TNR Tuesday

Here are the catches of the day.  I set traps at two locations, both on Parsells, and got one of the Red Family (Peanut) (there are so many red cats here) at my third Parsells location, and Mr. Black (Little Buddy) at my first location.  Both will be spayed or neutered, and let back on the streets tomorrow, sadly.

But as I passed by this lonely little one that sits each morning huddled against this building on Greeley and Parsells, waiting for his morsels of food I leave him, my heart tugged at me, and I grabbed him before I went to check my traps.  Ive been wanting to rescue him for over a month at least now, since he began to trust me.  So sad to see him waiting here each morning.  Number Three TODAY.  Three being brought to the clinic.  I hope they take him.  I only have two slots allotted me. I have a feeling though that something might be wrong with Greeley.  He weighs nothing.  Very thin.  Will have a test done on him today to check for leukemia.  :(  Greeley is also number 90.  Ninety cats I've rescued this year!  Woo hoo!  Could NOT do it without all of YOU!

GREELEY!

So as I TRUDGE out each morning, not looking forward to doing it, not looking forward to getting up at the ungodly hour of 2 am., having to put a smile on my face and a skip in my step for my own cats, and the kittens that are dancing around my feet waiting to be fed at that time, I get through it.  And after I get through it, I feel somewhat satisfied.  Not good, but satisfied.  I fed some hungry cats.  On TNR day, I hate having to set traps for these cats.  On the day after TNR day, I hate having to release the cats. 

My health has been phenomenal, despite my aches and pains, I am still able to get up to do this every day.   I am old.  I am NOT old.  I am 39.  Still.  No comment from the peanut gallery.   I haven’t been sick in years.  I am fully aware that when the day comes that something happens to me, God forbid, there will be no one to fill my shoes.  Those cats that have been used to seeing me each day, knowing they can eat, will slowly starve.  I won’t get into those details, I can’t even begin to think about it personally.

I know I haven’t saved the world, nor will I ever do it.  Recently a friend and his wife donated to the clinic for spay and neuter, and with it wrote the following.  It was said so eloquently, and it brought tears to my eyes.  I can’t save the world, I know it.  But I can save just one cat just one day at a time. 

"Janine:

XXXX and I are pleased to help you in your efforts. We do it in part to encourage you and in part to get the satisfaction of knowing that every time that you have a success story we haven’t solved the problem, but we have moved one cat closer than we were yesterday.

It is well that you bear in mind (as I know you do) that you are not responsible for this problem and thinking that  you will solve it will only lead you to being discouraged and divert your energy from your own little mission to a mission that is not yours. In that respect you have to be careful that you do not load yourself down with more than you can handle. This is going to mean placing realistic limitations on the size of the project that you can handle and the number  of cats you can house or adopt. What keeps your program going is not money, but rather the boundless effort and dedication you have shown in making a difference. Each cat is a difference and you need to see it that way and not focus what might be in a perfect world. You have to focus on each cat you save and not on the ones that don’t get saved because they are beyond your resources.

I don’t have to lecture you on how it feels to walk away from cats in need. It is a heartbreaker, but if you can’t put that in some manageable perspective you will jeopardize all that you have accomplished. Without  you, none of these cats will be saved. So it is important that you stay mentally and physically strong and take satisfaction form the enormous impact that you have already had on the lives of so many cats and kittens. You must focus on your successes and not on things that you can’t solve.

This makes me think of an old prayer that is attributed to Dr. Reinhold Neiber of Union Theological Seminary. It goes something like this:   Lord, give me the strength to solve the problems that I can solve and the strength to put aside those problems that I cannot solve and the wisdom to know the difference.

Remember, Janine first because she is our most important asset, and after that “one cat at a time.”

Onward and Upward with a smile on our face and peace in our hearts. Signed, XXX

I hope people will continue to help support me either with donations of food or money, to care for these needy cats on this tiny corner of our planet.  I don’t have a penny in my pocket for myself, but will do my best to find a penny to care for the cats.

Thanks for listening.

"Make your heart the most beautiful

thing about you."

💗