TNR Monday!

3:50 a.m.  Head outside - pray the rains hold off - fill four traps with newspapers and smelly mackerel - head down the road to 1st Melville Street stop.  Set trap for waiting kitties under porch of vacant house.  Down the street to Melville #2 - set trap in back of lot.  Down to Melville #3 (yes, I am now feeding at three spots on Melville Street!  ugh!).  Set trap on sidewalk for waiting kitties.  Drive off and over to Garson Avenue, where Spice, Sugar, Teddy and Tiggy were rescued from - set trap there again to try to get mommy cat.  Drive to back nine (the back half of my morning route which runs from Niagara Street all the way back to Short Street).  Start feeding at all locations.  Meanwhile, I've already seen 7 cats at various locations darting in and out from under cars.  I spotted a cat in the road, and a skunk next to it, both nibbling from the pizza slice that was tossed out.  I lay down a food dish and some water on the side walk for it.  The cat, not the skunk.

GARSON - Georgina

4:36 a.m.  Head back to check on traps.  Garson Avenue - Gotcha.  I think.  I pray this is mommy.  No more babies mommy!

Head to Melville #1.  Mr. Raccoon!  Hello and GET OUT!  I placed the food and water for the waiting kitties and picked up the trap from there, hoping to set it somewhere else.  I needed TWO kitties today, as RCAC is allowing me an extra day to trap.  Thank you RCAC!  I still need to trap two more tomorrow, for my normal Tuesday Trapping.  Of course this is expensive.  Its $60 per kitty.  So I am figuring on getting two by now this morning, and then two tomorrow.  That is $240.  Thats a lot of money I am spending on ROCHESTER's CATS!  I need help.

OK, so off I go to Melville #2 - they are not biting.  There is a dog in the yard next door on the street in front - Parsells - that hears me each morning when I go back there to feed.  I set up this shelter hoping to get the leftover cats from Parsells when I had to do that giant sweep a few months back.  There have been a few hanging around and some I had not had neutered or spayed.  This dog is a large pit bull, and it is 'hidden' behind a garage behind a house.  Its shelter is destroyed - it was close to daylight one morning so I was able to get a better look behind there, and God knows if it has food or water - so I did call 911 Saturday morning to report it.  I pray they did what they are supposed to do and investigated it to make sure doggy had adequate food shelter and water.

No bites here.  Off to the third Melville stop - nothing but the sweet boy that is on my list for rescue next.  I moved the trap to the back of the lot and drove off - intent on getting my other spots fed and watered.

I drive back down Melville, and what do I spot?  Three baby kittens running around in front of a house.  #162 to be exact.  The yard is filled with trinkets and a religious sign.  It looks well kept, and then out from under the van comes who I think is Mommy cat.  With a collar.   She hesitantly walks up to me.  I race back to Melville #3 - feed cats, and grab the trap.  Come back and set it.  BOOM.  Baby #1.  Run back to Melville #2 - feed cats, grab two traps, go back and set them.  BOOM.  Baby #2.  Both babies are SCREAMING in the back of the Jeep.  Meanwhile, I can't shut the window of the driver's door.  Nice.  I go home, intent on getting ready for work and then going back to check the trap I left behind.  BOOM.  Thunder and lightening.  GREAT!  Window broken, and trap left open in the by-now torrential downpour.  By now its 6:20 a.m.

I pray the kitty takes all three cats, even though two are teeny weeny, but I think big enough to be spayed or neutered.  My heartbreak will be tomorrow when I have to let them back out onto the street.  They are wild, feral.  And I am past capacity for taking in any more kittens or adult cats right now.  I also will be trying for the last baby and mom again tomorrow.   If anyone would like to help out, please feel free to call Rochester Community Animal Clinic and make a donation in my name.  585-288-0600.  Thank you on behalf of all the kitties out there that have no choice.

The good news is that Carmel and Pierre were adopted by a very sweet lady yesterday who lives in Newark.  Thanks to Melissa for riding out with me and helping to say goodbye to these two sweethearts.  And thank you to Kim for preparing Pierre, this street wise sweetheart, for a new life indoors.

WANTED:  Frisbees - if anyone has any old Frisbees, they make the best plates for feeding these homeless cats that I feed every day of my life.

Have a great day!

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."