Saturday, October 22, 2016

More Waterloo Kittens

I've been trying to recuperate since the 28 cat adventure in Harrisburg and then the trip to the coast with two cats.

My computer has been acting up.   Another of my pocket cameras bit the dust when the "on" button stuck, so its always on and drains batteries within an hour.  I can only use it if I take the batteries out if I take a photo and then put them in for a photo.

So, I went online again, back to ebay, to try to find a camera like the one I had ten years ago, with the rotating LCD screen so I can actually see, in sun, what I'm trying to photograph.  You can't see much of the time with the little cameras whose back is entirely a fixed place LCD and no viewfinder.

Once again I ordered the same camera.  I ordered a replacement off ebay when the one I had originally fried, literally.  Sparked and snapped and smoked!  Somehow water, probably rain, had gotten into the circuit board and it shorted out when I tried to take a photo.  But that replacement camera lasted only a year before the lens froze in the dreaded "lens error".  I finally freed it, but it would not focus anymore.  Apparently the lens pins were broken or had disengaged.

I also tried to order the same camera, used, on Amazon.   But the seller never sent it, once I bought it, and never responded, so Amazon refunded my money (and I hope suspended that bogus lousy seller).

That's when I went back to ebay and found one very cheap, as now they are considered extremely old cameras.  It came within a few days.  No camera strap is the only problem.   Otherwise, it works like a charm.  For how long, I don't know, but I am back in business and hope to find something I can use for a strap soon.

I am currently broke.   Too much personal outlay this month for gas, bait, and Panda's emergency and I lost $100 when trying to get Panda to the emergency vet.  I had taken out cash to pay the immediate $90 one must lay out to get in the door at the emergency vet, and then somehow, in the worry I was in, getting Panda into the car, I misplaced it.  I don't know how that happened or where it happened but I hope to stumble across that money at some point.

I am trying to keep a low profile for the rest of the month.   However, that doesn't always work.  For instance, as of last night, I have 3 more Waterloo kittens in my bathroom in fact, two from the county park, and one from the residential colony there.   Julie was able to get two others earlier, from the residential colony, whom I took to a Portland rescue (Animal Rescue and Care Fund) when I took them also the 7 Harrisburg tinies.  She had left the Waterloo colony woman a carrier and a few days ago, the woman called, said she had two more, whom Julie now has at her place.  But she trapped a fifth yesterday and also had two relinquished from a camp host in the park there, who had had six in her RV.  The camp host had given four away already, unfortunately unfixed.
Two more from the Waterloo residential colony.  The black is a girl, while the long hair gray is a boy.  They were covered in fleas and full of worms.
And now this one, also from Waterloo Residential colony.
Black tux boy kitten from county park

Torti girl kitten also from the county park

So, in all, Julie has managed to get 7 more kittens out of the Waterloo colonies.  Two are already now up with Animal Rescue and Care Fund.  Two are at her place with one I think spoken for, and three are here.

The sad thing is, the camp host lady told Julie she'd seen more kittens in the briers.  I knew there might be more, given the number of lactating females I had trapped up there.  Bootsy (got her six kittens who went to Heartland), Indy (got her six too, in foster in Portland), then Gracie (gray), Little Gracie (brown tabby tux) and Emmie (a calico) all were lactating and the six kittens the camp host found were not all of them, from those 3 lactating mothers.  I knew there were likely more.

  It's also sad that four of those six she had in her camper may go on to produce more unwanted kittens and cats, since they were given away unfixed.

The numbers from the Waterloo residential colony alone are staggering.   17 kittens and teens relinquished, 26 others fixed and returned.  That's 43 cats and kittens helped, just at that one place in Waterloo.  That's so far.

It never ends.

I forgot to mention I went up yesterday to get my traps back from the woman who took in the 11 kittens from Harrisburg.  Not the tinies, the littles (2 to 3 months in age).  I also took her some kitten food, wet and dry, and round wormer and $110 in support money, for care of the kittens.  I had already taken her $30.  I believe it is the ethical thing to do, if a rescue or foster has little money and they've taken in so many from me, to give them a chance.  I took $260 in cat food and cash to FCAT, when they took in the six eating from the dumpster in the Sweet Home trailer park.  I can't always do it, and always wish it could be more, but I don't get that many donations.

 I took the support money from my personal funds, another reason I am broke, but will reimburse myself if there's enough in HCC funds.  It's part of the HCC mission to support those stepping up to help out cats in trouble.

A woman from Eugene was there to adopt two, but ended up taking three.  I knew Autumn, the darling little calico would be snapped up and she was one who went along with two of the orange and white boys.  I then helped the woman transfer the three left out in her cattery, to her bathroom, and snuggled with them in her bathroom, as they too are pushovers (easy to tame) and darling beyond darling.  Two more of them, likely Pumpkin and Willow, move on to a shelter for adoption next week.  For five of them to move on to homes or shelters within a week and a half, now that's something.

Willow, photo taken when I trapped him, is such a love now.  

Autumn, plus two of her orange and white brothers/cousins, has moved on to a home in Eugene.

But for some good news.  
Ace and Deuce, unwanted in Albany, whom I got fixed through Happy Cat Club, then took up to Felines First Rescue, were adopted together.
 And Shiloh, whom I trapped in Albany, who was being fed as a stray and was pregnant at the time, finally got her home, through Felines First.  She went into foster in Lebanon with a Felines First volunteer, Chelsea, and had three kittens.  Then it was Shiloh's turn to get a home, so she went to the Portland area and get a home she did.
 Two of the teens from Waterloo residential went up for adoption through Felines First Rescue and now have a home together.  Teen boys Abbott and Costello, formerly of Waterloo, get great home.

I don't do adoptions, which brings in money through adoption fees.  I don't do adoptions because it is time consuming and because I burned out on it badly after several bad adoptions that turned into terrible nightmares and PTSD for me.  It is very tough to outlay a lot of money on cats, only to have them go, fully vetted, to an adoption group who then keeps all the money, which can be hundreds, they get adopting them out.  But what can a person do.

It is hard to worry on it much when unwanted kittens and cats end up in good homes.

So I keep on keeping on and do my best and try to keep up the standards I believe in.


8 comments:

  1. OH, boy! Losing $100 would really drive me crazy. I hope you find it sometime when you least expect it. Glad you found another camera. My present camera only works in a couple of settings and takes forever to cycle to be ready for the next picture. But it works, so I'm sticking with it for a while.

    You need a rest, but something tells me that you can't be still for a week until then of the month. Good luck and good rest.

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    Replies
    1. It really set me back, to lose that much money. Has driven me nuts trying to find it. It's a lot of money. I haven't done much this week except for the Tuesday trip to Astoria with the pair of cats and a bit of leaf raking. I did go up yesterday to Brooks to retrieve my traps from the woman who took in the 11 kittens from Harrisburg. She already found a home for 3 of them, and two more leave for a shelter next week. They are pushovers, in taming.

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    2. Peggy and I have been watching your films as far back as the “super efficient alarm clock.” How appropriate that you have cat pajamas! We are both in awe of the work you do. You write about the beautiful spirits of the cats you rescue, but you’re surely not less worthy of that designation.

      I hope you’re recovered from your fall.

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    3. Thanks Snow and Peggy, for the donation and the note of encouragement and support. My knee isn't all it should be but I can walk again without wanting to scream.

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  2. What beautiful kitties those are.... I sure hope you find that $$$.... I freak out when I lose stuff... maybe it will show up.

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  3. You do such good work.
    Always.
    I do hope you find the missing money - and can get some rest.

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  4. I wish the best for you, my dear, and all those you rescue. How sad that you lamented spending $5 on a big bag of books and then have so much go missing. Please rest your mind and body for now. I feel that you will prevail yet again.

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  5. So sorry about the computer problems and all your frustrations. I sure hope the missing money turns up somehow. My heart goes out to you and those you save.

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