Nice, pleasant morning weather wise. Supposed to be in the 60's today here in Rochester. I'll take it. I've been a hermit this past winter, and I don't like it. I need to get off the couch, out of the 5 pm. pajamas I whip into the second I get home from work, away from the television, away from the bed that I yearn for by 7 pm., and do something!
As I have been doing this past week, when I go out to my
first spot in the morning, I am slowing down to see if I can spot the black and
white female, and the limping kitty. I
don’t, so I go on my way, and do my route. And as I return home, I pass this way again,
and pull over at the spot where I originally saw them. Today was the second day in a row that when I
pulled over, the female new mother has run to me. The bowls were still where I left them
yesterday. But this time, I watched her
run from under a door to a house where CRAZY LISA lived, or still does, I am
not sure. I have not seen her around in
a while. She was known, if you will
recall a few years back, to be torturing cats.
In her sick, schizophrenic mind, she thought she was caring for them, as
she did express a love for cats.
Crazy Lisa |
Last night I got a call from a cop/cat foster
friend of mine. She called to ask me if I had any 'spots' on a certain
street near where I do actually have spots. I told her no, but that I did
have a spot on the corner of Ferndale and Webster, not far from where she was
asking me about. She said she just arrested a woman under the mental
hygiene law. She apparently is known to be a 'little' cuckoo, and her
apartment in this house was pretty bad, and she apparently had been mutilating
kitties - she had brought several dead ones to Rochester Animal Services in the
past. I am not quite sure why the police were called there, but she
was calm at first, and then became combative, so they arrested her and brought
her to Rochester General Hospital to the pysch unit. After I got a little
more detail about the woman (she was clipping their nails down so much she was
cutting off toes, she took newborn kittens away from their mother and stuffed
their mouths with cottage cheese, etc.), I told my friend I would keep an eye
out for her, and maybe talk to neighbors - see whats up with the cats around
there. The police apparently also took the remaining cats she had to the
Rochester Animal Shelter. Sad. But at least out of a sick person's
hands.
Well, here is me, after doing my first four
spots, cruising down into the hood in the quiet hour of the
morning, looking for the house number. After spotting it, I noticed a
woman sitting on the steps in the back of the house, eating something on a
plate. I thought 'that's her!'. I got out and quietly approached
her, and asked if she was 'Marilee,' pretending to look for Marilee. If
you remember, thats the woman I finally ran into on Ferndale and Webster who
had been doing crazy things on the porch for the cats over the winter.
She said no, her name was 'Lucy' (I am protecting her name). We began a
very nice, but bizarre conversation for about ten minutes. I told her I
feed cats in the neighborhood and that immediately got her to share with me her
arrest last night, and how 'they' took her cats away. She was extremely
calm, and pleasant. She pointed to a sign on her door and said
they've condemned my apartment so I have to move out'. I asked her where
she would go and she mentioned a pup tent in highland park, and then she
mentioned maybe the Rochester Housing Authority. She seemed to like that
idea better. She also was rambling on about a possum and a raccoon and
how one of her kitties, a little black and white had gotten away, and she was
looking for it. She mentioned how she clips their nails. She
mentioned how the boys in the house (another apartment) got into her house and
left buckets of spit, how the boys and a few girl escorts were spitting into
the buckets and leaving it for her.
I just stood there very quietly with her, engaging in
pleasant conversation, thinking this woman was crazy. She also surprised
me and told me she was the one who placed the blanket, and put
down pork and beans and stuff on the porch at Ferndale and Webster. So I
had TWO crazy ladies doing that at the same spot - THREE if you count
me! :) As I was looking at her, a very plain 50ish year old
(looked 60), no teeth (or they were pretty bad), thin, but she looked like
someone you would see a crazy mug shot of if you've ever seen them
online. My mother always told me I should have been an actress. I
could have won an academy award for my performance this morning. I wanted
to throttle this woman, who could abuse animals, but I knew I must be her
friend for now, to be sure she doesn't get her hands on any more cats. I
told her I would come back in the morning for a visit and give her my
number. I don't know what will come of it, but I do approach people very
cautiously, but I also believe I have a calming effect on crazy people, for
some reason. I get normal people all riled up, but crazy people love
me! :) Funny how that works.
I've had many interactions with her since, but none in the past year. Back to what I was saying, this is where this white and black kitty came from this morning, so I went over with my flashlight and shined it under the door, where there is an enclosed porch, and I could see some kind of blanket on the floor, and maybe a box. Couldn't be certain. I wondered if there were kittens in there. I am pretty sure this cat is POST-par tum. I am still not quite sure what to do, but do know I will be stopping again tomorrow to do some more detective work. I need to make a spay appointment for her, but I don't know if the kittens can live a day and night without her nursing them. IF there are kittens. I know one thing, if Lisa is still living there, she is not allowed animals.
Have a nice day.
"I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
Yikes ! I would be crossing the street to avoid her if she came my way...no question about it, if there are kittens they have to go with mumma cat at the same time, no ? Maybe hold till weaned, can offer you my garden shed J if it would help, I'm sure Andrew would ok, that .xoxoxox
ReplyDeleteit depends how old the kittens are whether they could survuve with mom gone for a day. Beofre taking her I would definitely find the babies first, and grab them! We will get them into rescue. Babies under 3 weeks of age wouldn't liekly survive without momma there for a day. Please let me know if you can find the babies how many there are and about how old so we can work on getting htem an immediate foster. GRAB them if you see them. You know me, act first think later!!! Julie
ReplyDeleteIf she IS NURSING her nipples will be extended (stretched) and there will be a circle of bare skin around each one from the kittens nursing.Just a little circle maybe 1/2" in diameter but noticeable. And a nursing mommacat living on the street would most likely feel thin. So a plump female most likely pregnant. Hope that helps. If you can pick her up to examine her like that, I hope you can tell.
ReplyDeleteCarole R.
You sure deal with the "salt of the earth" as the saying goes! That lady was messed up. I sure hope she's getting the help she needs and doesn't have any more animals.
ReplyDelete