Wednesday, July 01, 2015

Behave! More Cats Caught.

The old woman told me off.  I'm not living up to her expectations.  She is experiencing loss of patience with me and wants me to hurry and get this done.  She expressed this dissatisfaction when I asked her again not to feed today, to make it more likely to catch some cats tonight, since I caught only three more this morning, even though I was there by just before 6:00 a.m.

She decided not to feed wet food under the drop trap, as I requested, but rather on the porches, and she fed all of those big cans, a dozen or more, in two days to the cats, on the porches, no less, and not under the trap, which would have made  them easier to catch, for the cats sake and for my sake cause I'm the one sitting out there watching traps and hoping they go under the drop trap.  She has no sympathy that an unpaid stranger is leaping tall buildings to help her out.

She wants to pamper the cats you see, and I'm interfering.  Who doesn't want to pamper cats?  It's the norm and I'm asking her to do the abnormal, not feed, not pamper,  be hard and cold as stone when I want to trap and she just thinks that awful.   It is!

So I'm enemy number one and she is doing workarounds to protect the cats now from me, so they are properly fed, which, unfortunately and too bad for me, as far as she is concerned, makes them very difficult to catch.

I did not know how to respond to her critiques this morning.   I was shocked to silence once again and stared off into space wishing I was out there in space.

Didn't help either that right at 7:00 a.m., which had left me only an hour, once I arrived, some guy shows up in a truck.  He had on a white hard hat and his white truck had official writing on it, like some company.  He strolls right into the old lady's yard and stands by the drop trap, then finally leaves, realizing he's not in the right place, that he needs to walk around to the neighbors.

But it's over then.  The cats have vanished and he's still walking around behind the old woman's trailer and the old woman has begun her poor job performance rant against me and the neighbors pug is barking up a storm and the garbage truck is coming around the corner.

I left with three cats.  I didn't tell her about the black tux I caught because she would want her released.  She only likes it when I catch a boy, because they fight and mark.  I caught a tiny kitten too, and had to fight her over not releasing it.  1.1 lb black male kitten who is not going back there if I can find a rescue to take him.  Everyone is full because people don't fix their fricking cats.  Calling him Benji.

In this extreme heat here, I think it's awesome I've caught even one cat, despite my job performance rating, which finds me lacking.

I guess there will be no raise.  From zero starting salary.  Nothing per hour, I'll be staying at that.  Darn it.  I'm being tongue in cheek here, trying to be funny, saying this because I don't think it comes through to some.  I'm not being serious in other words.  I actually love challenges like this colony.

Benji, the black boy kitten.  Update:  Kitten's name is now Ricky Rumble and is he is being fostered by Karen at KATA.  Good luck, Ricky!  She has a dozen kittens at her place in foster.  Ricky will love the company and have so much fun playing!
Black tux female caught this morning

Tabby on white male caught this a.m.
13 caught thus far.  But the honeymoon is over and its getting ugly out there.  People don't understand that anything worth doing isn't easy and solutions aren't instant.   When things get tough, you know who is tough--those who keep going.

Trapping cats with an uncooperative caretaker is hell.

Let's hope I can catch all the cats to be fixed before the old lady gets a restraining order on me!

Kidding.

13 comments:

  1. It must be very hard, but you have to focus on the ones you get and not the ones you didn't get. And as you understand, some people like the old woman may never make sense out of what you're doing.

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    Replies
    1. Problem being, live and learn, if you don't get them all, it very quickly is again overpopulating and beyond.

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    2. The old woman doesn't need to make sense of it, she just needs to cooperate and not feed when asked and feed under the trap when asked. To make it easier. Her daughter is the one who requested help getting them fixed and her daughter does partly financially support her mom, so has every right to want this done, so she is not supporting several dozen more cats her mom feeds. So they all need fixed and I don't have the money to get them fixed often. Tomorrow's clinic is free, which is an excellent price and I like to take advantage of opportunities like this when they arise. I won't be able to trap out there again for some time, because of the lack of money for fixing and lack of local fixing options.

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    3. I understand that if you don't get them all, that the problem certainly keeps perpetuating itself. However, if you focus that way, the situation seems hopeless. For me anyway, that would either keep me depressed all of the time or want to just give up. However, you are some how able to keep going.

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  2. Sigh. And hiss and spit.
    Miracles cost extra.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Or something, EC. Am not looking forward to going out there this evening. In fact, I'd rather catch measles I think, and maybe share it! I do want to catch all the cats but I should not have to go through hell to get it done. The person feeding should be kissing my feet, not the opposite, and falling over themselves to be sure to cooperate so it gets done pronto. I know I should walk away.

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  3. I guess I need to say this, the above was supposed to be funny, but I guess I didn't write it right. I love colony challenges.

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  4. Let's hope thing improve for you...can't please everyone all of the time...

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    Replies
    1. Sure can't, WA and its good to learn that early.

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  5. Bless you! I hope you keep the sense of humor. I'd be sore pressed. It stressed me out just finding a lump on my aging cat's ear. I'm thrilled to report that this morning's trip to the vet led to a needle poke, a squeeze, and no more puss-filled little bubble. Take care!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, just got back from the Portland clinic, wish six freshly fixed trailer park kitties. Makes 17 since I started trying to fix them, about 11 days back. And there are more. Crying and laughing are both quite healing.

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  6. There seem to be so many cats in your particular area. I know they are breeding, but the population seems so excessive. I lived in the country for 60 years, and only saved at most, three wandering kittens total, in all those years - probably dropped on purpose. When houses became more numerous around me, I still never saw or encountered strays.

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    Replies
    1. However, the problem is everywhere, including in Florida. Indiana is where the Neuterscooter vet is based. She can fix 100 cats a day by herself. I believe she has now moved to California but still holds clinics in Indiana.

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Round Up

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