Whoa Nellie!

Diane helped me trap again this weekend for Tuesday's clinic. She is determined to help me make a difference in this neighborhood.  So far I have TNR'd over 24 cats in a month and half or so.  She got Nellie from Niagara, and Nilsson - who I am not sure if boy or girl yet.  Nellie LOOKED pregnant on Saturday:

What do you think? 

Well, on Sunday, this is who was in the cage with her:

NELLIE & The Babies

Normally, she would have been spayed at the clinic on Tuesday.  But little did we know the arrival of her little princes and princesses would occur so soon.  We do NOT need more babies in this world, but I thank GOD these babies were not born outdoors.  Diane would do anything for an animal. Anything. To save its life.  But even she will agree that if a cat is not that close to giving birth, and is feral, then its only practical - and that is not even a good word; there are just too many babies being born and not enough homes for them.  I will repeat, for ever kitten born,there are 10-20 more in shelters being euthanized.  There are only so many fosters to go around.  In Diane's words on Sunday: "God decided for us the fate of these babies!!  There are four babies so far. She is still laboring. Nellie loves me, NOT!!! It will all work out I'm sure.  It has too. I see this birth as a blessing. I really do."

Nellie is very feral, and if she doesn't let up, her babies will be somewhat the same.  When babies are born to a feral mom, they are usually adoptable, but in my personal first hand knowledge, they will always have a fear in them of loud noises, and humans.  I remember bringing home my Cinnamon and Sugar when they were wee babies, born to a feral mom in my friend Jim's garage. Until the day they died 13 years later, a year apart, they still hid when strangers came over.   The other sad part here is that the black kitty that I was hoping she would get the past two weekends, that I suspected was pregnant, has had her kittens, I am almost 99% sure.  Her belly looked loose hanging low under her.  I looked in the huts I've placed there, no kittens inside.  So so sad.

Some more stats:

Thousands of puppies and kittens are born each day in the U.S. In six years, one female dog can be the source of 67,000 puppies, while in seven years one female cat and her young can produce 420,000 kittens. Even if you find good homes for all of your pet's offspring, you are taking away homes from other companion animals desperately in need of someone to care for them. Thousands of unwanted animals are killed every day, most of them healthy, the majority less than one year old.

The Results of Pet Overpopulation

• Starvation
• Disease
• Freezing
• Roadkill
• Cheap sources of animals for use in scientific experimentation
• Cats and dogs treated as nuisances, leading to a general acceptance of animal cruelty in society
• More slaughtered wildlife as hungry strays kill birds and other animals
• An increased number of dog bites
• Increased taxes: the U.S. spends $1 billion annually euthanizing cats and dogs.

The other kitty, Nilsson, that Diane trapped:  Poor thing.

NILSSON

I will be trapping one more for the clinic tomorrow morning, so that IT and Nilsson cannot produce any more babies.

This morning couldn't have started any worse.  I will admit, I have been going out in my neighborhood a couple of times this spring and picked some lilacs.  Not directly on anyone's property, the lilac bushes were close to the road, far from the house.  May God strike me dead.  But they are wasted beauty, and my FAVORITE flower is lilac.  I wish I had some on my property, but I don't, and I have no friends who have them to offer them up to me.  So, here I am at 4:10 am., grabbing a few in the dark before heading into the hood to feed the babies out there, and driving back closer to my house before I go, in the dark, behind me, flashing lights!!!  I thought, oh Lord!  I am going to get busted for stealing lilacs!  How did this guy see me???  I was scared to death.  He comes up - do you have your license and registration?  NO.  I go into the city and feed cats, and I don't carry it with me.  I know I should, but I don't.  OK - what is your name and address (I pointed to my house), and I hope you aren't lying to me.   Something like that.  He came back and said I pulled you over because a taillight is out.  I glanced over to the lilacs.  He didn't see them!!!  I told him I would have it fixed today and wished him well, as he did me.  Nice guy.  Thank God!  Dodged another bullet!

As I was going to turn right from Short Street onto Goodman, I saw something in the road to my left.  Sure enough, a dead cat.  I got closer, turned around, put my flashers on,  grabbed a towel, got out to wave cars to go around, and picked up a sweet kitty I'd been feeding at the shelters on Short.  A beautiful white with black markings.  That poor animal. Still felt warm under the towel that I gently wrapped it in and brought it to the vacant lot across the way and placed it under the tree.  I always say a little prayer for them when this happens.  I didn't shed a tear, I am becoming hardened to death out there.  So much sadness and heartache. 

Barney is doing well. His new mom reports that he is doing fine, and left an adoption donation for me on her porch when I picked up the very smelly carrier I brought him over in.   As far as I know, my poor Gemma is gone now.  Her adoptive family must have given up.  I am ill just thinking about it.  I can only hope that she was taken in by someone kind and who will watch her like a hawk.  I will never again adopt out to anyone where there is a question in my mind on whether the house is safe or not.  In fact, when I dropped Barney off a week ago, I checked all the screens on the porch that she had him on.  I am sure this girl must have thought I was crazy.  But thats OK.  Please say a prayer for Gemma.

Have a nice day.

"Question:  How can one person 

save 100 homeless cats?  

Answer:  Its easy.  Just spay one."