Two Corvallis Males Fixed Today

I took two Corvallis brothers, adopted off craigslist, up to be fixed today. They're almost two years old and have lived the last few months in a crate, because they spray mark, but the woman didn't want them outside unless they were fixed first. So this was a gesture to help free these cats of that life. Otherwise, I would not have made a long expensive trip for two cats.

Speaking of which, a business had contacted the city about ferals inside their warehouse and that they were not wanted. I told the city I certainly could not take in more cats, but could get them fixed and to tell them that. I also contacted the feeder of a colony nearby, in case they were the same cats. They likely are from the same colony, spillovers who were never fixed from the original colony.

But anyhow, so the feeder contacted the business and I thought it was set up to trap tonight. They had agreed to them being fixed and to feed them. So over i went to trap with the feeder from the next door colony. I caught three when they came out and said they were locking gates, to get the traps out. I had barely been there 40 minutes and could have caught them all. There are at least ten or twelve more. I'd set up with the vet to get them all done tomorrow too.

I am not a happy person. It costs me $18 to drive up and back, to the clinic, that's if I sit in the rest area all day and don't come home while waiting on the cats to be fixed. And I"m doing that for three cats? There are at least two or three preggies there. Makes me sick to think of driving all the way up there again tomorrow, for just three cats and to think of those preggies having unwanted kittens before I can work a way out to trap them all. I don't know why they wouldn't just want it done.

I e-mailed the city person who asked me to help that business, and asked her to contact the business and talk to them about getting it done, at a convenient time for me, which is of course evening, for efficient trapping, and for the vet clinic.

The night was not a total loss however. I ended up over at the Corvallis nursing home colony, at first with the Animal Crackers employee who is trying to catch them all to be fixed. We've already caught and fixed at least 16. Tonight, while she was there, we drop trapped a long hair tabby, who is likely a pregnant female. She had to leave by 1:00 a.m. because she works tomorrow. I held out, with the drop trap propped up and a couple live traps set.

However, it was freezing cold. I had forgotten even a coat. I fell asleep with the blanket I use to cover the drop trap completely over me, including my head. I set my cell phone alarm for 3:15 and awakened to its sound confused. I stared over at the drop trap and thought for a moment a black cat was under the trap. I figured then, it must be the bricks I had, on the back drop board, that holds it somewhat in place. I brought over a slab of bricks to use that used to be part of the woodstove assembly I removed.

I shone my light at the trap and a black cat moved out from under it.

There are two black cats left to be fixed over there and we'd watched a sick little scene go on between the teenage female and the huge beat up ucky black male. She didn't want to have sex with him. But he wanted sex. He followed her everywhere, and tried to get her to run so he could grab her from behind She'd turn and spat and swat at him, and he'd be right back to following her, everywhere she tried to go. She couldn't sleep. She was hungry and tired. She's not old enough to be a mother. The black male was intent on raping her.

I thought it was the little teen under the drop trap. After I shone my light on the cat and the cat moved out from under the trap, the cat went right back under and began eating again. I yanked the cord.

Caught!

I raced over, groggy, wobbly from frozen legs, and unwrapped myself from the blanket so I could throw it over the trap. Only then did I realize I had nabbed the last big male of the colony--Mr. Teen Rapist.

It was a bit of a struggle to get him out of the drop trap into a live trap alone but I did it. I left a message for the woman from Animal Crackers. She'd asked me to if I caught another. I didn't really want to wake her. She'd taken the long hair tabby away, in my trap, to be fixed at Heartland Friday. She called me back, happy one more had been caught. I dropped by her place and handed him off. He'll be fixed at Heartland.

I'm pretty happy to have caught two of the last four too. Just one long hair tabby to go and the little black teen girl, probably pregnant now, left to catch. Cats 17 and 18 caught tonight.

Sure, I'm tired and stiff from the cold, but sometimes, a little hardship is worth it.