What to Do ( and NOT Do) IF You Find a Newborn Kitten

I have met Valerie and have attended her work shops. I hope this article will give you some valuable information.

What to Do (and NOT Do) If You Find a Newborn Kitten

Posted on May 4, 2013 by OOTC Editor

During kitten season, it’s not unusual to discover a nest of unattended kittens or a single kitten seemingly abandoned by his/her mother. (Photo by Ken Hanly)

by Valerie Sicignano, NYC Feral Cat Initiative
During high kitten season in the spring and summer, it’s not unusual to discover a nest of unattended kittens or a single kitten seemingly abandoned by the mother. You want to help, right? Before jumping to the rescue, consider these recommendations.
First: Wait & Watch
You might have come across the kittens while their mother is off searching for food, or is in the process of moving them to a different location. Try to determine if the mother is coming back for them, or if they are truly orphaned.
To do this, stand far away from the kittens — 35 feet or more. If you stand too close, the mom will not approach her kittens. You might need to go away completely before the mother cat will return to attend to the kittens. It might be several hours before the mother cat returns — until she no longer senses the presence of humans hovering near her litter.
If you need to leave before the mother cat comes back, carefully evaluate whether the kittens are in immediate danger: Is it raining or snowing? Are dogs or wild animals that might harm the kittens running loose in the neighborhood? Does the neighborhood have kids or adults who are likely to harm the kittens? Are the kittens located in an area with heavy foot or car traffic?
To help with your decision, it is important to know that it might take several hours for the mother cat to return, and healthy kittens can survive this period without food as long as they are warm. Neonatal kittens are much more at risk of hypothermia than they are of starvation. During spring and summer months, waiting a longer time to see if mom will come back is much safer than during frigid winter months.
The mother cat offers her kittens’ best chance for survival, so wait and watch as long as you can. The best food for the kittens is their mother’s milk. Remove the kittens only if they are in immediate, grave danger.

The mother cat offers her newborn kittens their best chance for survival, so wait and watch as long as you safely can for her to return before removing them.

If the mother cat returns…
If mom returns and the area is relatively safe, leave the kittens alone with mom until they are weaned. You can offer a shelter and regular food to mom, but keep the food and shelter at a distance from each other. Mom will find the food but will not accept your shelter if the food is nearby, because she will not want to attract other cats to food located near her nest.
Six weeks is the optimal age to take the kittens from the mother for socialization and adoption placement, and any time after eight weeks for Trap-Neuter-Return (spay/neuter, vaccination, eartip, and return to their colony). Female cats can become pregnant with a new litter even while they are still nursing, so don’t forget to get the mother cat spayed or you will have more kittens soon! Learn how to socialize kittens and how to successfully trap a mom and her kittens.
If the mother cat does not return…
If you discover that mom has been hit by a car, or if for any reason it appears that she is not coming back, then you should remove the kittens. This is crucial to the kittens’ survival. But you must be prepared to see this project through to weaning if you decide to intervene!
If you take the kittens in, it is unlikely that you will find an organization with available staff or volunteers to take on bottle-feeding on short notice. Some organizations do have experienced bottle-feeders, but prior logistical planning is necessary. Animal shelters and veterinarians generally do not take in newborn kittens, since they do not have the staff to feed and stimulate them for elimination around-the-clock.
You can contact the NYC Feral Cat Initiative at kittens@NYCFeralCat.org or (212) 330-0033 x5 and we will attempt to find someone to bottle-feed the kittens, but this might take days or weeks, and we might not be successful in locating a feeder. If we do find someone to bottle-feed, you might still be responsible for taking the kittens back when they no longer require bottle-feeding. You also might be responsible for paying for veterinary visits, which might include emergency medical care, and will definitely include spay or neuter surgery, disease testing, and vaccinations. And finally, you might be responsible for adopting the kittens into permanent homes. The NYC Feral Cat Initiative can help you locate low-cost veterinary care, and might be able to help you find new homes for the kittens, but completing these tasks will be your responsibility.
Kitten Care & Bottle-Feeding
First Steps

1. Prepare for bottle-feeding and proper care before you take the kittens off the street.
2. If you feel you must take the kittens in, wrap the carrier or container you will transport them in in a towel for warmth, but make sure you leave air holes uncovered so the kittens won’t suffocate.
3. Check to see if the kittens are warm. This is more important than feeding. Never feed a cold kitten! If the kittens are cold, you will need to warm them up slowly. You can tell a kitten is cold if the pads of his feet and/or ears feel cool or cold. Put your finger in the kitten’s mouth. If it feels cold, then the kitten’s temperature is too low. This is life-threatening and must be dealt with immediately. Warm up the kitten slowly over 1–2 hours by wrapping him in a polar fleece towel, holding him close to your body, and continually rubbing him with your warm hands.
4. Determine the age of the kittens by comparing them to the photos and descriptions on the Kitten Progression: Week-by-Week page on the Alley Cat Allies website, or the Boutique Kittens website (Note: we do not advocate buying kittens; these kitten development photos just happen to be particularly descriptive.).

Newborn kittens need to be fed and stimulated for elimination every three hours around-the-clock. (Photo by Valerie Sicignano)

Feeding & Elimination
Neonatal kittens (under four weeks of age) cannot eat solid food (not canned, not dry) and cannot urinate or defecate on their own, so you must bottle-feed them around-the-clock and stimulate their genitals after every feeding so they can eliminate. For example, if you have kittens less than one week old, they will need to be fed and stimulated every three hours. That means you will be caring for them eight times a day — for example, at midnight, 3:00 a.m, 6:00 a.m, etc. If the kittens are unusually small or sickly, they might need to be fed every two hours.
Skipping feedings or overfeeding can cause diarrhea, which results in dehydration, a condition that can be fatal for small kittens (not to mention a hassle for you to clean up after). Diarrhea requires a visit to the veterinarian.
As the kittens age, the number of feedings they need per day goes down. You can start weaning at four weeks of age.
Milk Replacement Formulas
Powdered kitten milk replacement formula is better for kittens than the canned liquid formula. We recommend that you use only powdered kitten milk replacement formula from the start — or as soon as possible — to prevent diarrhea. Two major brands of formula are available: PetAg KMR^® Powder and Farnam Pet Products Just Born^® Highly Digestible Milk Replacer for Kittens. Both brands are available in both canned and powdered formulas. We highly recommend the powdered type to prevent diarrhea. It can be purchased at pet food stores, veterinarians’ offices, or online. Revival Animal Health offers the lowest prices we know of.
Make sure that the powdered formula you are using is fresh by opening the pop-top and smelling it. It should smell slightly sweet, like powdered milk. If it has a sharp smell like bad cooking oil, cheese, or chemicals, it is rancid, and dangerous to give to the kittens. Do not use any type of formula past the expiration date.
Once opened, kitten milk replacement formula (canned or powdered) must be refrigerated promptly and stored in the refrigerator. You cannot keep opened kitten milk replacement formula out of the refrigerator for very long before it spoils. Think of it as fresh milk.
Tip: Using unflavored Pedialyte electrolyte solution instead of water when mixing the powdered formula for the first 24 hours of feeding helps prevents diarrhea and eases the transition from mom’s milk to commercial kitten milk replacement formula.
Bottle-Feeding Guidance for Beginners

• Visit the the NYC Feral Cat Initiative website for detailed information on bottle-feeding orphaned newborn kittens,
• E-mail us at kittens@NYCFeralCat.org and describe what instructions/information you need, or
• Call us at (212) 330-0033 x5 and leave a voicemail with your name, address, and a description of what instructions/information you need.

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About the Author
Valerie Sicignano is Community Relations Director for the New York City Feral Cat Initiative and has been working with feral cats in New York City since 1990. She holds a Certificate in Humane Education from the ASPCA, and her work with animals has been recognized by the Manhattan Pet Gazette’s “Animal Guardian Award” and In Defense of Animals’ “Companion Animal Guardian Award.”

My First Cat Trapping Adventure

The Old Blanco Monastery 2007-2008.

Some of the lower colony cats

Way back in 1984 I was young and foolish, traveling around the country on my Yamaha 650 Maxim. I had left NY the end of October and had made my way down to Texas via Maryland and West Virginia. I had just finished working at the Texas Renaissance Festival, where I had worked for Elizabeth a red haired gypsy, portrait artist and Bill Potter a metal smith. I was working tracing leaves on copper with a fellow named Omar. One night he asked me if I was going to Fr. Sam's for dinner, I hadn't met Fr. Sam as yet, but Omar explained that this priest cooked spaghetti one night a week and anybody was welcome to come. Free food, you bet! That is how and when I met the monks of Christ of the Hills Monastery. Fr. William told me about the monastery and invited me out to visit. At that point in my travels all I needed was a map and I would be there. So after a brief time in Austin I made my way out to the Monastery, January of 1985 and that was the year it snowed, a lot! Traveling by motorcycle down to Texas to spend the winter sounded like a pretty good idea, back in the summer in NY. My first visit to central Texas and the Texas Hill Country was surreal, to say the least. You see, I'm a northern girl by birth, and though I had few pre-conceived ideas of this part of the country, I did expect an ever-present sun. And what was I greeted with when I turned my motorcycle west and headed out of Austin? Snow, lots of snow, I seem to remember more than a foot of snow, and of course it has to be cold to snow. Now just because I am from NY, and conditioned to cold weather, doesn't mean that I am a fan of flurries and accumulation. In fact, I am allergic to the cold, not allergic in that I don't like the cold, but actually allergic to it. Back in Buffalo, when I would go out into the cold my face would swell up, and every 4th of July I would jump into to pool at my Uncles, break out in hives and proceed to go into shock. Doctors seemed to enjoy putting an ice cube on my arm, to show medical students the effects of swelling and iching. This was a very good reason not to spend another winter in NY. I thought I would be safe in Texas. Boy, was I wrong. So my first sensation when arriving in Blanco was shock, literately. I soon learned, that, snow storm not with standing, Blanco is very much a typical small Texas town. Blanco pronounced Blank-O by the locals, was at that time a one traffic light town. (It was not long ago that we lost that status, now have two lights.) There is, of course, a Dairy Queen, a town square with a beautiful old courthouse. The Monastery was located about five miles outside of town on a hill from which you could see for miles.
I had planned a visit to the Monastery then was going to head down to South Padre Island. Thankfully the monks talked me out of it and allowed me to stay at the Monastery. The main complex was at the top of a hill where they had a trailer that was a kitchen with an addition of a dining area, they also had a trailer that served as a chapel, office and restroom. They where in the process of building a church. At first they let to stay in one of the guest rooms that were just down the hill. As time went on they allowed me to move into a hermitage that was located around the back side of the hill. This is where the cats come into the story. They had cats, lots of cats. They also had dogs, a few Chows and one Great Pyrenees (Anastasia). Every night Anastasia would walk me home, we would always be joined by a few cats. I remember one I called Gato Blanco. White of course, with pink ears that always looked sore and scaly. I am guessing a condition that came from inbreeding. Interestedly enough different cats would adopt certain people to walk home. Some of the cats were tame and some where feral. The story I was told is that they all started from one cat that had hitched a ride to the Monastery under the seat of a car, her name was Mouser. She was a pretty little orange tabby who had many litters of kittens before the monks finally got her fixed. That was the first time I had come across what I would now call a colony of cats.
Fast forward twenty-one years, I had gotten married (at the Monastery), moved to Western NY, had two kids, moved back to Texas, divorced. The monks had gotten themselves into trouble, and the Monastery was closed down. The cats were still there, except now there was two colonies of cats. A friend from the Blanco County Cat Coalition had taken on the feeding of the cats. But very few of them had been fixed. With the death of Fr. Sam I felt I was able to go back out to the Monastery (we had had a falling out years before) I had always wanted to get all the cats fixed but there never had been a way to do that. Now with the financial help of the Cat Coalition, using the few traps that they had and borrowing traps from the group in Fredricksburg. I was able to start trapping. I found a vet in Fredricksberg that was willing to give the Coalition a discount. I would trap four or five cats and haul them to Fredricksburg for surgery. Then go out trapping again sometimes catching cats that had all ready been done. The lower colony was fed between on porches between two trailer homes. One of which Fr. Sam had just died in several months before. The upper colony was being fed in an unfinished rock church in the cemetery at the top of the hill. I spent many a spooky evening hour trapping cats and contemplating death. I found it ironic that after the Monastery was closed down, only the cats remained. The matriarch of the group was a female we called the Abbess. Ironic in that Fr. Sam really didn't much like the cats nor did he like females much, preferring men, which eventuality led him into trouble. Now the Monastery was being run by a fuzzy little girl that ruled with an iron paw. One of the funniest things I saw there was when Big Daddy, the biggest cat I had ever seen, tried to sneak up to share the food bowl with the little Abbess. She bopped him a good one! Nobody eats with the Queen unless she has invited them! She had her “court” a few of the other females that were probably had been her kittens or litter mates. Then there was the littlest cat, he was the last one to be trapped, because he was the smallest and so was always the last to eat. I named him Tippy because the tip of his tail always seemed to be twitching. He lives with me now, I just couldn't bear to release him back out with all the big kitties. He is the oldest of my kitties, the first one of my “souvenir” kitties. He is a souvenir of my first cat trapping adventure.
He is semi-feral who allows me to pet him once in awhile. He has learned to enjoy the comforts of the wood stove, sneaking in through the kitty door after I go to bed at night.
After months of trapping I was finally able to “fix” all the cats. Yeah, no more suffering kittens. Finally after more than twenty years the cat situation at the old Blanco Monastery was under control. The End

Big Daddy and Friends

How Rosie and Rascal Came Into My Life

 



All Grown up

 I have already introduced Rascal in a previous blog post. Now I would like to tell the tale of how Rosie and Rascal came into my life. It was spring of 2011. One day sitting at the local Dairy Queen, as was my habit I would ask almost anyone I ran into if they knew anybody that needed help getting cats fixed. I was told that there was a lady up on Old Kendalia Rd. that had a lot of cats. So, I made it a point to drive out there and start looking for the house. The first place I went to was a stable and training arena for racing horses. I didn't see any cats around there, but I did see some beautiful horses. I was told that there were no cats here, but at the house next door there were a lot of cats. I proceeded to the next gate. It was a long driveway that kinda wound about up a slight hill. As I neared the house I saw cats scatter in all directions. I parked my car and said a prayer that my intentions would be well received. As I walked along the side of the house towards the door I saw further signs that someone was caring for a lot of cats, food and water bowls and off in the distance more cats heading for the hills. I knocked on the door and when Ms. B. answered I introduced myself. Saying that I worked with the Blanco County Cat Coalition and that I had heard that maybe she needed some help getting some of her cats fixed. One of the first things she asked was who had turned her in! I told her that I had just heard that maybe she needed a bit of help. It is funny the reaction some people have when they have a lot of cats. It is almost like admitting you have a drinking problem or some sort of perversion. The reality that I find is that most people that have a lot of cats only do so because they didn't know how to get the situation under control. This lady had such a situation. As she showed me around her place I was amazed at how many cats she had. She had porch cats, garage cats, hay barn cats, horse barn cat, greenhouse cats and yes even a few house cats. She fed them all! They were spread out all over the place. She showed me all the different places she fed them. I was truly amazed I had never seen so many cats. When we drove by one of the barns I saw kittens dashing away and hiding. Ms. B. agreed to allow me to start with getting ten cats fixed and that she would donate $350 to help cover the cost. I was happy to have been able to get a foot in the door and confident that after some trust was established that I would be able to continue with the project.

 

Unfortunately kitten season had already started. Now, in an ideal world, part of the definition of T-N-R is that tame cats and kittens young enough to be socialized are pulled out of the colony and are adopted. Also sick cats are either treated or euthanized. In this case Ms. B. had some pretty sick kitties. I don't like to euthanize unless the case is truly hopeless, but having to take into consideration that these cats are feral. So if and when the cat gets sick there will be no way to treat and/or humanely put out of misery. Then there is the question of releasing a sick cat that could spread disease to the other cats. I don't worry about that as much as my rational is that the cats have been living together anyways, so all the other cats have already been exposed. Plus things like FIV (kitty aids) and Felv (kitty leukemia) are spread by fighting and mating which cats don't do so much after they are fixed. I contacted Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation (WRR) in Kendalia, TX about the sick kitties. I had worked with them before with a few cats that needed help. They have been pretty wonderful regarding cats that need medical attention as long as the cats are only there temporarily. Ms. B. agreed give donations to WRR if they would be willing to help with the sick kitties. I seem to remember three to five cats that went there. I also contacted the Austin Humane Society (AHS) to see if they would be able to help adopt out the kittens. Ms B. had given me permission to do that. It was also discussed that maybe we should get a group together and try to do a mass trapping. Ms. B being a private person wasn't too keen on that idea. I can't say that I blame her, I wouldn't like a bunch of strangers on my property. I estimated that she had about one hundred cats and at least thirty kittens. AHS agreed to take the kittens. I was excited that they were willing to help me out in this situation. One problem we have fostering cats and kittens, here in Blanco County is that we don't have a good way to find them forever homes. There is no shelter in the county. Also we don't have any medical support and it is inevitable that medical support is going to be needed. Next, I had to go to the Cat Coalition to get approval to spend the money on surrender fees it costs $ 25 to surrender a kitten and $75 for a cat. I knew that I probably would be able to cut a deal with AHS considering the situation but never-less I wanted permission to spend at least one thousand dollars on this project. Unfortunately at this time in the Coalition there was one woman that seemed to have a negative knee jerk reaction to any idea that I had. I have unpleasant memories of trying to convince the group to spend money on these cats. It wasn't that we didn't have the money, we did. It seemed that some of the ladies thought that I wanted the money for myself, because when the spending was finally approved, the main opponent said “well write Stacy the check”. No, I did not want a check to me, all I wanted was permission to give money to AHS for surrender fees! Also some did not want to spend the money, because “there will just be more kittens next year.” Not if I could help it! It seems that several people including Mr B. that did not think I could catch all the cats! Ha, that only made me more determined to do so! Finally I got approval to spend some money.

Yeah for AHS! I was going to have fun pulling out the kittens cleaning them up, socializing them and then turning them over to AHS to find homes! I seem to remember pulling out eight or maybe it was eleven kittens the first batch. I think I took five in Austin to be surrendered. What a heart break it was when I got the phone call telling me that one of the kittens tested positive for feline leukemia and that they would not be able to take any of the kittens from that colony. What was I going to do now? I already had a bunch of kittens in my house. What was I going to do with them? Some of them I was able to return to Ms. B. she was willing to keep them close to the house, so if and when they got sick she would be able to take them to the vet. Then they started getting sick. I think I buried eight kittens that year, several of which died in my hands. Such a sad, sad situation. Meanwhile most of the adult sick kitties that had gone to WRR had to be euthanized. I learned a lot from that experience: 1. Sometimes it is more merciful to euthanize rather than try to cure. 2. That in the real world: Trap the cats and get them fixed before kitten season starts, I have learned that once kittens hit the ground, at least in my world, it is better to wait twelve weeks and then trap the kittens that have survived. It is a harsh world out there!

Now how I found Rosie and Rascal. The first time I saw them they were in a nest tucked between bales of hay in Ms. B's. hay barn. There were four tiny little kittens. Two were solid white and two were orange and white, one of which had a white face. Knowing that baby kittens like that do best when Mama cat takes care of them I determined to leave them nestled in the hay. I would check on them periodically. The next time I checked on them fire ants had moved in and I decided to pull the babies out. They were so tiny and helpless, but spunky, one of them even hissed at me (probably the one that grew up to be Rascal). So small they needed to be bottle fed. The two orange and white ones died but the two white ones were full of life. When they got big enough to eat solid food I put them in my bathroom with a window in the door way so they could see out but not get out. I wish I had a video of how they would launch themselves onto the glass then kinda flatten themselves out as as they slid down the glass with their bellies against it. They were hard to tell apart, Rosie's eyes were a bit rounder. Rascal's eyes always looked a little more pink around the edges.

Rosie and Rascal are my reward for the two years previous of heartbreak that I experienced dealing with kitties. The year before I had fostered Squeaker and Toby my two leukemia babies that I had to have put down before they were even a year old. And the year before that I had kept BG and Jerry the two kitties that are infected with the herpes virus. Now it was 2011 I had just buried a bunch of heartbreaking kittens and was left with the two survivors who happened to be two healthy beautiful white kittens with striking blue eyes. That year they became my traveling kitties. Every year come June, I travel up to NY state to work at a Renaissance Festival. In past years I have left my foster kittens home with friends, but this time I did not want to leave these babies behind. So they were the first of my cats to go traveling with me. They were still quite small so they were easy to travel with. They both fit into a small carrier where they would curl up and sleep together all day. I bought them each a harness, red for Rosie and blue for Rascal. Even though they are litter mates they each have had their own distinct personalities. Rascal is a rascal, he is high strung and likes to start trouble, he is more active and adventurous. Rosie is mellow, she doesn't really like Rascal much, as he likes to pick on her, so any time he comes to close she growls at him. He doesn't really mean any harm he just like to play rough. Rosie likes people, she likes to be admired, not really a princess more like a queen. She is not as athletic as Rascal perfering lounging around rather than jumping though hoops which Rascal is willing to do. Rosie would rather step though the hoop than jump though it. We had many adventures in NY.

The next year I decided to only take one cat because while I am in NY I reside in a very small booth and taking to full grown cats seemed like it would be to much. I took them both for a test drive, Rascal got very upset and Rosie took it in stride. So Rascal stayed home with the rest of the cats under the care of a neighbor and Rosie made the second trip to NY were she charmed everyone she met. They are both beautiful cats and I am very happy that they are in my life.

A post script to the story; I did succeed in trapping every cat in Ms. B's colony. It took a lot of doing, hiding behind hay bales and sitting patiently for hours upon hours. I am pleased and proud to say that there hasn't been any new kittens born there going on four seasons. The cats that have been TNR'd are all fat and happy. No more mating and struggling to stay alive. TNR works, but you have to be determined to make it work.



Rosie in the far left and Rascal center



Cabin at Grandpa's House

Ready to roll

 

Walk in the Woods









I DEEPLY REGRET THE DAY I TOOK A CAT INTO MY HOME by a CAT TRAPPER

I deeply regret the day I took a cat into my home. I hope you will listen to what I have to say with an open mind so we can teach our children well. The multitude of cats I have brought into my home now and over the years is way, way more than I care to think about. It took a lot of money – testing, de-wormed, vaccinated, spayed/neutered (before there was Fix Nation), antibiotics, sometimes surgery, diagnosing exotic diseases, cat food, cat litter, cat boxes, cat beds, cat carriers, cat toys, cat scratching posts, the extra money I spent on tuna, roasted chicken, and ham while trying to relieve my guilt because I wasn’t spending as much time with my older ones as they wanted, the brand new $200 VCR that went crashing to the ground after using it twice, etc, etc, etc, etc. not to mention the space it took to house the cats and their equipment. We all know how much money it takes to support such an effort (certainly some more than others).And you can add cat traps and trapping equipment (rope, towels, cage covers, quilts, etc) to the list for the trappers. And you can add trap-making equipment to the list for me. But it definitely was much, much more than the money. Staying awake all night with a really sick kitten and having your boss be really angry that you keep falling asleep at work. Socializing them 24/7, making trips to the pet store to buy those often really heavy bags of litter and cat food, cleaning litter boxes until life no longer becomes worth living, washing a newcomer in the bathtub –along with his brothers and sisters of course – so that you can get them clean and keep your other cats from getting their fleas, getting bit and ending up in the emergency room and then followed by the pharmacy until the late hours of the night where you do not even have the energy to get out of the car or know what day of the week it is and you fall asleep with your head bent against the steering wheel as the drool fills your lap when once more – you wake up to feel that life is no longer worth living. Spending hour upon hour at adoptions after you have just emptied your car of all it’s contents only to fill it back up again with cat cages, cat carriers, cat litter boxes, water, food, paperwork. Having no time to spend with your family (that is – IF you were lucky enough to have a family before you went into cat rescue) because God only knows there is no time to get one now. Having your husband divorce you because he is so tired of the dirty house, the smell of cats, his paycheck going to the care of cats, sleeping on a bed of piss, never knowing where his wife is all hours of the day and night, having to build a cat house so he can try to eat a TV dinner without cat hair in it. Having no friends you can call when you need them because you lost your “normal” friends a long time ago and now only have cat friends who are way too busy and overwhelmed to even help themselves – much less you. Worrying about what is going to happen to your cats when you die because there is no one available with the resources or especially the time to take them. OK, so I could go on and on and on and on but I think everyone gets my drift. What if all the time we spent taking care of these cats was instead spent TRAPPING the cats for spay/neuter? We are chasing our tales here ladies (and gents). And what if all the money we spent buying cat litter, cat food, vet appts, etc. we spent on donations to Fix Nation or other facilities as needed to stay in business to spay/neuter? Certain trappers I know could have the whole west valley trapped BY THEMSELVES if they didn’t spend every hour of every day running around like crazy taking care of cats that are/were in their possession. I could get the whole east Valley and Ali could get the central valley. But we all spend so much of our time either taking care of our cats or the feral cats that we feed that there isn’t much time for anything else. If we had directed all our efforts into trapping, there would be a ton less cats in the world so we would not be seeing cats lying dead in the streets, hoarding situations on TV, poisoned cats by the millions, incomprehensible death rates in the shelters. Not to mention it has ruined my life as well as theirs. When I walk by their screen door and they look at me with the longing look of a cat that wants to run in the grass, climb the tree, and smell all the things there are to smell instead of a small room where they cannot run, a room that  smells like antiseptic (and my cats STILL get sick on a continual basis), and an always dirty litter box, I am crushed. The thing is this. How am I managing NOT to take any cats in now that I am full and overwhelmed. Could I not have managed this from the start? Think about it. I should have left them out there where they took their chances at life and death like all creatures on earth. And what ever time they had on this earth was spent doing what cats like to do. Instead I spend my time and money taking them to vets that almost always charge me $250 for blood work (and antibiotics) and proceed to tell me the cat has an infection…….da……………like what, I didn’t know? Or charge me $200 for an exam and blood work only to tell me my old cat is in renal failure and there is only palliative care available. Again…..da. Or that the x-ray on his limping leg shows nothing and to wait and see what happens. I could have bought a house several times over for all the worthless advice and “diagnosing” my vets have done. And I find myself chasing my tail for tons of illnesses that I have given them  due to all the new animals I have exposed them to. What was I thinking? What were all of us thinking? Ask Cyndi Zacko what kind of difference we made. A tiny blip on the radar of all the cats that get euthanized each year at the shelter. For all the thousands & hundreds of thousand dollars and thousands & thousands of hours we have spent on our cats, we could have been trapping thousands and thousands of cats so that there would not be any homeless animals out there to deal with. And poop. Think about dumping the poop in your cat litter box in your front yard every few days. It is no wonder they poison the cats at every opportunity. My girlfriend has very poor eyesight for which she is scheduled to have surgery in the near future. I got out of my car recently at her house and was absolutely horrified so see all the piles of poop in her front yard. I am frightened for the day she has her surgery because when her eyesight has improved enough that she can see all the poop, there will be hell to pay. And of course not all of it may be from the cats but who cares. Certainly not her. Poop is poop no matter who it is from and her yard is full of it. I am sure if I wasn’t feeding ferals on her sidewalk that there would not nearly be as many cats in her yard to fill it with poop. And let’s face the facts, for every feral cat we feed to save their lives, there are thousands more getting  poisoned because no one is out there trapping them and preventing them from multiplying. Trappers are very valuable people and not everyone can be a trapper. I do not know many trappers. We all, as trappers, should have left the care of cats to the cat caregivers and concentrated on becoming better trappers. What were we thinking? 

Jan Weber  

Squeakers' Story

Squeaker

Dear Friends,

“Hello, my name is Squeaker; I was born near a dumpster behind a feed store in Blanco County, TX. My mother and her sister had been abandoned there and each had a litter of kittens. They tried to feed us with scraps and keep us warm; but often I went to sleep cold and hungry. My cousins and I were constantly on the hunt for food; one of us found a minnow tank with fish in it, but fell in and was drowned. Another one of us was hit by a car in the parking lot while hunting for bugs to eat. I don't know how we survived. We were afraid of humans; sometimes they would chase us and try to catch us. We were not allowed to be fed because people thought that if we were kept near starvation, we would not reproduce. (When my mother was finally caught she was found to be pregnant, again!)

Someone started setting traps for us. One day when I was so hungry I couldn't stand it anymore, I got into a trap and was caught! I was taken to the SPCA in Fredricksburg, but they could not find me a home because I was too wild. I was then taken to the Austin Humane Society, but they couldn't find me a home because I tested positive for feline leukemia, even though I didn't look or feel sick. Finally I found a home with a nice lady in the country. My cousin Toby was also living there. I was given plenty of food and water, I had a warm place to sleep, and I found out just how good it feels to be petted. I am now one of the happiest kitties in Blanco county!”

I wish this story had a happy ending. Squeaker turned out to be a wonderful cat. He was very affectionate, loved to help in the garden, and got along with the other cats (and even the dogs!). He finally succumbed to the leukemia, and is buried near the garden where he loved to play.

The number of sick, suffering, abused and abandoned animals in this county is heartbreaking.

But it doesn't need to be this way. With your help we can change things.

Progress is being made; many lives both human and feline have been improved . Please spay and neuter your pets and support TNR programs in your area. Thank You.




Cousin Toby aka Ratface

PS; It was the cat I named Toby, that broke my heart. I had spent hours and days trying to catch him. He would scurry up and around the shelves at the feed store just like a large rat would. He was starving but too smart to get into a trap. I seem to remember using the other kitten, Squeaker as bait and leaving the traps set overnight. He was a wild little thing, who also tested positive for leukemia. He lasted a year before I had to put him down. It seems that when cats get leukemia as kittens they don't live long. But if they get it when they are older they can live quite a while. I know a cat that has had it for six years now, and he is showing no signs of sickness. One thing I learned from having leukemia kittens is that when they start to succumb don't try and get them healthy again, it is a losing battle. Save yourself the expense and the heartache. Someone had given me that advice but it seems I had to learn it on my own. I still miss Squeaker and Toby aka Ratface.

An Update on Rascal

Rascal

Thank you all for your kind wishes. Rascal is feeling much better after being catheterized and spending the night at the vet. He is on a special diet of canned food, which he is very much enjoying. ( My cats rarely get canned food.) And, I am thrilled to report that he is able to urinate on his own again. I am less than thrilled on were he is choosing to go, the bathroom sink and the bathtub wasn't so bad, but really, on my bed and did he really have to  go on the clothes I was going to wear today! It is a good thing he is so darn cute and that I'm so happy he is feeling better.  We have two sayings in our family, "I love you just because." and "I love you even though."  I love Rascal "just because" he has been with me since he was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, and he really is a rascal. I love him "even though" he is peeing in places I would rather he didn't, and that he can be a brat.

Cats will sometimes urinate in places you would much rather they did not, as a way to tell you that there is something bothering them. It doesn't do any good to punish them, the best thing to do is figure out what is wrong.

The Night I Almost Lost Rascal

 

Rascal

Links A. Male Cat Urinary Tract Issues
          B. Feline Urinary System Blockage

(Note from Anastacia: If you enjoy my stories and appreciate my efforts, please follow my twitter account. This is the only truly accurate method that allows me to gauge reader interest. Thanks. @texascatnapper)

I almost lost one of my cats today. Yesterday morning I noticed that Rascal was taking a long time to pee, then last night I saw that he was unable to pee or spray at all. Often cats who have problems like this, will attempt to get your attention by urinating in strange and annoying places. In less than an hour Rascal tried to go in the kitchen sink, the bathtub and the litter box. I also noticed that he was spending more time than usual grooming his privates, and his attitude towards the other cats was more grumpy that usual. Cats hide their pain and sickness. It is a survival mechanism; they don't show weakness. When they feel pain they lash out, or they run in an attempt to get away. Rascal took off in the night and hid in the workshop in an attempt to escape from the pain that he didn't understand. There wasn't much I could do for him last night. I did try to stimulate his bottom like one would do for a newborn kitten using warm moist paper towels, but he would have none of it. He growled and hissed at me, making it very clear to me it hurt. Neither of us slept very well last night, and when I got up at 4am to check on him I found that he had used the kitty door and had gone outside.

This morning when I woke up he was nowhere to be found. I rattled the food dish which usually attracts his attention, but today, no Rascal. After searching, and calling/whistling, he showed up. I was so relieved to see my Rascal coming out of the workshop. The fear that I may lose one of my cats had started to creep in, and it made such a difference to know that he was still with me. From the manner in which he gingerly walked towards me, it was obvious that he was in pain. He did come inside and drank some water, which he then threw up. I put the open carrier in the middle of the room allowing curious cats to go into it and check it out. Like the others, Rascal became curious and climbed inside. I shut the door and he didn't even protest. Poor guy just wasn't feeling well. The vet office normally opens at 8am, but I was not going to waste any time; I was on the phone at 7:30am. I had no trouble making the necessary arrangements, and once Rascal got into the carrier it was off to see Dr. Philip. After a brief examination the vet decided to insert a catheter in order to drain the bladder. They also decided to keep Rascal overnight. The vet informed me that Rascal was able to go on his own, which was a huge relief. When we pulled into our driveway we were both happy to be home. He will have to on a special diet for several weeks, and I have to keep him in the bathroom for a week, in order to monitor his urinary functions. As a special treat for my sick kitty he will get to sleep with me during this time. I am very allergic to cat dander, so this is something that doesn't happen very often.

Whenever one of my own personal brood of cats is ill, I do what I can to educate myself on the cause, symptoms, and treatment. I learned that with some male cats, crystals form in the urine that can block the urethra. In male cats the urethra is normally very small, which can result in the type of blockage Rascal experienced. Untreated, death can occur within 48 hours. If you notice similar symptoms in your cat, please contact your vet immediately. Dr. Philip said that this is most common in male cats between the ages of 3 and 5 years. Sometimes it is a one time occurrence, or it could happen repeatedly.

I am so happy that Rascal is home and feeling better I will be keeping an eye on him to be sure that we don't have a re-occurrence of the problem.

Racal and Pixie




The Eyes of Sorrow

To help those that suffer in silence, unseen, mistreated, abused.
Abandoned by the ones they loved, lost, alone, confused.

They live in the shadows hungry, and struggle to survive.
A scrap of food, a bit of warmth, they fight to stay alive.

To help those who cannot help themselves, together we can be stronger.
A broken heart can strengthen the will, they are alone no longer.

So hope there is, some eyes do see, but fixing cats, its sure ain't free.
If fact we've gone through all our stash, so now please quickly give us cash! :)

Cat Returns From the Dead or The Case of Mistaken Identity

Recently in national news there has been a story of a cat that had died, was buried and dug his way out of his grave. Well here in Blanco County, TX I was told a similar story. The following tale is based loosely upon the truth as told to me by Megan.

Once upon a time a young couple had a cat. This cat was very special to them as it was their first pet together. They named the cat Shelby and they all lived happily together in their very first apartment. Shelby was a rescue cat, that had been found outside lost and scared. Since she had moved in with Megan and Tim, she had shown absolutely no desire to go back outside. For instance when her people had the door open to carry in groceries the cat would only supervise from the safety of the living room.

Then one night somehow the patio door was left open and when the couple woke up Shelby was gone!

The couple frantically looked and called for her, finally giving up only when it was time to go to work. They left some food out on the patio, hoping Shelby would come back on her own. Later that day they continued the search, asking everyone they met it if they had seen Shelby. Finally some folks gave them the bad news that they had seen a cat dead on the road that looked like Shelby. Tim went and looked, he assured Megan that Shelby hadn't suffered, that she had been hit on the head and that it had been a quick death. He then brought the body home and buried it. Days passed and they both mourned, but life tends to go on, bills to be paid and jobs to go to. Then one day Megan got a phone call from the local vet saying that a lady called and they think they had found Shelby. “That couldn't be, Shelby was dead and buried.” Silence, either knew what to say next. Then the caller asked if Shelby had been a torby (markings like a tortoise shell and a tabby) and had been kinda overweight. “Yes.” Well they had the phone number of a lady that had a cat that looked like Shelby. Tim was sent over to the lady's house, while Megan stayed home afraid to hope. I can just imagine how she felt. Losing a beloved animal, grieving for days, then could it be possible? No, couldn't be, Shelby was dead and buried, but what if? The suspense must have been terrible. If the cat was indeed Shelby, then who was buried in the backyard? And if the cat was not Shelby, then who's cat was she?

Tim later admitted that the animal he had buried seemed a little to heavy and a little to long to have been Shelby. Poor guy, I can just imagine the questions Megan must have had for him. Hopefully she was so happy to have Shelby back that she wasn't too hard on Tim.

Shelby is back at home, having spent a few days visiting the neighbors. Whoever is buried in the backyard will forever remain a mystery.

Epilogue; I am very happy that Shelby is back home, but sad for the cat that had been hit by the car. Please spay and neuter your pets and any feral cats you might be feeding. Also, micro-chipping your pets is a good thing. Please share this story.

My First Trapping Adventure or How I got My First Dog

I had started writing about my first trapping adventure at the old Blanco Monastery, but as I thought about it, I remembered that the first trapping project (except for the occasional mouse, which I would trap at work then release out in the country) I undertook actually involved puppies not cats. The year was 1986, the place Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF), the situation, someone had abandoned a dog at the end of faire and she went and had puppies under the King's Feast, a wooden pavilion. King George the owner of TRF had either shot or had ordered shot the mama dog, the pups had been left to fend for themselves, until they could also be shot. My boyfriend, who was later to become my husband, worked as horticulturalist for King George, he was also a dog lover, and he got permission from George allowing me to try and catch and rescue the pups. I am guessing they were about 6 weeks old and trying to survive by eating junebugs. It was spring in Texas when I approached the group of pups playing in a clearing. They had not had any interaction with humans, so they were not afraid of me. I was able to grab 2 of them, one in each hand. Not real smart, but then what did I know. One of them bit me, so I let go and only was able to hang on to one of them. Now, the pups where leery of me so the next time I approached them they would not let me touch them. I seem to remember using a net or throwing a blanket over one of them. They were smart little dogs and would watch each trick. Each time I had to think of some new way to catch them. Then I used a box propped up with a stick with a string attached. I don't remember how I caught them all, but I do vividly remember the Granddaddy of an opossum that I caught one night in the havahart trap. Boy was he big, big teeth, big tail, big balls and boy was he not happy! I also remember the second to last pup, he was a little black boy, short hair, with a bit of white on his chest. Not a pretty pup, but cute in a homely sort of way. As I caught each of the pups we would take them home clean them up and then ask everyone we ran into if they needed a dog. In this way we where able to save all of them. It took me days to catch the last puppy, even though she was starving she would not go into the trap for food. Finally it was loneliness that got to her. I ended up using her brother as bait by tying him up in the trap. That last little dog was so smart that she actually tried to chew though the knot that was holding her brother captive, only when she was unable to do that did she get into the trap with him. Caught her! What a smart doggie! Needless to say after I had put so much time and effort into trapping her she became my dog. I named her Buttons, cause in my eyes she was cute as a button, and boy was she smart. She would respond to whistle commands, she always retained her shyness and wariness of people, but she loved and trusted me and I her. When the children came along, at first she was scared of them, but soon found out that they where harmless, and then accepted them into her pack. She was a beagle mix and even though she accepted domestication she always remained a dogs, dog, bringing home bones and perfuming herself by rolling on dead things. What a good watch dog, she would hide from view and keep watch, sounding the alarm when an intruder approached. I remember one of her favorite hiding places was in the garden under the leaves of a squash bush. She was my first dog, she lived with me for about 15 years, before she disappeared one day. That is the story of my first trapping experience and how I got my first dog.

Thank you for reading it.

 

Ugliest cat I ever trapped

 

But, kinda cute for a dog.

 

Glad He Didn't Have a Gun

Yesterday I got a phone call from a fellow that I had taken in cats for. He said that 2 new kittens had shown up at his place, that needed to be trapped and fixed. He thinks that the cats must be coming from one of two neighbors houses. That these folks have a puppy mill and that he has had problems with them in the past. He also mentioned that a boyfriend of the one gal had borrowed some traps from the Coalition and had taken in some cats for spay/neuter. It sounds like a case where someone started a TNR job and didn't complete it. Recently I got involved in another similar situation, where the colony caregivers started the job catching a few cats at a time, until they got down to the last few cats, then I got called in to finish up the job. Now it is quite a challenge to catch 1 or 2 cats out of+/- 30 cats that have watched all the others get caught, and are trap wary. I wouldn't mind spending hours catching the last 2 cats if I had gotten paid to catch the previous 28. But to spend hours and hours for one cat...not going to happen. (I say that, but what did I do but spend hours catching the main mama cat). My advice to future trappers if you have a big colony like that, set it up so that you are able to trap the majority of the cats in one go, then while those cats are having surgery and recovering, go ahead and catch the remaining cats. Get the job done then move on to the next job. Catch all the cats. TNR fails when you leave behind a female or that male cat who by some miracle has kittens the next spring. Also, follow up several months later with the colony caregiver to see if you missed any cats or if any new ones have shown up. You can then teach them how to target trap, using a plastic water bottle to hold the trap door open and a string to pull when the cat you want, goes into the trap. Or use a drop trap and let them sit there for hours while you are out trapping another colony.

OK, back to the story, having gotten the addresses I decided to take a ride out there and check out the situation. It was a pretty day for a drive, sunny and cool. I have had good luck in the past when I have gone knocking on doors, most people welcome the offer of help. The first house was a bit daunting with a big sign on the door announcing that trespassers would be shot. There were plenty of chickens, cats and dogs. I was greeted by a big friendly lab. I thought I heard someone inside but nobody answered the door, and I didn't want to press my luck. I have a tendency to knock on a door then step back and try to make myself look small and non threatening. At the second house an older lady was just coming out of the door. I explained I was with the Blanco County Cat Coalition and someone had mentioned that she may need help getting some cats fixed, she wanted to know who, I told her that a neighbor had had 2 kittens show up on his property and had thought maybe that they came from over here. She said that she would have to ask her son about it. She then went inside, while she was inside I saw at least ten cats who scattered when I looked over the porch rail, at least half were calico or torty's (meaning females). She came out and told me her son had said no, and that they only have one litter of kittens a year, except last year they had 2 litters but only 2 kittens survived because a neighbor's dog had come by and killed the other kittens. Well what could I say, except that I would leave my phone number in case they changed their minds. Also that if they did get the cats fixed and started running low on cats I would be happy to bring them more. She walked with me out to the car and while I writing down my phone number, out of the house comes her son. I was then told in no uncertain terms what he thought of people that didn’t mind their own damn business. And that on his own property he can have as many or as few animals as he pleased. I had to agree, but felt it necessary to point out it becomes other peoples business when his animals start showing up on other peoples property. He said then those people should shoot those animals, that is what he does. After he went back in, his Mom confided in me that his bark is worse than his bite, and that he doesn't even like to give animals shots, because he doesn't like to hurt them. I replied “well he may like animals but I am not so sure how much he likes people, so I will now back away slowly and be on my way.” Looking back on the interaction I can see that these folks were already defensive, that having so many dogs they have been questioned in the past about how they take care of them. The shame is that the cats will be left as is to continue breeding, and dying.

Sally Sonic

In the past two months I have had several outstanding cat encounters. The first kitty that touched my heart was a little fuzzy calico that I trapped behind the local Sonic. I knew there was something wrong with her 'cause she didn't run away when I first put the traps out. She stayed hunched up next to the dumpster, I have seen that type of behavior before. My little Mia kitty was like that when I first met her. The poor kitties just stay huddled up to conserve energy and also to make themselves a smaller target, less vulnerable to other cats. Cats like these have just given up, they try to stay near the food source and expend as little energy as possible. Unfortunately when food becomes available the other cats get it first, so the weaker kitties get weaker and just get to the point were they are waiting to die.

So I went ahead and put the traps out, very slowly and carefully so as not to scare her away, hoping that the smell of stinky wet cat food would draw her in. She didn’t move, I continued on, setting traps behind and around the local feed store. When I got back to the Sonic she was gone and the trap was empty. What had happened was that someone had come out of the Sonic and put trash into the dumpster and had scared her away. Drat! That happens quite a bit when trapping, someone or something comes by and scares the kitties away. I did not catch her until the next night, by then I had caught 7 other cats from behind the Feed store and the Sonic. Early the next morning I took them all into the Austin Humane Society to be spayed or neutered. All the cats were deemed healthy enough to withstand surgery. Normally I keep the kitties one night after surgery to keep an eye on them and to make sure they are completely out from the anesthesia, then I release them back to were I trapped them. I really did not want to release this kitty, as I knew there was something wrong with her, but I didn’t know what.

Now comes the human interest part of the story, I have a friend (Pi) who knew of someone (Lew) that wanted a calico kitten. He wanted a kitten because he has a small dog (Fate) that he wanted to become accustomed to cats. He wanted a calico because he had had one back when he was younger and it was a really good cat. Now understandably most people that want a kitten want a friendly, healthy, happy kitten. I think that was what he wanted, but what he was willing to take was a scared, feral, kitty that was sick in some unknown way. Remarkable! We set him up with a crate, litter box, food and water and everything else we thought the kitty would need. The next day I get a phone call telling me the kitty is eating, drinking, pooping and peeing but cannot walk. This generated mulitable phone calls to other board members of the Blanco County Cat Coalition to get approval to take the kitty (who is now named Sally Sonic) to the local vet. It takes at least three board members to agree to spending money on medical issues, this is because our funds are limited and need to be spent on our main focus of spay and neuter. Well we all agreed that, because Lew was willing to adopt Sally and we had already invested in her getting spayed that we would approve to spend up to $200 to try and get her healthy. Yea! A trip to the vet, Dr. Philip, determined that Sally could move her head, had feeling in all four paws and her tail. Was eating and eliminating fine, he checked her gums and she did not look anemic, sure she was under weight, but a lot of ferals living out of dumpsters are. But she did not have an awareness of where her paws were. He said that she probably was not born like this or else she would not have lived this long, and that since there was someone that was willing to take care of her it would be worth it to give her a chance. That the next week or two would show either improvement or decline. Lew assured us that if there was any hope at all he would do whatever it would take to make her better. And he did just that, he cleaned her up, brushed her, cut the mats out of her fur. Cuddled her, gave her physical therapy moving her legs around and massaging down her back, cleaned her bottom after she pooped, and petting her. Fate helped, at first Sally was scared of the dog, but soon figured out that Fate was harmless. Fate helped with cleaning Sally, she especially was good at helping clean Sally’s face after she ate. For the next week we all watched for and celebrated every little improvement, hoped for the best, but tried to prepare for the worst. About 10 days later that day came, it seemed that Sally had developed an infection in her incision, and had started to act like she was in pain. So it was back to the vet. Lew could not take her because he had his own doctors appointment that day. He is an older gentleman that served his country in Vietnam and as a result suffers. I took Sally in, on the way she started bleeding from a sore on her bottom and had developed a sore on her mouth. Dr. Philip confirmed and assured that there was no hope for improvement and that she would only suffer if we did not put an end to it. I called Lew and he gave permission, he had said goodbye that morning before he had left for his doctors appointment.

Skip this next part if you don't want to read about Sally’s death. I am including it for various reasons. Such as; death is a reality that most of us do not want to face, none the less, it is a fact of life. Maybe if more people were aware of the harsh facts of life that feral cats face they may be more willing to spay, neuter and vaccinate their pets. After all the feral cat epidemic started with people not being responsible for their cats.

Sally's death was not horrible but it was not easy either. I have watched Dr. Philip euthanize cats in the past and it has not been horrible. But poor Sally, her veins, in her little legs collapsed as Dr. Phil inserted the needle. In the end he had to use a vein in her neck to administer the drug. He explained that using the vein in the neck was no worse than using any other vein, it just is something that might be upsetting to people, so he asked me to stop recording at that point. Maybe it is weird of me me to record a cat being put down, but it was done and posted on facebook in hopes that maybe, just maybe it will prevent suffering in the future.

Rest in Peace Sally Sonic!

What I find remarkable about this story is Lew, that he was willing to allow this kitten into his life knowing that by doing so he was opening himself up to potential heartbreak. Which indeed is exactly what happened. I really admire people like Lew that are willing to do good even if it hurts. He is one of my hero's! His story does not end here.....
To be continued...

Kitten being euthanized, hard to watch but not horrible

A Rainy Day in Austin,TX

Yesterday was a long chilly, tiring day. A day of steady rain temperature in the mid 40's. A good day to stay home in front of the fire. Alas, I had 7 cats loaded into the car and ready to go to Austin. I needed to by on the road by 5am, so I set an alarm for 4:30, woke up at 3:30. It didn't seem worth it to try to go back to sleep for only an hour.

Sixty miles in the dark and pouring rain, several minor adrenaline rushes and quite a few prayers, we all made it safely to AHS (Austin Humane Society). Misery loves company. A few minutes after my arrival, Marcia pulls in, she also had brought 7 cats 60 miles in the dark and rain. We commiserated for a few minutes, then retreated to the shelter of our cars.

Thank you Mike for unlocking the doors a few minutes early. Had all the cats checked in by 7am, then as my usual routine, went to MacDonald s for my second breakfast. Then to my favorite parking lot to catch some zzz's. I spent a few peaceful hours napping snug in my car. Unfortunately I can only sleep so long before the chill and aches creep in. What to do until the cats are ready to go home. Walmart? Nothing I really needed. Goodwill? Every time I go I spend money, plus not a good day to by trying on clothes, I had too many layers on. Plus 'taint natural undressing when it is cold outside. So I did something that Rennies do when the weather is bad, I went to see a movie. American Sniper, not a good rainy day movie, good guys and bad guys. I wish life were that simple.

Uneventful ride home in the rain, all kitties fed in my car and tucked in for the night with a heat lamp to keep them warm. It took a while, but the wood stove finally got the house warm, after a hot shower I was ready for bed.

Fast forward... 5am I am awake again, this time waiting for daybreak so I can see to release the captives. This is one of my favorite parts of the job. It is such a relief for them, after being though so much to be back in familiar surroundings and for me to relinquish responsibility for them. Also by now they can be pretty stinky, I am always anxious to get the traps out of my car, laundry sorted and the car aired out, which will be a challenge today as... it is still raining!

Phyllis

Chess Club Café Kitty

Cows and Cats

Another day up before dawn, this was one of those cool gray kind of days that is common this time of year in Texas. Not one of those misty-moisty days, but one where the clouds are low but not quite touching the earth. It was cooler than yesterday, a sweater and jacket day. One that was comfortable if you were moving around but chilly if you sat still. Rain was predicted starting at 1pm, once is starts raining trapping is over for the day.

I really dreaded telling  Phyllis that her cat had escaped, she took the news as well as can be expected, she did cry a little. The missing cat is the remaining son of one her favorite toms, BonBon.

Phyllis did come out to my property and called for him. The best I can hope for is that somehow he makes his way home or that he hangs around here and eventually I will be able to trap him again.

So, today we got 3 young adults, which makes 7 out of 9 caught. There are two mama cats left, one Phyllis has not seen in a couple of weeks and one who was around early but then disappeared for the day. So all in all it was a good trapping job, with only 1 or 2 cats left, Phyllis will be able to handle the rest herself. I thought I was done for the day, but no.....

I was to meet some friends for lunch at the Chess Club Cafe, I arrived early and took a seat by a window. Glancing out what do I see but a little cat huddled on the back porch of the restaurant. She was close enough to see that she did not have an eartip. Hmmm, now what? I asked about her and yes nobody minded if I tried to trap her to get her spayed. But I was warned “she didn't do humans”. Problem was all the traps I had with me in the car had cats in them. So what I did was transferred 2 litter mates into one trap, thus freeing up one trap. As I snuck around the back of the building, she scampered around the side, luckily I was able to see what hole she used to dive under the building. At first I set the trap on the back porch, no luck. Then I moved it to right in front of the hole. Bingo! She is a pretty little kitty, light orange and gray, not a torty, but a torby. Maybe I will be able to get a picture tomorrow. What a great way to trap. Set the trap, go in and have a nice lunch with friends come out and the cat is in the trap. Nice and easy!

Sally and Rosie supervised the trapping the last couple days.

Sally

Rosie

Ya Win Some and Ya Loose Some

The situation is this; Phyllis is a kind lady that is taking care of about 32 cats of her own, then when her neighbor died she sorta inherited those cats also. She managed to catch and get fixed all but one wily female. Who promptly presented her with a litter of feral kittens. Fast forward and now there are 9 cats to catch. Luckily Mama Kitty only seemed to have one litter a year, unfortunately she would not bring the kittens around until they big enough to be hard to catch. Poor Phyllis did what she could, but with only one trap and a small car, she was fast becoming overwhelmed.

Yesterday morning I arose at break of dawn, and drove out to Rust Ranch. It was a pretty morning in Texas with the sun just coming up and the birds greeting the morning with song. The temperature was comfortable to be warm enough in a sweater. I had high hopes that we would be successful in trapping the cats we needed to catch. We had set up the situation for success, by bringing the traps out a few days ahead of time so the cats would be used to them. By feeding the cats in the traps with the traps tied/wired open, to lull them into a false sense of security. We had decided to trap two days because not all the cats showed up every day. Now was the first day of trapping, Phyllis withheld food yesterday afternoon but unfortunately not in the morning. So the cats were hungry, but maybe not hungry enough. She had all her regular fixed cats well fed in hopes they they would stay out of the way. The first two cats we caught were the two males. Males seem a bit less wily than the females, I can only suppose that the females are like that because of the responsibility of taking care of the kittens. Wherein in the males seem to be interested in easy food and sex. Hmm...sound familiar.

We had caught three altogether when I had to leave to keep an appointment, when I returned Phyllis was so excited she claimed that a miracle happened, we caught the wily Mama Kitty that she had been trying to catch for 3 ½ years! She said the kitty just showed up and walked straight into a trap!

Yeah a victory!

Now comes the depressing part, I brought the 4 trapped cats home with me to keep them safe in their traps away from the coons that hang around Phyllis's. I have a car port that I can set up folding tables to put the cats in traps on. Now I have learned from sad experience that you have to secure both ends of the traps so if one accidentally falls off the table in will not open releasing the cat. I could have swore that I had done that! About 1:30 this morning I heard a crash, and when I went to investigate there was a trap on the ground with the door wide open and the cat gone. It was too dark to see exactly what happened. I am sure I secured the trap, I can only guess that kitty had been pawing at the door and had worked the twist tie loose then when the trap fell off the table it landed upside down and the door autocratically opened. This is disturbing in many ways, an unfixed cat is now loose in unfamiliar territory and I have to tell Phyllis that I lost one of her cats.

To be continued.......

The Empty Trap, if you look closely you can see the untwisted twist-tie.