The Deer and The Cat

 

I headed up to Moose Creek on Quartzville road yesterday afternoon, with Julie, to see if we could catch any stragglers still there, of the cats dumped.    We had been told there were still at least three cats up there needing caught.

It was pouring on and off.   And dark by the time we started up Quartzville road.   I was going very slow due to intermittent fog and wet pavement and curvy narrow road.

Suddenly there's a deer dashing out.   The front of the car and deer collided, but at low speed.  The deer was knocked on his side in the road.   He laid there only an instant before scrambling up.  I held my breath, would a leg be broken.   No, he didn't limp at all, made his way to the other side of the road, looked back at the car, went on along the road then vanished into the brush.

Julie always carries a gun and if the deer had been injured she would have shot it and we would have put it in the back and she would have reported it to fish and game, as required, and her family then would have eaten it.  But the deer was not injured.

I didn't get out and check for damage.  I should have because I would have had none if I had gotten out.  The scion emblem, a plastic piece about 3 inches diameter had been knocked off the grill.    As we started off again, towards Moose Creek, my rear tire crunched something, most likely that.

We sat up there at Moose creek until 9:00 p.m.  I'd brought my game cam and my catnip and Temptation cat treats.   We saw a cat running around in the pitch black and sometimes with rain coming down.   It was not going for the traps I'd set however.  So I got out and went over to them and spread out the catnip and Temptation chicken treats and soon we caught that one.  We waited another two hours to leave, hoping to catch the others also, but nobody else showed up.

On the way back down the mountain, I went slow again, hoping to find my car part in the road.   Suddenly something ran across the road into the ditch.  Looked maybe like a rabbit so I drove closer to check.  It was a young tabby, kitten or teen, who then shot out of the ditch, recrossed the road and vanished.  This was a heartbreaker and miles from where the other cats were dumped in mass.  What is wrong with people around here.   

We left food in several places, noted the exact location on maps app, and milepost even though we were still in a no cell coverage area.   It was depressing to see a little one on its own so far out.  ANOTHER ONE, besides the 20 dumped even farther out.

Got back home near 11:00 p.m.  Did cat chores, went to bed.  Tomorrow five of the Quartzville cats will be fixed at Alpine and tested  If negative, then some can move on quickly, as SCR already has a barn home for three of them.  I hope they test negative.

It was a good night, despite all the other stuff, because she is now safe!