Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Trouble In Paradise



Paradise.  Parsells Avenue.  Far from Paradise.  Years ago, this street had a high population of cats and a high rate of crime.  I think the crime has lessened, but so has the cat population, thanks to ME.  I have been the only one on this street doing something about the reproduction of cats for many years now.  I have rescued close to 40 cats from this street over the past six or so years.  I have TNR'd double that over the past few years. 

This morning, as I went to check on the food on my way home at this stop I make midway between Culver and Webster Ave, there was a young black man who immediately came up close from the house next door and asked if it was me feeding the cats.  I said yes, he told me he wanted me to stop, that the cats were pissing in the garden.  This is the son of the nice man Carl who I've known for years and never had a problem with me doing this.  His wife called me a year ago and asked me to stop but I told her that I couldn't, there was no where for these cats to go right now but this vacant house next door to them, and that I was doing a good thing for this neighborhood by getting these cats spayed and neutered. 

By the way, this is also where I just released Priscilla earlier in the morning.  Priscilla was in heat, and lactating.  So she may be the mother of the three kittens that I've seen there, and she was ready to go at it again.  MORE cats.  If I hadn't had her spayed yesterday, another pregnancy.

Back to the story.  So this man then began to get violent, picked up a large piece of something, a childs playmobile or something and threw it toward the house and said this is what I will do with the cats.  He then went up on the porch and began to collect all the plates of food and I followed, telling him to take his hands off.  He then told me if I touched him there would be trouble.  He then threw it all in the garbage bin.  I called 911.  Within minutes, two officers arrived.  Unfortunately, I got the wrong officer.  He was calm, let me tell him my plight in a calm  manner, but said if he were living next door to the cats, he wouldn't like it either.  He also said that if I weren't feeding the cats, they would find food on their own.  He also said that me feeding them was attracting more cats.  I felt helpless.  At that point, I wasn't even listening to him.  I was concentrating on what I would do next.  I was thinking about the three baby kittens, I was thinking about the 10 or so cats that rely on me every single morning.  I was thinking I need to get going and get to work.  I am not good at defending what I do.  In the meantime, old mother hubbard came out and was telling the other officer the same story her son was saying.  They didn't want me, or the cats there.  I left, feeling helpless.  I know I am partially to blame for all this because I have never been able to educate people in how to live with the animals.  I've had nothing but trouble here.  There has GOT to be one compassionate person here, but I don't know where or who they are.  Bottom line from the officer, I had just as much right to feed there as they have just as much right to remove my food.  He said I could get into trouble if there is any more trouble.

Thats it in a nutshell for today.  I am very disappointed, and sad.

Have a nice day.


13 comments:

  1. Could Habitat for Cats and other trappers concentrate their efforts in this area to get these Cats out of their before they start to poison them. Sounds like these idiots would do just that. Perhaps some of them could be re-located to barns and perhaps a few more could go to Hart. I would be willing too help trap and or transport. As a Law Enforcement officer I wish that Cop would have kept his personal comments to himself and just resolved the dispute in order to keep the peace.
    I am afraid all the recent publicity especially all the myths and misinformation opined by Lonsberry the other day will be doing more harm then good. Unfortunately, for the Cats their are too many Ignorant and Selfish people in our society.


    Walt Simoni







    Walt Simoni


    Walt Simoni

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  2. Janine,
    As promised yesterday I devoted a few hours this morning attempting to get on the Bob Lonsberry show live. I ultimately did shortly before 11:00 AM. I prefaced my comments by stating I was an Honorably discharged USMC Veteran that served during the Vietnam War and am a firm supporter of the 1st amendment right of freedom of speech. I went on to say I was calling in reference to the segment he devoted to your recent publicity via both televised media and the D&C. I eluded to what you have been doing for the past 20 years in the Beechwood section of the city. I advised him Sternly that he owed the public an apology for his irresponsible and insensitive statement "That some people like their Cat's Barbecued". I told him I would like to believe he was Man enough to do so. He stated I of all people should know that in South-east Asia people do eat Cats. I shouted over his absurd comment that he was referring to the Beechwood area cats and he was being dishonest. He proved to me, not only is he a MORON but a Coward who was given the opportunity to apologize but instead choose to hang up on me instead. We should send a petition to WHAM 1180 demanding he Apologize for his Irresponsible, Insensitive and Ignorant statement over the airways.


    Walt Simoni

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    1. Well done Walt. Lonsberry is a waste of oxygen! I'm certainly going to conatct Wham to express my displeasure of his ignorant comment.

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  3. Walt - I commend your efforts in talking to Lonsberry. He really is a moron and I suggest we turn our efforts to helping Janine in other areas; trying to educate or get an apology from him are fruitless and a waste of our energy.

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    1. Nancy,

      I hear you loud and clear and couldn't agree more!

      Walt

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  4. Relocating cats is a VERY difficult thing, and in most cases it is a bad result for the poor cats. You have to make sure that where ever it is that you are relocating the cats to that those individuals are very responsible and caring people. The cats have to be put in a 4ft X 4ft cage for at least 3 weeks in the barn area in which they will be living so they can get accustomed to where there "new" home is now and who is now going to be their "new mom". Also Janine would have to be driving out there daily if not every other day to make sure they know she is still in their lives which will help comfort them. Very had to do, I did it at 4 to 5 different locations with a huge cat colony of 28 to 30 cats and only at 1 location was it a success. At the other 4 locations the people messed up and the cats got out early and ran off to their doom not knowing where they were anymore and no feed to rely on.

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  5. You are absolutely right! My wife took me to the shed on my comment. Just very concerned that the idiot might harm those Cats.

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  6. That's a shame you got a cop that was uneducated about cats. He should've kept his mouth shut and not taken sides. Not to mention the neighbor had threatened bodily harm to the cats! Jerks.

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  7. Trying to relocate the cats is your best bet, but a suggestion is to make flyers to distribute around the Culver/Webster neighborhood explaining without any names that you are helping the ferals and are running into some flack about it from some in the area....and ask for support and try to get some of the neighborhood behind you. Maybe some of the neighbors will watch out for the cats or speak to this guy if they hear he is harassing you(but don't mention it in the flyer). Mention your blog site link and the D&C article on the flyer, and any other media you were in for those neighbors to look you up... and maybe bring a body cam for evidence if you are attacked again....

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  8. And I would like to add, if you do this, ask for volunteers to have a feral shelter area set up in their yard for you to try to relocate some to. Maybe the guy who is missing that white and black cat I sent you the picture of and I think I sent his phone number and address too- someone who already has a heart for cats.
    Carole

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  9. Is there a petition going yet to be sent to WHAM?
    Carole

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  10. It is a shame that officer had no compassion. They know what goes on in the hood.

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  11. It is a shame that officer had no compassion. They know what goes on in the hood.

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