Dozing Day in Portland with Ten Local Cats

Oh my, was I ever a mess today.

I hauled ten local cats to Portland too early in the morning, in my opinion.

The alarm woke me annoyingly at 6:00 a.m. this morning, but I was so tired last night I couldn't get to sleep early enough.  I puttered around in a zombie like state, after the Astoria trip, then trapping earlier yesterday and a million other things.

Finally I had enough sense to go to bed.  But six hours was not enough, despite a nap earlier in the day Saturday and I wanted to kill my alarm like never before--- do it harm!

The two huge males were already in traps and already in the back of my car, patiently, ok not so patiently, waiting on their fate.  The other eight cats I would have to separate into their own carriers, from two cages.  I had two big cages set up on a table in the garage.  One held the adult black and white female plus the gray and white long hair young adult female.  The other cage held five kittens and one young adult female.

There were the two gray and white kittens, both turned out to be girls.  There was the black tux long hair, also a girl.  Then there were the two boy kittens, one the long hair black smoke and the other gray, like his young adult mom, also in the second cage.  I thought she was a kitten, but she's not kitten age, but not an adult either, somewhere in between and maybe his mother.  They are always together over there.

All six were in one carrier when I went out to separate them for transport.  So I hauled the carrier into the bathroom and quickly got each into a carrier of its own, before loading everyone back in the car and taking off with a cup of coffee freshly brewed.

Once up at the FCCO clinic, I unloaded all ten cats, in carriers mostly, but also three traps, and checked them in to the clinic.  Then pulled my car forward up the empty block and parked along the curb maybe two blocks from the clinic itself.    There wasn't a soul to be seen on the sidewalk in this industrial trashy area, save one lone skateboarder who came by noisily on the uneven pavement.

I pulled out my car blanket and cuddled into it and promptly fell asleep.  I was so drowsy and the sun was hitting the car and coming through the windshield just right to create a nice warm, but not too warm cozy dreamy ambiance, except for the smell of cat poop wafting up from the back somewhere, courtesy of the big huge black fuzzy male.   I was floating soon and drifted into a deep sleep.

When I woke, my leg hurt and I could not figure out why.  Then I realized it was the seat belt holder hitting it, hurting my leg.  I tried to break it off, half asleep still, to stop the pain, then came awake enough to realize I can't do that, I need that car part, and stopped myself.

I went to a few thrift stores to kill the afternoon, and took a short hike at a wildlife refuge.   You should see the hipster dress up on short walks in that area.  About the farthest you can walk there, if you go clear to the end, is a mile, then a mile back, on groomed trails.  But my goodness, the gear!

One woman had on a red ear band, walking pants, a hand carved walking stick, a day pack and a smokey bear figurine poking stylishly from a back pocket of the day pack.   I felt inadequate amongst these stylish fashion conscious walker people.  Hats were huge there, with safari type the most popular, often accompanying gray or khaki safari shirts and walking sticks.   I looked down at my stained shoes and jeans in shame.  I had no hat either.

Then it was back to the clinic where Leah, the tech, said why don't you just tame that gorgeous smoke boy kitten?  He's too beautiful to put back out.   "Oh don't say that," I protested, "I have enough now and if I tamed him, then what, because I don't do adoptions, I hate it!"

The smoke black boy kitten and yes, he is a looker!

Speaking of good looking kittens--two gray tux long hair girls and a black smoke tux girl were fixed today and amongst the five kittens I took up.

The 5th kitten, a gray male, is homely by comparison to his beautiful brother and sisters. 

I do hate doing adoptions.   And it is a shame the kittens are three months or so old, really a difficult age to tame.  Taking them back is a shame though.

The cats were six girls and four boys.   Five are kittens.  Three are young adult females.  Two are big huge older males.

This massive black and white male looks so much like Viktor it is uncanny.  Viktor was the black and white male I took from the rabbit people only two houses from this little colony.  This guy is very likely related to Viktor directly.

Huge fuzzy black male fixed today.  Viktor the 2nd and this guy fight like, well like tom cats.  Now they are both fixed but it will be a month or more before their hormones subside enough for the territorial stuff to stop.

There were also three young adult females fixed today from the same colony.

This sweet cute kitty is now a spayed female.

So is black and white momma kitty now spayed.

This girl is very young but at least now she is spayed.

Well, that's it for the cats and me today.  Going to bed early.