Abby the Tabby

 I caught a fourth at the one location off a rural road where the Lebanon woman feeds.

But not the remaining teen.

It took a long time.

Numerous homeless folk came up out of the woods and chatted beside my car, making it difficult to catch anyone.  I finally set up the drop trap.  Another long long wait.  The tabby teen was out and about, very hungry, and so were the skunks.  

Suddenly the adult tabby showed up.  I think its the mom of the teens the way she acted towards the teen, slapping it down, it showing submission.   Its like mom cats do to teens when they want them on their own.   But who knows, could be another male.

Abby the Tabby

Drop trap set up.  I try to wedge my car around it, otherwise they spook if anyone comes by, like the coming, going homeless folk, or cars and trucks zooming by on the road.

The cat was unafraid of the drop trap and went right under.  I held off though, hoping the teen would go under too, but the teen was not confident enough to be that close to the adult who had just slapped her down.

Fed up with the long hours there, the constant activity, tired out, I didn't want to leave empty handed and dropped the trap over the tabby adult and quickly covered the drop trap.   Just then, along comes another homeless guy and starts telling me some complicated detailed story about something that happened in the 70's.  All the while I was trying to transfer a scared cat out from under the drop trap beside an extremely busy road.  At the end of his story, he added, you should get paid for this.  Uh huh.

After I picked up Slabbo, Pokey and Baby, at the clinic, (they were done early), I settled them and Abby the Tabby in my garage and headed out again, barely time to gather thoughts.

I hadn't fed at the other spots she feeds yet.  Off I went, nearly dark by then.  One of the boys was out trying to catch quail, with no luck, hungry I guess.   Only one at another place, and one at a third place.  I was late and they were no longer expecting it.

I skipped two more spots trying to encourage them all to come to the one spot where I have been trapping.  It worked on Slabbo, whose normal spot is 3/4 mile from where I trapped him.

I had looked up what skunks will eat and taken along quartered apples, some old blueberries and  some shriveled potatoes I cut up.   I tossed pieces down the embankment before again trying for that one last teen there.  The skunks ignored their normal food, however, wanting the cat food in the trap.   Oh boy.  I told them "Go eat those apples, they're good for you."  But they ignored me.

I'd brought Pokey along and tried setting him up beside another trap, with the trap he was in mostly covered.  In other words, used him as bait.  But his sister/brother didn't take the bait, although they exchanged meows.

I finally left about 9:00, and fed the tabby teen well, since I'm not trapping today.  I need to take time off that, but still have the lengthy feeeding rounds to make.  Abby is at the clinic getting fixed.  I have to return Baby to the homeless woman and want to coincide that with the feeding rounds, since she lives in the woods at one of the feed spots.

Baby is Pokey's sister.  Homeless woman caught her when tiny there.   But she would be reproducing more soon, if not fixed, down at the same place.

Before leaving, I mixed some capstar in a churu for the tabby teen left.  She had been scratching at fleas so much it makes her harder to trap.   Capstar only kills adult fleas, so by today, more will hatch from flea eggs and larvae, but you can give capstar daily.

I pick up Abby at 3:00.  Then I'll know for sure if its a girl.   I need to set up a big cage in the garage to hold Abby, Pokey and Slabbo.  SCR is trying to find a barn placement for them.  I sure would like that second teen to go along, but not sure I'll catch it in time.   There are other teens she could go with to a barn at another place lady fed.  

I only have two more days.  I agreed to do it five days for her.  I have not heard from her at all.   I have tried texting her.   No response, which is not unusual with her.   I drove by her place last night on the way home, lights on inside, so I assume she's home.   I know she can ride passenger in a car even now, so hopefully she has a friend or relative lined up after my five days feeding are up.

Abby had just turned on the teen, slapped her down with a quick growl, let her go.  That's a mom thing, I think, to put an older teen in place who's trying to act like a baby.

Someone got hit on the tracks down at Queen st. yesterday, by an Amtrak train.  Killed of course.   People don't like to wait on the cross arms, and risk fate and often lose.