us humans. Happily, I found out later that my sister, in attempt to get away from our overbearing mother, spent a lot of time down in the basement, watching television. Sammy was the kind of cat that would push himself onto your lap, forcing attention from you. She gave him a lot of affection during that time.

We only had Sammy for a few months. One night, he started crying, and I knew something was wrong. You know how you know instinctually when something is really wrong? Well, I knew. I told my mother, "There is something wrong wth Sammy. He's crying - we need to take him to the vet!" But she, of course, said that he would be fine, and that maybe we'd take him in the morning if he was still crying.

We watched the movie Hotel Rwanda that night. Not only was the movie horribly heart-wrenching, but I was worried about Sammy the whole time while watching it. As much as I tried to convey to my mother that there was something wrong with Sammy, she just wouldn't listen. As soon as the movie was over, I ran downstairs to bring Sammy up to my room for the night. But he was already dead. He died in the litterbox.

I remember screaming, running away, hiding in the bathroom for the rest of the night. My uncle came to take his body away.

It's hard losing a beloved animal, but even harder when you have an emotionally abusive mother, an absent family, your childhood dog was put to sleep a year ago, your best friend taken from you - in essence, when you have no one, it's really difficult to deal with another loss. Especially of such a loving animal as Sammy was. He deserved better.

I have no pictures of Sammy.

The cat above is a stuffed cat filled with those tiny beads - you know the pillows that are so fun to squish? I saw him in Bed Bath and Beyond and had to have him as he reminded me of Sammy. This stuffed cat went through a lot of squishing and being cried upon for a few years. He then spent a couple years with my baby sister. Recently, however, I took him back with me, b/c Brianna has way too many stuffed animals, as many little kids do. And now Smidge likes to lay on him. I'll have to get a picture of that - it's cute.

Although I've learned from Sammy's life, he deserved so much more. I now research everything. I try to provide the best possible life for my pets. I don't let other people make decisions for me, and I certainly go with my instincts.

I wish I believed in some sort of afterlife - it would be so much easier picturing Sammy in some sort of Spirit world, chasing the butterflies... Well, who knows? Maybe he is.

Kitty Crib

2010-12-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

While at the thrift store, I saw this little bed. I knew immediately that I had to buy it for my cats. I was just going to put a fleece blanket in it, but then realized that those cardboard scratching things would fit perfectly! The blanket underneath is just keep it from slipping. The bed is the new favorite spot!

Domino on the baby-doll bed, while Mellie looks on from my bed. My bed is on the floor - I had a bad experience with the ET movie as a kid. A relative had gifted my sister and I comforter sets for Christmas when I was about four or five. My sister got cute kittens. I got monsters. No lie. These things had three eyes, four arms, antennae, etc. They were weird enough, but after ET, every time I hopped into bed, I thought of scary ET and his nasty fingers reaching up from under my bed to grab me and take me to the underworld with him. So I would lie perfectly still in the middle of the bed, hoping his hands couldn't reach me, asking my sister to talk to me until I fell asleep. Everyone else I've told laughs, saying, "But ET is so cute!" Uh, no. He wanted to eat me when I was little. Not cute. So now, my bed is on the floor. No more ET. He got squashed.

Domino says something unintelligible.

Mellie steals the bed from Noms...

And claims it, of course. Mellie thinks everything belongs to her. And it does, because she pushes everyone out of her way to get her way. She even smacks me when she wants my food! Naughty!

Grief

2010-11-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

As much as I can tell, there is one black cat left to be spayed at the Tipsy colony. There are a couple of cats that make their way over to the Hostess bakery thrift shop a couple buildings down, but I have a hunch that they are all from this Tipsy colony. I have spoken to a woman who sets some food out over there for them - she says she has seen one black and white cat with a tipped ear, one black cat with a tipped ear, and one tabby young adult. I believe that the tabby is spayed as well (there is only one tabby in this colony, who very well happens to be around 6-8 months old...), but I will go over to make sure.

I was going to try to trap the last black cat on Tuesday, but some unknown person had already laid out a *lot* of food. The cats had no interest in me with their stomachs already full.

But I couldn't leave. Because one of the black and white cats was dead in the middle of the road. Animals killed by vehicles generally activate a grief response, no matter how many dead animals I pass by. But this cat was from this colony that I have been trying so long to finish TNRing. This cat was in my car at some point. Was spayed or neutered at our hospital. Is probably somewhere in my pictures.

Making that connection with a dead animal in the middle of a busy road just immobilized me. I think I sat in my car staring at the body for a half hour, not able to turn the car on or decide what I should do. I remember thinking to myself, "you need to put the keys back in and leave." But I couldn't move my arm to pick up the keys.

My dad ended up texting me, to see if I was coming over, which basically snapped me out of my inability to move. I drove back to the hospital to get a cadaver bag and some gloves so I could remove the cat from the road. But when I came back, the cat was gone. Someone else must have picked him/her up.

I was wondering, why do we not want to leave the bodies of people we loved or animals we cared about? Why does it feel like abandonment? Or maybe we simply don't want to accept the reality of the death?

I'm always afraid that when grief overwhelms me like that, I won't be able to find my way back to happiness.

But I'm a lot stronger than I used to be. Not that these things hurt any less. I'm just stronger.

And that helps.

I don't know if I will ever know exactly which cat it was in the road. But I do know that it was a horrible death. And I am one cat away from making sure no more babies are born to this colony in this particularly dangerous area for feral cats. Busy roads, little shelter, teenage boys, unwelcoming business owners... This is no safe place for such a large colony. I'm glad that the baby makers are almost all out of business here.

Last B&W Male (I Believe)

2010-11-03T10:27:00.001-07:00

Remember how I just let this guy eat out of my trap b/c I thought I got all the black and white cats? Well, he is now neutered. I believe there may be just one black female cat left. Maybe 2 black cats, but it is hard for me to tell... I know for sure that the one female has a small sprinkling of white on her upper chest.

I am so excited that this colony is almost done! It has taken me forever, but is very worth it! No more babies! Healthier cats!

Speaking of health, the first couple of black cats I brought in had large wounds around their eyes, from fights, I would assume... And several were extremely thin, with clumpy coats. All of the cats seem so much healthier now! Their coats look better. They seem less skinny. And I have not seen any of the cats with large, bald patches of red, smooth skin around their eyes. Yay!

After finishing this colony, I have to go a couple buildings down to the Hostess Bakery outlet. I have been told that there are a few cats over there. They might have been from the Tipsy colony... One woman mentioned that she has seen a couple of them walk back and forth between the two areas...

And maybe the police station after that...

And a random thank you to Strayer for constant inspiration! I seem to go back and forth with many blogs, but I always make sure to read hers! You can't get more devoted to spay and neuter than she is!!! Thank you! = )

Right on my street

2010-10-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

(Noms in the bookcase)

So there is this black and white cat that looks similar to my Noms that I've seen under my dad's van at night... And just generally on our street. Well, my dad's street.

Anyway, I got a call from a woman looking to get a cat neutered. She takes care of five feral cats, has recently had an addition and wants to make sure he's sterilized and healthy. She's super nice, has even told the neighbors that they need to get any cats they feed fixed so it doesn't become a problem. And guess where this is? On my dad's street! I just thought it was funny. Turns out the Noms look-a-like is one of hers. Good to know!

I'm going to be lending her a trap if she decides to go with our program... And giving her the rest of my straw, most likely. I've used as much as I can at the three colonies (Wendy's, Tipsy's, the hospital's), but still have at least half a bale (bale?) of straw left. Too much straw! Makes me itchy...

Speaking of itchy, I have realized recently that certain dogs with short, prickly fur give me hives. Odd. Like contact hives, if there's such a thing? Just little bumps where their fur poked into me... Weird...

Okay, seriously, good night! = )

Rain, rain, go away

2010-10-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

I returned the male cat to Tipsy's tonight. The vet who performed his surgery told me that this cat is probably one of the main baby-daddies. Haha. No more, though! He was a big boy, definitely!

It was raining steadily all throughout the day and the pavement is like a lake in that one area by the dumpsters. Fortunately, I had thought to wear boots, but I still ended up getting soaked.

I didn't want him to have to run through the lake, so I crossed over to the path between the fences. I wanted him to be able to find a dry area to rest in without getting drenched first. But when I made my way to the path, I realized that even though there are more shelters available to the cats, they're still using that broken dog house. I saw two b&w kittens and the grey cat poke their heads out when I released the recently-neutered kitty.

And it broke my heart, because the top of that dog house is lopsided, cracked, and a chunk is missing from the side. (I believe the skateboarders beat this house up) The rain just falls right in, getting the straw and the kitties wet.

A volunteer from Habitat from Cats had suggested clear shower curtains as a good alternative to brightly colored tarps that draw attention, so I immediately made my way to good old WalMart to buy a clear curtain. (Well, not immediately - I totally checked the dollar store and the Goodwill first, but they had no plain, clear ones...) After I purchased the curtain I drove back to Tipsy's to cover the dog house.

It took me a while to cover it to my satisfaction, but I finally succeeded. The tree branches that surround the house made it a little difficult to get around, but I was able to keep my balance and not break an ankle by falling off the ledge onto the pavement below. Go me! I hope that it stays on okay. I also brought more straw to replace the wet stuff.

Too much rain. Somehow, my jeans got soaked during this process. And I had straw in my hair, on my boots, in my sweatshirt sleeves... And then I had to go grocery shopping looking like a hobo. Ah, but I survived. = ) At least that house will stay dry.

Sleep well!

#23 from Tipsy's

2010-10-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

Black male cat, being neutered right now. He will be returned later tonight.

Same boy. I have to say, it takes a lot of concentration to figure out which black cats are the ones without tipped ears, and which ones go under the drop trap. I get all confused, because there are several black cats similar in size - I have to track their steps!

Last week, I was under the impression that there are only a couple of black cats left to be trapped and altered. I was definitely wrong. Eating under my drop trap was a neutered black cat and this guy. I wasn't even paying attention to the b&w cat! They were eating (and centered under the trap perfectly, too, of course) for a solid five minutes. As this guy walks out, stomach now full, I realized that his ear is most definitely not tipped! Can't believe I did that! Then he walked a couple feet away from the drop trap and rested under the bushes.

I tell myself I was just getting him used to eating under the drop trap. Well, now I know - at least one more black cat, maybe two -and definitely one more black and white cat!

The cats just got new digs, too! Tracy and her husband brought over some beautiful houses for the kitties. I am hoping - desperately - that the boys who like to destroy stuff will leave these houses alone. That they won't notice them, or will just, simply, leave alone. Right now, though, it is nice to know that they have some better protection from the cold and snow than before. Or, at least, *more* protection. They did have some good houses, but as we've found out, there are many more cats than thought previously.

I have also been feeding the cats at Wendy's this week. The caretaker went on vacation, asked me to feed them some wet food in the evenings.

There is a black and white friendly cat there. Not sure if he is owned or not, but may get him neutered anyway, since he's over there. We can check for a microchip, but it's not likely he has one. I haven't really been trapping over at Wendy's, because if the caretaker doesn't help me get that one momma cat, there's really no end in sight. And I don't feel like wasting my time for no end.

But I still feel bad for the cats, so I probably will end up trying to control the population anyway. I don't want it to get out of control again, with all those kittens running around. But I just don't get why she's not trying to help, b/c obviously, the new kittens just become more adults to feed! And that's expensive! And seriously, that one cat only trusts the caretaker - I can't get her to come around when I'm there. So she does need to help this girl out!

Oh, and I got a sweet compliment the other day. Tracy was showing me the new houses, and telling me about the cats in Greece she's trying to get spayed and neutered. She said that at first she was overwhelmed, but that I encouraged her to find a way and place to get them fixed. And that she thought, "well, if Susannah can do it, why can't I?" And that made me happy, because that's what we need! We can't ask someone to do it for us - we have to get it done ourselves! It may be slow going, but if we don't do it, who will?

Power to the people! Hahaha.

Tipsy cats

2010-09-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

This was one of the first males neutered here. I have seen him out in the open a lot more since his neuter. Not that it's a good thing... This particular area is not good for these cats, especially with the teenage boys going through the fence to skateboard on the other side. I'm sure most of the boys are relatively harmless, but some of them like to mess with the shelters and food/water. Just the other day, a woman had given us a plastic tub at the hospital, which I couldn't find a use for, so I brought it over here to cover the water. I was hoping the water would stay clean longer being covered, but the little asshats (oops, sorry) took the bin. Come on! It's a plastic bin! Leave it alone!

Another woman who feeds the kitties has set some plastic shelters over here recently, which were stolen... I'm assuming it was a skateboarder, but sorry for jumping to conclusions if it wasn't... But still. It's a plastic shelter! Back off!

Can't really do anything. Maybe we need to bolt these babies to the ground? Haha. Make them really heavy with bricks on the bottom?

Spayed female kitten. Doing good so far...

Black and white male again. Some branches were left by the dumpsters, which the cats seem to enjoy...

Peeking out. I was trapping this day, so these guys were all waiting for some food, while I was waiting for someone to wander under the drop trap.

Grey male neutered a couple weeks ago.

This black kitty was the unfortunate one who went for the food under the drop trap and was almost trapped, but escaped. Well, I guess we were both unfortunate. I pulled the string prematurely. While his head was not in the bowl. I have learned my lesson, but I dearly hope this cat will forget what happened. B/c he needs to be neutered. The first spayed female from this colony is waiting in the background...

Black and white kitten neutered a couple weeks ago...

This cat is not spayed.

She is one of at least 2 black cats that need to be trapped and altered. I'm thinking there might be 3 or 4 black cats left unaltered... So hard to tell with the black ones!!!

Here are the two black cats I know of that are not spayed/neutered.

This is one of the fixed black cats, but I can't really tell which cat it is. There are 7 adult black cats that we've altered so far. The other three were kittens...

Grandma cat. Telling me to hurry up, give her some food.

I waited around for a couple hours, hoping to get one of the black cats... But only got the black and white adult in the end. I really wish I had been patient with the one black cat!

Not sure if there are any more black and white adults left to be trapped. I had thought previously there were... We'll see... It's comforting to see so many tipped ears, though!

20, 21, 22

2010-09-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

Black female spayed last week. Vet said she was lactating. We are on the lookout for kittens. I hope to be able to get them into homes if there are any... She is the 20th cat to be TNR'd here...

Black and white female spayed today. At least 2 yrs old.

Female in the trap before release.

Also neutered a black male kitten on Wednesday, same age as the others: 5-6 months old. He might have been the last kitten... Not sure. If there are any more kittens to be trapped, it would be a black kitten. I can tell a lot more easily with the black and white ones, since they have slightly different markings...

3 more Tipsy cats fixed this week

2010-08-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

Forgot to take pictures of the cats in the traps again... The little tabby kitten was trapped using the drop trap and spayed on Wednesday. She looked pretty good according to her age and weight. Good thing, compared to the two black kittens that were neutered several weeks ago.

Tabby kitten walking away. I saw her when I went over a day later to trap again - she looks good so far!

The only grey cat in the colony was trapped by drop trap as well. He was neutered Wednesday as well. He is pretty healthy looking as well.

Very vocal male kitten, neutered today. I lent a trap to a friend, who happened to show up right before I trapped this guy. He would *not* budge from the drop trap! Most cats zoom out the door, thinking they can escape, but this guy wanted nothing to do with it! He just lay under the drop trap and meowed at me. We had to prod him into the transfer trap. It broke my heart to return him today. He is definitely the most friendly and least timid of the kittens.

Little man makes 19 of the cats spayed and neutered from the Tipsy colony. There may be 2 more kittens to be trapped, and at least 5 adults. The last adults are proving the hardest to lure in. I may have to call each person that feeds and ask them to not feed on a certain day so I can trap with better success.

There are so many people feeding these cats now! Maybe that's why they're looking a little better!

Haven't been posting, but still working!

2010-08-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

Two more males from Wendy's were trapped: one, an all grey shorthair, the other, a grey and white longhair. I have been in such a rush that I completely forgot to take pictures, but let me tell you - they look exactly like their siblings. Both were around six months old, which would makes sense, as we spayed their sisters a couple months ago... Mama still needs to be trapped...

And I know that there is/was a black female, with some black kittens, but I haven't seen her or her kittens in a while. And certainly haven't trapped any black cats in that area yet!

I trapped two cats over at Tipsy's yesterday. Had to use the drop trap, because the cats are just not going in the traps anymore. The remaining cats are too smart. I trapped the little tabby kitten right away, then waited two and a half hours to finally get another cat. And I trapped the grey adult cat! Yay!

Several of the unfixed adult cats seem to know that it is not in their best interests to go under the trap. And I had to keep shooing the groundhogs away, which was not only annoying, but the cats would run away as well... And those cats just lay there, watching me. If I only I had a dart gun or something!!! Haha.

The two cats will be spayed today. I'm hoping that they will be ready to go back early this evening, as a friend wants to borrow one of my traps...

Two females from Tipsy's

2010-08-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

3-5 month old kitten spayed today. She was around 4 lbs, I believe, a little healthier than the last kittens spayed and neutered.

Female around 8 months, weighed 5.5 lbs... They said that this little girl hasn't had a litter yet. I'm just grateful that she won't have to experience bringing any babies into a world that isn't safe for them. The techs said both girls looked healthier than the other cats that have been brought in from this colony.

They will be spending the night and released tomorrow morning.

Every time I go there, I see the same main cats that hang out in the open - all with untipped ears. Fortunately, we're making a dent in their numbers (and previously spayed and neutered more timid cats are actually being seen a bit more as well), but it's funny how the same several less skittish cats are the ones not getting trapped. I have a feeling that this is due to being able to eat out in the open. The ones that are too shy are more hungry and are therefore more likely to be trapped.
-
I'll have to try for them with the drop trap when I have a little more time. Right now, I am content to be able to fill the spots with any of these cats!

MISSING! then back.

2010-07-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

We had some yard work done around the hospital last week. They removed the trees and bushes that were growing through the fence. And now there's a definite pathway all around the hospital. I miss the trees - the fence looks so vulnerable now! I swear, the trees were holding it all together!!!

Anyway, Stranger & Company went missing for several days. We feed them every day at noon. They all come out to meet us, especially Jehzar, the orange and white kitty (he runs through the fence to greet us as if that will encourage us to put the food down for him). And they will finish their food within 15 minutes. Not so when there are trees being chopped down.

I was a little sad to see that they had piled a great load of chopped branches onto the cats' stick pile that they nest in, but they're probably having more fun with it than I suspect.

It was a little worrisome, because the cats disappeared for almost a week! And didn't even eat their food overnight! I thought they might have packed up and left for good! And although they're not my pet cats, I care extremely about these guys. They've become "our" feral cats, part of the animal hospital's picture.

Anyway, I hoped that they were just hiding from the tree-cutting man. I'm sure it was loud and unsettling. But, after being away for 5 or 6 days, all kitties made their appearance again. Torrini was looking a little thin last time I saw him, though... Hope he's okay! They better be sharing the food properly!

Returning the three black Tipsy cats today! Enjoy the start of your day!

3 black Tipsy cats fixed today

2010-07-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

(all-black female, around 8-10months, I think. Very small, only 4.4 lbs.)

After several weeks break due to family medical issues and car accidents, I have been finally able to venture back to trapping. I may only be able to do one day a week, as I have to take care of my little sister on Thursdays and Fridays, but I hope to find others to fill those spots in... When I went yesterday to trap, I only intended on trapping one. I usually set the traps, pray for someone to take the bait, and listen/watch for the sound of the trap closing and the cats scattering. Because of the boys, I was checking the traps every 15 minutes - to make sure they weren't messing with anything.

(tiny all-black male around 4-5 months old, but only 2.7 lbs. Way too little for his age.)

Because I heard the sound of skateboarding, I climbed under the fence and let them know that I was trapping the cats to be spayed and neutered. I basically just wanted them to know that I was there, that I knew they were there, and that I was going to be staying around. They left probably a half hour later. When they did, I made sure to meet them at the opening so they would know that I was checking on my traps and that I had seen each one of them. These boys looked younger than the ones I saw the other day. I hope that by hanging out at random times, they might realize they're not as anonymous as they'd like to be. I obviously can't intimidate them, but they probably don't want to be seen, and now they have been. I really want to take a couple more shelters over to this area, but I really don't want them destroyed. It makes me angry enough already, without the houses being my work and effort in placing them there!

(slightly bigger all-black male, 4-5 months old, but still only 3.7 lbs. So skinny it's heartbreaking.)

When the boys left, the traps were empty. 15 minutes later, each trap contained a small black cat. I'm just glad I didn't have any more! I only had one spot, but fortunately, they were able to squeeze them all in today. I thought the cats were younger since they are so little, but since they are already 4-5 months old, I wouldn't feel comfortable if someone brought them in hoping to "normalize" them. Because it's probably not going to happen.

These guys will be returned tomorrow, not today, as it has started to pour. Also, the last neuter wasn't long enough ago for me to be comfortable in returning them. I just don't want the rain to interfere with the ear-tip, Revolution, or glue/sutures. Better safe than sorry. Who wants to be out in this rain anyway? I gave them some wet food tonight and will take them back home tomorrow morning, if it has stopped raining...

14 cats spayed and neutered from this colony now! And so many more to go! I just hope we're making some headway!

And then people started getting sick...

2010-07-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

The day I moved out, my sister was taken to the hospital for a couple days. (She's all better now, though, no worries) The day I was going to drive down to visit her in the hospital, I rear-ended a young man in a Land Rover. No damage to his car, just some red paint on the hitch, but I have to have my light and fender replaced. I just hope the collision didn't damage any of the internal parts. It was a horrifying experience. After it happened, I just sat there. I didn't think to turn off my car (I don't even remember if I put it in park). I sat there in shock, thinking, "What the hell just happened?"

Well, what happened was there was a shirt in the road. I thought it was a larger animal, like a dog. As I drove past it, I realized it was an article of clothing, and I remember thinking, "Oh, good, it's just a shirt." And then I slammed into the Land Rover.

The young man said that he and a semi had stopped pretty abruptly in front of a car wash/gas station, so that must have happened as soon as I glanced over to look at the black shape in the road.

Although this has cost me several hundred dollars so far, I am thankful for several things:
1. I didn't hurt anyone.
2. I didn't hurt myself.
3. I didn't damage his car.
4. My car is so far okay, only superficially damaged, to my knowledge...
5. We didn't have to report it, because the guy I rear-ended had no damage.
6. My dad was only 10 minutes away. = )
7. The police officer was a decent man.

Unfortunately, I couldn't go to visit my sister that day, because we weren't sure if my car was drivable.

That was a Thursday. That Sunday, my father was ambulanced to the hospital for having a seizure in his car in the parking lot of WalMart. Somehow, both shoulders were dislocated, one is broken, he can't drive for a year (because of the seixure), and he can't take care of the baby (because he's not physically capable of changing a diaper, picking her up, etc.).

These last two weeks, I've been doing nothing but working, sleeping, and spending every spare moment over at my parents' house. What a time to move out, huh?

Two days ago, I went over to the cats to refresh their water (don't worry, I haven't neglected them) and met one of the skateboarding boys. These are the boys that are allegedly destoying the houses and hurting the cats. I say allegedly because though I do believe it about the houses, I don't want to accuse them of more... There's definitely something fishy about the boys, because, well, I'll start at the beginning:

I got out of my car with the water and headed to the pathway between the fences. As I approached, I heard a scuffling sound. I thought it was an animal getting into the food, and I wanted to let it know I was coming so that it could run away. So I loudly started with "Hello? Hello!" To my surprise, a boy answered back. I then didn't want him to think I was sneaking up on them, so I tried to position myself so he could see me. One of the first things he said was "we're not hurting the cats, we're just skateboarding." To me, it seems that he either knows someone that has been hurting them and the houses or he has been involved in it.

He asked me if I'm the one that feeds the cats. I told him no, I just come over to give them water, because the puddles are nasty. He started saying something about how they (the boys) always have water with them and they could give them some.

I let them know when I was leaving. I knew I didn't want to ask them about the houses being destroyed, because honestly? There's little point.

As I was leaving, a woman ran up to my car, asking me about the boys, the cats... Telling me more stories than I wanted to hear... Turns out she's from Habitat for Cats, and comes to feed the cats every now and then? I told her I just do the water, and that I trap when there's time at the hospital. She asked if I was on good terms with the guys. Haha. I told her I just met them, and no, I don't think there's much point in confronting them about the damaged/stolen houses and possible animal abuse. Nothing I say will have an effect. Police involvement won't either. I'm afraid they'd just retaliate. And I don't need that on my conscience.

When I was getting ready to turn my car back on to go pick up the pizza and head back to my dad's, the woman who took the two kittens pulled in with food and water. I'm not sure what the woman from HfC said to her (probably the same stuff as she said to me), but she did tell her to call the police on the boys. As soon as I saw her on the phone, I told them I had to leave. I can't be involved with calling the cops on the boys, because the cops can't do anything. They have no evidence.

Yes, they could tell them to stay out of that area, because it isn't public property, but they'll find a way. And they'd probably come back specifically to hurt the cats.

I also don't need the guys thinking I called the police on them, because they probably only saw me that day. I saw the one guy's face, and he saw mine.

I wish now that I had climbed under the fence and met all the guys face to face. And explained to them what I am trying to do for the cats. They wouldn't care, I know, but instead of trying to get them to stop, maybe it would help if I could show them why I'm trying to help.

People do things in groups they would never consider alone. I'm hoping this is what this is. I am sad about the cats and their shelters, but also for the boys. Doing such horrible things takes a terrible toll on the soul. I'm not trying to sound hokey, but evil rips people into pieces. Evil makes it so you can't be whole.

I'll admit, after being terribly depressed about this situation, I thought "I'm not going to be able to go back. I can't deal with this." But the day after, I felt more in control of my emotions. I will keep on trying to get these cats spayed and neutered. I will keep up with their water. I will try to meet these guys. In the daylight, of course. Maybe I'll go buy some pepper spray. = )

Hospital Lady

2010-07-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

K from RIT finally trapped one of the two cats she's been after last night! She brought "Wooly" in this morning. Yay! Now she just has one more she needs to trap over there!

I had no time to be trapping b/c of moving - which I hope to finish tonight (it's super hot, so we're waiting until the evening). I have a couple more pieces of furniture to take over. Mellie and Noms are doing okay, but Smidge refuses to come out of her box. Noms has been eating and drinking, Mellie used the litter box, but I haven't seen Smidge since last night. I made sure she couldn't get squished by boxes before I left, but I'll let her take her time.

A few weeks ago, I met a woman at the hospital (the human one) who started talking about the cats that she feeds outside. She said she found a home for one, but the other she just feeds and provides shelter for, since he's an in-betweenie. I told her that if she happened to reside in our town, and if the cat is strictly outdoors, we could probably help her. I gave her my name and phone number and told her to call me when she was feeling better.

Fast forward to this morning. The woman called the hospital to see if she could get the male cat seen for an abscess on his face. She told them that she had heard about our program through me and was wondering if we could help her with the cat. She was able to get the cat into a carrier and brought him in this morning. The girls up front asked me what I knew about this woman and I told them: she's nice, she feeds a couple cats outside, she lives in our town, she wants to get them fixed, and I gave her my phone number to call me so we could work something out when she was feeling better.

They decided to feel the situation out and see if she had any intentions on keeping/rehoming the cat, which is why I told her to give me a call first - needed a little more info. But the circumstances are the same - she won't be finding this guy a home, but will be taking care of him as an outdoor cat. They decided to process the cat as a feral cat, then, and treat his abscess while under anesthesia. Fortunately, the RIT feral was the only surgery for the morning, so the Dr. had time to neuter this guy as well. He also got his vaccinations (rabies and distemper), flea/worm treatment, and his left ear tipped.

As I told the woman previously, we go by donation only. When asked if she would like to make a small donation to our program to help more feral cats, she made a check out for $200! We were all so pleasantly surprised by this unexpected generosity! Especially when it was just one cat involved!

I love getting wonderful surprises like this!

Have a great day, everyone!

Moving Day

2010-07-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

I'm moving out today!!!

I'm actually not that excited. I like the safety of living with my parents. I like knowing that my family will be here when I come home. But there's not enough room for the four of us here. With four cats. So I and my three cats are moving out today. I just hope that I will feel comfortable in my new place over time, since I will be sharing it with a girl I used to work with, but hardly know.

I have most of my stuff moved out - it's really just the furniture left. My new room is smaller, so I don't know how it's all going to fit! Also, it may take a couple days to get my computer set up. How will I survive? = )

On my way to take a carload of clothes and random stuff over to my new house, I saw a dead animal in the road. The animal was terribly mangled, but looked as if it had been black. I believe it was a cat.

If the animal had been on the side of the street, or even if the street was not so busy, I would have pulled over. But traffic is crazy here, and the dead animal was in the middle lane of a regular four-lane highway/street.

When I turned around to go back to my parents' house (can't say "home" anymore! *cries*) I slowed down while passing (hard to do when there's so many cars going 50mph, but I tried), and I do think it was a black cat, possibly with some white. Makes me so sad to think of this animal being killed in such a way. No one deserves such a death.

I won't even know if it was one of the cats from the bar/photo studio, since they don't really show their faces.

In our fast-paced world, we obliterate everything. Animals, plants, land, sea, air - everything.

A post of thought

2010-07-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

I've been accused of caring more for animals than humans. All "animal-lovers" have been accused of this. But this is absurd to me. We who care for the helpless non-human animals are the same ones who care for the most helpless of our own species. We simply have different paths.

I watch a documentary about the lack of clean water in many areas of this world, and my heart breaks. I see the homeless walking the streets, rummaging through the trash cans for recyclable bottles, and my heart breaks. I read about the transgendered female murdered by her male friends when they found out she was a biological male, and my heart breaks. I hear about the 3 month old baby stabbed to death by an angry father, and my heart breaks.

Does your heart break? I bet so.

But what about the ones who accuse us of caring more for "animals" than for those of my species? Those who are not able to see the similarity in all of our paths of hardship - do their hearts break for the homeless? The hungry? The oppressed? So maybe, it all comes down to empathy. If your heart can't be affected by that homeless man, or that starving dog, maybe you simply don't understand the connection. What is the difference between a homeless man returning discarded bottles for money and a dog overturning garbage cans in search of food? The species. One is a man and one is a dog. Otherwise, their paths are the same. They are trying to survive. And THAT is what I care about. The survival. The dog wants to live as much as the man. In our desire to survive, we are all the same.

When I advocate for TNR of stray and feral cats, it's not because I simply like cats. It's because I have a respect for life. It's because I understand the struggle to survive. It's because I can empathize with the oppressed.

Nobody has the right to tell me that I am wrong to direct my life towards alleviating one particular species' hardship. I care about the afflicted and the oppressed REGARDLESS of species. I've been asked "Why are you spending all your time trying to help cats when there are starving children in this world? Aren't the children more important?" Um, not to be facetious, but have you brought them food? Hmm? How can you ask me that when you do nothing but sit on your behind and criticize what others are doing to make this world a little better? My life took a turn towards stray and feral cats. Another's life may bring water to the thirsty. Soup kitchens for the hungry. Safe havens for those sold in the sex trade. Education on Pit Bulls. Protection of endangered species. Sex education. Nursing. Therapists.

We are all in this TOGETHER. It sounds SO corny, but just as I cannot do all these things myself, neither can you. I wish I could help clean up the animals in the Gulf, stop circuses from using animals, stop pollution of our water and air, reduce plastic use, ban slaughter of animals for human use, and foster all the needy children in my area, but I can't. I can't do it all. I can't save the world. But I can keep hoping that we will be able to do it together.

I believe we should all take steps to support what we believe in. I won't ever go to a circus that involves animals again. I am researching cruelty-free and vegan beauty products for when my current ones run out. I am getting better at buying food without all the plastic packaging. I don't eat meat and am working on reducing the consumption of other animal products. Although I do not want to have my own children, I plan to foster needy children later on in life. But my life, at the moment, is driven towards spay/neuter of stray and feral cats.

I shouldn't have to explain that I care about ALL life. I shouldn't have to explain that we ALL have different paths. But there will always be people who need to belittle our efforts (in anything), to make us question the point. And though I never have the words in real life, I can write it down: my work in the feral cat colonies comes from my empathy for those who struggle to survive. My empathy relates to ALL animals, humans most definitely included. Had my life thus far not included one person or maybe contained an extra event, who knows: I may have finished college and become a therapist. I would have been on a different path - one that didn't include feral cats. But I would still be this same person who wants to alleviate the struggle of her fellow earthlings, humans and non-humans alike. I would still be me.

*I wanted to give this post a little more thought, but it is late and I am tired. Goodnight. = )

Chicken and sushi

2010-06-29T19:10:00.001-07:00

Last week, I brought sushi over to the cats. My step-mom hadn't finished her plate, so instead of throwing it out, I asked if I could bring it over to the feral cats. (I had tried to see if my cats would attempt the raw fish, but they are babies. They didn't even try it.) I'm hoping now that there's nothing in sushi that could harm the cats. It's just rice and raw fish, right? Anyway, this kitty here cracked me up when I saw her go zooming past with a sushi roll in her mouth. I think she wanted to find a place to enjoy her treat by herself.

So today, I brought over some uncooked chicken. My parents weren't going to eat it (and I'm a vegetarian), so my step-mom asked me if I wanted to give it to the feral cats. I forgot a knife, so I just laid out the slabs of chicken breast on a plate for them to enjoy. It made me giggle when I saw the same kitty run past with a piece of chicken dangling from her little mouth. She probably wanted to make sure no one else laid dibs on her piece, so she left to enjoy it by herself.

It's hard knowing what these cats must survive through. But sometimes, they make me smile, like when they sprawl out on the pavement and roll around. And sometimes, they make me laugh, when they run off with special pieces of food so no one else can lay their paws on them. It's a hard life for them out here. But we're trying to make it a little better for them through TNR.

11th Cat from Tipsy's

2010-06-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

This black and white cat from Tipsy's was trapped as well today. The kitty will be spayed/neutered tomorrow. Am not even going to guess on gender. = )

Petite cat. Looks thin, just like the rest of them. You know what I want? I want no more babies! Because we're not going to be able to find fosterers for them! So we just need to get these guys spayed and neutered!

I know I've said it before, but there are a lot more cats out here than I first estimated. Out of the 11 cats we've trapped, I've only seen 3 beforehand. Possibly 4, if one of the black cats that used to hang around is just hiding a bit before venturing back out into the open. But that means a lot of these kitties are too skittish to show their faces.

I'll let you know about this cat tomorrow after surgery!

3rd black kitten rescued

2010-06-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

This little muffin was trapped today. His sibling didn't leave his side until I came back to get him. I wish I could have gotten him, too!
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He went home with the woman who's been trying to get the kittens. She met me at the dumpsters in between the photo studio and the grey building. I showed her how to use the trap again, and let her borrow it so she can go back whenever to try to get the babies. I told her to rig it up so she can control who gets trapped (I don't want to have to keep an adult cat for more than one day). I also mentioned that she might be able to use the baby as bait for the other kittens...
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I'm hoping we'll be more successful with removing these kittens from hard lives in this colony! There are still at least 3 kittens, most likely more.

I don't know if this guy is from the same litter as the other two black kittens, taken in by the woman in the grey building who's been helping me trap. Not sure about the ages. But I hope they can be socialized to humans without too much fuss. The woman taking them in hasn't socialized feral kittens before, so I just wrote her a lengthy email with my own and others' advice. If they cannot be socialized, we will have them spayed/neutered and released. I'll just need to keep up on their progress, because if they do not do well inside, I do not want anything else to happen to them...

I just wish the black and white one hadn't been released!!!

Mellie

2010-06-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

I've been moving stuff around, taking some things over to my new place... The Bergan lounger thing fell over during all this, and guess who thought it was meant to be?

I think they mentioned on the site that it could be used upside down. I like it because it's still very stable when flipped over. Mellie likes it, too!

This is a Bergan Pulp Scratch Lounger. I love it because it's only $8.99, and the cats do like to use it. Have not seen anyone use it as a scratching surface, but it's definitely a comfy place to sleep!

The 5th black cat is our 3rd black female

2010-06-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is our over-heated kitty. I think she's okay - after an hour or two on a cool, wet towel, she seemed back to normal. No more panting.

She was spayed today. And six babies were prevented from entering this world. The doctor said that she was a couple weeks along but that they presented unevenly and would not have all survived.
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It's hard, knowing that these babies never got a chance. But at the same time, they wouldn't have had much a chance even if they had lived past birth. We don't even seem to be able to find homes for the 4 or 5 kittens already present in the colony.

Ah, I don't have the answers. My heart is torn on this topic. A life is a life - but is a prevented life the same as an ended one? I'm not really sure, and believe me, I've had the opportunity to debate this issue before. With no conclusions, obviously. Maybe it's best to admit that we don't have all the answers. We just try to do what we feel is best.

I hope that this kitty will be able to live a healthier life now that she is spayed.

Fire and poison

2010-06-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

While transferring the black cat over to my car today, I talked with the woman who's been helping me with the trapping. I asked her about the kittens she's taken in (betwen 5-8) over the years. She said none of them have tested positive for FIV/FeLV, so that's good. Maybe the cats here aren't actively sick, just not super healthy. I don't know. They look rough, though. And thin. BUT, maybe I'm just so used to seeing my plump cats that my opinion is skewed.

I asked her about the houses on the other side of the fence that have disappeared. She says there are teenage boys who like to skateboard over there - and destroy the houses. I guess she outted them for being over there and they retaliated by removing/breaking/setting fire to some of the houses. I just hope none of the cats were hurt. She says she doesn't believe they've touched any of the huts that are between the fences. I hope not, because the cats need places to go!

She also said that the owner of the photo studio poisoned some of the cats a few years ago and bragged about it after throwing their dead bodies over by the dumpsters. I don't even have words for that. People who are capable of such actions have this human/animal separation. Humans are supreme beings, animals "just animals." Pests. Like cutting trees down because they're in the way. And I don't know how to fight that belief with any bit of success. Most people I know are like that. They believe people take precedence over animals merely because they are human and "animals" are not.

Maybe I'll figure out how to combat these beliefs with time. I hope so. Because I hate not knowing what to say that might actually go through someone's defenses of "I am right, you can't touch me, EVER!!!"

Well, goodnight. = )

5th black cat from Tipsy's

2010-06-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

I let the Caring Harts for RIT Cats group know that they can have two spots for tomorrow, but to let me know if they're not successful. If they're not, I like to try in the morning for a cat at one of the colonies I've been TNRing. This hasn't really worked so far (in my getting a cat in the morning), but it's worth a try to take adantage of the available spots.

The woman who's been trapping with me at the bar colony trapped an adult cat today, though. So I'm really hoping that RIT only gets one cat... I don't know if they'll have enough time to do more than two. Depends on the gender.

I got a call from the woman who does the landscaping at the photo studio about a feral cat trapped in a cage left out in the heat for over an hour. She actually called the hospital first. They called me, and I told them to give her my number. Not sure how long the cat was left out there, but it was hot. I thought the woman who had been trapping was going to call me, but I ended up having to call her. She said she was going to wait until tomorrow morning to see if we had time... don't know why. I just told her to give me a call as soon as possible - that's definitely helpful!

When I went to pick up the cat, she had him in the car. The windows were rolled down, but I fear that the cat had definitely gotten overheated. I brought him over to the hospital and put him in the cool bathroom over a wet towel. I also slid a small dish of water in there for him/her. Poor cat's tongue was sticking out when I got him, he was so hot! We had a meeting later that afternoon, so I checked on him again, and he seemed much better. I hope no lasting damage occured due to the heat!

Unfortunately, I found out today that the woman helping me had to release the black and white kitten! She was under the assumption that the caretaker was going to take him, but when that didn't work out, she had nowhere for him to go! Same as me, so I don't blame her - I just wish we had more options for these babies! I gave her another woman's number, but it seems that though the people want to be able to take them in, when it comes down to it, they find reasons that they can't. It's regrettable, though, because I think they are at least 8 weeks old now. And if I had known, I would have had the kitten fixed before release. I did let her know, though, that if she doesn't have a place for the kittens, I will have them fixed before we set them back out there. Saves us the trouble of trying to get them later on.

I wonder also if she released the kitten - and didn't hold on to him for a few days to try to find another option - because he is sick. I know that this is the kitten she wanted to bring in for an exam. And when I went to refresh the cats' water today, I saw the poor baby, eyes all gunked up and red. *sigh*

BUT, along with the adult cat, she also got the other black kitten. What she's going to do with that one, I'm not sure, since she couldn't keep the black and white one. Maybe it really was because he's sick?

I heard that the owners of the photo studio are irritated about the caretaker giving milk to the cats, as it's giving them diarrhea. And they're pottying in the studio's backyard. I don't understand the milk thing! Water is essential for cats, milk is detrimental. They do make safe-for-cats milk, though.

Someobody seems to be helping with the water, though. I hope the caretaker is! That would be great.

Anyway, I'll let you know the gender of this black cat tomorrow after surgery, b/c I've no clue! = )

Return of the Muffin

2010-06-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

I did not take any pictures of Stud in the trap. He was very angry. Very feral. He also stunk up the whole hospital. Male cat urine - blech. I'm glad I cautioned the techs about this guy - I guess he was very difficult to anesthetize. Poor guy. I know he must have been so freaked out, not knowing what we were doing to him. But at least he is now neutered.

When I drove over to return StudMuffin, I saw two of our fixed kitties hanging out. It's such a nice feeling to know these guys won't be contributing to any more babies. We've got anywhere between 5 and 10 more cats to TNR at this colony. But we're getting there!

Here's our super friendly male - not enough to be petted, but enough to follow me around! He was neutered less than a week ago. I'm glad to see that he's still around.

I made sure to arrive yesterday around the time the caregiver would be arriving with the food. I knew a bunch of the cats would come out to meet her, and I also wanted to give her a bag of cat food. I've had these two bags of cat food in my trunk for several months without anyone to give them to. I know how expensive it must be to provide for all these cats, though, so I wanted to be able to help, even if it's just two weeks worth of food! I gave the other big bag of food to the Wendy's colony caretaker on Monday night, but more about that later...

2 more from Wendy's

2010-06-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

Matching grey female kitten with a small splotch of white on her chest, trapped last night, spayed today. Talked to the caretaker of this colony - she believe there are 3 more kittens. Glad we're getting these girls early - no more silly babies!

Remember that black and white male I talked about last week? This is him! I love his little goatee. He was neutered today.

When I released him, he ran across the field and then across the street - which is connected right to the highway. Very busy here. I literally gasped out loud when I saw which direction he was running. I was so afraid that a car would kill him, because he certainly wasn't looking! I'm glad I took them back late at night, when traffic isn't bad. And when it's dark.
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He obviously hangs out at Wendy's at times, but I'm assuming his "home" is elsewhere. Except for a tabby last year, all have taken off into the field. I don't mind where they come from, as long as they get back in one piece!

I also saw a tabby and white cat the night I trapped these guys. The caretaker hasn't seen her before, so I'm assuming she was just visiting, but hopefully she'll visit some more when I'm trapping!

According to her calculations the regular colony has 3 more kittens and 2 adults needing to be trapped and altered. 1 more kitten belongs to the elusive grey and white momma and 2 kittens belong to a black momma. So, 5 more at this colony. And then all the extra visitors.

We'll get there! Hopefully!

Earthlings

2010-06-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

I am watching the documentary "Earthlings" narrated by Joaquin Phoenix.

I have to pause it and take breaks as it is such heart-wrenching content. I have broken down in tears several times now.

No person should be allowed to eat animals or take a pet to the shelter without watching this documentary first.

No person should be allowed to go through life without facing the fact that they are the cause for these beings' tortured existences.

They all say "I don't want to think about it." "I don't want to hear about it." And I get that. I don't either. I want to hide in my closet and never think about it.

But I make myself watch this documentary because I know there is a reason I don't eat animals anymore. And I know there is a reason I want everyone to spay and neuter their pets. And this is why.

Until you see the cows and pigs and chickens resorting to cannabilism, their throats being slit as they are shackled upside down still alive and struggling to be free, being beaten by men who feel so manly and powerful exerting this kind of control - until you watch this documentary yourself, don't let me see you putting that chicken sandwich in your mouth. Until you see the dogs and cats being crammed into a gas chamber that takes 20 minutes of struggling and panic and fear to finally end their lives - don't let me hear of you taking a pet to the shelter.

NOTHING I SAY will ever change a person's view. It's sad, but I know it's true. But a book can. And a movie can. People don't listen to other's words. But they respond to videos. And books. If you don't have the time to read a book, rent a documentary. Rent "Earthlings." You will cry, want to hide, and feel like you'll scream at anyone who ever talks to you again because the content is so disturbing and traumatic. But I cannot take anyone seriously when they tell me I need to support my farmers, or get my calcium/protein, or THAT THEY DON'T EVEN LIKE PIGS. If you want to tell me that using animals for our benefit is okay, watch this documentary and then get back to me. Seriously. I don't want to hear it, because I don't have the right words to defend these animals. And they deserve more than my stumbling efforts. They deserve to have a proper chance at being defended.

So watch "Earthlings" and let me know.

I'm only halfway through it, because it's super late and I need my sleep. I think I will put Narnia or something in to calm me down. After watching the news and hearing about one baby being shot to death, another baby being stabbed to death, and now this documentary, I don't know if I can take the human race anymore. Maybe tomorrow I will be a little more hopeful, but tonight I just want to cry.

Here comes "Studmuffin"

2010-06-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

Well, hey there! Who's this? Oh, is that Studmuffin?

I think so! Are you coming over here, sir?

Would you like to be neutered, Studmuffin? I think you've fathered enough babies!!!

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but the cats from this colony look rough. As you can tell in this picture, Stud does not look well-groomed. They've all looked pretty shaggy. And thin. Most of them just don't look healthy. It doesn't seem to be lack of food - the caretaker always leaves a lot of food out. The vet tech supervisor and I were speculating the possibility of FIV/FeLV. But unless a cat comes in looking very sick, we won't be testing. There's really no point, since all we can do to help is spay and neuter to stop the spread of disease, which we're already doing. Even if they did test positive, I wouldn't want them killed just because they have the disease.

So, Studmuffin seems to be quite the gentleman. Here he is waiting patiently as all the girls/younguns chow down.

My little trap with the sliding rear door was set behind the dumpster, awaiting a small kitty. But as everyone was eating, the trap snapped shut of its own accord. No one was even near it. Freaked me and all the cats out. Everyone scattered.

I will admit, I was sitting in my car being a sissy. I was watching them eat, and I didn't want to disturb them, thinking THEY ARE SO HUNGRY AND IT WOULD BE SO MEAN TO SCARE THEM AWAY. But I guess my little trap knew better, because when it snapped shut, it snapped me out of my sissy state. And I got out my drop trap.

After waiting a couple minutes, Stud came back and started eating under the drop trap. I hesitated, because my transfer trap is smaller than the other ones. I didn't want to trap him and have him escape. But I decided to go ahead, since you never know when another chance will come along. After almost escaping by lifting the drop trap up (even with my heavy anchor) and biting a small hole in the netting of the drop trap, I was able to transfer him to the regular trap. He was not happy, but I covered him quickly and took him over to spend the night in the bathroom. He will be neutered tomorrow.

I left a note for the techs - he seems quite feral. Very upset about being trapped. It's always hard to see these cats in the traps. I know they must be so panicked. That's why I don't like keeping them for more than one night. It's not fair if they are that freaked out. But being neutered will be a good thing, Studmuffin!

Two kittens I have seen

2010-06-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

Little black kitten eating a piece of bread. The caregiver had just come with food. I knew I wanted to trap a cat today, but only had one trap, so I was debating on the usage of the drop trap, since a bunch of cats were out.

Tabby kitten and Momma appear.

Momma watches as the babies eat. There may be another black and white kitten - not sure if it's the same mom, though.

Family picture.

I had my trap out, hoping a curious kitten would enter so I could give them over to one of the three women who are willing to find them homes, but as I sat in my car watching, it snapped shut of it's own accord. And scared everyone off. So I got my drop trap out and waited for someone to come back.

Tipsy kittens

2010-06-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

A black and white kitten was trapped on last Friday at the Tipsy colony. We were trying to get one more adult before noon, but a wee one went in the trap instead. When it would be more convenient to get a kitten, we trap a cat. When I'd really like to get another cat, we get a kitten! Silly creatures. = )

I would like to set more traps, but I really can't afford to. If I trap more than we have time for, I would have to keep them for several days - and I don't know how to take care of them in a situation like that.

A woman went over on Saturday to try to get the remaining kittens. I don't believe she was trapping - I don't think she has a trap. But she feels bad for the babies, so I know she wanted to make some sort of attempt.

I have realized over the last couple of days that I won't be able to help the colonies that don't have caretakers who keep up on the cats needing to be altered. Since we can only spay and neuter a couple cats a week, we need to focus on the caregivers that do make an effort - otherwise, we're wasting time on a lost cause! In order to make a difference, we need to halt the reproduction of colonies. I'm fine with this taking time to complete - but since I am not the caretaker, I don't know the colony. And I don't know when there are cats that need to be trapped. So if one or two cats are left unaltered, and I am not aware of their status, I'm not going to be able to get them fixed. And that one cat will have babies, which obviously in a few months, leads to more babies. So it doesn't matter how many I got spayed and neutered - because the reproduction hasn't stopped!

I know that the surgery is a benefit to the cats - and I want to help them all. But I am mainly interested in stopping the breeding. I've realized that it's not the numbers that are important - it's the ending of the reproduction cycle of outdoor cats. And I can only do that when the caregivers work with me. Otherwise, there's really no end. And it's not worth the heartache.

For example, our colony at the hospital is finished. Eight males neutered (5 of which remain) - no newcomers in a long while. I'm sure there are other cats in the area, but they are not in our colony. But if we see a new cat, we will trap him/her.

Anyway. I just thought it was worth noting the decision I made. I fully intend on getting the Wendy's cats spayed and neutered, but after this, I can't work with someone who doesn't keep me up to date - or doesn't help with the trapping. Because there's no point. And I don't have a lot of time to waste - especially when I could be helping someone else.

OH, and the last b&w cat from the bar/photo studio colony? Was a male. Maybe over time I will get better at this. I hope to do some more trapping this week. And get that elusive female from Wendy's. Sans cops!!!

1 more from the Tipsy colony

2010-06-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

This is our first black and white female we spayed at the bar/photo studio colony. Glad to see she's doing all right after her surgery.

Same girl.

So I went over to check the traps. Found a woodchuck. Freed him and rebaited the traps. As I was doing this, these cats were just following me around, checking me out. I can't tell the difference between most of the black and white cats - there are so many of them! I saw at least three different b&w cats, two black cats, and the grey one from last year. Didn't get a picture of the others, though. The only one I've seen that we've already fixed was the first black and white girl. I'm keeping an eye out for the others, though!

This area is right behind the photo studio. The wooden fence belongs to them. Not sure who owns the land behind the chain-link fence. Several huts were set up for the cats back here between the fences. Some dog houses were put on the other side of the chain-link fence, but have been removed recently, possibly by the property owner. Always good to get permission, because otherwise, resources get wasted. It's sad to think their shelters were thrown away. I know one mom cat had been using one of the dog houses as her baby shelter. And now it's gone.

This cat was following me around the most. I was able to touch her twice briefly - just the tail, but she is obviously comfortable enough to get quite close. She was very interested in what I was doing. I think she wanted some of the food. But it was making me crazy, because these cats were just lounging around within an arm's length from me! I wish I had a net! I wish I knew how to use a net properly! I wish I could trap ten of them in one day to get more fixed at one time!!!

As I was setting up the other trap, missy here walked into the little one. I believe this is the one who kept following me like a pet cat. She appears to have the same markings as the cat above. Maybe she knows what's good for her! She will be spayed tomorrow. RIT may be bringing in a cat tomorrow morning as well, so just one for today. I will set a trap in the morning for another cat at this colony if they are not successful.

Wendy's Colony

2010-06-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Both cats that I brought in last night were males. I am so bad at judging gender!

I returned them tonight at dusk. They shot straight into the tall grass. They usually only venture out at night, so I wanted to make sure it was dark when I returned them. Figured it was only fair. = )

There used to be a barn in this field. I forget if it burned down or if they tore it down. But this is where these cats come from, no doubt.

When I brought the two males back tonight, I saw a black and white cat. Appeared male, but we all know my track record on gender. He just sat there and watched me. He did not seem as skittish as the others. Could this be the cat Mrs. L. was talking about last year? I hope not. She said she had met a friendly black and white cat - one who gave love bites. This cat was comfortable enough to not run away, but didn't approach to my sweet-talking. First time I've seen him, but I know there's at least one more intact female here - he might have ventured over for the food or the girls... Actually... I think she said the cat was more black than white... I'll have to look through previous writings. (Edit: Just looked. It appears to have been a white on black cat. With a white-tipped tail. The cat I saw tonight was definitely black splotches on white.)

I checked the book today to see the sexes of the cats. In doing so, I found the pages for the two kittens - they did get their distemper vaccinations, which is good. Just no rabies.

I'm planning on trying for a bar cat tomorrow. But my father has to go in for another surgery, so we'll see if I have time...

Watcha gonna do when they come for you?

2010-06-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

Laugh, I guess...

I decided to pull in to the empty building's parking lot next to the Wendy's (the one we have written consent to be on the property of) instead of parking at Wendy's. I knew I was going to be there longer than a half hour, and I didn't want to use up a spot for paying customers. I figured it would be easier, anyway.

So as I'm setting all my cat-trapping stuff up, I'm waving at the people walking by or riding by on their bikes, because I know they're wondering what I'm doing. Better to be openly friendly than suspiciously creepy, I figure... And then this silver car pulls into the parking lot, slowly turning around (getting my license plate number) and stalls near the road for several minutes (calling 911).

Knowing the people in the silver car don't know what's going on, I start walking towards them, hand up like "hey, how are you" but they just speed off. I go back to my business, certain that I'll have visitors soon...

As I'm talking to this older man on his bike about what I'm doing (I actually take care of his cats when they stay at our boarding facility), the cops pull in. 2 cop cars for this girl here. At least they didn't pull in with the sirens going. Haha.

"Suspicious female in green carrying cages into the field." Yep, that's me. Suspicious female. Definitely wearing green. And carrying cages. Oh, goodness.

Only one of them got out of the car to see what was going on. But since I already knew why they were there, I told him about the car, that I was expecting them, and *all* about what I was doing. As the older man rode away on his bike to get home before dark, the officer got out and asked to see how the traps worked. I showed him the drop trap, why I was using it, and how I transfer the cats. He laughed when he realized that I pull the string to drop the trap - said it reminded him of something in a cartoon. Guess it kind of does...

So, it wasn't all that awkward to have to the cops called on me. But that's because the officer was incredibly nice. Not an asshole. He also reminded me of my godfather. Who is a police officer. Or sherriff. Deputy? I don't know.

I guess they have a feral cat population behind the station. Of course, BECAUSE THEY ARE EVERYWHERE OH MY GOD!!! He told me I should come over there and help them out. After Wendy's and the bar/photo studio area are stabilized, I think I probably will. Who doesn't need to know a nice officer every now and then? Haha.

Well don't you look a bit familiar?!

2010-06-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

Girls spayed this morning, returned tonight. Seemed to be doing okay.

Little man from last year. My friend fostered/socialized him, and I finally found him a home. It took over three months. It was hard. And expensive. I wish I could do it again, because it's hard putting the little ones back out there.

And who's this? Looks familiar, huh? I actually think this is an older sibling. Grey and white Momma kitty has a similar white marking, but I don't believe this is the original Momma. There is at least one more adult grey and white cat out there, at least two more kittens, and most likely a black adult. I know we spayed a black female last year, so if I trap a black cat, I will just have to make sure she hasn't already been spayed.

I trapped this kitty with the drop trap and transferred her over to the havahart trap. After a while, though, the cats were just not coming out, and it was getting too dark to see the trap clearly, so I packed up and put the regular traps out in hopes of getting one more.

And I was lucky. This one may be a male... But I've been wrong, often, so who knows. I haven't trapped any males here yet, though... Except for two of last year's kittens, but the males go off roaming while the females stay and have their babies. Maybe this is the one making all the babies! Well, male or female, no more babies for this cat!

Picture from last year

2010-06-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

I love this picture. Just found it the other day. All their paws are sticking out in such a nice line. = )

I wonder how they're doing? Maybe I should email them...

Stranger & Company, minus 1

2010-06-15T12:44:00.001-07:00

Feeding time: Stranger (black cat), Jehzar (orange), and Torrini (black and white). These are three of our five feral cats behind the hospital. All neutered, ear-tipped, vaccinated. Fed every day at noon. They will run up to greet us, but no touching is allowed. = )

Busy in the bowls. I was noticing today that Jehzar's coat looks quite beautiful. Very silky and clean. He does a good job grooming himself. = )

Jehzar and his mutilated ear. Someone got a little chop happy...

This is Snuggle. I haven't seen his brother Pickle in a couple days. Pickle wanders more than the other four. Pickle and Snuggle were neutered a while ago as well. I hope Pickle is okay! I always worry that he will get into trouble when he leaves.

Two of their houses. The little one is a Feral Villa. I believe the cats use it when it is super cold, as the house is insulated. Otherwise, they tend to use the larger shelters. The big white one was made by a Boy Scout. They seem to like it. I looked in the houses today and all have been "nested." We have three more that he made in the back yard that should be taken to colonies that need them. Such as the bar/photo studio colony. The cats at Wendy's have a large dog house surrounded by straw. I'll try to get some pictures of that, tonight.

And here are the two igloos. Covered by a tarp and stuffed with straw (which wants to escape, obviously). Rocks on the sides keep the tarps down. All the houses have loads of straw in them as well.

And a picture of all the houses. I will admit, four houses for five cats is a bit much. But I really don't know which ones they prefer. I should have spaced them out, maybe? But, though they may not be perfect, they help the cats get through the winters. And come on, it's NY. It's cold here in the winter. = )

If you need houses, look on your local Craigslist (or something similar) for igloos or doghouses you can modify. I bought the little igloo for $20 and the big igloo for $25. The Feral Villa was $80 - it's a great house, but small. When you have a lot of cats to house, it may not be the best option. However, for one or two small cats, it's wonderful. The big white bird-looking houses were made by a local Boy Scout, and the cats seem to like them. I think that's another great way to get houses - have them donated or made by a young man/woman who enjoys building. Who needs to do some charity work. = ) Or just likes being nice.

Straw is pretty cheap, and the cats like it. So far, I have not seen the straw in the houses get damp, moldy, or smelly. I changed it a couple months ago - besides being dusty and getting bitten by some hungry mosquitoes, there were no issues. Straw is good as an insulator and *very* good for making nests to keep warm. You can't really do that with blankets.

So there's our colony of kitties. Hope you're all having a pleasant day! It's been beautiful here so far!

Oh, kittens

2010-06-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

I got such cute pictures of these guys - without my picture card in the camera. And I lost my USB cord, so I had to take more pictures today to be able to transfer them on to the computer. See that face? Looks exactly like his momma. HIS MOMMA THAT I AM DETERMINED TO TRAP.

Well, I don't know the gender of either kitty yet. But both will be fixed today. And then, unfortunately, released. Mrs. L is not answering her phone. (Called her yesterday, told her that I will be trapping, asked if she was still trying to get the kittens into homes. She told me to give her a call if I got any babies.) But since she isn't answering, I have to figure something else out. And I know no one, *no one* that could foster or wants a kitten. It is SO hard trying to find homes for kittens. We all know that.

These guys might be happier with the rest of their family. I know I'm trying to make myself feel better about this, because I have no other options. I would keep them for a couple of days at the hospital to try to get a hold of Mrs. L, but I don't even know if that's the best idea. All I know is that I don't have anyone else to take them, and I can't reach her. But it's hard, because they are SO cute. And young. The vet thinks around ten weeks old. But I'll know more later when they have been altered.

*Just got a call - they are both females. The vet doesn't feel comfortable vaccinating them yet, so they will just be spayed and ear-tipped. If I trap them again in a couple of weeks, I will bring them in to be vaccinated. I guess the most important thing is that they have been fixed, so I won't fret about that...

I went over last night to try to trap these guys, hoping for some adults, but they are too smart, just like last year. Ate all the food, didn't get trapped. Except for the kittens. I will be going back tonight - when it's light out still - to use the drop trap. There are two identical grey and white cats, one black cat, and possibly some others I didn't see, including kitties. *sigh*

Disappointment

2010-06-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

As I was driving past the Wendy's last night to get on to the highway, guess what I saw? Cats. A few kittens. A couple teenage kitties. And it made me very frustrated. Disappointed.

When I stopped trapping there (4 females spayed, over 10 kittens removed and rehomed), one grey and white female was left to be spayed. The woman feeding them said that she would call me when she trapped her, as she was more difficult. (This is the cat that she had trapped in a cage and then RELEASED, because she *might* have had babies. Listen, I don't want babies to go without their mom for a night or two and be responsible for anything bad that happens to them, but *might* is not good enough for me. I just want the cats sterilized. I'm sorry if that makes me sound like a cold hard *you-know-what,* but had she been spayed, we could be helping other cats out and not her offspring.) That one female has turned that place back into a breeding ground. Where the males are roaming, I've no clue, but I am so disappointed that the caretaker did not fulfill her promise. Why has she not trapped the teenage cats either?

Another issue that frustrates me is the kittens. I can't help her again - I have no money for kittens. I wouldn't even want to help her with them if I did have the money. I feel that she may focus too much on getting the kittens socialized and into homes when she should be worrying about the cats having babies in the first place. She knows that I would get them the first available appointment, yet she doesn't try to trap them - and she hasn't called me for any help.

It bothers me, because she knows I am right here to help her out. Not a lot of caretakers have such an available and immediate option! I understand when those who care for these cats don't have the resources to get the cats fixed, but she does. Yet she continues to feed the cats every night and let them breed. Disappointed, yes. Frustrated, yes. And angry, a little.

I will call her tomorrow to let her know that I will go over there as soon as I can to try to trap the unneutered cats, but I am angry that she has not taken the responsibility. I will also have to let her know that no, I can't do anything with any kittens. Because that's the first thing she will ask me. Easy to write down, hard to verbalize, because truly, I'm a nice person and don't like to alienate people.

Maybe there's a legitimate reason for not getting these cats trapped, but she has my phone number and could have called me. That's what really gets me - she has somebody who has made it clear that she will help, just call. But no call.

In order to make some headway, we have to KEEP ON TOP of the leftover cats. The ones that still need to be trapped and fixed. And if we can't get them, we have to get their babies ASAP. If we just leave them, and feed them, then we've made NO DIFFERENCE!!! They will continue to breed because the food just doesn't run out! Aahhhhhh!!! Also, these cats are in such a public place! I want their numbers to stay very very small, because someone is bound to call animal control and cite some crap about "public nuisance" and "safety/health hazards." I do NOT want that. I want to be able to say that we are keeping the population in check. That we are making TNR the best option out there!!!

Okay, I will stop my ranting and give her a call tomorrow. Night, everyone!

I was wrong...

2010-06-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

This black kitty is a female! = ) Guess I'm not that good at telling yet... The vet tech said the area around the eyes looks like fight wounds? Poor kitties.

I set another trap this morning since RIT wasn't successful, but no luck. So this is the 7th kitty from this area - and the third female to have no more babies! Did you hear that kitties??? No more babies! Stop it!

I'm really grateful that the woman that works in the grey building is helping me out. I would definitely not be able to do this without her. It'd be going a lot slower.

Enough with the black cats already!

2010-06-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Black cat, appears to be male, from the bar/photo studio colony. As I've mentioned, there are a lot of black cats here.

And what's with the area around the eyes on some of these cats? Can't be burns, but then what?

This guy will be neutered tomorrow. He was trapped by the woman in the grey building. She has taken seven or eight kittens over the years from this colony. She is so excited to be helping them get spayed and neutered. Since she has her own trap, she's just going to keep trying to get those kittens and call me when an adult inevitably steps in. She has seen at least two black and white kittens, and I know there is another black kitty and a tabby kitty out there as well. So, 4 more kittens at the least.

I may be setting another trap early tomorrow morning if RIT isn't successful with their trapping. I believe they have been trying to get a couple certain cats for a while now - and it's proving to be difficult.

I'm pretty sure this is the cat the woman from the grey building calls "Stud-Muffin." He's a large boy. Look at that head! I guess he's been around for several years and has likely fathered many babies. This picture is actually from last year, but when she mentioned a "stud-muffin," I knew immediately who she was talking about.

I really don't see any of the males until they are trapped. This is the only one I've had the pleasure of photographing in his natural elements. If he's still around, I hope very much to trap him!

I just went through my pictures, and there are definitely at least 3 more black and white females and 2 black females to be trapped. And who knows about the males... There could be 20 more of them for all I know! (Let's hope not!)

Female from Bar Colony

2010-06-09T14:02:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that this colony is all black and white? Two grey cats, but the rest are all black or have a similar black and white splotch pattern.

This girl was brought in today by misunderstanding. The woman trying to trap the kittens (who brought in the cat with the big, old wound on his face last Friday) trapped this little girl yesterday, but instead of calling me, took her right over to the hospital. They weren't able to spay her yesterday, and I'm not really sure what they told her... So she brought her back this morning, when fortunately, they had time to spay her.

I talked with the woman today. I believe we have cleared up the misunderstanding. She's going to keep trying to get the kittens, and if she gets an adult cat, she will call me first. The only problem with *not* calling me first is simply because I'm the one trying to keep track of how many, what day, and who's bringing them. They don't know any cats are coming in unless I block some time off in the schedule. Also, I don't want the peoples at work getting frustrated and start complaining about the program... This little girl is our 35th cat - and I want to be able to continue helping these cats out!!!

Clearly giving me the eye... I brought thank you cards to work today for everyone involved in spaying and neutering the cats. I appreciate what they do for these cats so much. Especially when it means that they have to do extra work.

This little girl was a little more difficult to spay due to an elusive uterus. I guess she had a weird packet of fat that at first they thought was milk, but then realized was fat. Not sure what's going on there, but at least she's spayed now. No more babies for her!!!

Have a beautiful night!

Two black males

2010-06-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Pictures aren't very good, but here are the two black males that were neutered today. I went down to visit my sister yesterday, but left early to come back and try to trap at least one cat. If we can only sterilize two cats a week, I want to have those two if possible! I got this guy last night. Mediumish black male.
*
I have been putting towels in the traps so that the cats aren't deliberately stepping over the plates, but found out that it makes it difficult for the vet techs to transfer them to the little put-them-to-sleep-box. BUT, I have to put something in there; otherwise, they won't get trapped... I guess anything in the trap makes it hard to transfer them, as the towel or newspaper falls down and gets caught, not allowing the cat to slide through the door into the plastic box... Hard to explain, I guess. Anyway, the towel is still placed in the trap, because I need it. I've just been working it out slowly in the morning. It's a process, because I can't reach in for it, and certainly don't want to open the door more than a crack. Don't need an escapee feral cat!

Same guy. I hope these guys were able to find shelter okay, because I had to release them sooner than I would have liked, due to them being neutered later in the day than usual. These guys got their ears tipped, vaccinations, and a dose of Revolution.

This is the second male, whom I actually did not trap. There is a woman who works in one of the nearby buildings also tring to trap the kittens, to find them homes (which is good, since I can't help out in that area). She was able to get one of the wee babies, probably the one I had in the carrier a week ago! She said it was a little black kitty, about five weeks old? But when she set the trap out to get more babies, she got this big man.

She called the caretaker to find out who to contact - which turned out to be me. Bless her heart for not just releasing this guy to try to get the kittens! I'm actually really grateful that she didn't, as it's happened before. (Not the same woman, though) Fortunately, she called me during my break at work, when I actually had my phone. Even more fortunately, when I asked the dr. if we had time for another feral cat that day, he said yes. (The vet techs were glad that it was a neuter, though, and not a spay. Me too!)

I was taken aback when I first saw this big guy's face. It looks like it is bleeding, very raw, very painful. While he was neutered, though, they took a look at his face, and I guess it looks more like a burn? The vet tech told me that it is definitely an old wound; it is not infected or bleeding. She said that she's not sure, but that the red skin is smooth, so it looks more like a burn than anything. I guess we won't know ever really know what happened. I'm just glad his eyes are okay...

Well, five cats spayed and neutered from this colony! One kitten removed so far, and hopefully they will all be caught and taken to good homes! Between the caretaker and the woman from the building, I'm sure they will be able to find homes for four kittens! Hopefully we can keep trapping these guys to prevent more babies!

I know that the woman who works in the building will be attempting to get these kittens in the next couple of weeks, so I hope it works out again - if she catches an adult cat, we will have time at the hospital to get the cat fixed.

Also, the caretaker mentioned that the female spayed last week is doing well. Still coming out every day for food, hanging around. She might not know the males' fate as much as the females: the females are a lot friendlier and hang out in a more open area than the males. But, maybe that will change! I hope they do well.

= )

Conversation with the Caretaker

2010-05-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

The bar/photo studio colony's caretaker called me back this morning. She's a very nice woman. If I happen to get any more kittens, I will be giving her a call. She said that she knows some people who've been interested in getting another cat. Let's hope that works out...

I tried to explain the importance of clean water to her, but she wasn't seeming to get it. She brings them milk, but not water. I didn't want to press the subject, because it wasn't about the bringing of the water - she just didn't understand the need for it. It makes perfect sense to me - cats need water just as every other animal does, including humans. I go by this place on my way to work, so I can stop by to refill their water - I just wonder why people don't understand the importance. You get thirsty on a hot day, right? So does a cat. And a dog. And a horse.

She expressed concern that the cats who've been sterilized don't fare as well as those who are still intact. Something about being calmer and not fighting for food as much? A few have been fixed over the years due to other organizations getting involved, and she says she hasn't seen any one of them since. Let's hope I can get more of them fixed and the colony will then stabilize.

She mentioned that if I happen to catch a certain black cat, who is very friendly with her, she wants to take her home. There is a grey cat who is also less skittish of people that her friend wants to take home? I did explain our program to her, how limited we are, so I hope she understands that if these cats are going to a home, we won't be able to sterilize them. I wish we could, but if I knowingly did so, when the program's rules state otherwise, I might lose my ability to bring cats in at all. And that would not be go good for anyone.

Also, if it were to happen (taking the cats into a home) I hope that they are truly comfortable being around humans. But though they may come up for some love in their home right now, they probably wouldn't want to be confined in some strange house. Ah, who knows. Not up to me, I suppose. = ) I would just rather the cats be sterilized and comfortable in familiar surroundings than freaked out in a house surrounded by things they've never even dreamed of...

Now I'm really regretting putting the kitten back down. She could have taken him in. Maybe I will be able to get him back next week. And then smuggle him home because he was soooo cute! Haha.

Well, I should go get ready for work! Have a wonderful day!

Return

2010-05-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

Female spayed today. She has beautiful eyes. She appeared to have been pregnant just recently, but didn't seem to be producing milk still. Fortunately for this little girl, she will not be having any more babies.

I took these pictures as we headed back over to their home.

Waiting in my car to get back home.

Male cat, neutered today. No more making babies!

After releasing the two cats, I saw this kitty come walking out. She was there last year - I looked back in my pictures, and though there are several black and white cats, I can identify her. I hope to catch her and the rest of her family to be sterilized.

As this cat walked away, black momma cat appeared. I believe there are three or more all black cats. One is a mom, whom I believe to be this one.

Possible momma cat.

Miss Kitty came around the dumpster and...

Flopped on the ground, started rolling around. Made me laugh.

She got herself thoroughly dirty.

But seemed to be enjoying her dust bath. = )

This is another slightly smaller black kitty. I waited a couple more minutes, but no more cats came out to visit.

I left a note for the woman that comes to feed them every day. She called me back, but we were only able to talk for a couple of minutes. I'm hoping she's able to call me before I head off to work tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Glad I Went Back

2010-05-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

After a few hours at home, I went back to the bar area to trap another cat. I was hoping that as the day got cooler, the cats would venture more out in the open. And that they would be more interested in the wet food as theirs was all gone.

This time, I set one of the regular traps in the grassy area between two fences - one to the photo studio, the other to an industrial site. The woman who has been feeding them for over six years has put several wooden and plastic shelters in this area. It just needs to be cleaned up a bit - there are food dishes and garbage EVERYWHERE. I wonder if she would mind if I cleaned it up. Owners sometimes don't mind shelters and feeding stations, but they do when it's messy. One woman mentioned that someone from the other side of the fence has removed a few of the shelters set up - probably because they were put up without permission.

Anyway, I saw another black and white cat who meowed at me when I told him to "come on, get in the trap so we can go." She didn't listen to me, but her friend did. Not expecting anyone to enter the trap soon, I went back to my car to wait a few minutes before checking again. As I was talking to my sister on the phone, I saw black momma cat startle then run away. I knew that someone had probably been trapped, so I ran over with a towel and covered the trap. I think it looks like a male, but just like baby ages, it's difficult for me to tell male/female sometimes. = )

I took the mostly white with some black cat over to the hospital, where s/he will spend the night with the older female black and white cat. (The woman I met today said that the older female has to be at least 5 or 6) In the bathroom. It's relatively quiet in there. They will be fixed tomorrow, then released in the evening when I go home.

I'm not sure how many cats are in this area, but last year, there had to have been around 15 that I saw. I know that there are at least 3 black cats, 4 kittens, 1 grey cat, and a bunch (at least 5?)of black and white cats. But, well, 3 down!

I had met the woman that feeds the cats once last year. She was nice, but showed no interest in helping with getting the cats spayed and neutered. I need to be able to talk to her about the feeding, though. And water. I went to the thrift store today (I love thrift stores!) to find a metal bowl for water, because all though there were several food containers and a bunch of smaller dishes, there was no clean water. The woman had left milk (?) in a little plastic container, but the little water they had in one of the small dishes was just nasty. I filled the metal bowl with water when I left the first time. When I came back around 3 hours later, most of it was gone. Not spilled, but gone. Those cats must be incredibly thirsty. Not good.

I filled it again when I left with the second cat, but will go each day on my way to work until I can talk to the woman about providing them with water. She goes every day to give them food, water shouldn't be a big deal.

So, I am glad I went back. But if anyone has any trapping tips - feel free to share! It seems more difficult because I don't know these cats' habits. Where they hang out, what times they're there, etc. I know I may not be able to get them all, but when I think of Strayer (hint hint) and how she gets all those cats trapped - I feel like maybe I'm missing out on some information here? = ) Is it just lots of traps and dedication?

Goodnight everyone!

So Hot Outside Today!

2010-05-27T12:44:00.001-07:00

I got a little sunburnt today by the time I remembered to put some sunscreen on. I hope I remember earlier next time. = )

I went back to the bar for some more cat trapping. Well, the area next to the bar. It seems that the cats congregate behind a photo studio. Unfortunately, the woman that feeds them leaves out a ton of food, so they aren't as hungry as I would like them to be. (For trapping, anyway.)

I set up my drop trap and almost immediately caught a black and white (supposedly) female. She will be spayed and released tomorrow.

I waited for hours for another to walk underneath the trap, but no one was willing. I am thinking about going back tonight to try again. I need to be able to contact the woman feeding them, though, because I'm not going to be able to get these cats fixed if they're not hungry enough to enter a trap.

I met several nice people today, including the owners of the two buildings I was camped out between. We had gotten permisison to trap on the property of the one building, but I had never personally spoken to the owner. He saw me by the dumpsters, so I got up to talk to him, hoping he wasn't going to ask me to leave. (I didn't even know it was the owner) He was nice, though, so I explained what I was trying to do, and he thanked me.

The studio's owner came out to talk to me as well. He seemed very enthusiastic about the cats being sterilized - they have killed his frogs and turtles that they keep in the backyard for portraits.

That kitten in the photos is one of at least 4 at the bar/studio. But I have no where to take them! And they are not old enough for spay/neuter yet. I'm guessing this one is four/five weeks? (I'm bad at ages, though) A woman doing yard work at the studio caught the little one and handed him over to me, so I put him in a carrier (those are ice cubes, b/c of the heat). But I have no where to take him, no one I know that will foster, and I don't know if it is best for him to be with his siblings and mom for a little while longer. So I let him go. And that was so hard, but I just don't know what to do with the babies!

He was a little spitfire at first, but when I took him out to let him go, he was such a sweetie! He let me hold him without any problems. When I first set him down, I snatched him back up, because I just didn't know what to do. I still don't know what to do. I want the babies to have homes, but I can't take them in right now - and none of my friends have the money to do so either. Also, is it better to take them all at once? All the babies, so they'd at least have each other? That was another thing I was worried about...

And I don't know who the mom is, so I won't know if I trap her and take her away from her babies. They should be old enough to last one night, right? I know so little about kittens!

If any one has any suggestions, feel free to chime in!

Animal Cruelty of the More Insidious Kind

2010-05-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

Most people who have a sense of empathy are able to take care of animals wonderfully. Can empathy be taught???
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Those without empathy, however, should not be allowed to be caretakers.
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When I think of animal cruelty, I think of kids setting fire to cats and men beating dogs with sticks and pigs forced to live in tiny cells for breeding purposes. I tend to forget about the insidious cruelty that animals routinely go through at the hands of unempathetic owners. The kind that doesn't make the news.
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Outdoor dogs that get food and shelter, but no companionship. Dogs shut in a crate all day long because the caretakers are too busy with their own lives. Cats locked in the basement with no companionship or even a clean litter box. Bunnies bought for the kids because they are *oh so cute* but left in their cages because their needs are not properly understood.
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How do we get through to the people who bring animals into their lives, but don't actually understand that they are not stuffed animals? I don't know. Can empathy be taught? Especially when these people are adults - the ones who should be aware of these things? How do we get past a person's defenses and show them that these animals are worthy of our compassion? That even a fish has needs and desires?
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I find myself questioning these things because next week, I am driving an hour and a half away to try to take my mom's cat out of her house. I have explained to my mom over and over again that animals need companionship. Exercise. Clean areas to live in and eat in and go to the bathroom in. But something has been turned off in her brain. Or was never turned on. My sister went over to visit and found the cat shut in the basement, living in filth.
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My sister has offered to take her in, but I have no idea how my visit will go. My mother cannot accept the fact that she is not a suitable caretaker. She refuses to let anyone even suggest that she may not be perfect. But she can't be allowed to have this cat locked in her basement. It's cruel.
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How can people not understand compassion and empathy? They must be missing so much in life.

Finally, a cat from the bar

2010-05-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

Today, I finally brought in a cat from the bar. Why have I neglected this situation for so long? Please don't ask. Maybe I felt "too busy" or "too drained" or something. Whatever it was, it wasn't for the right reasons.

A wonderful lady has offered to help out with the trapping at the bar, something I will be taking her up on very shortly.

Lots of things have been changing in my life lately, which is mostly why I haven't been writing. I started a new part time job (still working at the animal hospital, but now only part time). I am preparing to move out of my parents' house in July. My friend and I were not able to find a place together due to pets and bad credit, so I will be moving in with a vet tech that used to work with me at the hospital. I think it will be good. Her place is close to both of my jobs, there will be more room, and her dog is more afraid of cats than desiring to chase them. =)

We'll see...

Gulf Oil Disaster

2010-05-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not one to actually pay attention to the world's events. Well, maybe that was in the past, when I didn't really know how to care on such a large scale. Be gentle on the young - they aren't capable of actually understanding the magnitude of certain events at times.

I was 14 when 9/11 happened. I didn't get it. It all seemed like a crazy fuss for two buildings falling down.

I was 18 when Hurricane Katrina occured. I didn't understand how it was any worse than other hurricanes. Why people were so concerned.

I'm 22 now, and am *devastated* by the Gulf oil spill. Reading the articles on the massive impact this is having/will have on the birds, fish, dolphins, whales, shrimp, crabs - on all life in these waters - it's heartbreaking. One of the articles mentioned that the oil slick prevents the water from staying oxygenated, which compels the fish to rise to the surface of the water, seeking oxygen. When they reach the oil, their gills will become covered and they will die. I don't know about you, but I can see the fish in my mind as they swim to the surface. I can see them dying. And this will be happening to thousands of animals.

One of the articles seemed to focus on how the fishing industry will be affected, how they will lose so much money through this disaster. But enough about money for God's sake! Millions of animals are dying! They are not being erased like penciled in numbers on a sheet of notebook paper, they are dying individual, excruciating deaths.

Food chain interruptions, damage to reproductive systems, majorly affecting the mating/breeding/nesting season - this is really bad. And it is not just a spill. It is an ongoing oil leak (if you can even call it a leak) that may last for months. It is a nasty feeling to actually understand what is going on here - the birds, fish, turtles, whales, shellfish - individual beings - they are dying horrible, terrible deaths. Because of us.

More Kitties

2010-04-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've been having more calls lately about our program at the hospital. Fortunately, it's not getting too overwhelming - and I'm kind of excited that we're going to be able to do more. Then again, tis the season of baby cats.

We're trying to come up with some sort of protocol concerning the homeless cats that don't reside in our town. When we first started the program, we planned on focusing on this town, but homeless cats are everywhere. I'm for spaying and neutering any and every cat that does not have a typical home, but Dr. R may have to approve each situation.

The donation definitely makes an impact, as well. I suggested that we have a "suggested donation" and reserve our free spots for those who truly need them. We'll see.

I start a new job this May, so I will only be working about 20 hours a week at the animal hospital. It will be a weird change, but not unwelcome.

Kind of gross, but...

2010-04-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

I saved one of Julie's nails to take a picture. The bloody middle part is where it had started growing into the paw. Keep in mind that we clipped after the quick - this is not the whole nail, just the over-grown part. (I actually just held the nail up to my own cat's claws to make sure I wasn't exaggerating, but yes, the blood marks where the nail had been embedded into the paw.) I had thought that about a third of the ingrown part would be involved, not half of it! Horrible, painful, very much cringe-worthy.

T ended up clipping the nails to save the owners the cost of an exam and a nail trim. The poor kitty was an angel for the trimming. Didn't make a fuss in the least. Fortunately, the back claws were not like the front ones - they were long, but not even badly curved.

I soaked her feet in a chlorahexadine solution right after the trim. Her paws were bleeding, but thankfully it was controllable. The paws didn't look infected, but T and I are not doctors, so when I called the owners to let them know how things were going, I suggested that they take her to their vet. The wounds are deep in her paws and I'm sure can be easily infected.

After soaking her feet a couple of times, I placed her in a cage in the cat ward. I took her home while on my break and brought some of the chlorahexadine for the owners to use during the next few days. I also grabbed some shredded paper to use as litter, not knowing if they had a paper shredder.

I told them to keep her indoors for at least a week, soak her pads a couple times a day until they look like they are healing, preferably keep her in the bathroom with a clean floor for at least the first couple days, only shredded paper litter (hopefully she uses it), to keep an eye on the wounds for infection, and most importantly, to take her to the vet. I can trim nails and clean wounds, but I don't know how bad is bad. And I don't want to be pretending I do.

They were such a sweet couple. I think I wrote that they are an older couple, but I realized yesterday that they're really not that old - maybe 50's. So they don't get to use old as an excuse. = ) I really liked them because you could tell they had genuinely not noticed, which is horrible, but better than noticing and not caring. As soon as it was pointed out, they were trying to figure out when we could take her and get it taken care of. They were perfectly willing to pay for the trimming/cleaning, but T said not to charge, so no worries there.

And they baked me chocolate-ship cookies, which made me feel all old-fashioned/ neighborly/old-timerly.

Oh, and Julie has the most croaky, pathetic meow. It's kind of funny. They said she's always talked like that. I love cats with silly voices.

Speaking of silly meows, here's my squeaky-man-Noms resting near the ceiling. They quite like being up so high. Great vantage point. The windows are in direct view, which is an added benefit to being up so high. Actually, I think he's looking out the window in the picture.

Nails

2010-04-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Pet sitting has been incredibly hectic this week. The couple I am working for lives a half hour away from me, so between work and feeding my cats twice a day, I am driving more than two hours a day. Singing in the car helps. I've only almost killed myself while driving twice (not related to the singing, however).

A little grey kitty with a bright pink collar ran up to me as I got out of the car yesterday. "Oh no," I thought. " A stray cat." It's very hard for me to leave these animals on the street when they are sociable with humans. I called the woman I'm pet sitting for to ask if she'd ever seen the cat before and found out that she does indeed have a home. With the neighbors.

I got out a can of food from the car and the little girl ate it up fast. She's not starving, as I initially thought with dismay, but really likes canned food. However, the reason I'm writing about this particular cat is because when I noticed her nails, I about had a freakout. They are fully curved around and growing into her pads. Very thick and horrible looking.

When I called Snoopy's owner, she had said that the neighbors are not the most informed pet owners. But very nice. She told me to just take the cat over and ask if I could trim her nails. I immediately went over with the cat in my arms, nail clippers in my bag. They weren't home, though, so I called and left a message.

On closer inspection of the nails, I realized that I do not want to trim them. Doing so is going to make the pads bleed and I don't want her pads to get infected because I don't know how to clean them or tell the owners how to take care of them after. In my message, I told them I would love to be able to take the cat (named Julie) to a groomer or hospital to have her nails trimmed where they would be able to clean her pads properly and inform them of what to do after they've been trimmed. They are an older couple and babysit their grandkids often and I really don't want Julie's nail issue to get overlooked due to time constraints and caring for little children.

When I noticed they had been home for a couple hours, I went over to see if they had gotten my message. I was afraid they were going to think me judgmental/be defensive/not allow me to help. They were wonderful, though. I explained to them that some cats' nails grow differently and you have to trim them more. My three cats, I could probably trim them 4-6 times a year and they'd be fine. My parents' cat, you have to trim them at least every 2-3 weeks or they get thick and start to curve inwards.

I told them that at first I thought I could trim them myself but wouldn't feel comfortable doing it when they're growing into the pad. I gave them T's number for grooming but later realized that not only is she super busy right now, she doesn't usually get back to her clients right away. I let them know I could also just take her to the hospital with me tomorrow morning when I go to work.

After trying to get a hold of T to make an appointment, the woman called me back to tell me that they may ask me to take Julie with me tomorrow.

I already called to make sure I can bring Julie in tomorrow morning. I hope that her pads are not infected and that it will just involve clipping and cleaning the pads. She has got to be in pain but is super sweet and let me pick up her paws and look closely at her nails. They are seriously the worst I have ever seen. The tips of the nails are embedded in the paws, no doubt about it.

Let's hope all goes okay and that I can bring her with me tomorrow to get this taken care of.

A Quick Recovery

2010-04-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

I set Stranger free Monday afternoon, hoping that he would be able to recover well. I had Tuesday off, but am scheduled on Wednesdays, so I made a point to see how the Stranger fared. Armed with three bowls of cat food, I shooed Jehzar away from the fence (he finds it necessary to greet me by running through the fence). Setting the bowls down, I watched as Stranger made his way over. No noticeable swelling (his paw/leg was huge on Monday) and no noticeable limp (he hadn't been putting pressure on it at all, gingerly laying down to rest before allowing his leg to make contact with the ground). Which is AMAZING!

I am very excited and relieved to see that he is doing much better, even just two days from treatment. Also relieved that we could help him, since daily care really isn't an option.

P.S. No sign of the fox since that one sighting, but possibly a new cat in the area, a mostly white one? Haven't seen him/her yet - one of the vet techs noticed the cat. We'll keep an eye out...

Stranger Gets Bitten

2010-04-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

Friday, Stranger was fine. Saturday, Stranger was limping. Dr. R had some time, so he said if we could trap him, we could bring him in. We put the regular trap out, but the cats are too smart and stepped over the trip plate to eat the food. So, no trapped cats on Saturday. (I need to figure out how to lengthen that thing...)

Sunday was Sunday, so no doctors. Monday, I brought my new drop trap in to attempt to trap Mr. Stranger. It would have been a bit easier if we had the right traps, but I didn't want to see him suffering. I set the drop trap up and waited, hoping I wouldn't hurt any of the cats.

Torrini was the most adventurous, being the first to enter and eat most of the food. I realized I had brought too little food out, but after he left, Pickle went in to inspect. I immediately dropped it on him, as he has been limping for months. However, I had forgotten the anchor, and Pickle was able to lift the trap up enough to escape. *sigh* Good job, huh?

I went back into the hospital for more food and to find something to use as an anchor. T had an old car battery sitting outside, so I grabbed that to use.

After putting more food under the trap, I sat back down on my blanket and waited. Torrini went right back in, and Jehzar followed. Stranger finally, slowly, made his way over, being ever so cautious. The three of them spent some time eating. I didn't drop the trap because I really didn't want to have to deal with all three in the trap at once. Also, Stranger's tail was sticking out, and though the trap has a slightly curved side to allow tails, I didn't want to risk it.

Torrini left first, Jehzar following close behind. As soon as they left, Stranger seemed to move a little closer to the food bowl, and his tail assumed a new position, so I dropped the trap immediately. I ran over with my blanket to cover the top, which calmed him down greatly. I grabbed the regular trap and had to spend a couple minutes figuring out how I was going to get Stranger in it without him escaping through the sides. (I don't know why I didn't figure this out previously)

I ended up grabbing a nearby cinder block to place on one side, and putting my foot on the trap to weigh it down, I grabbed the car battery to block the other side. The trap I used has a door that, propped open, sticks out a few inches. Placing it in front of the drop trap's door allows the cat to escape on the sides, because you cannot place the doors flush with each other. Hence the need to block the sides. (We're supposed to be getting a trap with a sliding door to be used with my trap, but it hasn't been ordered yet)

With both blocks in place and my foot still holding the trap down, I held the standard trap's door open, but ready to release as soon as he ran in. I slowly opened the drop trap's door and in he ran. I immediately let the box trap's door shut and covered it with the blanket. Then we went in to see the doctor.

Turns out he has a couple bite marks on his leg and paw. They tried to drain it, but there's no abscess, just severe inflammation of the tissues. They gave him an antibiotic shot that lasts for two weeks (forget the name of it) and soaked his paw in (forgive my spelling, it's probably incorrect) chlorahexadine. Blue stuff to clean everything, I believe? We updated his rabies and gave him a dose of revolution. He looked very healthy, though, no fleas or earmites (I think they gave the revolution in case of worms) and weighed 10.5 lbs. Nice coat, too.

I wonder who bit him? And in the paw???

After a few hours, I returned him. I hope the shot works and his paw is feeling better soon. Now we just need to get Pickle again! And use a stupid anchor! = )

Declawing

2010-04-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

I feel that each type of animal/breed has certain qualities that you simply cannot ignore. Yes, some are exceptions: there are some beagles who don't need to get into everything. There are labs who are quiet and laid-back. There are tiny dogs that don't constantly yap and cats who don't scratch much. But when you are considering bringing a new life into your home, whether that life be human, feline, or canine, you need to do your homework and make sure that this new life is the best fit for your family.

It can be difficult at first to figure out the exact qualities you want in a "pet," but it is possible. If you want a "family" dog, do you want a dog good with younger or older children? One that allows lots of physical affection? Easily handled? Lots of energy? Who barks when people come to the door? Good with strangers/the kids' friends? Gentle on the leash? Listens even with a bunch of commotion?

Training is super important, but you cannot train animals out of certain qualities. You need to be considerate enough to pick an animal suited to your home. Not the cutest bunny in the pet store or the prettiest cat at the shelter, but one that will be able to share your life in the best ways possible.

For example: when I am able to adopt a dog, I want an older dog. Why? Because older dogs have less of a chance at adoption. BUT, I can't adopt just *any* older dog. I need a non-yappy dog. A dog that doesn't view cats as prey. Shy is okay, b/c I can respect his/her boundaries and work slowly. Laid-back is a must, because I spend a lot of time working/reading/writing. Good with other dogs is preferable b/c I would love to take him/her to work and join in playgroup.

But when you are picking out a puppy/kitten, you may not know much about that particular animal because of their limited time spent on the earth thus far. So you need to be able to determine which breed(s) are best suited to your situation. Qualified persons can help you choose which baby may fit best with your life, but overall, this baby is still a baby. So you need to be familiar with breeds and the needs of each species.

I hear much about people adopting bunnies because they're so *easy* to take care of. But they're not! They may be a bit smaller than the average cat, but they should be taking up just as much of your time. And cats are not necessarily *easier* than dogs, either. I believe they need just as much exercise (and attention)- and just as much space! It's simply *easier* to forget about the needs of a bunny or cat or bird than it is a dog's.

Anyway, back to my original reason for posting: declawing. As I said before, when you bring an animal into your home, you need to have done your research on that animal. In case you weren't aware, dogs bark. Some dig, all have to go to the bathroom at least 3 times a day, and they all certainly need COMPANIONSHIP (whether that friend may be another dog, cat, or human). And if you want to bring a cat into your home, make sure you know that the litter box needs to be scooped daily. That they need exercise as much as dogs. That they need companionship AS MUCH AS DOGS (whether that is another cat, dog, or human). And, THEY SCRATCH.

Unfortunately, many kittens are declawed every day. It's considered a routine surgery, along with sterilization. Kitten goes to the vet, gets spayed, declawed, microchipped. Package deal. But the thing is, even if you WERE just taking the claw *out*, it STILL would be cruel and unnecessary. Cats scratch as dogs bark. It is simply part of their nature. How dare we think we have the right to take something as essential as that away from an animal? Declawing has NO benefits to the cat, only many detriments. I won't go into how declawing is a wholly negative life-long experience for the cat, as you can find that information elsewhere. MY problem is that when you get a cat, you need to be aware that the fuzzy feline is GOING to scratch somewhere. He may scratch your furniture, your doorways, and may take a swipe at you every now and then. If you don't have the patience to train a cat where to scratch or the ability to allow some of your possessions to bear claw marks, then don't get a cat!

I don't want to sound harsh, but if someone were seriously considering debarking their chihuahua, we would consider them cruel and inhumane! Barking is annoying, yes, but you can't just debark a dog! Scratching is annoying, yes, but you can't just amputate the last digits off their paws because it suits your lifestyle!

Do people who declaw know that they are electing to have the digits AMPUTATED? That bone is cut off so that the claw cannot grow back? Since when do we amputate ANYTHING if it is not necessary for the patient's health???

These poor cats have to live with this cruel and unnecessary treatment for the rest of their lives. If someone is not prepared to take on the WHOLE cat, then maybe that person shouldn't be taking the animal in the first place?

I know there are a lot of "But..."s to this, but it's late, so I'll address my own at another time. :)

Refreshing the straw

2010-04-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

I went out to the cats' huts Monday afternoon to replace the straw from last fall. I was afraid it would be moldy/bug-infested/smelly, etc. I was also worried about mites, as a fox had been seen climbing out of the little igloo and looked like he had a problem with loss of fur aka possibly mange? Now, I am the first to admit that I know little about wildlife. And I'm sure most of the information passed down is far from correct. But I've read and heard that many foxes have mange and I really really really don't want scabies. (Not sure if I need direct physical contact, though, or if it's possible to transfer the mites through non-bodies, so that's where my "research" has come up short...)

I headed out wearing a hospital gown, gloves, and sunglasses for eye protection. I first tackled the small igloo. Scooped out all the straw and piled it between the houses for added insulation. The very bottom was a little damp, but overall, it still seemed quite dry and odor free. Which is good to know, considering all the rain and snow we've had/been having.

The large igloo was a bit more difficult in cleaning out. I didn't want to disturb the tarp over top (and the straw between the tarp and igloos) but wanted to clean it out as well as possible. In retrospect, I realize I should have gone back for the rake. Or shovel. Either would have been much more helpful than the long stick I used to pull the straw towards me.

I must have looked a sight with my odd garb and using a stick as a shovel. All five of the cats just sat there and watched as I destroyed their nests. I wish I had brought my camera, because they seemed to be watching me as if I was some crazy entertaining show. But goodness was that straw DUSTY!!! And I definitely forgot how much straw I put in there. But I was so afraid of them freezing to death (actually, I would have preferred if they could have had a little fireplace built into the igloos, haha) that I just piled that straw as high as I could.

Straw is great, because each cat can make their own little molded nest. Also, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the large igloo's straw smelled fresh, no dampness, no mold either.

Bugs, however, I am not sure. Some bugs are a bit small for me to detect, not that I really want to be out there inspecting the straw for fleas and mites.

Each of the houses seems to have good and bad qualities, so I can't really say which may be the best. I know that the super expensive insulated house SEEMS to be used the least, but that's really only going on the lack of footprints and "nests" in the house's straw. I've seen the two igloos used the most (cats frequently going in and out), probably because their type allows a better use of nesting and snuggling. Both of the wooden houses are built so that you can't really pile the straw in there.

I am pleased to know that the straw does a good job of keeping the cats warm, but also that the houses are not allowing too much moisture in.

After spending about 45 minutes in a swampy, wooded area, however, I am full of bug bites. So far *what I've read* has me feeling pretty certain I did not pick up some mites, but if my bites intensify, I'll have to have it checked out. The bugs love to chomp down on me anyway, so I'm sure they were simply delighted to feast on someone with significantly less fur than a cat. But I think I'd have to have direct contact with an animal that has mange? So I remain hopeful. = )

"Blogging Policy"

2010-04-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at work, we received a new "blogging policy." After reading it through, I realized I would need to go through my posts to see if I needed to change anything. Fortunately, I've used initials for most persons, and where I forgot, I simply changed them back. Also, although it may be simple to figure out where I work (I haven't named our hospital or organization, but probably other specifics), I'm sure no one really cares *that* much to figure it out. I do only have a few readers.

However, I really don't want to get "talked to" about my personal blog. I heard that this has come about because a person within the hospital network posted pictures of a questionable nature taken inside their workplace. And another was complaining about their work on some social networking site.

The only areas in which this policy affects me is that I cannot post pictures taken within the hospital or of our organization's events and I have to make sure I don't say negative things about my workplace or coworkers. Not that I do anyway, I know that this is a public blog - but I wonder how nit-picky they'd be... Is it safe to mention dissatisfaction with certain issues? I guess we'll just play it safe here. = )

Grizzly Salmon Oil

2010-03-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

I made my first trip to Lori's Natural Foods today. I want to be able to buy some things in bulk and avoid packaging, like rice, flour, beans, etc. Great store, but most of the food being local and organic, very pricey. They had a small pet section, which hosted many cat and dog supplements - great, too, because I had been wanting to buy some fish oil to add to their food. Mellie and Domino have coarse, dry, and extremely sheddy (probably not a word) fur. The fish oil is supposed to promote "healthy skin and velvety fur", and I'm hoping that "less shedding" somehow comes into play with those two.

There were a couple of different kinds of fish oil: cod liver oil, salmon oil, anchovy oil... I'll be honest, I decided on the smallest and cheapest one - 4 ounces for $7. But hey, at least it won't hurt. Oh, and I just looked it up on Amazon, and it advertises "less shedding." I really truly hope so! I will sing a song of happiness!

As soon as I came home, we tried it out. Noms will eat anything. You could tell that he recognized something was different, but he chowed down after a split-second hesitation. Mellie left her food to steal Noms'. It was as if she thought he had something different, but after stealing a bite, I put her next to her food again, and she ate without an issue. Smidge, however, is definitely more picky. She sniffed it, then left. Waiting for something better. I left her food up on the table, staying in the area to make sure the other two don't eat it. This was two hours ago, and she has finally ventured a few bites. Probably only because she's super hungry now.

I actually don't mind if Smidgie doesn't like the salmon oil, since she has a super soft, less sheddy coat anyway. Figures, too, because she's black, and I would definitely rather have black fur everywhere than white, but no...

Leaving her food up there, whether it's wet food (she eats wet food extremely slowly), or too much dry food (she gets full faster than the others), or food with fish oil (oh no, it's different!) - it's difficult. Noms tries to be sneaky and jump up there to gobble it down. (He's like a child stealing the candy here) Mellie is ever so persistant about reaching up to knock the dish off the table so she can eat it. So I'm constantly on guard, with my eye on the table, because I know Smidge will go back to eat. Just don't know when. But there she is now, eating all her food. Go Smidgen!

It would be lovely if the salmon oil does help us out with the fur problem here. I'll let you know in a few weeks if anything seems different. Are there any other good supplements for pets I should know about? I'm off to find out via the internets, but if you have any ideas, let me know!

I splurged on the drop trap...

2010-03-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

Now watch, I won't need to watch Snoopy anymore and will be out $175.

In researching drop traps, and trying to find someone that is capable of making them well, I found the Pawzenclaws Ebay page. Which led me to their own website. Because of Dr. Pierson's review of the ACA drop trap, I want to make extra sure that the trap I buy is not going to be made by someone who hasn't done their own research. So I read through the Pawzenclaws website, watched their youtube video, and came away feeling good about the trap. But still needing to be absolutely certain. I decided to email the "seller" at the Ebay page, asking how their trap compares with Dr. Pierson's review of Alley Cat Allies' trap. They wrote back, answering my questions wonderfully:

Hello Susannah,

Thank you for your email. I like someone who researches before delving into something new. To begin, I would never make a claim that any trap is "safe". One hopes that an intended capture goes smoothly but sometimes unforeseen things happen. There is inherent danger for the user and the animal in the use of such device. Now, in regards to the integrity of our foldable drop trap I am completely confident in its intended use. If you visit our website www.pawzenclawz.com and click on the "details" link; we list the items of construction which differ in comparison to ACA's and a few other drop traps out there. We knew the design could be improved of what was being offered out there so we set out and did just that! Now, I've read Dr. Pierson's page in the past and agree with much of her feedback. In all fairness to ACA this was based on their "old" drop trap. They do have a new one on their website under equipment however, it is not yet for sale. I do believe they have repeated some of the same flaws and presented new ones such as using pine, fabric netting, making the trap too light, and not offering an anchor flap to hold a weight. With this said, I do give ACA much respect for their TNR campaigns as well as their educational publications they make available. Also, if you haven't done so YouTube offers lots of videos educating the beginner with how to use drop traps. Check out our page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U26h8D_nHEI which has feedback from several people who have purchased our foldable drop trap and even someone who hasn't but likes our design (his site is great). Our design encompasses Dr. Piersons's suggestions for ACA's changes including - safety of the mesh, hardware, wood, and overall design. Most importantly, our design/materials offer stability which is required for any drop trap. Building a drop trap that is "debate free" is almost impossible. Example: We've read that the concern of the drop trap of injury to the cat's tail. So with this in mind we designed the contoured sides. A few months ago I heard from a gentlemen (this is on our YouTube page) who said he's had several hundred captures and not one had a tail injury with the trap he built that had flat bottom sides. We are delighted to have had the opportunity to meet, email, and speak with those involved in rescue efforts. Susannah, I hope I've answered your questions and I wish you the best of luck. Please contact me should you have any further questions, comments or suggestions.

Darlene A. Hatton

She certainly did answer all of my questions. I went ahead and ordered one of the traps - now I just have to order the transfer cages through the hospital! Dr. R said that the cages I want would probably be better for surgery handling anyway, which works out perfectly...

Bergan Scratch Lounger

2010-03-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

After reading through Moderncat's list of favorite cat scratchers, I decided to buy this one from Bergan because it is incredibly inexpensive. I don't have a lot of money, but I could definitely afford the $9 it cost me (including shipping) for this nifty piece of sleeping/scratching furniture. (You can find it here)

What I like about the lounger is that it's 100% recycled material. Interesting design, sturdy, but as light as an egg carton. You can even flip it over to play with the hollowed out parts! = )

All the cats seem to like it, but Mellie being Mellie has claimed this new piece of furniture. She loves to sleep on it. I haven't seen them scratch it yet, though. They've never scratched anything except corrugated cardboard and sisal rope, so this is a new substance for them. I will put some catnip on it to encourage them, but even if they just use it to sleep on, I rather like it and do not regret buying it.

Good for the earth, creative use of materials, and the cats like it. I think we all win!!!

Stranger & Company

2010-03-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

The weather has been turning from a snowy, sloshy mess to a rainy, sloppy mess. But the cats seem to be happy with the increase of warm sunshine. (Jehzar, with Stranger and Torrini in background)

My feeding station really only serves one purpose well: keeping the water clean. Which is wonderful, since it's a pain to drag the watering can along with the food to the back gate (now padlocked due to rumors of burglers in the woods), but was not very helpful in keeping the cats out of the wind and snow. Also, five cats eating in such a small place does not always produce happy, lovely feelings with purple butterflies floating lazily around their heads.

Fortunately, I've been able to show my coworkers that at least 3 bowls are needed so that everyone gets a chance to eat. Telling them had little effect. Showing them that Pickle gets shoved to the side every time there are only 2 bowls produced an "oh, poor Pickle! He'll go hungry!" Happily for all cats, there are always three bowls now. Two heads in one bowl are fine, but three do not fit well because our Stranger (above) likes to hog the bowls.

As the ground dries up, I will have to haul some new straw out to their houses. I am glad that they have all made it through the winter, especially with that crazy blizzard we had. I had to go out there with a shovel and make paths to their houses because the snow completely covered their doorways! I was very happy to see little footprints leading to the smaller insulated house (the only time I've seen evidence of its use). I hope they all snuggled and made nice when it was freezing outside, because boy was it ever cold.

Speaking of making nice, Torrini here has something going on with his eye. A couple days earlier, it was all crusty and oozing, but it is clear again, although still swollen. Fight, most likely? We will be keeping watch over it and trap him if it seems necessary. Which is why I'm hoping to get a drop trap, because it would make it ever so much easier to trap these guys!

We've yet to trap Pickle (above), another reason we need this trap. Every time we put the regular traps out, Stranger and Snuggle go right into them. They won't let Pickle investigate. As of right now, we only have two traps, so we can't even trap them and hold them off the side to try to get Pickle. Those two are just food hogs! We even went out with a net, but couldn't separate Pickle with the food and get close enough to net him. Very frustrating.

Snuggle, our second food hog. The most meowy one, as well.

All the cats love this stick pile. I can't imagine it'd be comfy, but I suppose it's warm and dry in the sun. It's especially cute watching them snuggle up together on the pile in their little nests. I've tried to get pictures, but haven't been successful yet...

It's been a while...

2010-03-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

Since I've written. Almost a month! I've been looking for apartments and houses and such. I may be moving out with a friend in May or June, but we are both quite limited financially, which narrows our options. Pets are also an issue - I have three cats, she has a dog. A pitbull, whose breed suffers from much breed specific legislation. He's a very sweet boy, friendly to most people (shy with some men), loves to play with other dogs, and gets along well with cats. (I'm more worried about my cats attempting to eat him than vice versa, haha) But he's a PITBULL all the same, and many people have trouble looking past that.

We found a wonderful little half-house with a backyard, pets okay, cheap enough for us, but they couldn't hold it until May 1st. I'm hoping we'll be able to find another place, but the pickings seem to be slim.

I will be pet sitting in April for a lovely family dog named Snoopy. The family is going down to DisneyLand/World (which one's in Florida?) and wants someone to stay with their dog during the evenings. I'm kind of excited, because I will be using the money to buy a drop trap. I would make one, but let me tell you, my making anything will not result in something even remotely safe. However, I want the one I buy to be very safe and well-made as well, so I'm trying to make sure before I buy (not that I have many options here, either). But trying to trap with just regular traps is simply not working the right kind of magic I need. Dr. R said we could buy a couple of more traps for the program, so I'm going to see if we can buy the ones with rear sliding doors that we can use with a drop trap for transfers.

Does anyone have any suggestions about drop traps? I believe there is a link somewhere on the right side that goes to the Drop Trap Design Bank blog, which has helped me out the most. Also helpful was Dr. Lisa Pierson's review of the Alley Cat Allies drop trap (http://www.catinfo.org/alleycatalliesdroptrapreview.htm) and her own personal sites on how to make a quality trap (http://www.catinfo.org/buildingadroptrap.htm) and even remote control traps! (http://www.catinfo.org/Remotecontrol-droptrap.htm) Actually, I spent the last hour perusing her pages on cat food, urinary tract issues, pilling animals, and the importance of water. It was all quite enlightening and informative. Definitely check it out if you belong to the under-informed group such as I do. = )

Georgie-Muffin and Ian

2010-03-02T16:51:00.000-08:00

Playtime!

George was a little scared of Ian at first, but he loved being out to play so much that he soon forgot his fear. = )

Trying to climb the tree.

Ian doesn't know what to think of the baby.

So he plays with his little fur ball while george explores in the back.

George was boarding at the hospital for about a week. Isn't he just the cutest thing ever???

We let him out to play with Ian a few times since he had no scheduled playtimes.

His eyes are so beautiful!!! = )

I think he was staring at Ian in this picture...

I love this picture!!! He was so cute trying to be a big boy and climb the tree, but it was a little difficult. = )

What Not to Let Happen to Your Cat

2010-03-02T16:03:00.000-08:00

These pictures may seem a bit gross, but I am always horrified when a cat is brought to T, a groomer, who is so completely matted that the fur must be slowly shaved off - as if you are carefully skinning the cat. It's a good thing she's so good with the animals, because it is *so* easy to nick a cat when shaving them.

This is what she had to shave off the poor cat, who was only about a year old. This is almost the entire body of the cat!!! Because the cat was so incredibly matted, she had to get extremely close to the skin to free the cat.

You can see how thick the fur was. You couldn't even pull it apart - it was seriously like another skin to the cat.

What I've been wondering, though, is do mats hurt? If the fur is so tangled that it becomes a second skin, there's no brushing it out - is it painful for the cat? Also, when long-haired cats are stray/feral and have no one to brush their coats for them - does it get matted like this? Can it be as a protective mechanism, if it does?

The dogs kept trying to grab the fur while I was taking pictures. I almost wanted to give it to them as a toy, but felt that might be a bit disturbing... We'll stick with fake fur toys for now. = )

P.S. Rio went to her new home in New Hampshire. They have lots of land for her to run on, two kids, and two cats. She'll be well taken care of. It made me sad to have to say goodbye, though, because I know I'll probably never see her again. But a good ending, so that's all that matters. = )

Random woman, random insight

2010-02-24T15:50:00.000-08:00

(deleted stuff due to new "blogging policy" at work and personal info on employees)

Anyway, being an animal hospital, the woman started talking about her indoor/outdoor kitten at the end of the meeting. I forget what exactly she was saying about the cat, because I couldn't believe that here was an intellgent 30-ish looking woman, AND SHE DIDN'T KNOW THAT SHE SHOULD NEUTER HER INDOOR/OUTDOOR KITTEN. Now, it's not really that this particular woman didn't know, but how she was talking about "Oh this cat got this one pregnant, and I didn't know which one was mine, etc" as if this was all commonplace (which I know it unfortunately is). I know that a lot of people don't understand how important it is for animals to be sterilized, and I know a lot of people have so many other things on their mind that it doesn't occur to them as a priority. But this woman seemed averagely smart, averagely aware of important issues, but she didn't realize that she is playing a part in the overpopulation issue.

T immediately stepped up and told her how big of an issue the cat population is, that the hospital is involved in sterilization of feral and stray cats, and that she should get the kitten neutered ASAP to prevent more babies. (All in a friendly, conversational, non-preachy way, of course...) And I started telling her about males fighting and spraying, and possibly spreading disease, all of which are major incentives to get the kitten neutered. She didn't know this more specific stuff about *why* it's good to get pets sterilized, but it was surprising that she didn't think it was important in the first place, even (*especially*) to simply prevent more babies.

I mean, the animal-loving community is here to spread important, vital information on pet care, but it is surprising to me at times how little info the general population is in possession of. And sad, because the more educated we are on these topics, the better care we can provide to the animals living in our communities. It is important that we spread the message of spay and neuter, but we need to remember that people need to know *why* to sterilize their pets. We can't just say "overpopulation" and expect them to understand. We have to say "no pets in heat. Less fighting. Less spraying. Less wandering. Less spread of disease, especially in males. Less reproductive cancers/issues in females. Calmer animals (usually, right?)"

I think we forget that the people who don't work with animals simply don't know what we do. I forget this all the time. They don't know why over the counter meds don't work, they don't know why they're puppy can't just have one litter before she's fixed, they don't know that unneutered male cats are many times more likely to get FIV. So yeah, it's all about education. And NOT JUDGING PEOPLE at the same time. B/c I know very little about human medical shit, and I'm sure my step-mom thinks to herself "I can't *believe* she hasn't been to the doctor in that long!"
Definitely something worth thinking about.

And Smidgen makes 3

2010-02-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

Smidgen is the baby of my three cats. She loves to play with those outlet protectors. Knock them down the stairs, meow as if a baby had been dropped down a well, then race to the bottom to save it! It's a great game to play, I suppose...

Another picture with her favorite piece of plastic....

Baby Smidge, curled up in her favorite blanket.

Smidge hiding from the world in her snuggle sack. She is really only a pair of eyes, her body no longer exists. At least, she would probably prefer it that way. She's very shy, hates to be walked at, and spooks at odd things like leaves in the window. She is a bit silly. She is very gentle, however, and will tolerate pretty much anything from a human.

My cats aren't as cute as some others', where the cats sprawl out with their tummies exposed to the sunlight. Maybe they're afraid I'll poke them? So when I saw Midge like this on the chair, I squealed! I haven't seen her lay like this since. So cute, though.

She looks like she's yelling at the birds or the dog next door. Which makes it amusing in my mind.

They do love the summer time when the windows are open. I do, too. It's one thing I miss the most about summer when it's gone.

Black cats are so difficult. Most pictures I have of this girl, she looks like a pair of eyes on a fuzzy black sock. Hah. At least she's a cute, fuzzy black sock!

The Noms

2010-02-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

I can't sleep. (Too much caffeine today.) So here are 3 of my favorite pictures of Domino. He is Domino, b/c, well, obviously. However, I have met a Domino more perfectly domino-ish than he. She has one spot on one side, two on the other. My Domino just looks like a cow.

He loooooves the cube. It is his favorite spot. You know, his nose used to have a large area of pink on it. I should find pictures to show the change of pigmentation over time. I wish the other half of his chin was black, b/c then it would look like a goatee. Silly, but it would make me happy. Sharpie, maybe? (just kidding)

Book surfing. He doesn't quite fit, but shhhhh, don't tell him. He's sensitive. By the way, Domino is my cat. I know I post about other people's pets and feral cats, so I thought I'd throw that out there. He's one of the three cats I took from my mother's. She didn't get her cat spayed, she had babies, and my mom didn't want to keep them. So I took the babies. They're two and a half now. (Her cat is still not spayed, but fortunately, the cat doesn't go out and there are no more cats in the house anymore. I've tried to get her to understand the importance of spay/neuter, but if you knew my mom.....)

Domino's had many names in his short life, but it's usually The Noms now. Sometimes Gurgle Man. (He gurgles/purrs very loudly when it's munch time.) And Mimo. I think the evolution of "The Noms" was something like Domino-Yomino-Nomino-Noms. And "Mimo" was what the little boy-next-door called him. (Actually, I don't know what he called him, b/c I don't think it was English, but it definitely sounded like "Mimo!")

So that's Noms. He's a good boy. He's really just a large pile of pudding. With a girly, squeaky meow.

Oh, and he does tricks, too! I've yet to get a picture, b/c it's hard to angle the camera just right when I've got a treat in my hand and Noms is desperately trying to get at it, but he can "sit" (most of the time) and "beg." Obviously, I can't show you a "sit," b/c, well, it's a sit. Haha. But I'll try to get a picture of his "beg." We're working on the tricks without treats, but there's not much motivation for him unless he thinks he might get a treat... (I'm lying, they don't really get treats. They only get pieces of their food b/c I'm mean like that. And Noms is a bit chubby, so he doesn't get many extras. I haven't even bought regular treats in over a year...) Oh, and he usually responds to "come here." If he wants to. So maybe 50% of the time? And tapping. He's about 95% on top of the tapping. If I tap my bed, he'll hop up. Or my lap, or the top of the bookshelf, or the windowsill, wherever.

I've been pretty lazy lately. I need to teach them some new tricks, b/c they're quite good at the "sit," "beg," and "come here." What should I try next? = )

Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand

2010-02-10T20:29:00.000-08:00

This is my Rio. She is a fluffy mix of something. Chow was suggested. Shepard, too. But I am bad with identifying dog breeds, so don't ask me. Her mom went on a skiing trip with family and had some sort of heart attack/stroke while fixing her boot on the slope. She was sent to the hospital, but unfortunately did not recover. Rio's fate was uncertain for a week: we were trying to find someone to adopt her as was Rio's owner's family. I wish I could take her - she is a great dog. It turns out that Rio's mom's best friend will be taking Rio in.

I hope Rio will be happy at her new home, but I think it means that we may not see her again. The woman does not live in Rochester, I'm pretty sure. I'm glad I got to know Rio better before seeing her leave for another part of the country, though. She's very shy at first, but gets so excited about getting to play outside, especially laying in the snow (and eating it!), as you can see in the pictures. Rio is 7 or 8 years old, pretty mellow, even when playing, but a serious love bug. She loves to just hang out. She's a super wonderful dog and I truly hope her new family is just as fantastic. I'll miss her, as she's been staying with us for quite a while now. Her new mom will be picking her up at the end of the month.

This is Ella. (I think she's 5? or 6.) Pretty much any dog I post about will be one I adore, so I guess I shouldn't keep saying how much I love these dogs, huh? Ella is funny. No one knows her playful side unless they take her out on her walks. In her run, she is very quiet, borderline depressed. But as soon as she steps outside, she's a different dog. She's excited to be alive! She's very well-behaved, but when she doesn't want to come back in, Ella will simply ignore me. And run around as if we're playing - which is hard to not give in to. Oh, and Ella is a big dog, too. Waist level on me, I think? (I'm about 5'4")

This is Casey. Casey is about 8 years old and is completely, utterly, OBSESSED with tennis balls. She will bark at you nonstop until you throw that ball. She cannot get her mind off it, even for a moment. But it's great, b/c she is the type of dog that will bring the ball right back to you. Oh, and if it happens to roll away? She's right there to scoop it back up and place it within an arm's length. All you have to do is look at her like, "Excuse me, Casey. I am lazy and that is too far for me to reach." And she's right on it, making everything easy for the all-important game of fetch. Unfortunately for poor Casey, she has some hip/joint/arthritis problems and can't go too long playing this wonderful game. But as I said, she is OBSESSED. She can't be soothed by petting or treats (for long, anyway). So we tend to toss the ball short distances away. Then everyone's happy!

Casey, looking up at me, wondering why I am not throwing her ball. You can tell that she is not relaxed in this picture. Every muscle in her body is tensed for when I release the ball. I think the only time she relaxes is when the ball is in her mouth - or there are no balls to be found...

I wish I had been able to take a better picture of Zee. Zee is a wonderful boy, UNLESS he happens to see another dog. He is a bit nuts around other dogs and only wants to cage-fight. Out in the backyard, though, he loves zooming around at top speeds and peeing on everything, of course. He's also great to play with and loves to cuddle. I don't know where it came from, but I call him my Firecracker. (I've decided I want to name my next dog Firecracker. Firecracker and Hippie...)

And lastly, this is a super cute picture of Ian and Dylan. Ian has started becoming more adventurous. More playful. He loves tennis balls and little fur balls (that I make for him out of his own endless supply of shedding fur) and those jingly balls. And little, bouncy, rubber balls. He has also taken to lounging on comforters in the playroom, spazzing and attacking the stuffing as if it's alive. He's quite amusing. Unfortunately, even with the increased attention and space, he seems to be meowing more. And I can't really say I know why. I can tell when he's meowing for food. And for attention, but the rest of the day, I have no clue. And sadly, he has the most irritating meow. It's very nasally (is that a word???) and whiny. He better not keep it up when I take him home with me!!! Haha.

RIT, the Bean Farm, and Factory A's Cats

2010-02-09T08:02:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad to be helping out RIT's Caring Hearts program. It's nice to be in league with people who have the experience and resources that they do (and I don't). So far, they've brought in 2 cats from the RIT campus and 2 from the Bean Farm right here in Henrietta. I believe they are going to try to bring in two more from the Bean farm this Friday.

I think I've mentioned before that in addition to TNRing their own campus' stray and feral cats, Caring Hearts tries to take on one "project" at a time. Their most recent venture has been a farm (not very far from my house, actually). The owner of the farm, Mrs. B, takes care of the barn cats, but was a bit overrun when Caring Hearts stepped in to help. They've sterilized over 35 cats there, I believe. Being a farm, and right on a main road, I imagine that heartless and uneducated peoples drop their cats off in the near vicinity. Fortunately, the situation has been stabilized, but she's had some recent additions. Two were brought in last Friday, both all black, one missing part of his tail, I think? She will be trying to trap a couple more for this Friday.

RIT's Caring Hearts will also be lending a hand to the leader's brother's factory's cat issue. Wow. Bad sentence. There is a factory... with kilns... and kilns are warm, I'm thinking. At least, some cats got in, made a home in the empty kilns, and started making babies! They went to fire up one of the kilns and heard babies mewing! Can you imagine how horrible it would have been to have not heard them? I'm so glad they decided to make noise at the right time. Fortunately for those lucky kitties, all found good homes.

Some of the cats are tame, some are feral. Most of the workers are coming together to raise money for the cats to be sterilized and to find homes for the socialized kitties. The feral ones will be brought to our hospital for surgery and will be allowed to live out their lives at the factory. The cats need to be done ASAP, though, because as time goes on, the more babies made, and the more of a "nuisance" they will be. The people in charge at the factory are okay with a small number of sterilized cats living on the premises, but if the population explodes, they will want to call an exterminator. Hopefully they will only have ten to fifteen cats at the factory when they are sterilized and rehomed.

This factory is not in Henrietta, but when I talked to the CSR supervisor, she said that because we are working with the RIT group, and the RIT group is the one helping them, we can let it slide that they are not located in the town.

I wish we could help everyone. I wish we could spay and neuter 50 cats a week (haha). But I guess slow progress is better than no progress...

The Limpers

2010-01-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

When Dr. R came back to the kennel for a visit, I told him about Pickle and Jehzar limping. I wanted to know if there was anything we could do about it. I expected him to say "no" as they are feral and we can't treat them in the typical sense, but surprisingly, he told me that if I trapped them, he would look them over for any wounds/abscesses and give them an antibiotic shot to help them heal. Both have been limping with their left front paws in the air, Pickle more so than Jehzar, however. (Pickle doesn't even want to rest his paw on the ground, as you can see in this picture)

I was hoping to get Pickle in the trap, but Jehzar wandered in. Dr. R looked at his legs and everything, but didn't see anything to be concerned about, so we let him go again. He has been walking almost normally anyway, this past week. I'm hoping to trap Pickle this weekend, because he is still hopping about.

RIT's group brought in two cats this week. I guess everyone was surprised that they donated $40 for each cat. I'm pretty sure that I told them that they wanted to pay the same here as they had been paying at Lollipop, to make sure they weren't taking advantage of what we're doing, but maybe they didn't remember? Or thought they'd change their mind?

Also, another woman contacted Habitat for Cats about the Tipsy colony. I guess she wants to help out with trapping, and may be able to help out financially, as well! Which would be great, of course! = )

"Barb"

2010-01-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

Kate and I went to art therapy today. Except, it wasn't really art therapy b/c everyone had gone elsewhere? So she and I spent the time with two older women, Kate painting, me starting a little book. I've never been in a therapy group sort of thing before - this should be interesting.

After the art therapy, we went back to her house, where I looked up Jefferson Veterinary Hospital to find out their next available appointments. Kate and Jake ended up bringing the sick kitty home with them to get her some proper vet care. They decided that they would keep her if healthy (i.e. negative for FIV/FeLV) and rehome her if positive. (They already share their house with another cat, Gabby.) Jake determined that if the cat is theirs, he doesn't mind spending the money on vet bills to get her healthy. It just makes me *so* happy that someone is taking responsibility for this poor cat.

She's looking pretty shabby, this cat is. Patches of scabby, hairless skin due to fleas and scratching. Sluggish, not very responsive, and all the other things I mentioned in my previous post. BUT, I made an appointment for Kate and Jake to be seen tonight. I found out that Jake was pretty worried about her as well, too. He didn't want to get attached to her before knowing if she was too sick or not, though. So I took Kate and the cat over to meet Jake at the animal hospital and called a couple hours later for an update.

"Barb" (her old name, not being kept, however...) is negative for both FIV and FeLV (yay!), and is scratching so much b/c of flea bites that got infected. I guess she had an allergic reaction to the fleas? (I forget the actual name he used for the condition) She's a bit anemic (due to the fleas, most likely) and a bit malnourished. They were given some proper flea meds and some fiber stuff (?) to firm up her stool. The Dr. thinks she's just very run down and needs a little tender, loving care. They go back in a month for a check up and are out to get a kitty shirt/sweater to keep her from scratching/biting any further at her scabs.

Gabby, their resident cat, goes in a couple of weeks to get her shots, tested for FIV/FeLV, and to be spayed. It's about time, too! = ) When the new kitty is healthy again, she will go back to get her vaccinations and surgery as well. I'm really hoping that after the girls are spayed, they will get along together. Until then, they will be kept separate.

I really like the Dr. that they went to. He's a bit goofy, but super nice, and his prices are definitely more affordable than some of the surrounding vets in this area (including the one I work for). I took my cats there when they were kittens, for their vaccinations and surgeries. I only switched when I started working at Companion, b/c of the pet benefits I receive. When I am not working there, I will probably switch back over.

Everyone send this kitty some good healing vibes!!! We want her healthy and happy in her new home!!!

Update on Milton and Wanda

2010-01-24T17:23:00.000-08:00

Milton, first day I met him. Very shy.

Wanda, not very shy at all. = )

I had emailed K and R about a week and a half after they adopted the two cats, but never got a response. I will admit I was a little worried - how do you know the people who seem so nice in person aren't really animal torturers??? It's definitely hard to trust people you've only met once and talked to a couple of times, because even when you think you *know* the people, they can turn around and surprise you with actions and words you wouldn't have thought they were capable of. Fortunately, in Wanda and Milton's case, the owners seemed to have accidently skipped over my email.

I emailed again about two weeks after not receiving a response, and got one about a day later. Both are eating well, and Wanda's stools seem to be staying normal. K wrote that they are still timid, staying mostly downstairs, but will come upstairs at night. Wanda has even started sleeping at the foot of their bed. Both cats seem to be fine with their two beagles. It works out quite well for the cats, actually, because the two dogs are afraid to go down the stairs and need to be carried if it is necessary for them to go down. So the cats have as much time as they want to get used to their new house without much interruption from people and dogs.

Milton is a bit shyer than Wanda (not surprised) but will let K hold him for about a half hour each night before he takes off. She says he'll meow at the top of the stairs until someone peeks around the corner. Then he'll just stare at the person and start creeping around the house slowly, as if he needs permission. "He is quite the character," she wrote. That he certainly is.

I'm so glad to know that they are doing well, especially knowing that they are getting along fine with the dogs. Also especially that Wanda is continuing to have normal stool. I was really worried that she would start having diarrhea when switched over to a new diet.

Yay! = )

Stranger and Company

2010-01-23T21:50:00.000-08:00

This is my band of merry fellows. From left to right: Pickle, Torrini, Snuggle, and Stranger. They certainly are brave souls, daring to rest inside the fence when dogs may come out at any moment. I do fear we may have an issue at some point, because the cats usually only run away when chased - and only have a couple of areas they are used to escaping through. I'm sure they can climb the fence if need be, but I really don't want anything ugly happening if they get cornered by a dog...

There is a small hole nearby that they come in and out through. Most dogs are quite good about the cats. They either ignore them or give a half-hearted chase when the cats happen to be inside the fence. Some dogs, though... I had a freakout couple of minutes when I brought a dog (Suga Pie, it was) outside, she saw the cat, cat went running through the space, dog tried to follow. I dove after the dog (knowing how strong this dog was - knowing she could probably get through this hole if she really desired to do so) and was able to leash her. There is also Moby - when he sees a cat, you CANNOT tear his attention away. He will howl at those cats until the sun goes down. He's bigger and can't climb, but you never know what he may try to do to get at the cats. I certainly don't want him hurting himself, so I usually keep him inside when I know the cats will be at their feeding station. (Once he saw Ian through the door while in the playroom. He could not forget about him. He insisted on standing at the door, barking and howling. No treats, toys, or amount of love could turn his head. I ended up picking the big guy up and putting him in the tub to calm down. We spent our last ten minutes with me chanting: "Petting is better than barking. Petting is better than barking." I don't think he agrees fully, haha. He's a wonderful dog, playful and sweet - until he sees a cat. Then you can be sure he's forgotton all about you.)

We don't feed the cats inside the fence. Their houses and feeding station are on the other side, in the wooded area. Besides simply being cats, I don't know why they like to go inside the fence and hang out. Maybe just waiting to be fed? Maybe they're hoping by waiting closer to the building they'll get their food faster? I just fear they'll be attacked one day, or encourage a dog to try to escape. But we'll deal with that when it happens... (This is Jehzar, by the way)

Stranger, wanting me to put his food down and Jehzar in the left corner. Their houses are in the background, but you can't really see them. We have one large igloo, filled with straw and covered with a tarp with some more straw in between for a bit of added insulation. One small igloo, raised above the ground by a discarded tire, filled with straw and covered by another tarp with straw in between. One small, wooden house made by Feral Villa. Nice, insulated little thing - I hope they use it when it's cold. And lastly, one large wooden house made by Jeremy, for his Boy Scouts project. (The other three he made are being donated to other cat colonies in our town.) That filled with straw, as well. I've seen them use the igloos, but not sure about the wooden houses. I don't know really which ones they like best, or if there's one they don't use at all. I have seen footsteps to all entries, but that doesn't mean much.

Torrini, waiting in his little hideout by my improvised feeding station.

Pickle is limping. Has been limping for a couple of weeks now. He keeps his left front leg up while hopping around. I'm not sure if there's anything we can do...

Torrini, bothered by the fact I'm taking pictures and not leaving. He had a couple of bald spots on his back several weeks ago, but his hair appears to be growing back nicely, lately.

Snuggle in the hideout.

Pretty boy Stranger.

Jegzar and Snuggle. Waiting. Dylan said he's seen Jehzar limping, too. He looked perfectly normal these last few days, however.

Pickle, favoring his front left leg, as you can see in this picture. = (

This is my grand feeding station. Big blue tub on its side with its top as a roof. Large rotting log on top as anchor, with dead leaves strewn about as camoflauge. = ) The blue tub is sitting on two discarded tires and houses their water and one bowl of food. I believe Snuggle is in there in this picture. The two larger tires in front help keep the snow out of the tub. I packed the tires with decaying leafy matter to make them into tables, really. We put straw down over the snow so they don't have to stand directly on the snow all while they eat. It works pretty well.

Three bowls are set out so each cat gets a chance to eat. They move around constantly, maybe trying to determine if one bowl offers something better than the other. Sometimes one will smack the other away, but they share for the most part, I believe. I've started putting just a little bit of water to their food for added moisture. I bring out fresh water every afternoon when I feed them, but it freezes overnight...

I've really grown attached to these five boys. I hope they're staying warm enough on these cold nights. They all better be snuggling up with each other nicely!!!

Tipsy's Cats... Again

2010-01-21T12:46:00.000-08:00

We're back in business with the cats at Tipsy's. I emailed Habitat For Cats about these cats, as I wasn't getting anywhere, and she told me they had a volunteer who was looking into the situation and would tell her to email me to see how I could help. She did email me a couple of days ago, telling me that she has been focusing on food and shelter at the Tipsy colony as well as a Hess station colony for the past couple of weeks, and was wondering what I'd suggest next.

Habitat for Cats charges $45 a cat. None of the people who feed want to have anything to do with donating money for these cats to be fixed. They don't even really understand the importance of fresh water and shelter. And though the hospital offers the surgery free of charge, they can't really do every cat for free. What I really don't want is for us to run out of funds right away and not be able to help anyone at all. (There are 40-60 cats between these two locations...) So we need to try to come up with some sort of plan to secure funds for Companion.

I've been trying to come up with a plan for a raffle, especially since no one at work is really helping out. I keep bringing it up, but I can't really do it all on my own. I did however, write up a whole plan which I will be talking to someone about tomorrow.

Habitat for Cats can offer a couple of freebie slots, but of course they can't do too many, either. I hope that this woman and I will be able to figure something out.

As soon as all of the paperwork is completed, she and I should be able to start trapping the cats at both locations. Not really sure where the Hess station is, actually. Maybe on Jefferson Rd?

I informed her of our limitations, how we can't schedule surgeries, but instead look for open spots to take advantage of. That we can't do more than two cats a day. That we can only help a couple colonies or caretakers at a time. With diligence, though, we should be able to make a difference.

I hope to be able to convince someone to help me take over the huts that J built, as well. They are too big for my little car. (The huts are great, by the way. All Boy Scouts should make these things!!! *thanks J*)

I am looking forward to actually working with someone. At Wendy's, I had the LV'sand Mrs. L. At the hospital I have my coworkers and such. At Tipsy's, I didn't really have someone to help, which made it quite frustrating. N told me that there were several areas in which the cats were being fed, which is part of the reason why it was so hard to trap the cats - they could go elsewhere for food!!! I had been really boggled by the fact that there were over 20 cats in that small area and no one want to come over and try to get the food out of the trap.

Anyway, I have to work in the morning, so i should stop my rambling. = )

My Logie Dogie

2010-01-21T11:18:00.000-08:00

This is Logan. He is one of my absolute favorite dogs ever. He has the softest, velvetiest ears and muzzle. I like to joke about harvesting his ears for my "collection."

He is the perfect blend of dog, honestly. He is calm, super friendly, loves to play and run around, but seems so grown up about it in the process.

He is extremely mellow, enjoys people and other dogs, and loves to cuddle.

His mommy says he has always been a super mellow dog, even as a puppy. I always tell her how much we love him every time he leaves. Because we do.

All the girls love Logan. He's that wonderful. If stealing weren't a crime, and if his mommy wouldn't miss him, I would totally snatch that boy away. = )

A little irritated and sad tonight...

2010-01-18T18:33:00.000-08:00

Kate has been talking to me for a couple of weeks about a cat that her boyfriend's friend took in. The cat was found in someone's garage, and this guy (Tait, I believe) said "I don't mind cats. She can live at my house." Which was nice and well-intentioned, but of course the cat never went to see the vet. And wasn't getting the litter box concept, as she had been living outdoors for a while. So he stuck her in the basement. It was nice that he didn't throw her back outside again, but you can't stick a sick cat in the basement without proper vet care and no sort of social contact. That's not a life.

Kate has been great, trying to help this poor kitty. Treating her for fleas, trying to make sure she stays warm and well-fed, but the cat is sick and needs to see a vet. I've tried to come up with solutions for this cat, but they're not going through. The guy says he doesn't want to pay for her medical bills b/c he's not going to keep her. Kate doesn't have any money, and her boyfriend says it's not his responsibility. Which I get, I really do. I've talked about how if I move in with Kim, she's got to understand that I'm not going to be taking care of Onyx. That he is her responsibility, and when I want a dog, I will get one.

But this cat has no one who's "responsible" for her. And that depresses me. Tait, in all reality, should be, and *is* in my opinion. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks the same as me: when you take an animal in your house, you are obligated to provide the best care possible. I understand if the guy is poor, felt bad for the cat, and offered her a warm place to stay. But if he has the means to take her to a vet and at least make her a bit more comfortable, then, yes, I believe he is responsible for that. How can you deny at least minimal health care to this helpless animal simply b/c she doesn't use the litter box regularly (due to living outside or other medical issues) and you, therefore, don't desire to keep her?

Life shouldn't be about who's responsible. It should be about taking action b/c it's the right thing to do. If Kim ran away or something drastic like that, would I hand her dog over to the shelter? No, of course not. He'd probably have a limited chance at adoption b/c he's a pit bull mix, even though he's super friendly and loving. I couldn't do that to him. He's not my responsibility, but when someone or some animal or some thing comes into your life, you have to try to do what's right. Simply b/c if you don't do what's right, how do you know anyone else will???

Kate asked me tonight if I wanted to come down on Wednesday to go with her to take the cat to a shelter. I told her no way. There is no possible way I can help her take a poor, sick cat to a shelter and feel okay afterwards. B/c we all know the no-kill shelters have waiting lists, and what are the chances a cat who's already sick and doesn't use the litter box properly is going to be adopted out into a loving family at a regular shelter? Slim. Hearing about this cat saddens me greatly, b/c no one is willing to step up and take this cat to a vet to be taken care of. I have offered to help pay for meds, but there's no one to actually take responsibility for this cat. To take care of her. But I can't help take her to a shelter, b/c I will have her face forever engraved upon my mind. The second she becomes real to me is the second that I fall into that pit of sadness where lost souls cry out, asking why they weren't saved. And I can't let that happen.

In the meantime, I will try to think of another solution for this poor cat. Feel free to suggest anything. I am new to this sort of heartbreak.

RIT cats

2010-01-17T16:54:00.000-08:00

Have I written about the cats at RIT? I don't remember and can't seem to find anything referring to it in previous posts...

I suscribed to a RIT's Caring Hearts Yahoo group, really just to feel connected to others doing the stray and feral "cat thing." It can feel quite lonely sometimes, feeling as if you're the only "cat person" around. No matter what anyone says, there is a definite negative stereotype associated with those who go beyond owning a cat or two. Or those who seem to think cats are on par with dogs. If you talk about your cat the way you would a dog, you are a "cat person." And cat people are weird, right?

I used to protest when I was referred to as a "cat lady." No matter how much I protest, however, those who came to know me through work think of me as a cat person. I attempted to explain that I love dogs just as much - but happen to not share my life with one at the time. (Thanks, Dad) I would try to show that I started the "cat thing" through working at the animal hospital, educating myself on pet overpopulation, and meeting a feral cat in the woodsy area behind the hospital. But I'm still referred to as the "cat lady." One woman even went as far to say that she could never see me sharing my home with a dog.

For some reason, I take major offense to that statement. Nobody likes to be stereotyped in the first place, but certainly not when people are being downright rude about it! That's like telling someone who wants to have children some day, "I can't see you as a parent." Oh, well, thank you. I definitely appreciate your input and will keep your opinion in mind as I go on with my life.

Fortunately, my friends, especially the ones who knew me before I got into this "cat thing" know me more. They know I am more than a person who cares about cats. And they like me for me. Which may sound a bit corny, but it's something I comfort myself with when I am frustrated with closed-minded (is it close or closed???) people.

Anyway, by following RIT's Caring Hearts group on Yahoo, I found out that they needed a place to take their stray and feral cats to be sterilized, as Lollypop has suspended their program for the time being. And preferably a place that doesn't charge full price for a stray or feral cat. As they are located here in Henrietta, they're eligible for our program. I contacted one of the group leaders to tell them about our program (and our limitations) and soon everything was set up to go. At that point, they had no new cats to be fixed, but she emailed me this morning telling me that they will need three spots when available. She also wants to call me to tell me about their new "project." The group takes on one particular place (besides RIT, of course) at a time, trying to help their surrounding areas with their feral/stray cat issues. They've done a couple of farms here in Henrietta, with great success, I believe. I'm kind of excited to hear about where they want to help out next, because I want to be involved. I am quite inexperienced as of yet, and always benefit with a little bit of direction. I'm hoping I become more comfortable taking the lead as time goes on, because sitting back and letting others control the reins just isn't doing it for me, lately.

SW (acronym to protect privacy) invited me to come with her one evening as she makes her rounds around campus, feeding the cats. I need to take her up on that when I talk to her next. I think it would be interesting to see how others manage their colonies. I always wonder if I'm doing enough/doing things right. I'm sure anything is better than nothing, but after a while, you tend to care about your feral cats and want to provide for them as best as possible. I used to worry that the people at work didn't care enough to feed the cats on my days off, but over time, I've realized that not only do they feed them b/c it's part of their job now, but they've come to care about them enough to notice when one doesn't come for food, or when one has some bald spots. Or to notice that their water has frozen over and they need to refill it. I feel much better about not coming in on my days off anymore to feed them. I know now that my coworkers do care enough to haul their butts out there, even in the wind and snow, to feed them and give them fresh water. And it makes me a bit happy. = )

Spay/neuter clinic

2010-01-05T18:03:00.001-08:00

I volunteered at Rochester Animal Services' spay/neuter clinic a few weeks ago. Each clinic within the Monroe Veterinary Association does one a year. The vets, techs, and ACAs can sign up to volunteer.

I was in charge of the recovery room. De-tubing the spayed cats, making sure all the cats woke up okay, recording the amount of meds given to each cat. Checking the incision site to ensure they had been altered, giving them a towel or pee pad to lay on in case they went to the bathroom in their cages.

I liked helping out. A lot. It was nice to see 30 cats' lives forever altered. I only wish they had allowed more cats in. We were done before noon - it seemed like we could have easily done ten more.

There was one cat, drooling up a little sea in his cage. I made sure everyone checked on him, just in case the drooling wasn't normal. I had to change his pee pad three times - it was soaked! They said it was just a reaction from the meds. Every other cat seemed pretty normal, though. The spayed cats took a bit longer to wake up, as was expected, but otherwise, nothing out of the ordinary.

Except for the chicken. When we first walked in to the surgery area, looking at all the cats in their carriers, getting ready to start taking them out and weigh them, we noticed the chicken. In a cage with some newspaper shreds. It had been found on the streets of Rochester, supposedly, and was brought to the shelter. I found out when we left that they had euthanized it.

That poor chicken.

There were a couple of cats in the cages in the surgery room. Above the chicken. It hurts to think that they may have been slotted for euthanasia, like the chicken.

T wanted to show us the dog she liked as we left. He was a big, beautiful Mastiff sort of dog. I hope he finds a home. And doesn't scare potential adopters off with his booming bark and jumping up on the cage in excitement.

On a side note, today has been the most boring and aggravating day. So much so that I just want to go back to bed right now. *sigh*

Miraculous

2009-12-29T20:33:00.000-08:00

Guess what I have??? The BEST. NEWS. EVER. It may not be as good as someone gifting me a brand new Honda Civic with eternal gas flow and the promise to pay for any damage/repairs, but it comes pretty darn close:

My dad took my car to the Honda place (dealership?) yesterday. I was all excited, b/c although I knew I would have to pay at least a couple hundred dollars for it's repair (just in case the other people weren't being truthful - my dad mistrusts car people, I guess), I knew it was going to be fixed soon. Driving even to and from work (which is only about five miles round-trip) has been anxiety-provoking. That little yellow light was constantly taunting me: "There's something wrong with your car. There's something wrong with your car." And I was afraid of the thing exploding for some reason. My dad assured me that it wouldn't, but that little light isn't very specific - so who knows what could have gone down.

It was practically blizzard-ing out that morning, so my dad gave me a ride to work. B/c of the weather at that time, he planned on not taking my car, as my tires aren't the safest. But after he gave me a ride home, he informed me that he did indeed take my car in. They first fixed my little plug thing that the hand-held-screening device hooks into. (You know that thing that tells you what's wrong with the car? I don't have words for it.) Then they checked it, and it was truly my catalytic converter. When he told me this, I got all disappointed, b/c then I knew I'd have to spend a lot of money.

But since this was a Honda place, they totally looked up the previous owner, the one who had purchased the converter, and they found out that IT HAD A TEN YEAR, 150,000 MILE WARRANTY. So they fixed it for FREE. Can you believe that? I did a little dance of joy when I found all this out. So today, I went to get new tires for my car. And you know what? They are unimpressive. I'm hoping they help me to not die in the snow, though. *laughs nervously*

But yay for warranties!!!

P.S.

2009-12-26T20:41:00.000-08:00

I got a GPS system for Christmas. Now maybe I won't get lost going Northwest when I'm supposed to be heading Southeast. Let's just hope I can figure out how to use it!!! = )

Christmas Adoption

2009-12-26T19:54:00.000-08:00

A man called me this morning about Wanda and Milton. His grandson had been been bothering him about getting a cat, so he and his wife started looking through Craigslist. When they saw my post, they realized getting two cats would be a good idea, so they could keep each other company. (I think that was their reasoning, anyway?) I told him that if he wanted to come visit, that would be great.

We met at the hospital around eleven in the morning. When I walked in to meet them, T told me that they had arrived a few minutes earlier, and that she had already brought the man back to meet with the cats. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Milton was not acting the scaredy-cat, but was rubbing up on the man like he was the greatest thing since canned food. Wanda was being her silly self, too, head-butting him and nibbling on his fingers.

His wife and grandson were waiting up front - I think he didn't want the boy's hopes to be raised by seeing the cats before they knew if they wanted to adopt them. Anyway, they all seemed to fall for their charms - Wanda grabbing on to their hands to make them pet her, Milton standing up on his hind legs to be petted. The grandson came back with the wife to visit and I was pleased to note that he didn't seem to be a pushy, grabby sort of boy. He was very gentle with the two cats, and seemed genuinely interested in having his "own" cats. (He liked all the other boarding cats as well, and was kind of freaked out by Ian and his one eye. Haha.)

I had a really good feeling about this couple. I tend to get uncomfortable inside with people I don't trust, and I didn't feel that at all with these people. And the boy, too. I've seen a lot of little kids that don't know how to behave themselves with animals, but this boy seemed quite sweet.

I explained to them about Wanda's sensitive stomach, how she needs a bland diet so she doesn't get diarrhea. They seemed fine with that. I made sure they knew that Wanda doesn't like to be picked up - loves to be petted, rubbed, to sit on your lap, but not picked up. Not sure if it's just uncomfortable or what, but some people expect a cat to be fine with anything, and I wanted them to know beforehand that she doesn't like it. But they seemed to understand that all cats are different. Also let them know that Milton doesn't like to be walked at. He runs away if you move too fast. Just something I thought they should know so they didn't think he was weird? (People are strange when it comes to reasonings why animals are "odd," when it's really something quite simple. And you never know who those people are.)

I let them take the two home today. I knew they wanted to adopt them when they asked "What's the next step?" I decided that I should go with my instinctual response and let them adopt them, and what better day than today? So they went out to buy kitty supplies while I wrote up a contract and let Ian and Milton hang out one more time. I gave them Milton's favorite bouncy ball and asked them to take home their wicker basket bed until they were completely comfortable with their new home. I didn't want to *give* them the bed, as it belongs to my cats, but I thought it would be nice to let them keep it for a couple of months so that they could retain some of the same smells as the place that's been their home for the last couple of months.

Ian's the only reason why this is hard for me. He's going to really miss playing with Milton and having the two hang out with him in the evenings. I made sure to give him some extra love tonight, but no amount of extra pettings is going to take the place of proper companionship. I hope I'll be able to take him home with me one day. Overall, I am very happy about Wanda and Milton being adopted. The two seemed like a wonderful couple, with a sweet grandson, and I truly truly truly hope that everything works out for them.

Wanda and Milton's Potential Adopter

2009-12-23T21:34:00.000-08:00

Adopted another cat. Very very very disappointing for me, as I really liked this man. But he was quite decent in calling me to inform me. An acquaintance of his had to give up her three cats to Rochester Animal Services. Two were adopted, but the third was left. The man went to adopt her to make sure she didn't get euthanized... Honestly? I'm very happy for that cat, that s/he was saved. (RAS kills about 70% of all cats that come through their doors.)

I may be the most cat-lady-ish person there, but I am not a miracle worker. I can't conjure great adopters out of thin air. There are thousands of cats that need homes, just in this town. It's difficult adopting a cat out - it takes time. You can't put a time limit on an animal's life, especially not when they're young and healthy. I'm hoping there will be no talk of taking them to a shelter - b/c although I had no say in allowing them to become hospital foster cats, I will not allow them to be sent to a shelter without a "fight." (I only put that in quotation marks, b/c I'm not very fighty-ish)

Milton has really come out of his shell, by the way. He and Bud Bud have become good friends. (Which further convinces me that when I leave the hospital, I need to take BB with me. I have a feeling he and Noms would be great friends. Noms needs a good Bud, b/c Mellie swats him, and Smidge gives in to him...) They especially love running around after tennis balls and little bouncy balls. It's so cute to watch them! Milton has also gotten better in allowing us to approach and pet him without thinking we're coming to squash him or something. Wanda is her sweet self still, giving head butts and pawing at you when you're not paying close enough attention to her. = ) They really are super cats and deserve a great home. (Just like the millions of other brilliant cats out there...)

I'm really hoping for someone special for these two!

Books

2009-12-23T19:22:00.000-08:00

I've been so excited about reading books lately. I just finished "For the Love of a Dog." About dog emotions, and thinking, and how their brains work, how they're similar to ours. I feel like I learned so much through that book. Facial expressions in dogs, insight into the way - and why - they think and feel the way they do... I'm no book review-ist, but it was a very, very good book. Something I'd recommend to all with pets, even just cats. And kids, too! It was so interesting and fascinating. Very clear with information, but the right amount of depth. Haha, I just loved it.

I borrowed two of Temple Grandin's books from the library today. They're looking really exciting, too. Oh, and I got that Dewey cat book, too.

I believe we're celebrating Christmas tomorrow, as both Rena and I have to work Friday. I got everyone books. Mystery/Thriller/Horror for Rena, board books for Brianna, and child-related books for my dad. About toxins in everyday life. And the effect of watching television in young children. They probably got me books, too. = )

I've been in a board/card game mood lately, too. But no one to play with b/c the baby takes up all Rena's time, and I don't trust my car enough to go anywhere but to work. I really want to play Egyptian Rat's Crew! And Speed Scrabble!!! Haha.

We're taking my car in after Christmas. We'll see how that goes... I've been thinking about how I rode my bike to work all summer. Now that I have the car, I can't believe that I did that. I'm a bit of a lazy person. If my dad had been less cranky, I probably wouldn't have. I guess it's good that he was, though. If I say so myself, I was a trooper. I just hope when the weather gets nice again, I will use my bike again, for some things. Maybe not to go to work, but I do like my bike. I do want to use it. I wish I hadn't bought it new, though. That was silly on my part. I'm sure I could have found a nice, used bike, for way cheaper. I had been in one of those stupid moods where you want something and you want it *now.* And so I bought the bike for way too much. For me, anyway. = )

So, RIT has no cats to be sterilized at the moment, Mrs. L hasn't called me in a while, and Tipsy's cats are on Habitat For Cats' list (and will contact me so I can help?). However, SW, the woman in charge of the RIT campus cats told me about an old man a couple miles away that feeds the feral cats at his house, near a Chinese food restaurant. I guess he's a little out of it or something??? Not sure, but SW said his neighbors and relatives help him feed the cats and such. They've been trapping the cats and taking them to Lollypop Farm (which breaks my heart, b/c I know they only get killed there as they're feral). But that they would probably be willing to trap them to have them sterilized and returned. So I'm going to try to get this man's information to help him out.

I'm starting to feel bad, b/c I'm kind of limited in how I can help these people out. I can't trap for people all the time - they've got to be willing to help with it. I can't provide a quick solution as trapping all the cats at once would do, b/c we can only do one or two cats a day. I can't provide a set day a week for this b/c of the differing schedule. I just keep reminding myself that something is better than nothing and that every cat that's altered is one cat who will have a better life b/c of it. It's a heart-breaking business, this is, caring for these animals.

Melian and the Cardboard Scratcher

2009-12-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

This is Melian, aka Mellie. I haven't ever posted about my own cats, have I??? Well, she used to be Mellie-belly, but we've been playing a lot more and has since lost the belly. (She loves the laser that much.) She was Moo-Moo at birth, b/c she and her brother reminded me of itty-bitty cows.

This is the cardboard scratcher I made for her. The two other cats like it as well, but it really belongs to her. = )

I made it a little bigger last week, but may enlarge it a bit more tonight. It's big enough, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind a little extra room. (Then Noms can lay comfortably on it as well.)

I didn't get any pictures of her scratching the pad, but she does adore it.

Another view. All three are very good about scratching only the scratching pads and posts. Not sure why, b/c I doubt it's my wonderful "parenting". I think it's luck/having proper scratching pads/posts from the day they were born. The only thing they're tempted to scratch is my uncovered mattress, but that's easy to avoid. Keep the sheets on!!! = )

I was over at http://www.moderncat.net/, reading the posts in the DIY section, where I stumbled across a post on how to make your own scratching pad. I was immediately excited, b/c I really only have sisal pads and posts. I bought two cardboard scratchers, but none for my cats - one was for the parents' cat, the other for my sister's cats. Mellie loved them when they were hanging out in the room, so I knew I should buy her one, but when I saw this post, I knew I could make one.

I'm not very crafty in the art sense. I can't paint, draw, build, sculpt, anything. I can, however, cut cardboard with a utility knife in straight, equal sections. (Go me!) And we always have cardboard boxes at work to recycle, so I knew I could easily obtain the materials. It's funny, b/c when I'm sad or bored or just in the mood, I want to *make* things. Artsy things. But as I mentioned, I am not very artsy-craftsy with the exception of making cards and scrapbooks. And sometimes, you get to the point where cards and scrapbooks just don't do it for you anymore. And making this has been fun for me.

I also made one for Bud-Bud at work. He likes it, the foster cats like it (even without their claws, poor things), and a lot of the boarders like it. I should enlarge that one as well. When I first started cutting the strips from cardboard, I was thinking, "I could make ten of these!!!" But as with everything, I go at a slow pace. I always feel the need to multi-task. I'll be measuring and cutting while watching a movie, then forget about the cardboard in my hands for a half hour. So it takes me a couple days to finish. And then I get a bit lazy, so I leave it for a couple weeks before I *actually* finish it, making it large enough for everyone. = )

It's fun making useful things. I love that *I* like the way it looks, my *cats* love to lay on it, sit on it, scratch it, etc, and it cost me nothing except for time while watching movies. Also, I like that I can flip it over if it gets worn down. Can't do that with the ones from WalMart. = ) (I need to find more things I can make!)

You can find the directions to make your own at http://www.moderncat.net/2009/01/18/recycled-cardboard-kitty-pad-from-designsponge/

The Boy Scouts

2009-12-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

During the summer, J was hired to work at our hospital's boarding facility. He only worked about two weeks, though, b/c his other job offered him a raise. (Lucky him) He called T a couple of months ago to ask her if there was any way he could help out/volunteer/raise money for our Hope Foundation/feral cat program. He likes to build, so she suggested he make some cat houses. (He's in the Boy Scouts, and needs to do some sort of charity project to make it to the Eagle Scouts)

I was behind the animal hospital a couple weeks ago, trying to rig up some sort of feeding station. I needed something big enough to allow all the cats to eat (they all eat together, usually) and something that will help protect them from wind and snow. Unfortuantely, I have little building skill and little money/resources. So I bought a big plastic tub, with the intentions of cutting a hole in it for a door, but I realized that though the tub is big, it's not big enough for even two cats to eat comfortably. I ended up setting it on its side, using the top as a roof, and weighing it down with a fallen branch. I hauled two tires over from the discarded tire pile next door and used them to support the tub off of the ground.

J scared me by his arrival. Wasn't expecting anyone to show up back there, much less a guy. = ) He had come to take pictures of the area, the cats, and the houses we already have. He helped me roll a couple more tires over to extend the "shelter"'s floor. I showed him our houses, what could be improved upon, and explained what I was trying to do with the tub and tires. He took some pictures, got one of Jehzar in the woods, and then left me to my pathetic attempts at a food shelter. = ) He did offer to build me one, though, after he finishes the houses, which I thought very kind.

I filled the tires with leafy remains to make an extended floor and attempted to camoflauge it a bit with branches and leaves. Then sprinkled some straw over the tub's floor and the tire tops. I have to say, it looks interesting, but all my work really provides nothing in the form of shelter from the wind, rain and snow for the cats. Unless they are right under the tub. I filled a smaller bin full of straw to keep out there, right next to the "shelter." I will use this to layer on top of the snow so they don't have to stand on the cold snow for a lengthy period of time. (An idea from SW, one of the leaders of the group that cares for the RIT cats.)

It is just *so cold* here in the winter. The wind seriously chills me to the bone. Not fun.

I'm looking forward to J's houses, though! We'll probably use one back there, then the others for Tipsy's cats, or other needy ferals.

Hospital Cats

2009-12-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

This is Wanda, climbing on the cat tree.

Milton, being very good, and posing for me. = )

He's gotten so much better. Not as freaked out as he was. Go slow, and he *loves* attention.

He was a bit scared here. Kept running away from me. These pictures are all out of order, but this was from a couple weeks ago? I think.

Spending time in the window. He's a lot more comfortable with you approaching him when he's higher up.

Scared of me and hiding. A couple weeks ago as well.

Wanda has always been very friendly. Doesn't much like to be picked up, but loves to be petted. She's very easy-going and a sweetheart.

Close up of the Bud Bud in the deflated cat cube.

What he does all day due to boredom.

Scared. And hiding from me. I'm so glad he's doing better now.

I brought my other wicker basket bed in so that they would both have a spot to rest/hide. My cats had forgotton about it, anyway. I hadn't seen it being used in at least a month. They used to both rush for the hidey spot, but now that they are more accustomed to us, they both feel comfortable in the top perching area as well.

Wanda has a silly-looking face. = ) Makes me smile. Maybe slightly cross-eyed? Just slightly, though.

There is a man who is interested in these two, but we need to figure out why Wanda is having diarrhea before she goes to a new home. We tried Flagyl, didn't work. Put her on Prednisone, and the stool seems to be hardening just a little. It's like pudding now. We're doing a food trial now, with the pred. I'm hoping it's something fixed with the right food, but finding the right food can be tricky.

The man lives with his mom (I think?) and takes care of her two cats. The one was recently put down due to cancer, though, and they don't want the other to be lonely, but are trying to decide if it's too soon to get another. Or in this case, two more. He called me on Sunday while I was working, but we were slow, so I gave him a call back. I decided to try to let him tell me about himself instead of asking him too many questions. He seemed genuine. Told me that he wasn't sure, but would like to visit with them to see how he felt. I told him to come any time we're open. He called back less than a half hour later to see if he could come that day. He did, and Wanda hit it right off with him, b/c she's super like that. Milton hid the entire time. He asked if he could come back the next day. To which I said "of course," of course. = )

I made sure to hold Milton for a few seconds on Monday so that he could pet him without Milton running away. And Milton warmed up quickly. I left them for a few minutes and when I came back, they were both being lovey with him. He spent about ten more minutes with them and left saying he'd talk to his mother about bringing two more cats in. He knows about Wanda's diarrhea issues, so I have to keep him updated on that. He seems like he'd be fine feeding her a special diet, but who wants a cat with chronic diarrhea??? Or, who wants to adopt a cat that has something wrong, but you don't know what? I'm really hoping her problems can be controlled with a specific diet, b/c this man seems like a wonderful person to adopt them.

I don't really know how bonded the two are, but I want to keep them together in case they are. They certainly get along well. He already said that he isn't interested in breaking them up, anyway. I'm glad he's sensitive to something such as that.

We'll see. I think I may call him Friday to see what he thinks/update him on how Wanda's doing. Hopefully better...

My car has abandoned me with selfish notions of dying

2009-12-09T11:57:00.000-08:00

My car's check engine light lit up early Monday morning. Took it to the car place next to the hospital on Tuesday. They say the catalytic converter is blocked, needs to be replaced. Which is around $1000, as mine is placed in a different spot than most others'? I don't know much about cars, but I do know that I don't have $1000. Maybe it would be cheaper if I order the part and then have them put it in? Or my dad? I don't know if he can do that, but...

I went to pick my car up this afternoon. My dad said he'll figure something out during these next couple of days. I stopped at the animal hospital to feed the feral cats since it was around noon. It reassures me that they still write "cats" on the noon list on the days I'm not there, but I still worry. It's hard for me to trust people.

I visited Ian for a couple of minutes while there. I was very happy to see that the two foster cats were allowed out. I texted T yesterday, saying if they had time, they should let the two out to spend time with Ian. He really enjoys the company of the other cats, and if he has the chance to spend time with anyone, we should make sure he can. She called me a "dork," but I was pleasantly surprised to see they were let out.

Whenever I mention that Ian is bored and lonely, I'm met with resistance. They either deny that he's bored/lonely, or say something along the lines of "It's better than living at the [insert hoarder's last name]." I don't know if she agrees, but instead of not knowing what to say, this time I said, "It may be better than living in the [hoarder's] squalor, but we can't dismiss the fact that he has emotions. That he's bored. And lonely." I tried to tell her about Ian and Milton playing together, running around, exploring together, to show her that he really does enjoy another cat's company. That he does enjoy more than sleeping and eating. And that that's all he does because he's bored. And lonely. You wouldn't think it would be so difficult to see this, but it's not just T. Everyone in the animal hospital refuses to acknowledge his emotions. That he needs more than a warm place to sleep and good food to eat. We all need more. Nobody wants to be lonely. I think it's so hard for them to realize that Ian needs more because they want to feel as if they've done a wonderful thing by accepting him as a hospital cat. And that's that.

People are complicated. You would think "animal lovers" would be in tune with animals' emotions, with their needs. You would think they would be able to find a way to do a good thing, such as fostering two cats from a hoarding situation, without complaining about it. Without giving the animals a time limit. Without making it seem as if it's even affecting them, when it's really not... I try my best to state what I believe in a non-threatening manner, b/c most people don't respond well to outright criticism, to saying that they're wrong, but sometimes, there's no way to put it gently. B/c they don't listen much, anyway. Haha. People are complicated. Sometimes they need a gentle remonstration of their views, sometimes they need a more firm opposition. But in my experience, arguments are never helpful. I've tried arguing. A lot. I don't think it ever helped any situation. Just made me exhausted and self-righteous. = )

I was very happy to see Wanda and Milton out with Ian today, though. Gave me warm fuzzies. = )

Job Searching

2009-12-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

The Lab Technician position is still being debated upon. I emailed to see if they had forgotton about me. It had been more than two weeks and I wanted to make sure that I hadn't gotten the job so I could comfortably move on. Lizz emailed me back yesterday and told me that they are still working on it, and I should know either way by this weekend. It's nice to know, even if I don't get it.

I was called about working at the hospital as a transport assistant last week. Unfortunatyely, he called me during work, so i had to call him back the next day. He didn't answer, so I left a message. He didn't call me back 'til Saturday morning, when I was working again, to say that he was scheduling interviews that day. Called him back, no answer, asked him if there was any other day, as I was working all day. Then finally, the last message: he wanted to know if I could come in after work for an interview. He answered when I called him right before I was about to leave work. He said to just come in and not worry about being in scrubs and smelling of dogs as "it's not a 3-piece suit job" anyway. Okay then.

It went well, was very informal. I'm assuming that he has many other suitable people interested in the job as well, so I can't see why I would get the job over them, but we'll see... The reason I *really* want this job of patient transporting is because I would be in a union. I'm sure there are some negative things about unions, but I would start at a higher rate than most jobs, I would get regular pay increases, and I would get free medical benefits. The people that I met in the break room seemed very easy-going, friendly, like your typical college-age students. I could pick up extra shifts if I wanted and I would get to choose if I wanted more hours if there's an opening, before the general public.

Wouldn't it be great if I got both jobs? Though, they never told me how many hours the lab tech one involves. She said something about "not full days" and "two days of weaning, two days of data, one day of something else." So what's a regular "full" day? Eight hours? So around six hours a day? Five days a week? I think I would choose the transport over the lab, but if I was offered both, it would be awesome if the hours were so that I could take them both. The only thing keeping me at the animal hospital are the boarders, of course. And Ian. And the feral cats.

It's not that I'm unhappy there. But I do feel as if I've reached the limit in what I can learn and offer. Though I consider myself to be more attentive to the animals' needs, I cannot work there forever. Simply put, I can't support myself on their wages alone. Fortunately, most animals that come to the hospital, whether for medical attention or for boarding, are not going to stay there for lengthy periods of time. They'll go home, and life will resume as normal. I worry about Ian, though. Who will give him any attention if I'm not there? Once a week is not enough. He can't be isolated from people and animals like this forever. He loves playing with Milton, the grey foster cat that's there. He loves spending time with other animals. He loves being with people.

I was thinking that when I moved out, if I made enough money to buy his food, I would try to take him with me. But if I move in with Michele, she already has three cats. And I don't think T's mom would want me to bring in *another* cat on top of six cats. Moving in with Michele seems like the easy thing to do. She needs a roommate, we like each other, keep to ourselves, work a lot... The cats would be interesting, but we're not stupid. We wouldn't throw them together right away. Anyway, I don't know what to do about Ian if I leave the hospital. Or the cats...

No More Soda???

2009-11-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

There's no more soda in the house. I almost went out to buy some more, but my dad asked me not to. He's trying to stop drinking so much of it. And if I buy some, even for me, he'll be tempted. So I'm going to try to stop drinking so much. Too. = ) We'll see how this goes.

Diet Pepsi is so my drug. It's my wee bit of happiness. *waaah* But I guess I don't want to die of Diet Pepsi poisoning, so I should kick this bad habit. In the gut. *stab stab* *kick kick*

Okay, I totally spilled water all over myself just now. NOT HAPPY WITH THIS WATER. NOT USED TO DRINKING OUT OF A GLASS. (just kidding?)

Consciousness

2009-11-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

A person who does not believe that animals possess consciousness is one who scares me. If animals cannot truly experience "conscious" life because they do not speak, because they cannot think about thinking about their thoughts... then what about children? Babies? I remember reading somwhere that previous scientists/doctors, whoever, believed that babies and children did not have the capacity for pain and consciousness. Now we laugh at that piece of craziness. Of course babies feel pain. Of course they experience consciousness. Of course they remember people, places, objects.

My sister used to ask me about people who speak other languages, "But they think in English, right?" (I think she still has difficulty with this, haha) Who are we to believe that because a person or animal does not speak our particular language, that they must not really be speaking? I'm sure people used to believe those speaking other languages were really just talking gibberish. But now, of course, we know they just have a different language. They're speaking, we just can't understand their language. But they can, they know what they're saying, they can communicate with others that speak their language. That's not so difficult to get, right?

So, animals. Have their own language. Why is this so hard to believe? How many languages are there in this world? How many species of animals are in this world? Why would it be so hard to accept that each species has its own communication system? Its own language. Just because we can't understand what they are saying does not mean that they are not truly communicating. If you were thrown into France, with no tutor, no high school French classes to help you out, how long would it take for you to learn the language? A long time. (For me, anyway...) And though animal languages may not be as developed as ours, they have a different way of communicating. A way that would take us a while to understand because we are used to spoken words, written words, the alphabet and number system. But letters mean nothing to animals. They use body language, barks, chirps, meows, growls, squeals, scents, and a bazillion types of markings.

So when my cat looks at me while I'm drinking my soda and the bottle makes a crackling sound, I know she's not thinking, "Hey, look at that soda bottle. Wonder if she'll share." But in that mind, in whatever way she thinks, she did look up at me because the bottle made a noise and she wanted to identify it. Animals have languages, they have thoughts, they make decisions, they have memories, they feel pain, they know happiness. They have consciousness.

"They" talk about animals being programmed. About living life in a kind of darkness. Just going through the motions of being an animal. About "mimicking" consciousness. Huh? How can you mimic consciousness? I highly doubt animals have been programmed to fool us into thinking they are conscious, when *haha* they really aren't! Fooled you, huh? It all seems like bunch of excuses from people who don't want to admit that we are morally, ethically responsible for how we treat animals. If animals feel nothing in their dark, preprogrammed state of mimicking consciousness, then we can go ahead and torture them to our hearts' content, correct?

Do these people have pets? So if I go to their house, I can go ahead and kick their dogs for fun, right? B/c they don't feel "real" pain? They're just faking it, right? They don't really believe this stuff, right? Goodness.

Like I said, people who actually believe that animals do not experience life with happiness, pain, language, actual thoughts - they scare me. Just because we do not understand how animals think - or what they're thinking - that does not mean they don't have language, that they don't communicate, that they don't have conscious minds. Why is the *human* understanding the basis for all knowledge? Just because we aren't able to figure something out does not mean it cannot be there. That's putting our understanding at an almighty level! Are we really that vain??? *Wow*

Job Interview Tomorrow

2009-11-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

The title says it all. I am, of course, feeling apprehensive. I'm not good with oral tests, and that's what an interview is. Give me a half hour with a pen and paper and I will answer all your questions, but orally? I don't do the best.

My body tries to shut down on me when I am anxious. I feel tired, bored, jittery. I just want to sleep. But I have slept months away before and am now aware that is *not* the way to go about life. Because when life ends, do you want to think "Sleeping was great!"? No. B/c "sleep" is all you do from then on. In a way. (Not sure what I believe on the after-life yet...)

The Feliway that I ordered online came yesterday. I sprayed it liberally on my bed and blankets. I debated between the spray and the diffuser. The spray is cheaper, but the diffuser spreads it about more effectively. Which lasts longer? The diffuser is supposed to last a month. I should buy a black light. B/c if Mellie is peeing anywhere else, I think I might go ahead and buy a diffuser. But right now, it's just the bed, so maybe the spray will help.

I'm just confused. I know that Feliway is supposed to help with anxiety, which makes sense, but I'm not sure if it will help in my case. B/c Domino ambushing Melian in the litterbox is probably not due to stress, but b/c he doesn't have enough room to play/doesn't have someone to play with. He wants to play with Mellie, but she stopped adoring him for some reason. (Probably b/c we're all cooped up in here. Who wouldn't get irritated with someone you're imprisoned with for a year?) So the spray may help Mellie from being anxious, but I don't think it will help Noms from trying to play with her. Unless he's doing it to be rude??? Or unless I'm totally off the mark here, and she's peeing/pooping on my bed for some other reason. Who knows. It may or may not help. We'll just have to see.

I can only interpret so much. Too bad they can't just tell me what's going on...

Speaking of limited space, Michele, a vet tech from work (but who works elsewhere now) asked me if I would move in with her. She's definitely desperate, because she has three cats and a dog - and the thought of trying to get six cats to get along isn't pleasant... She rents a condo through T's mom, her roommate kind of disappeared, stopped paying rent, etc. She's been trying to find a roommate, was thinking of buying a house, but things aren't working out. I don't think *we'd* have problems living together, as we keep to ourselves, mostly, but the pets might be an issue. My cats would be scared of her dog, our cats might not get along, somebody would probably start peeing, and who wants to clean up cat pee??? Not I.

But, I can only move out if I get another job. We'll see how this interview goes. Even if I do get a job, though, it doesn't mean I'll be able to move out right away. And how will K feel? I don't even know if she still wants to move up here...

One thing I'm all proud of myself for is remembering that even if the interview goes badly, that if I fumble for words and don't know how to answer their questions, it's not the end of the world. It sounds so cliche, but even if things don't go the way I want, maybe it's better that way. Things will be the same, and yes, we want change, but the *same* is not me dying, being tortured, living on the streets, starving, etc. It's just me trying to move along in life, seemingly a little slower than others. But that's me. I can't be anyone else, you know? Even if I try. I have to deal with the only me that I know. And sometimes, that's okay. = )

Burmese Momma and New Cat

2009-11-12T18:25:00.001-08:00

Mrs. L called me last Sunday morning, telling me that she had trapped the Burmese momma cat. She was very excited, as she didn't think she'd be able to get this one. I found out the next available date to take her in, which fortunately, was the next day. The cat was spayed, ear-tipped, and vaccinated for rabies and distemper. It didn't look like she had been pregnant recently, which is a good thing. = )

B/c of the weather, Mrs. L took her back home to recuperate for a couple of days. I hope she does well.

So, that leaves us with the grey and white momma cat, the two grey kittens, and the black kitten. Mrs. L is trying to get the kittens to socialize and rehome, but I have a feeling that the black one is too old for socialization. If so, we need to trap hir to be sterilized. So definitely one, possibly two more cats there at Wendy's. She's going to be attempting to trap the momma and babies with a large cage instead of a trap, and will call me when she's got her. At least baby season is over for the time being.

Oh, and I guess there's a new stray cat over there. Black and white, very friendly, gives love bites. I told her that if she gets him, to just give me a call and we'll get him in as well. I put an ad on Craigslist in case he's someone's pet, but no answers... He may be an indoor/outdoor cat, maybe lost, maybe abandoned... who knows. But at least if he sticks around, he'll be taken care of.

Collecting Cats

2009-11-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

This is Wanda.

She came from a house with WAY TOO MANY cats.

But she is very sweet.

This is Mittens. I don't even know if he has mittens. (Probably does, but still.) He came a day after his sister.

Our director agreed to take these two in from a woman who has realized she has too many animals and cannot take care of them all.

I hope a good home can be found for these two. They're very sweet, both declawed, altered, up to date on vaccinations, tested negative for FIV/FeLV, around age three... It's so hard to find homes for cats, though... Wish me luck!

Photos of the Tipsy Cats

2009-11-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

Cat went a bit in, but didn't go further. I'm going to be tying the traps up so that they can get accustomed to eating from them for a bit. They were a bit shy of them...

All the cats seem pretty young. Between four months and a couple years.

There's one of the babies that the bartender took home. About eight weeks, I think?

Tiny baby.

The cats seem quite used to human presence, will stay within a couple feet, but won't let you touch them. A couple meow for their food, but I don't know if any of them have ever been in a home.

They all seem black and white, with the exception of that grey one.

This one is especially outgoing.

Pretty kitty. The baby had no ear mites, very little fleas (if any), which is good. Dehydrated, though. Need to make sure they always have clean water available.

I wonder where they sleep at night. They need some sort of shelter.

A lot of them look way too similar. I hope to be able to tell them apart after a few visits...

Let's get y'all sterilized! Walk right into the traps like good kitties!!! = )

Tipsy's Feral Cats

2009-11-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

T and I are now involved in attempting to trap and sterilize the cats at a local bar. It's actually owned by the mom of a man who brings his dog here to our boarding facility. The woman has been feeding this group of cats for a while, another woman has been feeding the same group for over six years. Every day for six years. WOW. Did they not think of spay/neuter beforehand???

The bartender has taken home the three baby kitties. I brought the one to our facility just yesterday, as it has a respiratory infection. The third was finally trapped today. I believe she wants to find homes for the last two, but who knows. = ) She's a very nice woman, and I hope things work out well for the kittens. Now we just have to trap the other ten to fifteen cats!!!

Fortunately, the cats are being fed pretty well, but they need clean water and adequate shelter. I'm hoping to stress this to the people who are feeding them.

You look close enough, and there are cats EVERYWHERE. It's a bit scary. A bit overwhelming. Especially when our spay/neuter program is just a baby, and the kinks are far from worked out as of yet.

Also, we only have two traps at the moment, and the traps may not cover it when it comes to those who are too smart/too scared for them. I guess we'll figure that out when it comes to it, but I have a feeling it'll be *me* who does the figuring out.

Cats. *sigh*

Pictures in a moment. :)

Inappropriate Elimination

2009-11-05T09:40:00.001-08:00

I kind of like the phrase "inappropriate elimination." It sounds like a medical term, when really, it just means your cat is pissing and shitting where you don't want her to.

Mellie has started pooping and peeing on my bed. She only does it while I am not here, b/c I have a feeling Domino is ambushing her in the litterbox. Poop I can deal with, pee I cannot. I took her to the vet to make sure she is fine medically, but I know this is behavioral. They (the cats) need more room, which is something I cannot provide for them at the moment.

I am going to order a Feliway diffuser for my room, hopefully that will help. Until then, I was going to keep Mellie in the bathroom while I'm away at work or gone for a few hours, but it seems that my father has a problem with that. Because if the cat is in the bathroom, that means he can't go in there. Not that he uses my bathroom much, but the fact that he wouldn't be able to whenever it suited him just irritates him. B/c god forbid he enter a room in which my cat resides. God forbid the baby be near one of my cats. God forbid I find a temporary solution to help my cats WHO HAVE BEEN LOCKED IN A BEDROOM FOR ALMOST A YEAR. I am a bit upset right now.

Honestly, I would rather her pee on the bed than the floor, but if she stays in here and Domino keeps this up, she will pee anywhere she can to make sure he doesn't bother her. And that makes anything game. If they were allowed to leave the room, she would have plenty of opportunity to use a litterbox without Domino's supervision, but alas, no. My dad can't handle cat hair, can't deal with the cats, can't even stand to know they've been out EVEN WHEN HE'S NOT AROUND.

He told me I have two months to find her a home. I told him there's no way I would even consider rehoming her. I'm already looking for another job to move out, it's not like I'm sitting on my ass doing nothing.

Haha, find her a new home. If *God* told me to find her a new home I wouldn't listen.

I went to the library today...

2009-10-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

...and got a library card. It's been a long time coming, but when I had no license, it was a pain to ask to go anywhere, so it wasn't a priority.

I took out seven books, all on animals. Feral cats, animal emotions, animal rights, dog behavior, etc. I read "An Unlikely Cat Lady" in one sitting. Basically a memoir focused on how one woman became a "cat lady" through a pregnant stray showing up at her door. It was interesting, mainly because most people are encountered with stray animals in their lives and it really makes a difference what that person decides to do regarding that animal. Do you ignore him? Do you shoot him? Do you scare him away? Do you take him in? Do you try to find a home for him? Do you feed him? Do you sterilize him? One person can make an incredible difference in the lives of these abandoned animals, even if it's just those three kittens they found in the backyard. Or that dog on the highway. Or that cat that has been roaming the streets looking for something to eat.

I like how the author emphasizes that feral cats cannot be ignored into non-existence, they can't be starved off, they can't even be killed off. Though it does not make much sense at first, the only way to stop the population explosion is to sterilize them and take care of them.

Anyway, it was a good book. Interesting to read how an every-day person can get caught up in the plight of feral and stray cats and make a difference. Honestly, I feel like I am the same way. Yes, I've always loved animals, but I am not a collecter. Though I feel for these animals that must survive through horrible winters, little food, and no shelter, I cannot and will not take them all in. People assume I want to "rescue" every stray cat. I do want to help them, but I know my limits. I know I'll end up with more cats/pets in the future, but I am not going to take every animal in that comes my way. I want to help sterilize them, I want to make sure they have food and shelter, and if possible, I will help find them homes. But I do not fool myself in thinking that I can save them all. I know that I have many sad experiences and times of trial ahead of me, but I still want to do what I can. I expect to shed many tears throughout my life on the behalf of animals, but I hope to find kindred spirits who will help me through the pain.

On another note entirely, I am filling out job applications and sending in resumes. I have an interview tomorrow at the emergency animal hospital - we'll see how that goes. I don't expect they'll be able to pay me my minimum (which is still quite low) but we'll see. Otherwise, I'm applying for any sort of job at the people hospital. Honestly, I just need to make a little more money so I can support myself. Wish me luck, b/c otherwise, I'm going to be wheeling people around in the hospital...

Hooray! does a little happy dance

2009-10-18T08:05:00.001-07:00

KB's calico girl is being adopted today!!! The woman who came over Friday evening was just wonderful. She brought a friend with her, who fell in love with the little grey and white guy, but she's not sure how her resident cat would feel about a newcomer. (Maybe she'll change her mind, haha)

E (girl adopting calico) had two cats who were very bonded. One died about a month ago from congestive heart failure. She had actually brought her cat (Stinky?) to the animal hospital where I work, and Dr. R misdiagnosed him with an asthma attack, so he gave him steroids. Which sped up the process of killing his heart, and Stinky died two days later. You could just see how much she cared about her cat, and how horrible it was for her to go through this. I guess I had helped with the cat, b/c she told me that she recognized me, and that I was very nice to her. (Haha, good thing, too, right?) I vaguely remember handing over a grey cat to a woman, saying "Don't scare your mommy like that."

The other cat (Azrael?) is now very lonely, very needy, and probably wondering wher his brother went, poor kitty. So E decided to try Craigslist for a kitten, as she didn't feel like going through the whole adoption process through a rescue or shelter. Lucky for me! She found the post about the LV's kittens, but as they have decided to adopt all of them out through their friends and family, I pointed her to KB's calico. (They have more time, money, and patience than me, too, so I don't feel too bad.)

So on Saturday, I took both kittens to the Pet Saver Superstore in Greece/Rochester for their vaccinations. I got lost multiple times, but fortunately I made it there and back safely. = ) The kittens did great, and both got rabies and distemper shots as well as another deworming. I am so glad that the little girl is being adopted, because the vet assumes them to be around six months old, perfect time to start mating.

*update* E's friend, T2, decided that she really did want to adopt the little grey and white boy. I was really hoping that she would, as she really fell in love with him on Friday night. So, both kitties seem to have found *wonderful* homes and I hope they do great! I plan on emailing them in a couple of weeks to see how they are doing. E named the little girl "Bella" as she is petite and dainty. T2 named the little boy "Ichabod," which I think is the cutest name *ever.* Both like to take pictures, so do hope they'll keep KB and I updated. I'm still so excited that we finally found these guys homes! One less thing to have to agonize over! (Poor Onyx, though. I think he's a bit lonely now, without the kittens there to keep him company. When she's in a more stable position financially, she'll have to get him a friend.)

Skunks

2009-10-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

I have caught two skunks so far. They were both so cute, too, and boy am I glad that they did not spray me. They're all just, "Hey, how'd I get in here? Hey, how do I get out? Oh hey, look! A way out! Cool!" *waddle waddle waddle away*

Every time I mention the skunks, people tell me "Oh be careful! They can be angry creatures!" Granted, I know little about wildlife, but these skunks are so chill. Let's just hope they don't start spraying me, b/c my parent's would *kill* me if I came home smelling of skunk. (I might myself, haha)

What is it about skunks (besides the smell, of course) that makes people so concerned? Are they really that vicious?

P.S. What a great word, "waddle." I like it very much.