Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Not Bad! Five More Cats Fixed

I took 9 cats in Monday to be fixed, after being gifted those 9 reservations suddenly.  Well, how could I resist when I saw four more reservations up for grabs, for yesterday?   Don't ask someone like me, even if tired, to resist such an offer.

Besides, I tried to make reservations for more cats to be fixed, there in Salem, rather than driving clear to Portland with cats and found they are booked out til mid January.   

Spay Neuter spots are like gold around here.  Very rare and hard to find.

It's the number one thing that keeps the cat population hard to control.

So I went after those four reservations.  And caught five more cats.

I wasn't trying to be difficult and blatantly trap an extra.

I wanted to catch a four cat colony down in Tangent.  I went there mid day after I got those reservations and after dropping off the nine on Monday at the clinic.   I could see immediately it would not be easy to get all four caught quickly there.

Two yapping dogs met me at the door.   They were so loud and the barking did not stop inside, when I went in to talk to the woman.   They were allowed out on her porch to bark at me when I left too.  I could see it might be a difficult challenge, to trap the cats there.

There was no spot level enough to set up the drop trap, which might have made it easy.  The cats would come out from under the  trailer straight up onto her handicap ramp up to the porch.  I knew they'd see each other trapped, which would make it tough to catch more than a couple of them.  With the yapping dogs and the women's refusal to contain the dogs, saying "oh they won't mind the dogs barking", I opted to return after dark.

I did return after picking up the 9 cats in Salem, and setting them up for the night in my garage.

I quickly caught two of the three kittens in the same trap.  Without light on the porch I couldn't even see the traps, to know if one had sprung and knew it would be a long wait to catch the mom cat and last kitten.  The woman would have had to exit her trailer to even check the traps, spooking the cats, if I left them set, then call me, and I'd have a ten minute drive down to pick up the trap with the cat and get it out of sight of the other cat.  This meant catching the other two there that night wasn't going to happen.  So I left with just the two teens early, and headed for the Albany colony where I'd already caught five, to catch two more there.

I caught a big male there right away, but other cats were near when I did so.  I hadn't bothered with setting up the drop trap as there was no light available outside there either, adequate to see.  I hung out a bit there, waiting, after I caught the big male.  

Then I left two traps set, feeling I would be lucky to catch even one more cat, and left to go home, I was so tired.  I had already 3 of my 4 cat quota.  Wasn't home more than half hour when the colony caretaker there texted me that both traps were full.  Now I had five cats, but four reservations.  I wasn't going to release an unfixed cat.

I took the fifth cat with me yesterday and hoped they would agree to do that one too and they did.  Thank goodness. All five are still in my garage, recovering after surgery.  They will go home this morning.
Little Flanders from Tangent was fixed yesterday

Mystic from Tangent, Flanders sister, also fixed yesterday

Goblin, a male, from the Albany colony, was fixed yesterday

Mamo Gray, a gray tux girl, was also fixed yesterday

And so was Stashio, a big male

After dropping off those five cats at the clinic yesterday, I needed to return the seven fixed Monday still in my garage.  George and Agnes, the two kittens, had already gone home with Spay Inc. Monday night.

I next returned the five fixed from the Albany colony.  Four girls and one boy.   Even the black tux they had named Charlie was a girl.  The only boy of the five was the all black short hair I had named Midnight.

I was quite tired but finally got around to heading off to Sweet Home, to take back Norma and Norman.  Norman, Norma's last teen needing fixed, also turned out to be a girl.  Lots of girls among the nine I took to be fixed Monday.  Seven in all.

Both the man and his adult daughter were there waiting to greet me.   I love this pair.  I'd been worried I would let the man down, by not getting the last two caught.  The man is nice, witty, a hoot, considerate.  When I'd been out there, waiting in my car, that stormy night, to catch these last two, he'd composed a snack bag for me, and brought it out to my car.  The bag contained potato chips and a cookie.

This time, after I released the two girls, and gave them the records from the clinic, They handed me a flat box the size of a CD.   Chocolates!  They are delicious!

Getting cats that people feed fixed is really a glorious endeavor.  It helps the individual cats which is why I do it, but it also affects the cat population and all who deal with the cat population in entire regions.   It reduces costs to shelters and tax payers, too.  And the effort can affect cats and those who help them beyond this area, in that shelters and rescues, if not overwhelmed with local cats and kittens, can reach out and help areas farther away.  And it helps the people who feed and love them.  They can suddenly do so without that gut wrenching worry, knowing they will breed even more cats.  Takes away the guilt.  Makes them happy.  Improves neighborhoods too.

I get to meet some interesting characters, people of all sorts, of all shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds, incomes, races and belief systems.  They're all the same, really, bound together in my mind as similar in that they are caring for kitties.  It starts with one, that shows up, desperate, needing help.  That the person, whomever they are, whatever their background or beliefs or income, does not turn a blind eye to a little kitty in trouble, makes that person a hero to me.  I like helping heroes.

It's deeper than that, however. The world seems mean and violent sometimes.   When I find people stooping to help a stray cat, makes me have hope.   I think someone who does that must be deeply kind, to the core, no matter if they seem gruff or are poor or in otherwise terrible circumstance.   I take little comfort in words.  People spout words all the time.  Christian words, preaching of all sorts, people telling other people how they should think and act.  But its actions that count.   There's no more telling action about a person than to see someone helping a little stray in trouble.  I think to myself 'I bet that person would help almost anything or anyone in trouble' and it makes me feel peaceful to know there are people so kind out there.

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for the background information about why you're so passionate about your work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well done. Again.
    And how nice to hear that your work, and your kindness was recognised. You deserved thos chocolates. And more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. He's a nice old guy, witty, dry humor. Fortunately I ate only half the chocolates.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous5:12 PM

    Another fine effort. A question if I may. Who pays for these spay neuter spots? I assume the surgery is done by vets who, certainly here, don't come cheaply. Also, if a cat needs a treatment by a vet, who is paying for that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I took the last 14 to Willamette Humane, a shelter in Salem, with a spay neuter clinic (nonprofit) on site. they fix and vaccinate ferals for free, because they have gotten some grants to fix them, to help cut down on overpopulation. If one of my cats needs to see the vet, that's when I head to the north coast affordable clinic, as I have to pay or the nonprofit does, whomever, me or the nonprofit, that might not be in the red at the time, lol. Headed there again, with the last two needing dental care and with the kitten, Chinook, from Waterloo park, who has not eaten since he was brought here and likely won't make it.

      Delete
  4. Nice message today that there are a lot of people out there who are kind and caring. Something that we all need to remind ourselves of from time to time.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You are truly amazing my dear. Your dedication, kindness and positive spirit is uplifting. The world is a much better place with you in it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Poor Chinook! Best wishes.

    ReplyDelete

Round Up

Today is cat round up for tomorrow's five spots.  Two more came up from the vet student in Harrisburg late this morning.  Over 60 fixed ...