Another Day Another Colony

 I went and checked out the new colony, outside Lebanon.

They were referred to me by Heartland Humane.  The colony caretaker had arrived at Heartland with some of the kittens, unaware Heartland does not take in Linn  County cats.

She told me she tried Safehaven too, but that they told her they were full.  She told me she called several other groups but couldn't remember which ones.

Anyhow, Heartland also told her about the FCCO along with giving her my number, after first calling me to ask permission to do that.   We made appointments at the FCCO for this coming Sunday for at least half the alleged 30 cats.  Turns out at least half are kittens, however.

It's a nice older couple, but turning into their rural driveway, the first thing I see is the For Sale sign from a realtor.  My heart sinks.

I drive on up and see cats around a nicely maintained home and more cats on the deck.  The 80 some year old woman greets me warmly and invites me in.  I have my mask on, but take it off inside.

Stupid?  Maybe.

For the next half hour, I take photos of the cats and kittens through the sliding glass door while drinking a cup of coffee her husband offers up.   It was good coffee.

I see the six she tried to get shelters to take without any luck.  They're nestled beautifully on a chair with their mom.

There are four younger kittens, who have upper respiratory, and a Siamese mom.  I realize those four need out fast, due to their colds and make a note in my mind over it.

This gal is the mom to the four youngest ones.

I'm trying to count cats that are big enough to be fixed but they're not used to eating mid afternoon, the woman says.  I put out wet food, hoping to entice them in.   She isn't sure how many there are beyond what I saw on the deck.  I counted 14, not including the ten youngest kittens, but probably ten others were not around, she said.   

I start messaging rescues, requesting help.  I'm pretty sure maybe I'm messaging rescues she's already asked for help but I don't know.  Anyhow, by evening my friends at Animal Rescue and Care Fund said they'd take the six six week olds.  They have friends at Pixie Project they contacted and Pixie will take them.  I ask if they know they're on the wild side, and she said they have people to tame them.  I sighed with relief.  Another group will take the young four with URI.  I don't know if they will take their mom or not. Regardless, they need on eye meds and antibiotics so need out of there.

I ask the older lady I'm sitting with, inside, while I finish my coffee, about the for sale sign.  Yes, she said, they are going to sell.  The property is too much for them to care for anymore.  It is a beautiful property and place and I think to myself if I had money I'd buy it in a heartbeat.  She said it won't be for a few months.  I ask what will happen to these cats?  She says her adult daughter will try to find them homes, starting with the tame adults, once they're fixed. An unfixed tame buff male, in the meantime, has slipped into the house, as I go out to add more wet food to bowls.  I'll get him fixed Wednesday, I tell her, so your daughter can start working on finding tame ones homes.  I have four spots Wednesday also, besides the ones Sunday at the FCCO, for this colony.  The people I got the four spots for Wednesday bailed out, since the cats disappeared they wanted fixed and they think the former owners, who also owned the cats, may have come and got them.

 My stomach is churning over the cats plight, with the impending move of their elderly caretakers, as I leave.

I think the ten youngest kittens have rescues now that will take them.  That's a good thing.

I became emotional last night in worry thinking about all those cats who need a new place to live.  I would think nothing of it if it was just trapping them all to be fixed.  No problem, I would think.  That's no big deal, to catch and fix them all.   But that for sale sign changed everythiing.