by Jackie Dale

Since last month, things have not slowed down one bit. If anything, the pace has picked up until things really started to get crazy. Every kitten season, I traditionally lose five pounds because I’m either too busy or too tired to eat. With approximately twenty-two kittens and several adults here this month, it takes about two hours to feed and clean up after everyone. Then some of the kittens are moved into outside play tents for fresh air and sunshine. This makes clean up a lot easier, too. When evening rolls around, another two hours of feeding and cleaning. Most nights I fall into bed around midnight and get up at 6 a.m. to begin the routine again.

In between all that, I have continued my massive TNR project at the golf course. So far I have trapped twenty-one cats, with fifteen of them being female. My friend has an SUV, so on one occasion we set nine traps and filled them all. It doesn’t stop at trapping them. Now another whole job is created. The trapped cats are transported back to my house where I have to set them all up on pee pads. Stinky boys are sometimes relegated to the back porch. They all have to be given food and water. That involves inserting a cage divider to hold the cat back while the dishes put into the trap. The dishes have to be removed before the vet visit and back in when they get back. If the cat has pooped in the trap, then it must be transferred to a clean trap. That involves two cage dividers, an enclosed room, nerves of steel, and speed. A recent transfer resulted in the cat reaching through the trap and delivering a long scratch across my thigh. The golf course project will continue for several more weeks at least.

My Phone Never Stops Pinging!
I received a call from an eighty-six-year-old woman living in a local assisted-living facility. A cat had been hanging around, and although she was allergic, she was feeding the poor guy. Fellow residents were apparently giving the woman a hard time for feeding the cat, but she said she would not allow a cat to starve. However, she wanted to find a better situation for the cat. Since the cat was so friendly, I agreed to take it. The woman started to cry, she said she was so grateful that I was going to help the cat. She later sent me a (donation) check for $50. Well, if she only knew. I brought the cat home, and as I picked him up to put him in a cage, I felt a rough spot. Holy cow, of course, it was ringworm. It appeared to be confined to one spot, so I put him on ringworm meds and applied topical medication as well. He is a sweet fellow, and I hope to send him to rescue. I have noticed a slightly enlarged gland under his chin, so a vet visit and a test for Fiv/Leukemia will be performed.

Speaking of leukemia, the tuxedo cat with anisocoria tested positive for leukemia. As of yet, her future is uncertain. We are looking for opportunities available for cats like this. A home with no other cats would be best, but it will probably be a tough placement. At this point, we are likely going to move her into an outdoor catio. She seems to be depressed having to be inside with limited stimulation.

The kittens kept trickling in from various areas. One newborn was found in an intersection. If I don’t take them, they get euthanized, so it’s hard to say no. Fortunately, my mama cat is an excellent mother who doesn’t mind an extra mouth to feed.

We Need More People Who Step Up
I got a message about kittens abandoned at a local business. Someone left four kittens in a very nice new carrier at the business’s back door, rang the delivery bell, and ran away. These people were stellar. I wish everyone did what they did next. Not sure how many people actually work at the offices there, but they went around taking up a collection of $365! Certainly takes the sting out of having four more kittens in the house knowing their expenses are paid. They were here for several weeks before a foster volunteered to take them until they reach two pounds and can be fixed.

Heinous Cat Neglect Case
Back around March 22, I had received a call about a cat with a broken leg, with a possible bone exposed. A search for the cat proved to be futile. My nearby foster said she would keep looking but no luck finding the cat. That was probably because the poor thing had given birth to five kittens. Fast forward to the first week of May. The same person, who was actually the mail person, again contacted us, saying she had spotted the cat. She even sent a photo and a short video of the cat dragging the leg and the bone sticking out. I once again sent my foster out to look for the cat. She couldn’t find it. Using the video and the photo, I told her to look for certain items in the photos. She was able to then quickly locate the cat and her kittens. We took the cat, and I got her into the vet that day. The “owner” stated that they couldn’t afford to get vet care for the cat as the reason to let it suffer for such a long time. Then, he had the colossal nerve to say “get her spayed and all fixed up and then just bring her back.” Seriously? Are you prepared to pay me the $639 it cost to amputate the leg? I highly doubt it. Then knowing she would still be living outside? I told him I would bring her back, but I won’t.

More trickling cats and kittens. A lady needed to rehome a friendly adult. Got him into my rescue right away, he was already fixed, and he hitched a ride with someone already going that way.

Another newborn arrives. Someone just left it on the desk of the animal shelter when no one was looking. I added it to the nursing mom, and she now has six mouths to feed.

A buff colored kitten was found wandering the streets and made its way to my house via a friend who works for animal control. He was so over the top friendly! I had him fixed the next day and off he went because the rescue was eager to get him.

Then came two kittens found in the parking lot of a police department. One even took a short ride before being discovered.

Who Was Holding Who Hostage?
I got a call from a lady who claims to be being held hostage in her home by a crazed cat. I went over there, but the cat had left. It turns out the cat had kittens in the woman’s garage. She got tired of them being there so she tried taking them to the fire station. When they wouldn’t take them, she gave the roughly four-week-old kittens away. Except for one, which explained why the cat wouldn’t leave. She said she was trying to leave her house to get her kids to school. I asked why she didn’t use her other door. She said “we always use this door.” I figured if you really wanted to leave, you would just use the other door, right? So, The Cat House paid to have the two cats fixed, I also caught the “baby daddy” so obviously he went in, too. I returned the large male cat, but the lady said her sister would take the mom cat as a barn cat. She wanted me to just bring the trap and leave it with her. I told her I didn’t feel comfortable doing that. I would be happy to deliver the cat and see for myself where she planned to confine it for two weeks. Plus, my suspicious mind considered the possibility that they may just let the cat out at some random spot just to be rid of it. They seemed to reject my delivery idea, so the cat will be returned from whence it came.

As I finish this column, I’m preparing to take in six, three-month-old kittens from another eight-six-year-old lady who is overwhelmed. She also cried when I said I would take them. The fact that she offered a sizable donation didn’t hurt her case any, lol. The donation will pay ALL the expenses for the kittens.

That’s how TheCatMother likes it!!

If you would like to make a donation, I have a PayPal account steamodale@gmail[dot]com. You can also send donations via good old snail mail to Jackie Dale, P O Box 1859, Reedley, CA 93654. Questions: jackiejoy@hotmail[dot]com.

You can check out more animal rescue articles in KRL’s animal rescue section! Join our Pets Facebook group to help keep up with our pet articles.

Jackie Dale is a freelance writer who lives in Reedley with her husband of 27 years, Frank, and their 2 children. A former ballerina, Jackie now teaches yoga and fitness classes privately and at local area gyms in addition to her cat related duties.