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.