Mom here, again. The Furry Bambinos graciously allowed me to borrow their blog to tell you this story. When I left off last time, what we had been told were “six or eight friendly kittens” turned out to be at least eleven adult feral cats in need of TNR before they started reproducing. TNR stands for “Trap Neuter Return” which is the best solution to manage the population of a colony of feral cats.
After much discussion regarding logistics, we borrowed eight humane traps from the Cleveland APL, and returned the following Sunday evening at 6:00 with more Stinky Goodness. It was raining, windy, and cold. The newspapers we used to line the traps kept getting blown around, and some of the traps were so sensitive that just picking them up would trigger them to close. Not optimal trapping conditions, to say the least. We set out the traps, and returned to our cars to wait. Nothing. So we left to grab dinner, dejected that we would catch any cats that night.
We returned an hour later to find four cats in traps! Woo-hoo!
We covered each trap with a towel, and instantly the cat inside quieted down. We transferred the trapped cats to our cars to keep warm and dry. After moving the remaining traps to different locations, we were able to trap three more cats before it got too dark to see what we were doing. We were pleased to have caught seven feral cats, but we counted at least five more, including a few clever ones who managed to eat the food without stepping on the trigger.
We brought the cats in the traps back to Diane’s Mom’s house, where we set them in the garage overnight.
Here are photos of the cats we trapped that night. Kitteh #1 is a long-haired orange and white male (I think). Orange cats are usually male.
Kitteh #2 looked to be a Siamese flame point mix.
Kitteh #3 is an orange tabby with some white on his chest.
Kitteh #4 is a long-haired brown tabby with white bib.
Kitteh #5 is a long-hair dilute calico female.
Kitteh #6 is a black, gold, and white calico female. Do you see two other sets of glowing eyes in this photo?
Kitteh #7 is a different orange tabby male.
We returned Monday night, May 16 (Panda Bear and Meerkat’s birthday) with five more traps, and with a nifty Drop Trap as well. Again, it was cold, raining, and windy, making trapping conditions less than optimal. The ground was saturated after weeks of rain, so there was a lot of squish squish squish through muddy grass.
I now have a new definition for Insanity: Standing in the bushes, in the dark, in the rain, holding the pull cord to the Drop Trap, and trying to trap a solid black cat! We gave up trying to trap the black cat in the dark, but did manage to trap five others. But we saw at least three more cats, including “Blackie”, the solid black cat with a noticeable limp.
Diane’s Mom and her friend were able to catch the last (we hope) three cats, and all have been spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ear-tipped. Ear tipping is the universal symbol that a feral cat has been neutered and vaccinated. It is done while the cat is under anesthesia. It is done so that if they get trapped again, they won’t go in for surgery because the ear tip will indicate that they have already been neutered and vaccinated.
We were worried that Blackie might be euthanized due to his limp, but the APL did not note anything wrong with the paw. We had implored the APL staff to let Blackie live, since the property is on a quiet dead-end side street. So either Diane’s Mom caught a different black cat (not Blackie with the limp) or Blackie’s limp was not due to a fracture. We’ll never really know.
Next, releasing feral cats back in their home territory!
FANTASTIC!
Oh, well done to all! From the bottom of our hearts, we send Universal Blessings to all of you for doing this. There still are too many ignorant, thoughtless, uncaring people who let their cats roam and breed, or who abandon them, so it’s always–always!–a joy to read about successful TNR, rescue, adoption, etc.
Well done!!!!
GREAT JOB!!! Mom agrees about trapping ferals – there is just something seriously satifying about coming back and finding a cat in the trap. We are so glad you are getting help with them and they will be allowed to live their lives – but not have more kittens!
Wow that is great that you were so successful. While we wish that it wasn’t necessary (because we wish all kitties had good, loving homes) we understand why it is necessary to trap, neuter and then release them, because we know a lot of older ferals just don’t do well if they are forced to be “housecats”. We know that there are ferals that can do ok, but if the ferals have a safe place and are doing ok we think this is a great way to stop popluation growth without too much trauma for the cats themselves.
Great job!!!! Purrs and all the best to the kitties. I wouldn’t like to be a feral myself, especially in cold, wet, windy weather.
Those look like they will really help out the feral kietth cats..God Bless you for all your efforts to help, protect and save kietth cats..I wish I could do more, but I do get to the ferals and rescue some and take them to a fearl place that spays and neuters them and releases them to a place that has food and some shelter for our 200 plus days of rain, ice and snow Why don’t others join in your efforts to rescue kietth cats and have furever homes for them? well I don’t understand so to honor our two we lost our precious cats on july 9 and july 16 I give time and some money to the lady who runs a no kill shelter and she mainly takes in kietth cats There are vets here who 3 to 4 times a year do feral spaying and neutering of feral cats, it is an all volunteer effort, I give what I can I just don’t understand why people don’t adopt more kietth cats, I mean they are so precious and wonderful..Furever homes for all kietth cats is my Motto God Bless you and your wife daily for all your efforts to care for and help place the kietth cats.. I think your kitty cats are so sweet, read your blog early in the morning always makes me have a smile on my face and my kietth cat that thinks he is a tiger Miyagi sits on my lap purring, he knows kietth lovers when he is watching the screen and reading your blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think your cat that is so shy is getting to be a little more interested in the outside world, good for her isn’t her name precious?????? Happy turkey day soon, and happy christmas, new year, veterans day all wrapped up into one special greeting for terrific kietth cat lovers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XX()()
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