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









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.

BG and Jerry's Story

Jerry and BG

 

At this time I would like to introduce a few of my personal cats. I will start with BG and Jerry, as the calendar said it was their 6th birthday last Sunday. Of course, I'm not exactly sure if it was their birthday; it is when I estimated their birthday should be. They were probably about 4-6 weeks old when I pulled them out from under that old refrigerator on Pete's porch. They are my ghetto kitties. It's hard to believe that a town as small as Blanco has a ghetto, but it does. I wasn't the first one to use that term, but that's what Pete calls it and he should know, since he lives there. I would like to say a few words about Pete. I had seen him around town, and honestly, he looked a little scary to me. Turns out that he is gentle soul, an artist who shares what food he has with the cats. He doesn't like to see them suffer, but at that time didn't have a way to get them fixed. When I first became aware of the situation, there were about 5 unspayed females and 3 intact males, plus the two little tiny sick kittens. It was a hard life for those kitties, having litter after litter with most of the kittens getting sick, suffering and then dying. When I pulled the little ones out from under that fridge I also pulled out a piece of fur from a kitten that had not made it.

Pete



 

I was able to trap all the females and get them fixed and returned. But one of the males had a broken leg and tested positive for feline leukemia (Felv). He was a wild boy and there was no way to treat him, so the hard decision was made to put him down. The oldest female only had one eye, as the other had reportedly been shot out by someone with a BB gun. It is hard to believe so much time has passed since I first pulled them out from under that old refrigerator. They were both such tiny little things, so sick and their eyes all sealed shut, not because they where newborns, but because they had been infected with the herpes virus that so many kittens seem to get. There has been many times that I have used a warm, moist cloth to unseal a kittens eyes only to have large amounts of pus ooze out. By the time they were big enough to be fixed I had become attached to them and couldn't bear to take them back to the ghetto. I named them Jerry and BG. BG is short for Baby Girl or Blind Girl. She was such a small sick

BG

little kitten; I didn't think she was going to live. She was totally blind for quite a while. What I found interesting was that she didn't know that she was blind as she had never experienced sight. She was a spunky little thing exploring every thing her little paw touched. I remember her playing with the buttons on my shirt when I would pick her up to clean her eyes. I was afraid that she would always be blind, her eyes were in that bad of shape. I'll never forget the first time I saw that she could see. She had wandered into my bedroom and had noticed the ceiling fan slowly circling above her. It was the funniest thing watching her spinning around trying to keep an eye on that fan. Since then she has gained some sight her left eye, but her right eye is destroyed. She is a pretty little cat, with medium to long buff colored hair, and she is a happy cat. She still doesn't see very well, but she is a jingle ball pro. She can bat those balls all over the house. Her eyes are always goopy and running and I suppose that someday I will have to get the bad one removed. But she is happy kitty. Jerry is a big kitty, a bi-color gray and white, a kitler kitty, a cat that has a Hitler like mustache. Jerry has one eye that is always runny. Both cats will carry the herpes virus all their lives; it just doesn't go away.



I went by Pete's today, the fridge is still on the porch, his little colony of cats has shrunk down to 4 cats with no kittens being born since 2009.

Please Spay and Neuter your pets.

 

Ghetto Kitties and that Orange thing in the
background is the fridge I pulled Jerry and BG out from under.



Sample of Pete's artwork