Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Seems I have a fan or two.  Someone - a woman with short blond hair and no teeth went to the clinic on Bay Street the other day, rode her bike apparently right in the door, and claimed there is a woman stealing cats dressed in animal control uniform and her name is Janine Wagner!  This sounds like Lisa, the other crazy on Parsells, who has been reported many times over the years for animal torture in her house (do a search for this on past posts).  Then, I received a call from Animal Services that a resident near Webster/Ferndale called to complain I was stealing cats!  Hmmmmmmm ... I wonder who this could be.

Lisa on Parsells

I explained to the nice supervisor that called me - by the way it was not our first conversation throughout the years - I do not steal people's cats.  I TNR them, but at this location, the cats I have RESCUED all had life threatening illnesses and there was no way they were going back.  (see yesterday's post!). Albeit, there was Maizy, the kitty I trapped, brought to clinic for spay/neuter, turned out to be microchipped, and it happened to be Crazy ML's neighbor's cat.  An elderly woman who was thrilled to know I had her and was returning this cat she got from Lollipop!  After explaining to her how dangerous it is to let the cats roam like that - she told me that they rarely leave her porch.  "They just like to chase bugs." She then called the next day saying her other cat was missing, but when I stopped over the next morning, she told me the kitty had come back.  I did explain to her what I was doing, the good I was doing in these neighborhoods.

Last word on this:  I document every cat I TNR and RESCUE.  Pictures and locations.  Its all here on this blog.

These animals I feed each day are so grateful.  "Here comes that nice lady to feed us again.  She is so nice.  She takes care of us - she feeds us, she gives us warm little boxes to go inside when its really cold out, and she gets us help when we need it."  I swear, this is what they say!  :) 

The little kitten Cloe, who I rescued Sunday on Second Street went to the clinic yesterday, along with the other remaining four kittens from Trust Street for wellness check (shots), and a diagnosis of her little lump on one side of her back end and a hole on the opposite side.  The doctor said she has two very deep large puncture wounds on her lower back, as if a large animal bit her - the holes are on each side of her body.  The abscess was drained and was deep also, down to the muscle, and the vet did the best she could.  She is in a tremendous pain.  She was actually shaking this morning as she lay there. I am the WORST at helping sick animals.  I can't even figure out how to tie the collar she is supposed to wear so that she does not lick her wounds. poor thing. Her treatment was estimated at $150, and that did not include the kittens wellness charge at $35 per kitten.  This is an expensive business I am in. Thank you to the few who have made donations this past week for the TNR's.  I am close to being 'out of business' even though I have reserved spots for each Tuesday through September for TNR.

On Second and Pennsylvania (where Scooter the black kitten was just rescued), I met a man named Will, a black homeless man who I have befriended on the street a year or two ago.  He would be on his bicycle, we would say hello, have a quick chat in the dark, he was very innocent, and always commended me on what I was doing.  He has the funniest jokes.  He wears very worn shoes, very baggy dirty pants, and a large filthy coat, so one day a few weeks ago I asked him his pant size.  I went and bought him a new pair of jeans but hadn't seen him until just this morning.  I told him I had something for him.  I went to the truck and brought back new jeans, and some used t-shirts, and he began to cry.  Not cry, but he choked up, twice.  I gave him a hug, and he called me Cinderella as we said our goodbyes.  :(  So sad, but he is a happy guy. He is not a drinker or druggie, but a guy down on his luck.

Thats it again, in a nutshell.  Please say a prayer for Cloe that she heals soon.

Have a good day.

"Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind."