Paring it Down

 It's hard to get enough spay neuter spots to finish a colony.

I finally finished that Crabtree colony, at 29 cats caught, in early August.   But the gas station colony had to be put on hold, along with a nearby comingled colony, for lack of available spay neuter. 

It's not easy to selectively trap for the handful of cats still not fixed.  This is even harder when its not a residential colony, where the feeder can feed in a tied open trap, or under a secured propped up drop trap, and catch the unfixed ones themselves by yanking the cord to drop the drop trap over an unfixed one, or yank a cord to pull a bottle out that holds up the door of a regular trap when an unfixed one happens inside to eat.

The gas station colony has several feeders and one guy feeds three comingled colonies, including that one.   So far, he hasn't lifted a finger to help catch even one cat.  I'm hoping that changes soon.   So far, I've caught about 50 of the cats he feeds.  What does it take to get him to chip in some labor?   Good question.   

He was supposed to help last night but cancelled, which didn't surprise me.  Now he says tonight.  Yeah, that's really easy to believe.  I'm hoping to be shocked.

Anyhow, having no faith in his reliability or intention to help, I'm going over to Lebanon to hopefully catch a couple there early this evening, to round out the five appointments I have tomorrow.

I sat out there at the gas station colony last night to catch stragglers still needing fixed.  Already 18 have been fixed from this colony with two not returning.  One who didn't return was the pregnant sick elderly orange female, whom Keitha's Kitties took.   The other was an adult black who was tame enough that a lady who transported them to the clinic, gave her to a relative who wanted a kitty.  I knew of four unfixed ones, but knew there could be more than that.   I set up the drop trap and soon caught a small black tux whom I could clearly see had no right ear tip.   I named him or her Juju.

I was uncomfortable sitting in the car in the parking lot watching the drop trap. I needed a bathroom.

  I overate at the neighbors barbecue earlier on.   I had been thrilled to be invited.  I wasn't sure they'd want me to come, with a cold still half going on.   Day Three of my cold, Friday, I didn't feel that well and coughed half the night.  But Saturday, I felt better, took an antihistamine and my mask, offered to wear it, and went on down.  I enjoyed my time, just sitting in a lawn chair watching the kids play and eating fruit and macaroni salad, etc.

I came home and loaded up the car and headed over, hoping since it was still light, maybe I could actually see ear tips to know who was who.   It was still light when the black tux came out and I could clearly see, with binoculars, the untipped right ear.  But then it got dark....

And I needed a bathroom.   Suddenly feeder man shows up, trying to be charming.  I figured that was because he'd cancelled his promise to help with the other nearby colony, who are all unfixed still.   Like I believed him when he said he'd do it tonight.   I pretended I did, but I didn't.  Like I said, hope I'll be shocked.

After he left, I decided I'd leave.    Then I spotted the little gray one that isn't fixed and set an uncovered trap along the fence, hoping it would be the gray one first at it, not one of the fixed ones.   I shoo'ed away a small tuxedo and later regretted it, when I reviewed photos of the ones already fixed because I don't think that one is fixed either.  But not ten minutes later, the gray one got in the trap and I covered the trap with a towel, loaded the cat in the car with the black tux I caught earlier, took apart the drop trap and loaded it and came home.  It was about 11:00 when I got home, which is good, I could sleep normally.   

I had hoped, however, to have a load of cats from the other colony, and be done for the week.  I thought maybe I'd have nine cats last night caught, mostly kittens from his other colony, whom I could hold til Thursday's Portland appointments.  I want these three colonies, all of related cats, finished.  I had a total of nine spots to give these colonies this week.  Four Monday and Five Thursday up in Portland.  The fifth spot tomorrow is going to the bird lady's latest stray.    Then he bailed out on helping, with the other place he feeds, which is nearby but on property where he has to catch them.  I have no faith he won't do the same this evening so I'll go try to catch two at the Lebanon colony before going to meet feeder man tonight, so spots tomorrow won't be wasted.   If he does show, and we get five more, fine, I'll be done for the week and they will be fixed Thursday.  

It will take another couple months to make sure everyone is fixed all around, I'm sure, even if he cooperates with the 3rd location which seems to be some big secret.   It will be quite a big help in the area once these are all done.