5 posts tagged “feral rescue”
Two more girls spayed and re-released:
I can't help but think how many kittens would have been born in the next 2 months. We have so far, in this colony, spayed 6 females and neutered 1 male. All six of the female cats were pregnant. According to Wikipedia, a litter of kittens is typically 2-6 kittens, after a gestation of just over 2 months. You start doing some math there, and you realize what a timebomb we just diffused. A timebomb of wild feral kittens. We still have a lot of work to do, as I keep catching cats I've never seen before, like the black and white beauty on the right. As feral colony caretakers keep telling me: feral colonies are like icebergs, you're only seeing the top 10%. The remaining 90% of the problem is beneath the surface.
I am trapping a local feral colony lately. We got four cats TNR'ed last week, and we're hoping for another four this week. Anyway, I thought I would post a little photo journal of what it's like to trap-neuter-return feral cats.
I've got four appointments at the Richmond SPCA tomorrow at 8am. They, like many SPCAs across the country, offer free spay-neuter appointments and rabies shots for feral cats. They are essentially the only reason I'm able to do TNR. Without free surgeries, TNR is too cost-prohibitive. I can't afford to pay for surgeries for these cats. I donate annually to the SPCA as a thank-you for this awesome free service they provide.
So tonight I'll set out my traps. Here are the traps loaded in my borrowed pickup truck, and then another shot of one of the cages with the cover I made for it: a quarter of a sheet with a hole cut in the top for the handle.
Last night I spent a couple of hours trying to trap the last kitten, who was with Momma Cat hanging around under the deck at my friend's house. The last kitten was tricksy, though, so we put momma in a crate with some salmon, and then put the trap right next to her with some food in it. When Momma finished her salmon, she gave a cry for the baby kitten to come join her, and he ran up, smelled the food in the trap, ran inside to check and BAMMO. Kitten! I took them both home last night.
Today, Momma Cat, who I'm naming Jezebel, went to the SPCA to get spayed. They made me pay for it because she's friendly and wasn't in the cat trap, which... whatever. I went ahead and got her tested for everything and got her all the shots and stuff, too, because, well, whatever. If I'm gonna pay for part of it, I might as well pay for all of it I guess.
The kittens I got signed up with the rescue organization last night, and they are going to the vet today. I think Thurman's bent paws are fixable with some physical therapy. I've been working with him, massaging his paws, trying to get them to straighten out a little. If nothing else, he thinks that is fun playtime. All four kittens have eye infections. I think one of the black ones, Houdini the escape artist, will probably need one of his eyes removed. I don't know what I'll call the other black and white kitten. I try to name kittens in batches so the shelter knows they're related? But I dropped the ball this time by calling the big red kitten, "Big Red" and by naming Thurman, too. I guess I could still change all of those. I thought about calling them all by H names: Houdini, Hank, Hal, Holden, etc. I don't know. Any suggestions, people?
The kittens are pretty glad to have their momma back, and she is pretty glad to have them with her. They are much more relaxed when she is around, and Houdini didn't try to escape once all night, which is amazing, because he can turn his head sideways and squeeze through the bars! It is only a one-inch gap!
Well, momcat is doing well, I let her free on Saturday and she took off like a gunshot, she couldn't have been happier to be free. I saw her Sunday, and I've been feeding her in the same old location, hoping she brings the black kitten back to that spot, so I can trap the black kitten and work on taming it. Momcat is staying well-fed, at least, so that'll help her heal from her surgery. I hope she is keeping a low-profile, but who knows. I am probably foolish to think that she would bring her kitten to be trapped. She eats next to that trap but won't fall for MY tricksy human ways again!
The kittehs are doing pretty well. They still hiss a little bit at me, but they have stopped spitting at me and trying to swat my hands. They realize that the hands bring the delicious spoonfuls of all-meat pureed baby food, which they LOOOOOVE, so they tolerate my presence. They are even venturing out into the other parts of the cage when I am not looking---they even ate a whole bowl of kitten kibble last night. They are very skinny so I am encouraging them to eat as much as possible. Today I picked them both up for a few minutes and held them in my lap and tried to get them to eat some baby food. Gray tabby went for it, but orange wasn't having my bullshit. They both were glad to get back into the cage, huddled in their corner. Baby steps with the feral kittens, baby steps. It is hard, because I want to cuddle them and kiss their (de-wormed) bellies, but obviously that will be a while.
Anyway, I set the trap again today for the last kitteh, I hope I catch him/her, but if not, I'll keep moving the trap around that area and hope that I just luck out. Persistence (and wet food) is the key.
Thank you all for the generous donations!
A few of you have asked if I was going to accept donations to help the stray kitties I'm rescuing. I don't personaly need the money, but I thought about it, and you know who does? The rescue organization who is placing these kittehs for me.
The Richmond Animal League has been placing these kittehs for me, and they are super awesome (even if their website leaves a little to be desired). These people LOVE animals, and they have been awesome to me when nobody else would help. One day I was there visiting Gus, and a woman was picking up a kitten she was adopting, and the adoption staff was all crying, saying goodbye. They LOVE kittehs. They are Good People.
YOUR GENEROSITY IS BOUNDLESS. Donations closed. You can still donate to the shelter on their website, if you wish. Thank you so much for your help, the shelter and the kittens are so grateful. I am in awe of your generosity and kindness. Thank you.
You people are Good People. The kitties, and RAL, are grateful. I am bowled over by your love and generosity. The kindness of you internet friends always touches my heart. We all send our love. Photos will be posted of kittens as soon as possible.
EDIT: update, two of three kittens trapped and safely at home. Name suggestions?
