Fun in the Dark

 Felt like old times.  I loved it.

Out in the dark catching cats.  Catching too many cats.

I had three appointments Thursday FCCO.  And I caught six cats.  Accidentally.

I had taken a drop trap out to the Crabtree colony, where Cora came from, the calico, and the four littles, who graced my bathroom for three weeks.  There are six cats left needing fixed out there including an adult female.   The others are a kitten, three teens and an adult male.  But the female was most important to get immediately.  

I was on my way to the colony behind the gas station.   It was closing in on 9:00 p.m., dusk, and finally the heat was relenting.  It was still over 80 degrees, but it was no longer 95 or higher, which it had been half the day and it was still in the 90's at 7:00 p.m.

I knew there was still an adult torti, a black tux female and a big huge trouble making black tux male needing caught there.  I figured with unfixed females there may also be kittens.

Almost there and the Crabtree lady calls me, excited.  She'd caught the adult female there, under the drop trap.   I then had to go there first, to transfer her from the drop trap to a live trap.   I was excited too, to get that last female fixed.   The transfer was easy.  Marshmallow, one of the already fixed boys, was under the drop trap with her.  I just let him out after transferring Daphne, the girl, to a live trap.

Then it was off to the gas station colony.  I set up the drop trap.  The homeless camper RV wasn't there, but drove in an hour later, passing me where I was parked, no doubt giving me dirty looks in the dark, for taking the spot where they usually park.  They went over to the far side and parked.

Sorry folks.

There was a black tux kitten running around the parking lot.  I only had two live traps in the car, since I had only three spots Thursday and I had the one girl from Crabtree in another trap.

I set up the other drop trap and strung two 25 foot strings together, to use for pulling its stand, to drop it.   My usual cord was in use at the Crabtree colony.  

I caught that black tux kitten first and transferred her or him into one of the two empty traps.  

At this point one of the feeder's showed up.  He'd already fed, but had finally seen my text not to feed.  Too late, but he came over since he lives really nearby.    Anyhow, he started examining my tires.  He's a car guy and that's what they do.

After he left I saw little shadows in the dark approaching the drop trap.  There was no moon and it was really like trapping blind.  I'd flick a flashlight beam across to try to see who was near the trap, but if I left it on long, they'd run under the fence.   One already fixed boy had been the first to eat under the drop trap.   He ate at least two cans of wet food then.  Later on, he came back, and ate about two more.

Anyhow, I saw torti when I flicked the light.  I didn't know if it would be one of the four already fixed tortis there but I guess, due to where I'd set the trap, it would be the unfixed one.  I yanked the cord.  To my surprise, not only was the unfixed adult torti under the trap, but so were three of her latest litter---two orange tabbies and a long hair torti kitten.

Ok, I thought, big trouble.  I just have the one empty trap to transfer them into.   The first into the transfer trap was an orange tabby.  I then transferred him into the trap holding the black tux kitten.  Next up, another orange tabby kitten. Same deal, transferred him into with his brother and the black tux.  But now I needed the last kitten to go into the transfer trap, not the adult.  I could then transfer her in with the other kittens and lastly transfer the adult into the remaining trap.  No go.  The adult ran into my last trap when trasnferring.  Shoot.

I called the one feeder, who lives so close, asked him to come watch the drop trap while I ran home and got another trap, which he did, and I got the final kitten into a trap and came home near 2:00 a.m. very happy.

But....I now had six cats needing fixed not three.   I set them all up in the garage, separating out the three kittens that were in one trap to individual traps and went to bed.   I woke by 7:15 to my old guys howling on my chest.  They want their wet food earlier and earlier and have no qualms about disturbing my sleep.  I immediately emailed the Salem clinic with my dilemma, asking for any cancellation spots.  I did not expect a quick reply, but got one.  They said to bring the three extras up by 10:00 a.m. and they could be done.  Wow!  I was elated and quickly got dressed, loaded the two adult females and the black tux kitten up, and they're at the clinic now, being fixed.  The other three will be done tomorrow. 

It made me happy to be out in the night trapping. I like it.  I love it, in fact.  

Most of last night's cat portraits did not turn out, but here are two of the cats up being fixed and the torti long hair kitten, who is darling and will be fixed tomorrow.

Daphne, from Crabtree, related to Cora the Calico

Jazz, the black tux kitten, named in honor of EC's kitty

This gorgeous torti long hair kitten and her two orange tabby brothers will be fixed tomorrow at the FCCO.  Thank goodness for the OHSS clinic and the FCCO!

That was my night and I loved it.  The stars were bright and I was doing what I love.