The Last Siamese and SafeHaven is Part of the Overpopulation Problem

I stopped by the ponds this evening, just to see if that last Siamese, the one who didn't trap, when I helped KAT, when they called, was around. There she was, so hungry she was trying to eat dirt where cat food had once laid. I fed her a lot of food. She gulped ravenously, but I had to be out of sight for her to do so. She's spooked.

KAT had gotten a call about cats being dumped there. But, they'd been dumped actually months ago, so they'd turned part feral. I beat them there and trapped three, all boys. I wanted KAT to get them fixed through county cat grant money but they claimed they didn't have the spots, so I got them fixed through POPPA money the next day. I should have been firm about them getting them fixed through county money. I figured they were using me again. They only contact me when they want me to do something for them, but as for return favors?--never happens.

They did say they'd go get lunch if I'd watch traps. They then disappeared for two hours. When they returned, they brought me a sandwich and fries which were stone cold by then. I ate them anyway.

It was a long hot day there, I'll tell ya, trying to catch those Siamese, then the last one, who never trapped.

It's going to be a female. They're always harder to trap.

So I thought KAT would get someone back there to trap her. I was surprised to see her there tonight, and starving like she was. I wished I'd had a trap along. I could have caught her easy. But then, my stomach was broiling, in need of a restroom about every five minutes and that doesn't fly if trapping.

I want to save her, though. I sent KAT an e-mail, describing her condition of starvation and the fact I"m currently too sick to sit and trap. I hope they go trap her. I can't imagine them not. But maybe I can. They're busy.

The boondoggies told me last week they called a lawyer and aren't going to be evicted. I don't really believe much they say anymore. I have tried to get them to catch the black female they feed who is pregnant.

They had told me that cat was theirs from long ago, when I wanted to fix her, when she was in their bedroom. They told me they'd gotten her spayed years ago, then given her to someone who lived at this very complex who then abandoned her. I had said "that cat doesn't look six years old. That's not the same cat." But they wouldn't let me take her in.

So now she's out free roaming half wild again and pregnant. Wasn't the same cat.

So I'd left a trap over in their locked patio set one evening. V said she'd watch it and keep Trooper inside, so he wouldn't get in it, and reset it if one of the two fixed girls got in. But I never heard from them that night or the next morning. Which is usual.

These people, man, they couldn't care less really, about somebody trying to prevent more kittens and unwanted cats. It's nice, they think, but until there are kittens that they don't know what to do with, or one of their radically neglected cats is sick, they won't worry themselves one bit or put up one bit of effort. When there's an emergency, they call me and expect me to march over like a slave with my wallet open to fix all their problems. But put any effort into anything themselves? That's asking way too much. Especially to help trap that cat before she has kittens. These people are lazy as sin.

So I finally went over, saw that the trap was sprung, could raise nobody at their door, even though I knew they were home, and could not get into the locked patio area to get my trap. The trap was empty and the paper that had lined the trap, severely shredded, meaning a cat had been in there a long time before they released the cat. The cat who tripped the trap was likely Trooper, whom they likely did let out, despite promising not to.

I finally tied a piece of rope to a bungee cord, and tossed it over the fence towards the trap until I hooked the hook on the end of the bungee into the trap mesh and was able to pull the trap back to the fence then up to me. Boom. I had my trap back. And then, I was gone. They still haven't called, to see if I got the trap or if someone stole it. Typical.

They'll call if the black has kittens. They'll want me to take them right away or crawl under some god awful place to get them. Like I'm their slave.

I've been upset of late. I learned SafeHaven adopts out kittens unfixed. They contract for spay/neuters with Heartland and Heartland fixes kittens by the score, prior to adoption. I asked why they don't get the kittens fixed at Heartland, since they claim none of the other vets they contract with do early age spay/neuter.

The answer I got I knew was just so much bullshit. I was told by a staff member that she believed Heartland no longer fixed all their kittens prior to adoption and that only one spay surgeon Heartland contracts with does early age spay/neuter. I knew she was lying, giving me a line of bull, thinking I'm dumbshit naive enough to believe her.

So, just to be sure, I e-mailed Kerry Mullins, director of Heartland. Kerry e-mailed back that every animal they adopt out is fixed prior to adoption including kittens and that any surgeon they contract with must do early age spay/neuter and that they will contract with any shelter to do spay/neuter at a low cost. I knew this. So does SafeHaven. So I forwarded the e-mail to that staff member.

She responded back that she wished they had vets they contract with who do early age. What a pile of bullshit. I replied, "You do---Heartland."

SafeHaven doesn't want to spay/neuter kittens because they don't want to hold them until 8 weeks of age. Plus they make more money adopting out unfixed kittens without having to get them fixed. Kittens are moneymakers for them. They claim they have the adoptor sign a contract to spay. LIke people actually follow through and get the cat spayed before it's had a few litters or fathered a few litters. Compliance rates are 50%, probably much lower in areas like Linn County.

I'd also suggested they take a vanload of kittens over to be fixed at the Neuterscooter. Guess what? SafeHaven didn't do that. Big surprise.

So, while people like myself bust their butts without pay to solve the overpopulation problem, shelters like SafeHaven, with a few well paid staff, help maintain and extend the problem.

How do you like that? Doesn't seem right, does it?

Contact SafeHaven. Tell them to quit adopting out unfixed kittens.