by Jackie Dale

It has been a long, hot, frustrating month in the cat world. It seems like this year is one of the worst as far as kittens are concerned. They are simply everywhere! Every day I get multiple calls or messages from people asking me to help with or take on kittens. Unfortunately, there is only one of me and I have a limited amount of space. I do my best to maximize my space by stacking cages and I even have cages in my living room. Bathrooms are almost always occupied by a cat or kittens. I have a super deep tub in the master bath that takes a while before the kittens can jump out. Bathtubs are great for kittens. They are hard to escape from and super easy to clean. The bottom line is, I often have to say “No” when asked to take on kittens. Sometimes the finder will agree to foster the kitten(s) they found, and that is always a huge help.

So Much Trapping

I have a big list of people that need my TNR services and I have been trying to get to as many as I can but lack of appointments and extreme heat are big drawbacks. The vet is having a staff shortage that limits the number of appointments that can be given to us trappers. It’s the same story … lots of work and not enough hands. We are grateful for the appointments we get and so appreciate the doctor and her staff.

So I once again attempted to trap at the woman’s house by the river. In the 12 years I have been trapping, I have never had so much trouble trapping cats. I am after a litter of four, now five- to six-months-old, that were born in the neighbor’s yard. They hang out in that yard, and the woman I’m helping feeds them. We spoke to the neighbors, and they said they don’t see the cats or feed them. So aside from trapping some small dogs, a skunk, and the lady’s already fixed cat, I’ve trapped only one old dude. He was a longtime neighborhood stray so at least I caught one.

But I couldn’t spend all my time on one TNR. I decided to try and help each project by trapping one or two at a time, working down the list. Then I intend to circle back to the top of the list and trap more as needed. I get lots of calls for TNR, but again, only one of me. I try to get people to make my job easier. One woman was able to get her community cats into carriers. I would then pick them up and transfer them into traps. A sometimes very tricky maneuver. Five cats done at this location. I was also able to hire someone to trap for me at an apartment complex because it was closer to where they lived and kind of far for me. That has been working out well. Four cats done at that location. I also trapped again behind the local strip mall and was able to catch a small kitten with a ruptured eyeball. It was literally hanging out of the socket by some tissue, and was covered in dirt and crud. I called The Cat House on the Kings and the agreed to take the poor kitty for immediate admission to their hospital section. I am very grateful to them as I know the kitten is in the best hands possible. I trapped again at the golf course by the river. I caught the female I was after. The caretaker said he had a pregnant female so I gave him a trap and he caught the cat. The vet told me the female I caught was post-partum.

So it was no big surprise when the feeder notified me that she had seen kittens. The big surprise was that there are seven of them! I was a little more surprised that the kittens all survived as the area they live in is rife with potential predators. Another project on the list.

Cats In/Cats Out

I had some newborns trickle in. I put them in with the Great Western School cat, now named Francine, and she accepted them. Once the kittens were all eating solid food, I wrangled Francine into a trap and had her fixed. I then released her into my yard. Well, most cats run and hide for the first few days of release. Not Francine. She parked her butt in front of my door. I assume she wanted her kittens. The reason I wanted her out is because she would charge me every time I needed to change litter, feed, etc. Other than constantly staring through the screen door, she was okay. Until I decided to put the kittens out on the lawn for some play time. I placed them in a large cage and here comes Mom. Everything was good until I tried to retrieve the kittens. She tried to attack me every time I got close. I had to have my husband fend her off while I grabbed the kittens and ran. She is one devoted mama! Her milk should have dried up by now, and hopefully she will eventually get used to being kittenless.

I saw a post on social media one morning about an injured cat at an apartment complex that needed help. The cat had gotten his foot trapped between two boards of a tall wooden fence. While trapped there, something, probably a dog, chewed off half the cat’s tail. As the cat struggled, the bloody half-tail made a macabre circle of blood on the fence. The resident was able to free the poor cat but was not able to bring the cat into her apartment. She made a safe place for the cat to rest. She feared the leg was broken as the cat was unable to use it. The social media post generated lots of well-wishes, sketchy advice, and of course, pleas for that mythical “someone” to do something, but no offers of actual help. I just couldn’t let the injured cat languish in the heat that was coming that day so I went and got it. The finder had contacted the Kirkland Foundation for help, and I was instructed to take the cat to their vet’s office for treatment. The male cat did not have a broken leg but it would be two weeks before he could put weight on it. He was neutered and vaccinated before coming to spend the next few weeks in my bathroom. I named him Tulare, the name of the street where he was found. Tulare is doing fantastic and doesn’t seem too traumatized by his escapade or his shorter tail. He has since moved into the outdoor catio where he seems content. He had a couple of roommates but they recently left for rescue.

I got super lucky this month because when I called a friend to see if her rescue might need some kittens, she said she just had some kittens drop out, and I was able to send out four four-month-old kittens. I was really happy because at that age, the kittens are a handful and just into everything! In addition, I recently took eight friendly adults to the rescue. This included a beautiful blue-eyed Siamese from another trapper. I couldn’t believe anyone would abandon such a gorgeous cat, and Siamese fly out the door, so she came home with me. If you think it is hard finding places for kittens to go, try finding places for adults. It pleases me greatly that I am able to fill this niche, and am grateful that this particular demographic tends to adopt a lot of adult cats.

DONATIONS ARE ALWAYS GREATLY APPRECIATED!! I can’t operate without them. If you would like to make a donation, I have a PayPal account jackiejoy@hotmail[dot]com You can also support the post office and send donations/supplies via good old snail mail to Jackie Dale P O Box 1859, Reedley, CA 93654.

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.