Cat Wrangling

 Back to cat round ups.  Easy on the heavy lifting.

I'm asking others to lift heavy traps with big cats.

Yesterday I slow started.  I meant to fast start and be out early.  Instead I got up with great intent, but the bed was calling me back---comfy and soft and warm and the cats were in good moods, purring and curling against me.  I answered its call.  Back to bliss I went.

I woke late and by the time I trudged through the chores, it was almost noon.

I would not waste the day.  Off I drove to Sweet Home.  The new colony.  I found it online, a lady begging for help for a disabled man she drives, as part of her job, to medical appointments.  He had lots of cats.  We connected online.

She was worried over one kitten in particular who was lethargic.  At that time, I couldn't get up there, and asked a couple rescues if they could go get that kitten.  One rescue did go get the little guy, who had a high fever and bad URI but was negative for distemper.   I think he's still at their vet.

They sent me a few photos of the situation.  I had already requested reservations from the FCCO, for spay neuter of the colony.  But the date I got is a month away.  By then the colony will be double in size, from kittens born.

I went up yesterday to see it for myself and meet the man.  He's a character I tell you.  He's in a wheelchair.  I went up the short plywood wheelchair ramp that sagged under my weight from rot and lack of support, and knocked.  I yelled through the door, "It's Jody, another cat lady to visit."  I heard rattling around inside, then "Come on in".  I did go on in.  I sized up the place as I did.  Old plywood floor, two rooms, sink full of dishes that looked too high for a man in a wheelchair to get at, bed in kitchen he was struggling off of into his wheelchair.  

He wanted to tell me about his garden, his potato varieties, his boysenberry patch, his prune and walnut trees.   He chattered on and on.  I said I would try to catch the litte white kitten with orange ears.  He said ok.  I put food outside and ten cats popped out from the empty abandoned trailer next to his.  I propped a trap door up with a water bottle, line tied around its neck, food at the back inside the trap, and watched from my car, but the trap was quickly swarmed with mostly young teen cats and the white kitten never went in, there were so many others crowded round.

Pretty soon the cats looked up, and I looked where they were looking and here came the ducks, four of them, up the steep gravel driveway from the pond below.  They came with purpose, marching in a line, and headed straight to the cat food I'd put out.  The cats just stared at them, used to this pilgramage I suspect and moved back to let them eat.

I stayed about an hour mostly chatting with the man.

Two boys were after this pretty in heat female

Tough Guy

This is the little guy I was after

The ducks come marching.....

After leaving this colony, I went to the junk shop colony.  There are two there, at least, still needing fixed.   As usual, the two men living there made this impossible.  First I'd set up the drop trap in front of the house, and no sooner had done that, than the original property owners son, who lives there now in a back trailer, said someone was coming to look at junk and I needed to move.  So I moved again, set up again.  This time it was the old guy who lives in the camp trailer walking out, right by the trap, and then all three were wandering around the trap and I took it up, moved it to the back parking space in front of the son's trailer.  Soon though here he came, said I'd need to move so he could get his truck out.  He complained about the cats again, said he'd like them all gone and I said "well I need to get the rest fixed and you can make that easy to get done, or I can just leave....."   I just left.

Lion in the Grass.  Lion was fixed back in November.

The boys still brawl there at times.  They will continue this unless I get everyone fixed.  There are still at least two unfixed boys in and out of that colony and one girl.  Chubby Cheeks and Badger are both long fixed boys....