My houseguest and I just got through trapping cats. I'd started to tell this story but it didn't quite have the outcome I'd hoped. Instead of seven pussycats, I was only able to keep four caged. They are four little kittens. I would offer them to you but they are wild and very, very mean. My houseguest was surprised; after all they're just pussycats, right?
This ain't my first rodeo with feral cats. I know how mean they are. They bite and scratch, so leather gloves were used. They're also very adept at escaping their circumstances. Grandma kitty, who I wanted to get fixed and get back to keep the rat and mouse population at bay managed to force open and escape through the top of the cage while I was securing the lower latch. Grandma kitty got half way out and I wasn't gonna try to push her back in.
Another of the kitties was so small, it escaped through a smallish opening in the cage. That opening isn't there anymore and now kitties that are left will spend a lonely night in the bed of Chevron. First thing in the morning, they're headed to the pound.
This is where I'm gonna get preachy. I'd rather them go to someplace where they'd not be put down but for all the wonderful organizations who have this lofty goal, nobody wanted to do anything to help me with my kitty problem. What they wanted to do was to separate me from my money. They want donations, not pussycats.
I tried everybody. No luck.
The big thingie with feral cats these days is to get them fixed and return them to where they live. The thought is that if you fix 'em they'll live out their days around your neighborhood without making new pussycats. Lovely thought. It's called trap, neuter, return. The thing they don't take into account is that if you put food out for a pussycat, you're gonna meet all kinds of new critters, like raccoons. We had to chase of a 'coon during the trap plan.
The plan was to let the outdoor pussycats get good and hungry, then put a plate of food in a dog cage I have, and leave the door open a crack. When the pussycats were in, the plan was to push the cage against the wall to trap them and then latch the door.
I missed trapping one. Grandma kitty wasn't having none of it. She split. One little one got away. I'll get that one because my next door neighbor has a real cat trap. I have plenty of indoor and fixed pussycats that, when the wild ones are gone, can spend part of their time outdoors doing their thing.
Pussycats are very useful animals when you have a rodent problem but they're very adept hunters. I've seen dead squirrels. Birds don't hang out in the neighborhood like they used to.
I don't like to place blame, but this all started with a stray that showed up on our doorstep. Someone who shall remain nameless started feeding it and things just kind of got out of hand. Pussycats have a very short gestation period and they have very large litters. Soon, you have a problem.
My neighbor will be happy they're gone. I will be happy they're gone.
Now, I gotta run. I gotta see when the animal shelter opens.
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