Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Strange Call about Feather

I got a message tonight. I was in the midst of watching the very last moments of a video, so I just listened to the message later. Sounded almost like a kid. She said her name was Victoria and that she saw Feather on the website and wanted to pick the kitten up as soon as possible, which also sounded like something a kid might say.

So I called the Albany number. A young adult female answered. I said I was returning the call, about the cat. She denied she'd made the call and said "yes", when I repeated the number to see if I had called the number I'd written down. I said "Is there anyone else there who might have made the call, a friend, a child?" She denied that also. I hung up, but the woman seemed sad or distant or something I couldn't put my finger on.

I wondered later. Was it a child who called? It was hard to tell on my muffled answering machine. I have Feather labeled on the website as a kitten I found at the rest area, near death from starvation, likely abandoned there. I wonder, did a kid recognize a kitten they had, that disappeared, or a kitten that was at a friends house who had disappeared suddenly back before Christmas? I wonder if whomever called knew Feather's origins.

Or was it just a child who wants a kitten and their mother can't handle having a kitten? Or did this person accidentally give the wrong number? The call came from a cell phone, however.

It was strange, I'll say, strange. But there's usually a reason behind strange happenings. They are rarely random or accidental.

Strange Call about Feather

I got a message tonight. I was in the midst of watching the very last moments of a video, so I just listened to the message later. Sounded almost like a kid. She said her name was Victoria and that she saw Feather on the website and wanted to pick the kitten up as soon as possible, which also sounded like something a kid might say.

So I called the Albany number. A young adult female answered. I said I was returning the call, about the cat. She denied she'd made the call and said "yes", when I repeated the number to see if I had called the number I'd written down. I said "Is there anyone else there who might have made the call, a friend, a child?" She denied that also. I hung up, but the woman seemed sad or distant or something I couldn't put my finger on.

I wondered later. Was it a child who called? It was hard to tell on my muffled answering machine. I have Feather labeled on the website as a kitten I found at the rest area, near death from starvation, likely abandoned there. I wonder, did a kid recognize a kitten they had, that disappeared, or a kitten that was at a friends house who had disappeared suddenly back before Christmas? I wonder if whomever called knew Feather's origins.

Or was it just a child who wants a kitten and their mother can't handle having a kitten? Or did this person accidentally give the wrong number? The call came from a cell phone, however.

It was strange, I'll say, strange. But there's usually a reason behind strange happenings. They are rarely random or accidental.

Another Breeder's Dogs Confiscated

The cost of spay/neuter, vaccination, parasite control, care, and adoption, when breeder's dogs are confiscated, gets shifted to others. Breeders need to pay for the cost of their behavior, I feel. Click post title to go to short article about 25 more dogs, most sick, taken from a breeder in Grass Valley.

Another Breeder's Dogs Confiscated

The cost of spay/neuter, vaccination, parasite control, care, and adoption, when breeder's dogs are confiscated, gets shifted to others. Breeders need to pay for the cost of their behavior, I feel. Click post title to go to short article about 25 more dogs, most sick, taken from a breeder in Grass Valley.

Movies

I've been watching some movies lately, to try to keep myself from doing anything that would make my pain predicament worse, with my spine and shoulder muscle issue.

I rented a couple then Jeanne from Baltimore has been sending me some. She sent me Dragonfly, which was ok for a Kevin Costner movie. I liked The Postman, too, another Costner movie she sent me. I'm not a Costner fan. He seems kind of bland or something, in his acting. I liked Field of Dreams. Sort of. I'm not a baseball fan, but I liked that one. I saw Dances with Wolves too, when it came out, but it seemed a little stereotypical Indian, on the other side of stereotypical, if you understand what I mean by that.

I know the settlers did terrible things to the Indians, drove them out of their lands, slaughtered them. In a way, the fact the pioneers and our ancestors did such things doesn't mix well, in my mind, with the current ongoing conflict about whether our country was founded as a Christian nation and whether there should be seperation of church and state.

We weren't founded on any Christian principles I know of, not in the manner we treated blacks and Indians. Jesus wouldn't have done any of that. So I think it's a moot point, to discuss "our Christian nation origins". Or to argue about whether the founding fathers intended religion to be part of our society and government. Well, I've slipped off path. Back to movies.

There are some out I'd like to see. Like Slumdog Millionaire. Like Knowing. I want to see the new Tom Hanks movie, too. I haven't been to a movie theater forever, but, I need to trap over in Corvallis again, near that 9th street theater, and instead of sitting in a cold car, dozing off, limbs going numb, be nice to watch a movie while traps are set. I could justify spending the money that way, too.

I broke the bank here, you see, with Miss Daisy's dental and Electra's broken jaw and three bad teeth. Having a bad shoulder and spine is a good thing, in a way, to coincide with my savings deleted. I don't spend anything trying to take it easy, to heal my torn muscle and inflamed spine. I've got lots of food here. I have got probably five bags of rice alone. That would last me four months without anything else. But I've got oatmeal and vegees, too, and a little bit of fruit. I've got some tortillas, some onions and I live usually, when I'm eating like I want to, not mindlessly, on rice and slightly sauteed vegee burritos. I love them and it's economical for sure. My favorite breakfast is a handful of almonds and an apple. So I'm trying to get back to my normal eating, too.

I go out in the garage twice a day to do some very gentle exercises after moving the car out. It's cold in there but I try to stretch a little first.

Today, I think I'll watch another movie Jeanne sent me: Triangle.

Movies

I've been watching some movies lately, to try to keep myself from doing anything that would make my pain predicament worse, with my spine and shoulder muscle issue.

I rented a couple then Jeanne from Baltimore has been sending me some. She sent me Dragonfly, which was ok for a Kevin Costner movie. I liked The Postman, too, another Costner movie she sent me. I'm not a Costner fan. He seems kind of bland or something, in his acting. I liked Field of Dreams. Sort of. I'm not a baseball fan, but I liked that one. I saw Dances with Wolves too, when it came out, but it seemed a little stereotypical Indian, on the other side of stereotypical, if you understand what I mean by that.

I know the settlers did terrible things to the Indians, drove them out of their lands, slaughtered them. In a way, the fact the pioneers and our ancestors did such things doesn't mix well, in my mind, with the current ongoing conflict about whether our country was founded as a Christian nation and whether there should be seperation of church and state.

We weren't founded on any Christian principles I know of, not in the manner we treated blacks and Indians. Jesus wouldn't have done any of that. So I think it's a moot point, to discuss "our Christian nation origins". Or to argue about whether the founding fathers intended religion to be part of our society and government. Well, I've slipped off path. Back to movies.

There are some out I'd like to see. Like Slumdog Millionaire. Like Knowing. I want to see the new Tom Hanks movie, too. I haven't been to a movie theater forever, but, I need to trap over in Corvallis again, near that 9th street theater, and instead of sitting in a cold car, dozing off, limbs going numb, be nice to watch a movie while traps are set. I could justify spending the money that way, too.

I broke the bank here, you see, with Miss Daisy's dental and Electra's broken jaw and three bad teeth. Having a bad shoulder and spine is a good thing, in a way, to coincide with my savings deleted. I don't spend anything trying to take it easy, to heal my torn muscle and inflamed spine. I've got lots of food here. I have got probably five bags of rice alone. That would last me four months without anything else. But I've got oatmeal and vegees, too, and a little bit of fruit. I've got some tortillas, some onions and I live usually, when I'm eating like I want to, not mindlessly, on rice and slightly sauteed vegee burritos. I love them and it's economical for sure. My favorite breakfast is a handful of almonds and an apple. So I'm trying to get back to my normal eating, too.

I go out in the garage twice a day to do some very gentle exercises after moving the car out. It's cold in there but I try to stretch a little first.

Today, I think I'll watch another movie Jeanne sent me: Triangle.

A Good Thing

The Heatherdale woman who trapped the tubby tabby did call SafeHaven and SafeHaven took her in today. She didn't seem too scared there. I was very relieved not to have to dump her out in a parking lot at Heatherdale, where she came from.

So that's a good thing to happen, for tubby tabby. I hope she gets a great home.

So the vet clinic graciously agreed to fit in the preg calico Thursday if I catch her Wednesday. Otherwise, I was unable to get appointments this week because they are so busy. Nobody wants to see more starving kittens born under trailers at that park.

The cat is for the most part on her own and eats on the porch of neighbors. She has already given consent for the spay at least, and really wants her inside cat also fixed. It should have happened last week, but then the cat got away from her when she tried to bring her out to my car, for some reason. I hope I can connect again with her to get that black cat fixed, too. I'll try catching her ex-calico at the neighbors.

Here's the good thing. The first time around getting cats fixed there, three years ago, maybe four, I took in over 90 cats to be fixed. The next year it was far fewer. Last year, in April and May, I took in 33 more to be fixed from Heatherdale. In the fall, a half dozen more. Now this spring, so far, I've only found five unfixed cats there, four of the five free-roaming and abandoned.

What I'm saying is, the diligence has paid off. Things are better there for cats. And as a result, for people, too. The first time in, I tell you, it was like a horror movie, with sick crying dying kittens everywhere. I guess that's why I scooped up 16 kittens right off, and still have one of them, whom I never found a home for, now a full blown adult. That would be Comet.

A Good Thing

The Heatherdale woman who trapped the tubby tabby did call SafeHaven and SafeHaven took her in today. She didn't seem too scared there. I was very relieved not to have to dump her out in a parking lot at Heatherdale, where she came from.

So that's a good thing to happen, for tubby tabby. I hope she gets a great home.

So the vet clinic graciously agreed to fit in the preg calico Thursday if I catch her Wednesday. Otherwise, I was unable to get appointments this week because they are so busy. Nobody wants to see more starving kittens born under trailers at that park.

The cat is for the most part on her own and eats on the porch of neighbors. She has already given consent for the spay at least, and really wants her inside cat also fixed. It should have happened last week, but then the cat got away from her when she tried to bring her out to my car, for some reason. I hope I can connect again with her to get that black cat fixed, too. I'll try catching her ex-calico at the neighbors.

Here's the good thing. The first time around getting cats fixed there, three years ago, maybe four, I took in over 90 cats to be fixed. The next year it was far fewer. Last year, in April and May, I took in 33 more to be fixed from Heatherdale. In the fall, a half dozen more. Now this spring, so far, I've only found five unfixed cats there, four of the five free-roaming and abandoned.

What I'm saying is, the diligence has paid off. Things are better there for cats. And as a result, for people, too. The first time in, I tell you, it was like a horror movie, with sick crying dying kittens everywhere. I guess that's why I scooped up 16 kittens right off, and still have one of them, whom I never found a home for, now a full blown adult. That would be Comet.

Photos of Clinic Cats

Sheep barn tabby female, recovering Sunday, after surgery at the FCCO clinic. 84 cats were fixed. She was one of three females trapped at the sheep barns for fixing.
Gray and white dairy barns female, one of 8 trapped there and fixed Sunday.
This orange female from the dairy barns was completely tamed and I guess dumped there by someone, producing offspring that weren't so tame. Anyhow, they are all fixed there now.
This is the Albany stray Lynx Point Siamese a woman has been feeding. He was fixed Sunday at the clinic. The woman has now located his brother, fed on another porch, a stray since he was a kitten. We're going to try to get him fixed. He looks the same as his brother, a Lynx Point, too, I am told.

Photos of Clinic Cats

Sheep barn tabby female, recovering Sunday, after surgery at the FCCO clinic. 84 cats were fixed. She was one of three females trapped at the sheep barns for fixing.
Gray and white dairy barns female, one of 8 trapped there and fixed Sunday.
This orange female from the dairy barns was completely tamed and I guess dumped there by someone, producing offspring that weren't so tame. Anyhow, they are all fixed there now.
This is the Albany stray Lynx Point Siamese a woman has been feeding. He was fixed Sunday at the clinic. The woman has now located his brother, fed on another porch, a stray since he was a kitten. We're going to try to get him fixed. He looks the same as his brother, a Lynx Point, too, I am told.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Kittens at Evanite and Breeder Lady Lies

An Evanite worker opened a door to a small outbuilding and a cat raced out. Inside, he found four newborn kittens. He quickly closed the door again, so the mom could return and so as not to disturb the kittens.

That area is a bad dumping ground. The apartment complex there doesn't help. Plus people have always dumped cats at Crystal Lake Boat Landing. It's so sad.

I don't have room for four newborns and their feral mom. Darn it all anyway.

I released the dairy barn cats this morning and collected my traps. Then I went to Lebanon and collected the 18 traps at the trailer park and took them to Corvallis.

I've been trying to find a place for the tabby female all day. No luck. I've asked the people who brought her to me to be spayed to come pick her up. I don't have the heart to take her back there. I don't. One of the pair of woman had pledged to try to get her into SafeHaven but I haven't heard a word on any progress on that. Doing this sort of work really is very difficult a lot of the time, very heart wrenching, very tear jerking.

Then it doesn't help much to see the opposition to the puppy mill bill in the Oregon house on TV---the breeder crowd. One fancy dressed breeder lady was telling the camera all enthusiastic righteous like that "prohibition never works". Huh, breeder lady, what in the hell are you talking about? Prohibition? I can tell you with all accuracy, breeder lady, that breeding is going on, at least in Linn County, on every street.

I guess the original bill would limit people to 20 breeding in tact dogs. There is nobody on earth that needs that many breeding age dogs. The problem not being addressed or mentioned is the massive numbers of healthy dogs and cats being killed in shelters, many purebreds, and the cost to taxpayers to do that.

The breeder mentality these opposers of the puppy mill bill encourage is directly responsible for the overflowing shelters and so many suffering animals. Those breeders lie like hell and say it isn't true, that not many healthy animals don't get homes or die in shelters.

But it is true. They don't know, because they don't want to know. They have no clue what goes on in the real world of cats and dogs. They're mother fucking fancy dandy liars, protecting their wallets, while standing in pools of blood they are responsible for. While pathetic little people like me, and so many other little people struggle daily in the shadows to save the strays, the results of the breeder mentality. The fancy dandy breeder people and their pimped out dogs and cats are a world apart from reality and they just don't care about the reality out there, caused by over breeding. They consider me and people like me the same as the strays beneath their feet, unworthy.

Hey breeder lady, with your red lipstick and fancy hairdo and smugness. Breeder lady, you live in a nice little bubble world, that in no way reflects the reality out there, of how many animals there are, suffering, because there are too many.

Breeder lady, you're part of the problem, distributing your lies. Get off your fancy dandy butt and get out on the mean streets and you'll cry like I do maybe. If you have a heart, you will. If you really love animals, you will, love them more, that is, than it takes to pump out litters to sell like cookies at a church bake sale.

Your white hands and white lies will be covered with the blood of the animals, suffering like they do, because there are too many.

And there are too many people like you, too, fancy dandy breeder lady, sorry to say. I say, scrap that puppy mill bill and start a breeder spay neuter program bill. Let's fix those breeders. Literally. Hahahahahahahaha.

Kittens at Evanite and Breeder Lady Lies

An Evanite worker opened a door to a small outbuilding and a cat raced out. Inside, he found four newborn kittens. He quickly closed the door again, so the mom could return and so as not to disturb the kittens.

That area is a bad dumping ground. The apartment complex there doesn't help. Plus people have always dumped cats at Crystal Lake Boat Landing. It's so sad.

I don't have room for four newborns and their feral mom. Darn it all anyway.

I released the dairy barn cats this morning and collected my traps. Then I went to Lebanon and collected the 18 traps at the trailer park and took them to Corvallis.

I've been trying to find a place for the tabby female all day. No luck. I've asked the people who brought her to me to be spayed to come pick her up. I don't have the heart to take her back there. I don't. One of the pair of woman had pledged to try to get her into SafeHaven but I haven't heard a word on any progress on that. Doing this sort of work really is very difficult a lot of the time, very heart wrenching, very tear jerking.

Then it doesn't help much to see the opposition to the puppy mill bill in the Oregon house on TV---the breeder crowd. One fancy dressed breeder lady was telling the camera all enthusiastic righteous like that "prohibition never works". Huh, breeder lady, what in the hell are you talking about? Prohibition? I can tell you with all accuracy, breeder lady, that breeding is going on, at least in Linn County, on every street.

I guess the original bill would limit people to 20 breeding in tact dogs. There is nobody on earth that needs that many breeding age dogs. The problem not being addressed or mentioned is the massive numbers of healthy dogs and cats being killed in shelters, many purebreds, and the cost to taxpayers to do that.

The breeder mentality these opposers of the puppy mill bill encourage is directly responsible for the overflowing shelters and so many suffering animals. Those breeders lie like hell and say it isn't true, that not many healthy animals don't get homes or die in shelters.

But it is true. They don't know, because they don't want to know. They have no clue what goes on in the real world of cats and dogs. They're mother fucking fancy dandy liars, protecting their wallets, while standing in pools of blood they are responsible for. While pathetic little people like me, and so many other little people struggle daily in the shadows to save the strays, the results of the breeder mentality. The fancy dandy breeder people and their pimped out dogs and cats are a world apart from reality and they just don't care about the reality out there, caused by over breeding. They consider me and people like me the same as the strays beneath their feet, unworthy.

Hey breeder lady, with your red lipstick and fancy hairdo and smugness. Breeder lady, you live in a nice little bubble world, that in no way reflects the reality out there, of how many animals there are, suffering, because there are too many.

Breeder lady, you're part of the problem, distributing your lies. Get off your fancy dandy butt and get out on the mean streets and you'll cry like I do maybe. If you have a heart, you will. If you really love animals, you will, love them more, that is, than it takes to pump out litters to sell like cookies at a church bake sale.

Your white hands and white lies will be covered with the blood of the animals, suffering like they do, because there are too many.

And there are too many people like you, too, fancy dandy breeder lady, sorry to say. I say, scrap that puppy mill bill and start a breeder spay neuter program bill. Let's fix those breeders. Literally. Hahahahahahahaha.

Albany public employee unions Refuse Pay Increase Freezes

The three unions representing city employees in police, fire and general city employees, refused a wage freeze, although all City of Albany management voluntarily accepted pay increase freezes. Click post title to go to story.

Here is the break down on city employee numbers. The 85 non union employees are the ones who very readily accepted the pay increase freeze.

"Currently, the city has 85 non-union employees, 186 in AFSCME, 77 in the police union and 66 in the fire union."

The unions said there is money there, if the city would not support nonprofits like the Boys and Girls Club. Albany routinely commits money to nonprofits that improve the community. Last year, for instance, Poppa Inc. received a grant to help fix Albany cats, through the city. That grant came from exactly the money the unions want for their employees, for pay raises.

With Poppa funds way down, Poppa applied for a renewal of that grant this year. If the unions have their way, it's doubtful Poppa will see a dime. Of the 939 cats I took in last year to be fixed, 250 of those were paid for by the Albany cat grant. I haven't done the numbers on last years fixes, but I will estimate two thirds of the 939 cats I took in came from Albany. At least two thirds. Last year was the first time Poppa received a grant from Albany.

I find it ironic, terribly ironic, because the police and animal control sometimes refer people to me, to solve Albany cat issues. I'm not paid by the city, and finally, finally, at least last year, with Poppa funds lows, came some huge huge financial relief in this effort.

And now the unions want the money, designated to go to nonprofits that increase livability, for pay increases. Ironic, it certainly is.

If, as a result of the unions stance, Poppa recieves no grant to help with Albany cats, when I get requests to help solve Albany situations, I'll just ask the requestee to please call the police department, or better yet their union, for cat problems, because they are supposed to address this issue under animal control and they are paid to do it.

I do understand people not wanting to lose pay raises. Especially those with families and children. If we don't get that grant, I might lose my job, since the funds are running out. I'm trying to figure out ways to make money for Poppa. I have three possible vending opportunities this summer. Midori is knitting more cat toys for me to sell at those events. I am making refrigerator magnets and greeting cards and someone else who adopted two of the Columbus Green Vanman kittens is sewing some craft items to sell, all to try to make money to fix more cats. I know that won't be enough, but I'm trying to come up with more ideas.

Albany public employee unions Refuse Pay Increase Freezes

The three unions representing city employees in police, fire and general city employees, refused a wage freeze, although all City of Albany management voluntarily accepted pay increase freezes. Click post title to go to story.

Here is the break down on city employee numbers. The 85 non union employees are the ones who very readily accepted the pay increase freeze.

"Currently, the city has 85 non-union employees, 186 in AFSCME, 77 in the police union and 66 in the fire union."

The unions said there is money there, if the city would not support nonprofits like the Boys and Girls Club. Albany routinely commits money to nonprofits that improve the community. Last year, for instance, Poppa Inc. received a grant to help fix Albany cats, through the city. That grant came from exactly the money the unions want for their employees, for pay raises.

With Poppa funds way down, Poppa applied for a renewal of that grant this year. If the unions have their way, it's doubtful Poppa will see a dime. Of the 939 cats I took in last year to be fixed, 250 of those were paid for by the Albany cat grant. I haven't done the numbers on last years fixes, but I will estimate two thirds of the 939 cats I took in came from Albany. At least two thirds. Last year was the first time Poppa received a grant from Albany.

I find it ironic, terribly ironic, because the police and animal control sometimes refer people to me, to solve Albany cat issues. I'm not paid by the city, and finally, finally, at least last year, with Poppa funds lows, came some huge huge financial relief in this effort.

And now the unions want the money, designated to go to nonprofits that increase livability, for pay increases. Ironic, it certainly is.

If, as a result of the unions stance, Poppa recieves no grant to help with Albany cats, when I get requests to help solve Albany situations, I'll just ask the requestee to please call the police department, or better yet their union, for cat problems, because they are supposed to address this issue under animal control and they are paid to do it.

I do understand people not wanting to lose pay raises. Especially those with families and children. If we don't get that grant, I might lose my job, since the funds are running out. I'm trying to figure out ways to make money for Poppa. I have three possible vending opportunities this summer. Midori is knitting more cat toys for me to sell at those events. I am making refrigerator magnets and greeting cards and someone else who adopted two of the Columbus Green Vanman kittens is sewing some craft items to sell, all to try to make money to fix more cats. I know that won't be enough, but I'm trying to come up with more ideas.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

84 Cats

84 cats were fixed at the clinic today. I didn't stay to volunteer. A woman who brought just one cat lost a beloved blanket of some sort that she either had over the carrier or inside it. I do suspect she might have been sneaking in her house cat to be fixed, but I don't know, didn't see the cat. Nor the blanket. It's too bad she lost it.

I think a good share of the cats were from Lebanon this time around. There were 11 from that trailer park and that many or more from an apartment complex. Plus others.

There were the 8 from the dairy barn in Corvallis, three of whom were females, and three more females from the sheep barns.

At least 84 cats were fixed. Someone drove up all the way from Triangle Lake with two.

I came home to tiffs galore here, amongst the cats. The old girl from Heatherdale, spayed preg Friday, is still in my bathroom. I made some pleas to other adoption groups, hoping one would take her in to adopt her out, but got nowhere on that. So tomorrow she has to return to life as a Heatherdale stray.

I am getting zero adoptions. Yoyo is causing problems here. He's super tame but doesn't easily get along with the other cats. In fact they attack him and he hisses and growls at them. It's been a misery. Mops fell off a cat run tonight. It was a horrible fall. He hit the wood stove on the way down, awkwardly. He seems ok, but I just carpeted that cat run, too, to try to keep them safe. It's the young teens who take immense chances. It's a wonder they survive.

I need to get some furniture, something, into the spare bedroom, then put the teens I'm trying to get handleable in there, so I can work with them. This creates issues, because it cuts out a third of the space in the house available for the rest of the cats. I can't work with them, however, running loose all over the house.

I have to find homes for a few cats. They're going stir crazy there being too many here, and so am I. I have to work harder at finding some homes.

The brief period in Corvallis was like travelling into light, in a way. All those bike and pedestrian paths, all those great parks and people out enjoying them. To come back to Albany, well, boy, kind of hard. Nothing like that here.

Just tonight, again, the irritating obnoxious odor of a probable nearby meth lab, I smell every now and then. Meth use and production is common here. I guess it must be a meth lab I smell but I don't know. Smells just like the ones I lived near in Corvallis, over in the Freddies district that were finally busted. I do live in the industrial district, however, and it could be some foul smelling periodic emission from one of the plants. A neighbor says it must be that, the industrial district, emitting something noxious now and then. I don't know, but it's really terrible.

84 Cats

84 cats were fixed at the clinic today. I didn't stay to volunteer. A woman who brought just one cat lost a beloved blanket of some sort that she either had over the carrier or inside it. I do suspect she might have been sneaking in her house cat to be fixed, but I don't know, didn't see the cat. Nor the blanket. It's too bad she lost it.

I think a good share of the cats were from Lebanon this time around. There were 11 from that trailer park and that many or more from an apartment complex. Plus others.

There were the 8 from the dairy barn in Corvallis, three of whom were females, and three more females from the sheep barns.

At least 84 cats were fixed. Someone drove up all the way from Triangle Lake with two.

I came home to tiffs galore here, amongst the cats. The old girl from Heatherdale, spayed preg Friday, is still in my bathroom. I made some pleas to other adoption groups, hoping one would take her in to adopt her out, but got nowhere on that. So tomorrow she has to return to life as a Heatherdale stray.

I am getting zero adoptions. Yoyo is causing problems here. He's super tame but doesn't easily get along with the other cats. In fact they attack him and he hisses and growls at them. It's been a misery. Mops fell off a cat run tonight. It was a horrible fall. He hit the wood stove on the way down, awkwardly. He seems ok, but I just carpeted that cat run, too, to try to keep them safe. It's the young teens who take immense chances. It's a wonder they survive.

I need to get some furniture, something, into the spare bedroom, then put the teens I'm trying to get handleable in there, so I can work with them. This creates issues, because it cuts out a third of the space in the house available for the rest of the cats. I can't work with them, however, running loose all over the house.

I have to find homes for a few cats. They're going stir crazy there being too many here, and so am I. I have to work harder at finding some homes.

The brief period in Corvallis was like travelling into light, in a way. All those bike and pedestrian paths, all those great parks and people out enjoying them. To come back to Albany, well, boy, kind of hard. Nothing like that here.

Just tonight, again, the irritating obnoxious odor of a probable nearby meth lab, I smell every now and then. Meth use and production is common here. I guess it must be a meth lab I smell but I don't know. Smells just like the ones I lived near in Corvallis, over in the Freddies district that were finally busted. I do live in the industrial district, however, and it could be some foul smelling periodic emission from one of the plants. A neighbor says it must be that, the industrial district, emitting something noxious now and then. I don't know, but it's really terrible.

Clinic Day

I was sooo happy last night when Nick ran out of traps and asked me trap some cats at the dairy. I was just going all stir crazy and cabin fevery. He'd set five, left, and all were filled with young teen cats when he returned, but he had no more empty traps to set. I went out to set three late last night, after his call, just as he was there to pick up the five, although he put the five caught into my car, since he had an open bed pickup and it was starting to rain.

We didn't wait there a minute, after he arrived and I'd set just one trap so far, before a gray tux young cat came out of the bales of hay and right into one of my traps.

So Nick went and got that one, hoisted it into my car, and was about to go get another trap with a cat in it, when a black tux short hair came trotting out. I grabbed Nick's arm, to hold him from entering the barn, and it was only seconds later that cat went into and sprung a trap.

I told Nick how difficult it was to see all those bales of hay without making myself a nice little nest way up top of the bales somewhere and taking a snooze. I love snoozing in amidst the hay bales, or laid out on filled grass seed bags stacked on pallets. There is nothing more comfortable in my opinion, except maybe snoozing on hay bales in lazy afternoon sun.

We'd seen a little fuzzy orange one too, so I told Nick I'd hang out a few minutes more, convinced that cat would be in a trap momentarily, which he was. 8 in all. I left traps set, but I think we got them all. None had been touched this morning.

I'd also been called by the Albany woman who feeds the stray male she rarely sees, so she's not been able to catch him. Well, last night she'd got him in. So he went over to be fixed, thankfully.

I didn't do any lifting at all. Others unloaded the nine cats. Then an old friend who used to live in Albany showed up. She looks terrific. She's lost 100 pounds since she got her stomach stapled last August. Unbelievable!

She's back in Corvallis to finish her degree at OSU, living with her folks, going home to NOrth Bend, where her hubby has a good job, on the weekends. She had done most of her degree while she lived in Albany, but then her husband graduated and got the job offer and they couldn't refuse it for her to stay here to finish school, that's for sure. So they moved down to North Bend. Anyhow, she's finishing now.

I taught her to trap when she lived, very briefly in Albany when I did, and I met her right after moving here. She wanted to get involved but then they moved. She's been getting involved down there. I gave her a trap. I figured it was a great investment for the cats of that area and it has been. The people who got me started gave me a trap. So I like to, if I can, give traps to the people who want to get involved. It was great to see her again. She had to leave, but she had come with a very in heat female, needed fixed, so we worked it in, even though she wasn't pre-registered.

In total, 11 cats were caught at that Lebanon trailer park, where Nick was told 50 cats free roamed. Turns out, it's a lot of the same cats, smorgasboarding around, porch to porch, being counted as different cats at different trailers.

I came home, because my neck problem got worse again. I think it's right back to that pulled out muscle from late last fall. All roads lead back to that time and me whacking upwards at the cat yard for hours from underneath the cat wire, to try to dislodge about a foot deep layer of wet soggy heavy leaves atop the wire. I shouldn't have done it, but I couldn't get those darn leaves off and the wire was set to collapse under the weight. I have to resolve the cat yard problem before fall. But I have to help to do it.

Clinic Day

I was sooo happy last night when Nick ran out of traps and asked me trap some cats at the dairy. I was just going all stir crazy and cabin fevery. He'd set five, left, and all were filled with young teen cats when he returned, but he had no more empty traps to set. I went out to set three late last night, after his call, just as he was there to pick up the five, although he put the five caught into my car, since he had an open bed pickup and it was starting to rain.

We didn't wait there a minute, after he arrived and I'd set just one trap so far, before a gray tux young cat came out of the bales of hay and right into one of my traps.

So Nick went and got that one, hoisted it into my car, and was about to go get another trap with a cat in it, when a black tux short hair came trotting out. I grabbed Nick's arm, to hold him from entering the barn, and it was only seconds later that cat went into and sprung a trap.

I told Nick how difficult it was to see all those bales of hay without making myself a nice little nest way up top of the bales somewhere and taking a snooze. I love snoozing in amidst the hay bales, or laid out on filled grass seed bags stacked on pallets. There is nothing more comfortable in my opinion, except maybe snoozing on hay bales in lazy afternoon sun.

We'd seen a little fuzzy orange one too, so I told Nick I'd hang out a few minutes more, convinced that cat would be in a trap momentarily, which he was. 8 in all. I left traps set, but I think we got them all. None had been touched this morning.

I'd also been called by the Albany woman who feeds the stray male she rarely sees, so she's not been able to catch him. Well, last night she'd got him in. So he went over to be fixed, thankfully.

I didn't do any lifting at all. Others unloaded the nine cats. Then an old friend who used to live in Albany showed up. She looks terrific. She's lost 100 pounds since she got her stomach stapled last August. Unbelievable!

She's back in Corvallis to finish her degree at OSU, living with her folks, going home to NOrth Bend, where her hubby has a good job, on the weekends. She had done most of her degree while she lived in Albany, but then her husband graduated and got the job offer and they couldn't refuse it for her to stay here to finish school, that's for sure. So they moved down to North Bend. Anyhow, she's finishing now.

I taught her to trap when she lived, very briefly in Albany when I did, and I met her right after moving here. She wanted to get involved but then they moved. She's been getting involved down there. I gave her a trap. I figured it was a great investment for the cats of that area and it has been. The people who got me started gave me a trap. So I like to, if I can, give traps to the people who want to get involved. It was great to see her again. She had to leave, but she had come with a very in heat female, needed fixed, so we worked it in, even though she wasn't pre-registered.

In total, 11 cats were caught at that Lebanon trailer park, where Nick was told 50 cats free roamed. Turns out, it's a lot of the same cats, smorgasboarding around, porch to porch, being counted as different cats at different trailers.

I came home, because my neck problem got worse again. I think it's right back to that pulled out muscle from late last fall. All roads lead back to that time and me whacking upwards at the cat yard for hours from underneath the cat wire, to try to dislodge about a foot deep layer of wet soggy heavy leaves atop the wire. I shouldn't have done it, but I couldn't get those darn leaves off and the wire was set to collapse under the weight. I have to resolve the cat yard problem before fall. But I have to help to do it.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Doc, taking refuge inside a carpet tube.
Mops, one of the Starvation Kids and member in good standing of Sam's clan, stands over Mums, one of the Lebanon Christian shovel killer colony cats. Mums has also joined Sam's Clan.
Button, from the Deceased Woman trailer colony, out of Columbus Greens, and Cattyhop, formerly of the Slaughterhouse colony, look out the window. Cattyhop is best friends with bully boy Comet, formerly of Heatherdale trailer park, and with Deaf Miss Daisy, whom Comet also loves. Miss Diasy, however, is certainly no bully.
Brambles, a young male from the HTN colony. I took him in to be fixed about the same time I took in MIckey, the long hair orange and white male, whose eye had ruptured, who ended up adopted by a Canadian. The vet told me I needed to keep Brambles because he too had a seriously inflamed eye, due to herpes infection, and would lose it, if I didn't treat him. Brambles and Mickey were best of friends. Shortly after that, about 17 cats were killed at HTN, by a stray Golden Retriever. Included in the cats this dog killed, was Brambles wonderful brother, who was super friendly and outgoing and who loved life. That dog never paid for what he did. I found out later the dog was lost by people who moved from nearby, just before they moved, and later re-united with his owners. The dog should have been shot.
Oci, a slightly feral little girl, who loves it here. She was left behind with other cats in Millersburg. I also call her Miss Hiss. She is precious actually, in that she so much loves having a home, and is defensive of her home and new wonderful life.
Oci again.
Sam, also abandoned in Millersburg, who is adored by every cat here, with the exception of bully boy, Comet.
Tugs, from the Lebanon Christian shovel killer colony. Tugs, Matilda and Mums remain here, from the 12 I took in from that situation.
Tugs, formerly of Lebanon, again.
Doc, taking refuge inside a carpet tube.
Mops, one of the Starvation Kids and member in good standing of Sam's clan, stands over Mums, one of the Lebanon Christian shovel killer colony cats. Mums has also joined Sam's Clan.
Button, from the Deceased Woman trailer colony, out of Columbus Greens, and Cattyhop, formerly of the Slaughterhouse colony, look out the window. Cattyhop is best friends with bully boy Comet, formerly of Heatherdale trailer park, and with Deaf Miss Daisy, whom Comet also loves. Miss Diasy, however, is certainly no bully.
Brambles, a young male from the HTN colony. I took him in to be fixed about the same time I took in MIckey, the long hair orange and white male, whose eye had ruptured, who ended up adopted by a Canadian. The vet told me I needed to keep Brambles because he too had a seriously inflamed eye, due to herpes infection, and would lose it, if I didn't treat him. Brambles and Mickey were best of friends. Shortly after that, about 17 cats were killed at HTN, by a stray Golden Retriever. Included in the cats this dog killed, was Brambles wonderful brother, who was super friendly and outgoing and who loved life. That dog never paid for what he did. I found out later the dog was lost by people who moved from nearby, just before they moved, and later re-united with his owners. The dog should have been shot.
Oci, a slightly feral little girl, who loves it here. She was left behind with other cats in Millersburg. I also call her Miss Hiss. She is precious actually, in that she so much loves having a home, and is defensive of her home and new wonderful life.
Oci again.
Sam, also abandoned in Millersburg, who is adored by every cat here, with the exception of bully boy, Comet.
Tugs, from the Lebanon Christian shovel killer colony. Tugs, Matilda and Mums remain here, from the 12 I took in from that situation.
Tugs, formerly of Lebanon, again.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Bummed, Totally

Here is Electra, on my bed, two days after three teeth were pulled and her broken lower jaw bone was wired together.
Electra again, with lower jaw shaved.
The brown tabby stray female, rounded up by tenants worried about her, at the trailer park, to be fixed. It's a shame she has to go back there, to live as a stray, even though she has been fed by several people.

I am bummed today. I suppose pain is one reason. I gave my spots away yesterday to some Lebanon trappers, then today, I was going to take in two more Heatherdale cats, one a free roaming pregnant calico, loosely owned. The trailer woman said she would have her cat, also a female, also likely pregnant and the calico, inside this morning. I warned her not to bring them out when I arrived, that I would hand carriers through the door.

What does she do when I arrive? She marches out with her female in her arms. I tell her to go back in the trailer with her cat and I'll bring her a carrier but she won't and comes towards the car with her. Of course the cat suddenly freaked, clawed her, was dropped, and ran off.

She claimed the calico, the one she "loosely owns" had "not come out of hiding" wherever she was, outside, last night so she could call her into the trailer. Well, she was right across the street, eating food on another porch. The woman tried to call her over from that porch, but the pregnant calico wouldn't come and finally I had to leave. The calico is quite pregnant. That's all Heatherdale needs, is more kittens born under some trailer.

Unfortunately, this was her last chance to be fixed because I'd given my spots to the Lebanon trappers.

So it's tough luck for me and for the calico. I failed to make appointments far enough in advance at my vet, so I don't have anymore until mid April, long after the calico will have produced more kittens for Heatherdale that nobody will want and that will die horrible deaths or go on to form new colonies. It's really dismal sometimes. I did not know about this calico until yesterday late.

I haven't had human contact for too long, not anything normal that is. I don't know where to get it anymore. I guess I've given up on finding human companionship. I don't want to be one of those totally alone people until one day neighbors see emergency vehicles out front of my place, and they ask police, as they haul out my dead body, "So she's been dead like three months? Eeeewwwww!"

I don't watch much TV anymore either. I used to watch CNN, the weather channel, History channel etc, but I no longer get any channels except the three major networks. The shows they air are fairly lame, to be honest, not very interesting. I watch the news, half hour of local, half hour of national and that is about it on TV.

I've rented a few movies lately but nothing really was worth the watching, to be honest again in my opinions of the movies I chose. I used to like "The Office" but it's not as funny as it once was, I don't think. I once watched Dancing with the Stars, but that got old, too. There was a good line last night on Office, however, after Michael told his coworkers he'd just quit. One coworker confessed to the camera, "I love a good quitting story. It makes me feel like I have some control over my own life," then he kind of fades out, looking down, like he knows he could never quit and doesn't have much control over his life--the classic "Office" message inquiry into drudgery and why and how people endure it.

I do like The Amazing Race. Not only for how the teams interact but how they react to different cultures. Plus it's like taking a reality trip through far away places that I will never see. I think it's fascinating to see these other countries and cultures as they show them on Amazing Race.

I don't read books anymore. I should I know. So hard to find one I like. I've never been to the Albany library. I have no plans to go either. Finding a good book to read in the library is tough also, unless you know what you're looking for before you go, like going to a video store to rent a movie without first creating a list of movies to look for that you might like. I have gone to video stores and wandered and wandered then left without renting any movie. It's shocking to see the violent horror flick after horror flick lining the rental movie walls. It's the preferred genre these days I would have to guess.

Anyhow, I had a bad night's sleep last night with the other Heatherdale cat in my bathroom, which takes space up, from the hordes of others here, and with Yoyo's constant hissing at the other cats. He has not fit in well here, although he's a little sweetheart with people. I believe he was victimized quickly by the bullies, when I was gone, and is now afraid of all my cats. I don't have enough space or rooms here to give him a room of his own, unfortunately. That cuts down on space, crowding the others, which causes problems, too.

I need to get cracking on finding some homes for some of these cats. That's something productive I could be doing.

I believe I discovered where it was that Electra suffered a fall, hitting her chin and breaking that fragile lower jaw. It's in the garage room. I am going to carpet those runs so they will not be so slick for the cats. I am actually in the process of doing that right now, in fact. Upper ones first.

Electra is recovering rapidly and beginning to eat everything in sight and even play again. Miss Daisy is feeling extremely good, after having two more teeth pulled, and playing wildly.

UPDATE: So the tubby the tabby, from Heatherdale, was indeed very pregnant. She was spayed today. No sense a stray having kittens under some trailer. She's so nice, too, to have been abandoned by someone. She'll need to stay here and recuperate at least through the weekend.

My vet clinic, when I told them about the other preggie at Heatherdale, said they'd work her in next Thursday, since I laxed in getting appointments. This is wonderful news! It's a relief, actually, because I would have been asked to catch and take on her kittens, when they emerged from under some trailer. I love my vet clinic!

Bummed, Totally

Here is Electra, on my bed, two days after three teeth were pulled and her broken lower jaw bone was wired together.
Electra again, with lower jaw shaved.
The brown tabby stray female, rounded up by tenants worried about her, at the trailer park, to be fixed. It's a shame she has to go back there, to live as a stray, even though she has been fed by several people.

I am bummed today. I suppose pain is one reason. I gave my spots away yesterday to some Lebanon trappers, then today, I was going to take in two more Heatherdale cats, one a free roaming pregnant calico, loosely owned. The trailer woman said she would have her cat, also a female, also likely pregnant and the calico, inside this morning. I warned her not to bring them out when I arrived, that I would hand carriers through the door.

What does she do when I arrive? She marches out with her female in her arms. I tell her to go back in the trailer with her cat and I'll bring her a carrier but she won't and comes towards the car with her. Of course the cat suddenly freaked, clawed her, was dropped, and ran off.

She claimed the calico, the one she "loosely owns" had "not come out of hiding" wherever she was, outside, last night so she could call her into the trailer. Well, she was right across the street, eating food on another porch. The woman tried to call her over from that porch, but the pregnant calico wouldn't come and finally I had to leave. The calico is quite pregnant. That's all Heatherdale needs, is more kittens born under some trailer.

Unfortunately, this was her last chance to be fixed because I'd given my spots to the Lebanon trappers.

So it's tough luck for me and for the calico. I failed to make appointments far enough in advance at my vet, so I don't have anymore until mid April, long after the calico will have produced more kittens for Heatherdale that nobody will want and that will die horrible deaths or go on to form new colonies. It's really dismal sometimes. I did not know about this calico until yesterday late.

I haven't had human contact for too long, not anything normal that is. I don't know where to get it anymore. I guess I've given up on finding human companionship. I don't want to be one of those totally alone people until one day neighbors see emergency vehicles out front of my place, and they ask police, as they haul out my dead body, "So she's been dead like three months? Eeeewwwww!"

I don't watch much TV anymore either. I used to watch CNN, the weather channel, History channel etc, but I no longer get any channels except the three major networks. The shows they air are fairly lame, to be honest, not very interesting. I watch the news, half hour of local, half hour of national and that is about it on TV.

I've rented a few movies lately but nothing really was worth the watching, to be honest again in my opinions of the movies I chose. I used to like "The Office" but it's not as funny as it once was, I don't think. I once watched Dancing with the Stars, but that got old, too. There was a good line last night on Office, however, after Michael told his coworkers he'd just quit. One coworker confessed to the camera, "I love a good quitting story. It makes me feel like I have some control over my own life," then he kind of fades out, looking down, like he knows he could never quit and doesn't have much control over his life--the classic "Office" message inquiry into drudgery and why and how people endure it.

I do like The Amazing Race. Not only for how the teams interact but how they react to different cultures. Plus it's like taking a reality trip through far away places that I will never see. I think it's fascinating to see these other countries and cultures as they show them on Amazing Race.

I don't read books anymore. I should I know. So hard to find one I like. I've never been to the Albany library. I have no plans to go either. Finding a good book to read in the library is tough also, unless you know what you're looking for before you go, like going to a video store to rent a movie without first creating a list of movies to look for that you might like. I have gone to video stores and wandered and wandered then left without renting any movie. It's shocking to see the violent horror flick after horror flick lining the rental movie walls. It's the preferred genre these days I would have to guess.

Anyhow, I had a bad night's sleep last night with the other Heatherdale cat in my bathroom, which takes space up, from the hordes of others here, and with Yoyo's constant hissing at the other cats. He has not fit in well here, although he's a little sweetheart with people. I believe he was victimized quickly by the bullies, when I was gone, and is now afraid of all my cats. I don't have enough space or rooms here to give him a room of his own, unfortunately. That cuts down on space, crowding the others, which causes problems, too.

I need to get cracking on finding some homes for some of these cats. That's something productive I could be doing.

I believe I discovered where it was that Electra suffered a fall, hitting her chin and breaking that fragile lower jaw. It's in the garage room. I am going to carpet those runs so they will not be so slick for the cats. I am actually in the process of doing that right now, in fact. Upper ones first.

Electra is recovering rapidly and beginning to eat everything in sight and even play again. Miss Daisy is feeling extremely good, after having two more teeth pulled, and playing wildly.

UPDATE: So the tubby the tabby, from Heatherdale, was indeed very pregnant. She was spayed today. No sense a stray having kittens under some trailer. She's so nice, too, to have been abandoned by someone. She'll need to stay here and recuperate at least through the weekend.

My vet clinic, when I told them about the other preggie at Heatherdale, said they'd work her in next Thursday, since I laxed in getting appointments. This is wonderful news! It's a relief, actually, because I would have been asked to catch and take on her kittens, when they emerged from under some trailer. I love my vet clinic!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Not Going to This Sunday's FCCO Clinic

I am not going to be going to the FCCO clinic this Sunday. I couldn't get a volunteer position, actually I've had trouble being assigned one at the Corvallis clinics for a couple years.

I don't have any cats lined up to trap anyhow and so there's no reason to go. I told the coordinator I won't be there and won't be using the small number of reservations I had, so he can give them to someone else.

And that is that.

Not Going to This Sunday's FCCO Clinic

I am not going to be going to the FCCO clinic this Sunday. I couldn't get a volunteer position, actually I've had trouble being assigned one at the Corvallis clinics for a couple years.

I don't have any cats lined up to trap anyhow and so there's no reason to go. I told the coordinator I won't be there and won't be using the small number of reservations I had, so he can give them to someone else.

And that is that.

Two More Girls Fixed Yesterday.

These are the two tame females I got fixed at Space 41 last April 30, there at Heatherdale. The woman has since moved out. I don't know if the tabby in the photo is the same tabby roaming the park now as a stray along with a white cat with half length tail.


The photo below shows the possibly pregnant Heatherdale stray the feeders caught yesterday then brought to me to take to be fixed. And yet she is familiar, the slight slant to her eyes, that makes me think even now and remember commenting about to her caretaker that she looks oriental and exotic. I can't tell if the cat in my bathroom awaiting a trip to the vet tomorrow is fixed or not. She sure looks pregnant, to be sure, huge round belly.

But it's kind of a squishy belly, almost like a worm belly. She has no milk dropped but man does she look pregnant. The woman who owned the tabby and the white cat I got fixed last April, (photo at top) moved out. Another tenant says for sure she was a person who likely left her cats. Is this her tabby then, and the white cat, the other female I took in to be fixed for that woman at the same time, now abandoned and living the life of strays? I don't know. We'll see. If she turns out to be spayed, I'll know it's her and that her people left her.

Abandonment is common in Albany. If cats such types of people abandon are not fixed prior to being abandoned, they begin feral colonies. That is why I call fixing the cats of those people most likely to abandon cats: feral prevention.




Two cats were fixed yesterday. Yes, I weakened and took in the two females owned by the son and daughter in law of the BS colony caretakers, knowing they were of breeding age, and would likely not be fixed otherwise. They're beautiful girls. By the time I was settling in last night, finally, after the Heatherdale people brought me that stray, now in my bathroom, the folks who own these two girls, in the photos below, had called several times. One had already pulled out her stitches. I had warned them to keep them from pulling at them, or to get an e-collar. I don't know what happened. I told them to call the vet, who they said told them they needed an e-collar. He called me again then, wanting to know where he could get one so late. I looked in my things and did not have one, so I recommended he go to River's Edge, since they are 24 hour. I don't know if he did or not.

Two More Girls Fixed Yesterday.

These are the two tame females I got fixed at Space 41 last April 30, there at Heatherdale. The woman has since moved out. I don't know if the tabby in the photo is the same tabby roaming the park now as a stray along with a white cat with half length tail.


The photo below shows the possibly pregnant Heatherdale stray the feeders caught yesterday then brought to me to take to be fixed. And yet she is familiar, the slight slant to her eyes, that makes me think even now and remember commenting about to her caretaker that she looks oriental and exotic. I can't tell if the cat in my bathroom awaiting a trip to the vet tomorrow is fixed or not. She sure looks pregnant, to be sure, huge round belly.

But it's kind of a squishy belly, almost like a worm belly. She has no milk dropped but man does she look pregnant. The woman who owned the tabby and the white cat I got fixed last April, (photo at top) moved out. Another tenant says for sure she was a person who likely left her cats. Is this her tabby then, and the white cat, the other female I took in to be fixed for that woman at the same time, now abandoned and living the life of strays? I don't know. We'll see. If she turns out to be spayed, I'll know it's her and that her people left her.

Abandonment is common in Albany. If cats such types of people abandon are not fixed prior to being abandoned, they begin feral colonies. That is why I call fixing the cats of those people most likely to abandon cats: feral prevention.




Two cats were fixed yesterday. Yes, I weakened and took in the two females owned by the son and daughter in law of the BS colony caretakers, knowing they were of breeding age, and would likely not be fixed otherwise. They're beautiful girls. By the time I was settling in last night, finally, after the Heatherdale people brought me that stray, now in my bathroom, the folks who own these two girls, in the photos below, had called several times. One had already pulled out her stitches. I had warned them to keep them from pulling at them, or to get an e-collar. I don't know what happened. I told them to call the vet, who they said told them they needed an e-collar. He called me again then, wanting to know where he could get one so late. I looked in my things and did not have one, so I recommended he go to River's Edge, since they are 24 hour. I don't know if he did or not.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Electra and Miss Daisy's Day

Miss Daisy had two more painful bad teeth pulled. Electra's problem was far more complicated. I took her in for an exam after she began to lose weight. Then, yesterday, I wanted to see if she was eating and seperated her from the others and gave her a small plate with her favorite wet food. She was interested, wanted to eat it, but would only lick at it and take tiny bites.

Today, at the exam, the vet couldn't find anything obvious wrong except tartar. I told them to give her a dental, that, while under anesthesia, maybe they could examine her further.

They spotted something very serious and painful--a broken jaw! The two bones on the lower jaw, in front, had popped apart. Oh my gawd, my poor baby. They pulled three teeth, did bloodwork, that turned out fine, and wired those bones back together.

The most common in house causes of that are blunt force to the face. Most common indoor cause of that, a door opening with the cat on the other side. This didn't happen to Electra. The injury was a week to ten days old. I bet she was bullied off that cat run, before I got the other shelves up, so there was more than one way off. She probably had to jump off hard, landed and the impact lowered her chin to the ground. I feel terrible that I didn't get the rest of the shelves up, so there were multiple ways off. I worried about that. She could have slid off the garage room runs too. I need to carpet them. I have two bullies here, Dex and Comet. Oh my gosh, my poor baby. I have worried about the cats, especially the older ones, falling off the runs when bullied or chased. Oh my gawd, my poor baby.

She'll be on heavy duty pain meds for a week but she'll be fine. She also had three teeth pulled and the rest cleaned. She hasn't had a dental in about three years. I'm so glad I noticed.

Cats hide pain, because they feel vulnerable if injured. Former ferals like Electra hide it even more. The vet only saw the problem because under anesthesia the muscles that still held it together relaxed and they saw movement between the two bones of the two sides. It doesn't take much to pop those two bones apart, the vet said.

So it was kind of luck, kind of a watchful eye I keep on the cats, for changes, and the careful eye of the vet when she was under anesthesia.

UPDATE: I thought Electra had fleas ten days ago, due to what looked like flea dirt on her chin. I used a flea comb and got it all out but there were no live fleas. Now, reconsidering that fine black dirt imbedded in her chin, it was likely really dirt, not flea poop, and that means her fall was in the garage room or out in the cat yard. She likely jumped or fell, hitting her chin on the way down. So that makes sense now. That means her injury is even older, at least two weeks old, maybe more, and had nothing to do with the new cat runs.

I went over to Heatherdale to try to trap the new unfixed strays I was told about, even sent photos of, although I couldn't tell much but color in the photos, early this morning. They are being fed.

However, the cats only showed up just as I had to leave, to get to the vet, which was frustrating. But even carrying an empty trap inflamed my shoulder and arm into pain and partial numbness. I then put my foot down, and said they needed to trap the new strays at Heatherdale. There were a lot of excuses, but then they did borrow the managers trap and caught the one they said was the pregnant cat. They said they'd seen her impregnated, by the white one.

They brought her over late tonight. I put her in the bathroom, because they brought her in a carrier and she began to meow. She's totally tame. I let her out an hour ago, and to my shock, I believe I recognized her. My mind began to go on scan mode. She's extremely fat. I don't think she's pregnant just really really fat, but she does look pregnant, with bulging out sides. I'm still going with "she's fat".

I began looking through photos of cats I've fixed from Heatherdale. I come upon two females fixed last April, tame and owned, so no ear tips, one a big brown tabby and one a white one, with a half length tail, just like the other stray the stray feeders are convinced is the male who impregnated this one. Now this is either one huge coincidence or these are indeed the two cats owned by a woman in another trailer not that distant from where these other folks feed.

I don't have that woman's number. And it is very possible she moved out and left them, like so many people do there, but being as how she is so extremely well fed, I don't think so. I think these two girls are smorgasboarding around the park mornings. I could be wrong but I think the white one, the feeders think is a male and this one they think is preggie, are the pair of girls fixed last spring. I'll go there in the morning with her and knock on that trailer door. I'm betting I'm right. Who wants to take the bet? It's kind of funny, in a way.

Electra and Miss Daisy's Day

Miss Daisy had two more painful bad teeth pulled. Electra's problem was far more complicated. I took her in for an exam after she began to lose weight. Then, yesterday, I wanted to see if she was eating and seperated her from the others and gave her a small plate with her favorite wet food. She was interested, wanted to eat it, but would only lick at it and take tiny bites.

Today, at the exam, the vet couldn't find anything obvious wrong except tartar. I told them to give her a dental, that, while under anesthesia, maybe they could examine her further.

They spotted something very serious and painful--a broken jaw! The two bones on the lower jaw, in front, had popped apart. Oh my gawd, my poor baby. They pulled three teeth, did bloodwork, that turned out fine, and wired those bones back together.

The most common in house causes of that are blunt force to the face. Most common indoor cause of that, a door opening with the cat on the other side. This didn't happen to Electra. The injury was a week to ten days old. I bet she was bullied off that cat run, before I got the other shelves up, so there was more than one way off. She probably had to jump off hard, landed and the impact lowered her chin to the ground. I feel terrible that I didn't get the rest of the shelves up, so there were multiple ways off. I worried about that. She could have slid off the garage room runs too. I need to carpet them. I have two bullies here, Dex and Comet. Oh my gosh, my poor baby. I have worried about the cats, especially the older ones, falling off the runs when bullied or chased. Oh my gawd, my poor baby.

She'll be on heavy duty pain meds for a week but she'll be fine. She also had three teeth pulled and the rest cleaned. She hasn't had a dental in about three years. I'm so glad I noticed.

Cats hide pain, because they feel vulnerable if injured. Former ferals like Electra hide it even more. The vet only saw the problem because under anesthesia the muscles that still held it together relaxed and they saw movement between the two bones of the two sides. It doesn't take much to pop those two bones apart, the vet said.

So it was kind of luck, kind of a watchful eye I keep on the cats, for changes, and the careful eye of the vet when she was under anesthesia.

UPDATE: I thought Electra had fleas ten days ago, due to what looked like flea dirt on her chin. I used a flea comb and got it all out but there were no live fleas. Now, reconsidering that fine black dirt imbedded in her chin, it was likely really dirt, not flea poop, and that means her fall was in the garage room or out in the cat yard. She likely jumped or fell, hitting her chin on the way down. So that makes sense now. That means her injury is even older, at least two weeks old, maybe more, and had nothing to do with the new cat runs.

I went over to Heatherdale to try to trap the new unfixed strays I was told about, even sent photos of, although I couldn't tell much but color in the photos, early this morning. They are being fed.

However, the cats only showed up just as I had to leave, to get to the vet, which was frustrating. But even carrying an empty trap inflamed my shoulder and arm into pain and partial numbness. I then put my foot down, and said they needed to trap the new strays at Heatherdale. There were a lot of excuses, but then they did borrow the managers trap and caught the one they said was the pregnant cat. They said they'd seen her impregnated, by the white one.

They brought her over late tonight. I put her in the bathroom, because they brought her in a carrier and she began to meow. She's totally tame. I let her out an hour ago, and to my shock, I believe I recognized her. My mind began to go on scan mode. She's extremely fat. I don't think she's pregnant just really really fat, but she does look pregnant, with bulging out sides. I'm still going with "she's fat".

I began looking through photos of cats I've fixed from Heatherdale. I come upon two females fixed last April, tame and owned, so no ear tips, one a big brown tabby and one a white one, with a half length tail, just like the other stray the stray feeders are convinced is the male who impregnated this one. Now this is either one huge coincidence or these are indeed the two cats owned by a woman in another trailer not that distant from where these other folks feed.

I don't have that woman's number. And it is very possible she moved out and left them, like so many people do there, but being as how she is so extremely well fed, I don't think so. I think these two girls are smorgasboarding around the park mornings. I could be wrong but I think the white one, the feeders think is a male and this one they think is preggie, are the pair of girls fixed last spring. I'll go there in the morning with her and knock on that trailer door. I'm betting I'm right. Who wants to take the bet? It's kind of funny, in a way.

Dog in the Road

 I went to get groceries yesterday morning fairly early. I was expecting visitors, brief ones, pop in and out, so I wanted to get done with ...