Thats the Plan Stan

Stan is my father's name, and he passed away when I was very young.  Plan is not a word that rolls off the tongue very easily for me.   Ask my mother, I am the WORST.  If someone instructs me the day before that I need to do something, thats good.  And if that someone instructs me the day OF to do what I need to do, thats even better.  I am an organized person in many respects, but when it comes to TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return), its not pretty.  I did, however, trap two kitties this morning, and with the help of Laura, they will be going to Lollipop for neutering and will be returned to me this afternoon where I will have to return them back to the streets.  Pictured below are what I trapped this morning.  The first, on Hayward, is a real sweetheart.  As you know, I've mentioned that there is a mother cat that is producing.  I rescued Butters/Thurston from here three months ago.  I am not sure if this is the mother, or if this is even a female, but she is very friendly, but also very unhappy right now!  The next two pictures are of a kitty I picked up on Pennsylvania.  Looks like a female, very pretty tortoise!

So getting back to planning, and organizing, I am totally helpless with this TNR'g stuff.  I place the trap down haphazardly at spots where I think I can get a kitty.  I do leave less food at these spots the day before, but when I actually head out in the morning, my spots are so spread apart in distance, that it becomes complicated in my own mind.  You have to remember, I am trying to place food down at 14 shelters.  So that means, if I am allowed three cats to TNR, Laura tries for one, and I have responsibility for two.  So that means at the spot where Laura will try to trap, I don't go near there, and depend on Laura to leave food there after she is done trapping for the remaining cats at that location.  For me, I am runing around like a chicken with its head  - no, I won't use that expression - too graphic, and too real!  I wind up driving back and forth to spots and by this time, its a 20 minute longer morning for me out there trying to trap and feed at the same time.  I guess you would have to be in my shoes to know what I mean, but again, if I had two people who could each go early and set the trap, sit there and wait with it, that would be great.  Because then I would come along and put food down and leave after the cat has been trapped.  Instead, I am setting the trap, and driving to another spot to feed, and having to drive back to see if a cat is in the trap, and if it isn't, I have to worry that I might not get a cat at that spot and wonder if I should move it to another location, and one that I've probably already fed at, so that won't work, so I do what I did this morning and placed the trap at a location that I don't even feed at, and sure enough a kitty went in while I was out driving around!

This might be mind-boggling to some of you, and it is to me, believe me.  I HATE to trap, but it must be done.  HATE it.  I HATE having to release sweet kitties back out into the streets to fight for their lives.  HATE it.  But it must be done.  I just wish I had more people to help!  Which makes me ever so grateful again to Laura, who continually helps me out.  So, two less baby makers on the streets as of today!

I took the following pictures of different spots this morning.  I didn't see sweet Morris, who I am desperately trying to find a home for - this is where he is usually - I moved his and black kitty's stuff inside a garage of a boarded up house near Grand the morning before Hurricane Sandy visited us:
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The picture above is another shelter, the hut on the right my friend Bob built.   Its nice to see a kitty come out of there each morning, but this spot needs some work before the snow starts to fly.  Its very rickety.  I need tarp, etc.

I continue to think positive about what I am doing.  When in doubt, I do it anyways, if I think I can't do it then I probably won't do it. But as long as I keep a positive outlook on things then what I want to achieve will happen. I must stop putting up my own walls.

"Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible."