Eviction. With Cats.

KATA e-mails, wants me to help some people being evicted get cats fixed. However, this was not about getting cats fixed at all. The situation exploded right as KATA was talking to her. Cops arrived. Locked them out and four cats inside the house.

I called the woman. She actually was on the curb. The lock out eviction had already taken place. The cops had just locked them out of their junker house, with four adult cats inside. She had three four week old kittens in a cardboard box atop piles of other junk in the back of a junker car, with its side bashed in. On the sidewalk, in a storage container with air holes cut in the top, were three more teenage kittens, all black.

I couldn't believe it. They claimed Safehaven would not take any of them without the $50 fee per cat. KATA then called Safehaven begging them to take some of these cats in and I guess they said they'd take the kittens.

In the meantime, the people got landlord and police permission to go back in for the other cats, since they'd been locked in the house without food or water.

I gave them two carriers I'd brought along. Three of the four adults were not fixed. They didn't want any of them. I wanted to at least get them fixed, and made them sign a paper that they'd retrieve the three within 72 hours. She signed it. They were supposed to take the six kittens of two different litters to Savehaven and take the fixed adult male, now in a cardboard box, with them. Somehow.

Really, they shouldn't have. They have no home themselves now. The liklihood of them finding a place to rent is nil to zero.

But I can't take in more cats and nobody else will take them, so I had to make them sign the paper on the three unfixed adults I took and I couldn't take the fixed male although I feel bad for him.

It's a disgusting situation the woman openly claimed was her own fault. Her own daughter was taken from her also, due to the filth inside the house. I guess there are allegations of drug use too. No doubt.

I tried to call Safehaven, hoping, since they're taking the three four week olds, who need bottle fed, that they would also consent to taking their mother, one of the three unfixed adults now in my garage. They did not answer. I then e-mailed. No response so far. You would think they'd gladly take the mom, since it's so much less work to let the mother take care of her kittens until they are weaned. And healthier for the kittens. I hope they contact me. I really wish they'd also take in the four adults.

I guess I'm happy they're taking any of them. I hope those people get them out there. Looked like their car was on its last legs. I told them, because I thought the one guy was going to start crying, not so much over their own self-created situation, but over the plight of the cats, I said to him, "Well, you live and learn and you make a lot of mistakes. You guys are all young enough to change and make great lives for yourselves. But never get cats without getting them fixed, because it'll just cause suffering like this in the end."

I am frustrated beyond frustrated to get drawn into this, the latest Albany cat drama.

I hope this doesn't turn on me, create more misery here for me. I like helping people. I like helping cats. But, I'm really broke already, my own car's falling apart, and there really is a limit on what I can do and what I can bear.

UPDATE: Safehaven will take in the three here, also. The woman only turned in one of three black teens, and kept two of them. I am hoping she'll let me get them fixed tomorrow, however. This all might work out. I am going to give them one of my big carriers, so they can at least keep the three cats they have kept safe while they are homeless themselves and search for a place to live.

UPDATE ON UPDATE: A local vet has agreed to hold the fixed male and the two teen girls they didn't turn over to Safehaven for at least a week, until the motley crew, as I've dubbed these folks, find a new place to live. I took them a carrier for the male, who was taped inside a cardboard box. They handed over the two teen females, who will be fixed tomorrow, then go to the local vet. Ten cats and kittens in trouble, two hours, two headaches at least, but it might work out.

On the up side, I scored off the Portland ad. Finally! Sage might be leaving for a Portland home tomorrow. Sounds like a great couple too. I'm delivering her. It's in NE Portland, hope I can find the place. I'm taking a shitload of cats up to be fixed and then I'll take Sage on to her home. I've driven some in Portland. I should be able to find it. Right? If my car doesn't give me trouble.

On another front UPDATE:

On the way to taking the three adult Eviction Cats to Safehaven, I stopped to check the business traps. I'd caught another kitten, a torbi, Sassy's sister. It's not the one I thought roamed the warehouse, the torbi tux, so there is yet her to catch. When checking the other trap, I saw the fourth preggie, waddling pregnant, kittens tonight pregnant, and so much wished I could sneak up on her and net her. She's trap shy now, because the adult pregnant torbi sat in a trap half the night right there, where another is set now. Gosh darn it anyhow. She's the one I wanted to catch, more so than the torbi, because her pregnancy is farther along.

So, 8 cats caught there so far, seven of whom have been females.