TNR Tuesday!

Today is TNR Tuesday.  I set a trap on Parsells, drove off to do the remaining spots on the ‘front nine’, came back and voila, a kitten.  One of the three that were born to the mom that I recently had spayed. They were born probably four months ago.  I only see two of them now, and they are feral.  I tried and tried to trap them when they were younger, but they weren’t going for the kitten traps I set.  This morning, one of the two went in the big cage.  Poor thing, scared out of its mind, and I have to return it tomorrow morning.  I feel TERRIBLE about this.  Returning a baby kitten to the street.  Then again, I had to return a six month old kitten last week to Central, but this one is so much younger.  I then set a trap on the back nine – at Central and Second, where I had seen five baby kittens playing, and several females (calico), etc.  I haven’t seen the kittens in over a week now.  I went off to do my rounds and when I was just about finished, I decided to grab the sweet boy that has been hanging around Pennsylvania and Second.  He lets me pet him, and he has learned to trust me in just a short time.  I placed the carrier upright, opened the door, coaxed him to me, grabbed him by the scruff, other hand on his bottom half, and gently lowered him into the carrier.  He is scared out of this mind.  Plus, I think he is going to make a sweet sweet pet for someone, so I may try him out in the bathroom tonight and he can be the first foster for the sweet girl Kim who offered to foster for me.  He is a big boy, just like Sawyer was, and Cammy.  They turned out to be sweethearts and very much loved companions once acclimated to being indoors.

A high number of cats in Rochester are feral, which are homeless cats (homeless either by birth or by abandonment). Feral does not mean that they are a threat to humans, but that they are distrustful and afraid of us. Feral, unspayed females spend their lives pregnant and hungry, while males often die from wounds inflicted in territorial battles over mates and food, and disease is spread - such as feline aids and leukemia.

Where did all these feral cats come from? Studies have shown that the high numbers of ferals have originated from people who are financially unable to neuter/spay their cats, irresponsible pet owners who can afford to, but don't, transient owners who leave their unspayed/unneutered animals behind to fend for themselves. These cats, when allowed to roam freely, will mate resulting in rampant overpopulation, which is what animal rescue organizations contend with.

At 5 months of age a kitten can have its first litter and that same kitten can have a second litter by the time it is a year old - a litter being anywhere from 1 kitten to 5, 6, 7... A nursing mom can get pregnant and 60 days later, which is the gestation period, can have another litter. Only about 50% of these kittens will survive. Please help to make known the importance of spaying or neutering their pets.

Please consider foster or adoption for all these sweet animals on and off the streets.  They need your help now more than ever.  Its getting cold out.

 Have a nice day.