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.”

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

 

 

Part 2 Guest Post by Eric Burkhart, “www.mukhabaratbaby.blogspot.com”

 

A Funny Thing Happened On My Way To Buy Deer Corn. Part  2

Anastacia stayed very late, which is not uncommon. As soon as the cat gets hungry enough to go into the trap with food, the opening closes. Voila, another cat ready to go. I couldn’t help but laugh when Anastacia shared with me some of the stories of Raccoons and Skunks getting locked in the traps. Neither animal is fun to work with, as Raccoons are mean-spirited (just an opinion, Raccoon lovers) and strong, and skunks have a built-in flame thrower, so to speak. Sometimes it takes Anastacia a number of days to catch the entire colony, but she isn’t one to leave a job incomplete. Then she transports to the animals to an Animal Defense League office or to a Control Facility or Vet that is willing to help (the Raccoons and Skunks are released onsite, thank you). Once the cats have been fixed and doctored, Anastacia returned them to the location, and ideally an animal lover will take over the job of providing food on a daily basis. The Dollar General job was a bit different. One of the cats (Sasquatch) was ready to give birth, and another (Emerald) went into labor maybe a week before we began the operation. It took both of us to locate Emerald’s hiding place for her kittens, but we succeeded! One of my favorite memories, something I will never forget, was Anastacia walking up to me out of the brush with a huge smile, and a kitten tucked into each pocket of her jacket (four in all). The little beasties were not happy, and they were letting us know; but I’ve never seen anything so delicate and soft and beautiful as those four little kittens. Emerald did well, and I’m happy to report that all four were adopted, as was Emerald.

Unfortunately, everything has a price tag. Depending on the location and the medical dispensation of the cat, the average kitty will cost between $50 and $75 for the surgery and the doctorin’. Believe me, very little if any of that money goes back to the trapper, regardless of the time, effort and gas expended. If I come across a “cat situation” I won’t hesitate to investigate and see if possibly I can hire Anastacia to assist. I don’t have a great deal of disposable income, but this is something that I’m happy to add to my budget. I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t handle seeing an animal in need. My father used to say that animals were better company that most people because people have a tendency to covet, be jealous, cheat, lie and cause pain. Animals act in response to need and the laws of nature, which makes them more predictable and trustworthy. My old man had a way of getting things right.

So if you’re ever at a grocery store or an ice house, and you see a nice-looking lady in a hatchback, moving around cat traps, it just might be Anastacia. Do a good deed and go up to her and thank her for her efforts. If you spare it, donate a little cash to the local Trap, Neuter, and Return campaign through Anastacia. You will be doing your part in the battle to keep our communities free of feral animals, and end the needless suffering of domesticated animals.



Guest Blogger Eric Burkhart, Part 1

Guest Post by Eric Burkhart, “www.mukhabaratbaby.blogspot.com”

A Funny Thing Happened On My Way To Buy Deer Corn.

One cloudless, warm summer day in 2012, I headed out to Lowe’s in Blanco to pick up some Deer Corn. I have a family of White-Tail Deer that basically live on my property in the Texas Hill Country, about an hour north of San Antonio. The permanent members of the family are female, as once the males get old enough and rut season begins, they leave. Normally, I see bucks in groups of two, but the ladies always travel in larger numbers. I have been feeding the same ladies for over five years now (a combination of Corn and Nutrition Pellets), and they know me very well. They have absolutely no fear, and one won’t hesitate to come into the house, if I’m forgetful enough to leave the door open (I lost a box of Girl Scout Cookies in about twenty seconds flat, but that’s another story). On my way to Lowes, I happen to glance to my left in the direction of the Dollar General store, and in the back, beside the dumpster, I can see a number of small cats digging around through some left-over garbage. While picking up my Deer Corn, I decided to by some cat food for those cats, because they looked hungry. I just can’t handle the thought of a starving animal. Like most people, I assumed that cats have no problem living on the wild. I was wrong; I remember the day that I was reminded that “domesticated means domesticated”, whether referring to dogs or cats. Domestic Cats are not meant to be living feral lives.

As I pulled into the Dollar General Parking Lot, I realized that I would need to park near the dumpster, which bothers some business owners who don’t like people dropping off their garbage. When I parked and got out of my car, the cats took off in all directions. There must have been seven or eight, and they were fast. Once I opened the cat food and started pouring it on a conveniently placed folded-up cardboard box, two of the more courageous (or just hungrier) cats came right up to me. That’s when it happened. I looked down into those little, desperate, hungry eyes, and I said to myself, I can’t bring myself to just forget about these cats. They were surviving, in a manner of speaking, but it was a life of predators, weather, hunger and disease. No doubt some of the cats were dumped, and others were the kittens of cats that were dumped. How does anyone find the cruelty in their own hearts, to dump an animal in an unfamiliar place, with no shelter or food? I just don’t get it. That day, I added a colony of cats to my list of animals that I intended to feed, right under the White-Tail Deer and the two Foxes that come around every night.

I became a familiar face to the staff of the Dollar General. They were wonderful, and would give me any cat food that had become unsealed during the transportation from the warehouse. They never minded me back there by their dumpster, and after the first two or three visits, the County Sheriffs started just waving to me as well. I would feed the cats once in the morning and once in the evening, and a couple times a week I would clean the back lot of garbage, as a favor to Dollar General. The cats were spoiled. The received a mixture of dry and wet cat food every day, and not surprisingly, it wasn’t long before the number of little beasties started to grow. I had two twin Torties, two Tabbies, two solid back girls, three orange and white, and a handful more of mixed colors. One of the smaller cats, that for a while looked like she might not make it, had really large paws. I became totally infatuated with her and started calling her Sasquatch because of her bog feet. Well, it turns out that once she got a bit of meat on her bones, her feet were totally normal! But the nickname stayed. After a couple months of this routine (and the assigning of the unwanted nickname, “Crazy Cat Dude”), I began to notice that Sasquatch was developing an odd shape. On closer inspection, I noticed that Emerald was even more oddly shaped. I’m no moron, at least not on even-numbered weekdays. I realized that some of my kitties were pregnant. The number of cats was about to double and I had no idea what to do! I didn’t know what to do, so I called the local County Animal Control. You can imagine my shock when they informed me that most County Animal Control Departments in Texas no longer deal with cats. The number of Felines had gotten way out of control, as had the number of female Pit Bulls that were being dumped. So they elected to focus exclusively on dogs, and leave the cats to their own devices. I found out later that many Animal Control Centers across the country were having the same problem with female Pit Bulls. The dogs were always very friendly, and usually not very old. Young men were buying the females as soon as they reached breeding age. Then they would be kept caged and pregnant ALL THE TIME, so that by the time they were three or four, they could no longer have puppies. Then they got dumped in downtown somewhere. What makes the story even more horrific, is that the puppies that were born (at least the males) were being bred to fight. Dog fighting has re-emerged as a scourge on our society, and unfortunately it is more popular now than ever before. But that is a subject for another post.

After having no luck with the state organizations, I decided to call a few private groups. I hit the jackpot with my first phone call, which was to the Blanco County Cat Coalition. I spoke to a wonderful lady named June, who was determined to help me from the start. I explained that I had a colony of cats, and number of them were pregnant. June took the time to carefully explain the “Trap, Neuter, Release” program. The cats are trapped, taken to a vet, neutered or spayed, given a physical and the full range of shots and vaccinations, and then released back into the same environment, where they can be fed and “maintenanced”. Since no cat shelters that I have seen are dealing with overflow crowds of ideal families to adopt cats, this is the best solution. The cat will not breed, it will have its shots, and it will be fed. June explained to me that since the cats weren’t actually in Blanco County (one mile south), the decision to address this particular colony would be made by the lady who does the trapping. June added that they were very lucky, because they had an amazing woman working with them who really had the hang of it. She put me in touch with Anastacia, and we met that afternoon at the Dollar General. She had no problems with the location, thank goodness, but if she were going to attack this problem, then I needed to understand a few things up front. “First, we aren’t dealing with eight or nine cats, but probably fifteen or more. And when I start the trapping, you CAN’T come out and feed them. You must put away your worries about the poor hungry cats and let me do my job, because in order for the cats to go into the trap and get to the food, the cat needs to be mighty hungry.” That was going to be tough. The only way that I could agree to that stipulation (even though it made total sense), was to stay away from the Dollar General completely, until all the cats were caught.

I learned so much from Anastacia in such a short time. She taught about the general nature of cats, and what to expect in particular circumstances. She really knows her business, and has her heart set on doing what is right. At this point, with an absolute flood of unwanted cats and dogs being born in the wild, we have to focus on the neuter and spay program. I believe that a quick inspection of Blanco County (and others that are on the ball) will demonstrate that this program really helps to get the numbers under control. Knowing this fact didn’t make it any easier to watch my little Sasquatch looking back at me for food, so I left.

To be continued.............

Sasquatch and Kittens

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 part 2, introducing Guy Gray

The very next day I got a phone call about a cat that had been hit by a car the previous week. I knew the cat, I had taken him in for surgery not long ago. I had seen him the night he got hit. I was on my way home from the library when I saw him too close to the side of the road. I had stopped the car and told him to get out of the road. I guess he didn't listen to me, most cats don't. Evidently there was a squirrel in the road that had been hit, that was more interesting than his fear of the road. He is a very handsome fellow, solid gray with a bit of white on his chest. Beautiful golden eyes, and friendly. A stranger to none, he has that innocence that some animals have whom have never been treated unkindly. The folks that claimed him had said that they would take him to the vet to get him looked at. A week had passed and the poor cat was still dragging around a broken leg. I had been hearing about this poor kitty off and on for a week, it seemed that a few people were concerned about him but nobody was willing to take action. I was fed up! I called the vet and explained the cats condition and made an appointment that very day. I didn't wait to get approval for payment from the Cat Coalition, I didn't want to wait any longer the cat needed help, Now! Then I stopped at Lew's apartment and told him I had a cat situation, that the cat had been hit by a car and I didn't know what the outcome would be, that it could be a broken pelvis or he may need to have his leg amputated or even may need to be euthanized. Bless his heart he said “Bring him here”.

I went over to the house of the people that had claimed the cat, they brought the cat out from inside, his back leg was just dangling. I asked if it was their cat. They said no, I told them that I had heard that they were going to take him to the vet, they said that they had hoped he would get better on his own. I told them I would like to take the cat and do what needed to be done, they gave permission. I took the cat to Lew's, we had cleaned out the crate that Sally had been in. On this day I was the one that had a Dr.'s appointment, so Pi took Lew and the cat to the vet. The leg was broken near the hip and had to be amputated. I visited Lew and Guy Gray (Guy because he is such a pretty cat that we need reminding that he is a boy) the next day and it was remarkable how well Guy was doing. I guess after dragging around a broken leg for a week it was a relief to have it cut off. The pain he must have been in, can you imagine? Something I have learned from animals is that they are not emotionally attached to their body, if they lose a limb or an eye, they just compensate. They don't mourn the loss like we do. They live in their bodies, they are not as attached to them as we are. Something for further contemplation.

Guy was still not sure about the dog, but it didn't take him long to figure out Fate was harmless and in a short time they have become friends. It is a wonder to see the three of them together. Lew needed something to keep him going, Guy needed a loving home and Fate just needs to have someone to please and someone to play with.

We all still remember Sally, but the pain is fading. Guy cannot take her place, but he is here now and she is gone. I can only hope that as more people practice TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) there will be less suffering in the world. There are many untold stories like Sally's, many that are much worse. Sally's end was peaceful, she wasn't hungry or cold, she didn't suffer cruelly.

I find it remarkable that Lew was willing to open his heart and home to Guy so soon after the heartbreak of Sally. I have had the honor of working with several veterans that have witnessed starvation and suffering overseas, it is these folks that are willing to sacrifice a bit themselves in order to alleviate the suffering of others. Thank you all that by your small and great acts of love you make the world a better place!

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.