Friday, February 11, 2011

On Hold Again

Once again, the Crabtree colony is on hold. I tried to get ahold of them about the kitten, keeping him last night after surgery. I was too tired to drive out there. But, I got no response. I got no response this morning either and finally drove him out.

I had laboriously moved stuff on their porch, under her direction, to set up the trap in a different spot, for her convenience, to feed in it without bending over, tied open, on a plastic table, where, it could be watched and triggered from the comfort of her dining room table.

That was night before last.

But when I arrived today, the trap was in a strange spot, completely off the table, like haphazardly plopped down. Why move it at all, was my obvious thought, but to put it there, still tied open so it could not be sprung, that was very strange.

Then she said she just wanted to quit it all, (getting the rest fixed) that she had stuff to do, that her cats were freaked by it all. This was as three or four of them milled at my feet, not freaked out at all. It was strange to hear that, because just the night before last, completely different words came from her mouth.

But, in case you've wondered, there's nothing normal going on out there. There's drug use. Supposedly for a medical problem. One day, things are one way and the next they're not.

I took my trap they've had a long time now, let out the fixed kitten in another trap in my car and left. There's no point leaving them a trap to feed in. They weren't feeding in it.

There's nothing I can do. She's a nice person, but drugs interfere with getting anything done. She had called me wanting help, but then both of them, almost like rebellious teens, try to, intentionally or not, subvert getting it done. The husband tells me when he's there, playing on his computer, how much he hates cats--EVERY TIME. They're adults! They're not teens and they called requesting my help.

It's really tough on me, to go out, not knowing what she'll be like, having to take crap off him about cats in general. It's probably more than I should have ever tolerated, after the first day, when I realized.

I felt for the cats, however. They never have a good outcome in such situations, in the end.

If she calls again, fine, I'll help finish it, or try to, but this is ridiculous. It's a long drive out there and I can't waste more time and gas money on it.

I feel bad for the cats as they always end up getting the consequences.

As for the other people, who called yesterday, said there was a rabid cat over there, I finally caught her at home. But first I talked to a neighbor who says there was a cat out there yesterday, but he wasn't sick, had hair (she had said he had no hair at all), was not "foaming at the mouth", was fat and very healthy.

I wasn't surprised at the contradictory report.

I am not shocked by anything anymore.

I'm hoping she'll get Turtle inside. I have someone who will take her. Her one eye, the bad one, injured somehow, is recessed and white. She says she will get her inside and call me. But.....you know. That means nothing.

They've got another cat, female, not fixed, whom they want to breed and they, of all people, should know better. I don't know how many cats I've gotten fixed for them over the last years. An unbelievable number. I still have one here, from there--Poppy.

To think they want to breed more is thinking the unthinkable. They don't vaccinate their cats or flea treat them or worm them--nothing, nothing more than flopping down food, and calling me for everything else. It's disheartening, discouraging to think they'll breed more. Should not even be allowed.

It's a hard fight, to save the cats of this area. Hard. Hard on me.

I start to wonder, also, living here, if one day I'll meet people in the area who don't drink a case of beer every night or who don't use drugs or steal. Because that seems to be the norm around here and I think it's why I can't seem to fit in.

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