Precious!

 I went down to check out a colony I'm going to help trap two days ago.   15 of the cats are already fixed now.  They were trapped by the adult daughter and taken to the FCCO to be fixed.  But there are quite a few more.  She got more FCCO appointments but wanted help with trapping.  That's why I rode down with her two mornings ago, to get a feel for it, before attempting to catch ten more of the cats next week.

I didn't see the massive gathering I thought I would see.   Maybe there are 20 more but I saw only ten or so more that were not fixed along with some kittens, while there.

Nutria also swarmed the food.   I saw two huge adults and many young ones, cheerfully playing.  A pair of youngsters nearly ran into my leg.

They are not people wary whatsoever and intermingle with the cats.

I believe they said someone is going to take down the nutria population with a shotgun very soon.

I didn't want to hear that, but what else can they do.  Nutria are invasive and breed faster than rabbits and destroy habitat.

After being there a few minutes, this little girl kitten came wandering up.  She has a URI and looked so pathetic.   I couldn't leave her there, and when she was looking the other way, I scooped her up.  She's in the bathroom now.  She spends her time purring her head off, kneading her soft blankee and eating excitedly.  I am going back down today to pick up a little orange tabby friend of hers, so she isn't lonely.  The FCCO gave 2 Kitten Caboose appointments to the colony caretaker the 13th.  So they can go to the FCCO that day and then the FCCO will fix them and send them on to one of the shelters for adoption.   Pretty neat, eh?   It's about the only way to find placement for kittens currently.

That's next weeks' project, trapping ten more to be fixed at the colony the kitten comes from.   The vet student has appointments at the FCCO also next week.  I found a transporter, who will drive the cats to and from the clinic,  for the cats she catches and all I will do is facilitate, by loaning traps and housing them here before surgery.

I was to assist with two colonies this week, and transport to FCCO twice.  But that plan got knocked down to one trip when one of the cat caretakers broke her hip.    The other colony was to be trapped by the person feeding and the person helping her.  In the end though I got involved a bit, only yesterday, checking traps.  It was by the drug house property, where I trapped several years back, removed over 20 cats and kittens, when the old woman still was alive who owned the house and lived there, but had been taken over by drug addict relatives and their friends.   After she died, it became a very nasty homeless encampment.  By nasty I mean by accumulation of garbage and trash and waste.  The house is unlivable, the property a rotting pile of garbage and human waste, attracting rats and still--humans.  No living thing should live there.

Anyhow, the lady caught two adults and in the end, five kittens born to one of the adult cats, being fostered by a lady who is friends with the cat feeder, also made the trip to the FCCO today.  Seven in all.  Karen and Melanie volunteered to drive them up to Portland.  I'm still sitting here in my p.j.'s! I was thrilled!  And quite thankful, given the state of my clutch foot, being not yet fully uninflamed.

Also, when they volunteered, to myself I thought, with joy "I can spend the day with the kittens".  

Here are photos of the Seven Linn County Luckies who will be fixed today.