Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Never a Dull Moment

Nothing to report today - there was no sighting of Crazy Maryleigh.  I know she was around after our encounter yesterday, the bowls were pushed to where they were not placed by me, obviously moved by her after she threw the food out.  She is obviously violating the order of staying off this property.  But I can't catch her.  I have a full time job.  Speaking of....

Actually, there is a lot to report today!  So, I get up at 3 am (normal time), and I live on a corner, where there is a stop sign.   I look out my window, in the dark, and there is a car with its lights on stopped at the stop sign, just sitting there.  I figured, ok, maybe the person is texting someone, or having a conversation, after all, there is no traffic, so why not just sit there for a second.  Forty-five minutes later, the car is still there.  After going out to investigate with flashlight, there is a man slumped over in the drivers seat.  I called 911 - and after banging on the window, the man perked up, put the car in drive, drove over the grass of the church across the street - all in slow motion - and parked his car on the grass of the church lot.  He turned off the lights and slumped over again.  Now its 20 minutes past the phone call, and I had to go do the kitties.  I figured the police must have something going on, after all, I had mentioned that this could be a medical issue.  Whatever, the kitties were waiting.

And waiting.  In the rain.  It was a more than a fine mist out there.  I was soaked in the first half hour.  I had to strategically place the food in spots where the rain would not soak it at some locations.  Keep in mind, I have at least 16 locations throughout the Beechwood section of Rochester where I have little huts built for the cats.  There are boards covering the space where the food is placed.  I go to each of these every day and refill the food and water.  At each of these spots, there are an average of five cats.  And at most of these locations, most are spayed and neutered with their ears tipped, identifying them as being spayed and neutered.  At most of these locations lately, there are plenty more cats that are new to the 'colony' that are not spayed and neutered.  And in fact, at two of these locations, there are baby kittens.  I am a one man band.  I want to help them all, but I can't.  I have been spaying and neutering on an average two cats per week since April.  This is all I can afford.  Its $50 per cat.  Now I can't even get an appointment at the low cost clinic I use because there are just so many others using this clinic for this purpose from all areas of the county.  I feel hopeless.

I received the following from a girl that adopted THREE of the kitties from the streets from me.  Webster, Tigger and now Friso/Purrdy - I started to read the note with happiness, and then my heart sank:

Hello,

The Orange kitty is doing great he is coming out of his shell more each week this week he is very playful seeing a lot of kitten in him.
My husband wanted to rename him to Foster…as I had told him to get him in my house that we can just “foster” him for awhile.
The “awhile” of course is forever and he knows that but he likes the name Foster and it does fit him a bit better than Zen as he is more wild now anyway.
It also starts with the “F” as you like to keep that tradition going for the street you found him on.

Now on a bad note I did not want to tell you this on Saturday because I wanted you to have a nice Holiday off since memorial day was crazy with you saving Foster.
Yesterday I was slammed at work and it was bad day here so I did not get to email you. On Saturday our Webster got hit by a car  and was killed. I found him myself on the road and was just devastated.
He was such an awesome kitty and was just not with me long enough. We buried him in the back yard as places were closed for the holiday so I could not get him cremated.
The kids put tiger Lily’s on his grave.

I know how much trouble you go to saving these little souls and I wanted you to know that he though he was only with me a short 9 months he was more loved in that time than
he would have been all his life with someone else. We just loved that little guy and showered him with hugs and kisses and he paid us back in purrs.

So we are very sorry for his loss L

I feel devastated.  I am not blaming this girl, who has become a true friend.  We all do what we have to do with our pets.  We all have different beliefs.  But I will say it again, I don't believe animals should be allowed outdoors.  There.  I've said it.  Again.  I am devastated, and I am sorry for her family's loss also.

WEBSTER

On top of all this, look what showed up in my yard yesterday.  Meet SQUIRT.  A four week old baby girl.  We looked all around for any other kittens, but nothing.  This isn't supposed to happen in MY neighborhood, where you don't see this homeless sort of thing.  I can't imagine how this baby animal came to be.  But it did, and now we need to find it a home!!!


George and Squirt


That's the news for the day.  Please spread the good word.

PS, when I returned from my feedings - the cops were there, the guy was standing there, his sister was called to come to pick him up, apparently he was drunk.  The cops later told me, after the guy and his sister drove off, that if the car was still running, they would have called me to make a statement in court that he was driving.  Wow.  BAD!!!

Have a good one!

  "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything,
but still I can do something;
and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do."

4 comments:

  1. Hi Janine, Any updates on Barney or Teddy? I'd like to think their people haven't given up on them.

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  2. I'm so sorry to hear about Webster! He was such a beautiful and good boy. What a tragic end to his life. Cats are no match for cars. :(

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  3. A PREVENTABLE tragedy!!! Scraping a dead cat off the road, who died ALONE out there is horrible. KEEP CATS INDOORS!! Zero reason for them to be outside and suffer a fate like that.

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  4. So sorry about Webster. I can understand it if the cat accidentally escaped. But to let them outside on purpose if you live near a road... SO sorry to hear this.
    it was my impression and understanding that even if the car was stopped and engine off, if the keys were in the car, that they could still prosecute for dwi. And I am sure the keys were! So I wonder why they didnt! How else did the car get onto the church lawn!!!!?

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