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.