Altering the Future

It's hard to help cats.  Few people cat wrangle---round up cats simply to get them fixed.

Rescue is more popular than cat wrangling.  People love to see a happy ending, a sick or hurt or starving cat who was on the street now in someone's arms.   They open their wallets for that and the facebook "likes" are in the thousands.

Few can visualize happy endings, the likes of which I create every single time I get a cat fixed.  The happy endings mean no kittens born to die, born in berry vines or under disgusting moldy trash filled houses to starve or get terrible viruses that rob them of eyes or the ability to breath, sight unseen.  Few can visualize that if males get fixed then they are not as prone to fighting, so they're not breeding more unwanted kittens or getting and spreading terrible diseases like feline leukemia and feline aids.

But I see it.  I can see the future when I see an unfixed cat.  And I immediately want to change the future by altering the now.  Everyone can do this.   But its not an immediate gratification thing.  It takes hard work, long hours, frustrations, dealing with people who have multiple severe issues and may even be violent.

And it takes an eye to seeing the future and how you're changing the future.

Anyone can warp the future by changing today.  By fixing any cat.  This act creates a drastic change in the future, that affects generations of time along multiple pathways.

Take a moment to think about it.  Think about an unfixed female, sitting on a porch.  First think about driving on by.   Then think about the males that will arrive there, when she goes into heat, fighting, perhaps one has FIV, and begins to spread it to other males, who then go elsewhere to fight and spread it further.  think about her litter of kittens born.  Her family will give them away, but they're not fixed first either, and within months, each of those families has a cat who is either out fighting or birthing more litters.  Some end up at rescues, who are getting by this time multiple calls every day from people wanting them to take their unwanted cats or kittens or rescue or trap kittens peeking out of bushes or from under sheds because some of those kittens given away free will be left behind by their people.  If left behind unfixed, they will begin feral colonies.  That original female will have more litters who also will be given away or dumped at shelters or abandoned to turn feral.  What if even three people on every block didn't fix their cat?

Now turn the clock back.  You are driving by that house, and see that female.  You stop, offer to get her fixed.  The people agree to it.  You do it.  You've just changed the future.

Of course it would be even better if the people who owned that female would get her fixed.  In a perfect world, people would do that, be smart enough, unselfish enough.....

Yesterday I drove four of the drug house block cats up to the FCCO to be fixed. I was already tired and hoped to sleep in a parking lot somewhere, but my IBS was acting up and I was in severe ravaging pain.  I'd eaten cheese, and I can't eat cheese unless its aged cheese.  But I weakened and I ate cheese and I paid for it.  So the day was an endurance lesson.  Made rougher when my car suffered a flat tire.  I put on the donut in a parking lot.  A guy offered help after I'd jacked it up and loosened the bolts.   I'm entirely capable of quickly changing a tire, but with my stomach lurching I said "sure".   He finished removed the flattened tire and put on the donut.  I drove to Les Schwab then, and sat there for an hour and a half, watching people come and go, until they could get to fixing the flat.  I was grateful.

A sharp rock caused the flat.  Probably from the drug house street.  It's gravel.

All three black kitties were pregnant at spay.   Even the little tiny one, barely five months old.   All three also need a lot of food, to catch up on nutrition. The older calico who is tame was previously spayed.  Figured that would be the case but had to know for sure.

 She's chirps and talks.  She's now named Chatty Katty.

Today the boys, Buckwheat the young black tux and Doobie the Siamese, went off with Diana, to her home. She graciously offered to take them.   I am ever so grateful.

Buckwheat in the Tub this morning.  The boys (Doobie the Siamese and Buckwheat) are playing wildly.  They have buddied up.

 The three black girls, Maria, Pints and Stoney,  just headed off to their new home in Brownsville, leaving me with just the calico Chatty Katty, whom I hope to get into a rescue.  She's quite the character, talkative and funny but doesn't care much for other cats, even though she's sharing the bathroom with the boys.

Maria, who is more self assured than the very young pair,
Stoney and Pints.

Pints, a little girl

Stoney

Doodle, the gray tux girl, is now named Juliette, and is with a foster person in Lebanon for Felines First.

I am also very grateful to Animal Rescue and Care Fund, who took five of the drug house cats already.   I am grateful to the FCCO, for fixing the four yesterday, and to Willamette Humane, for fixing six of the cats.  Heartland fixed another one, Ace, now with Animal rescue and Care Fund, and renamed Gilbert.

I'm thankful to Diana of Brownsville for helping trap up there.  There are a lot more cats up there needing caught and fixed.

Of the 12 Lebanon house colony cats, only Chatty Katty, the older calico, is still here waiting for a place to go.  I bet she'll soon have somewhere.  Many people are good.