Jackie Dale

Apr 2024 27

Jackie Dale-TheCatMother/Cat Trapper: Ebb and Flow, (Mostly Flow)

2024 Articles, Animal Rescue Adventures, Jackie Dale, Pets

by Jackie Dale

The cats and kittens have continued to flow both in and out this month. Most of these felines had happy endings that consisted of them going to rescue. Seventeen lucky kitties went to rescue this month!!
One young cat had a not-so-happy ending. I picked up a severely malnourished female cat at a packing house near my home. A lady who worked there witnessed the poor thing nearly get taken out by a forklift so she contacted me. I picked her up immediately. However, despite my best efforts, the poor thing passed away three days later. Her starved little body just couldn’t recover.

Mar 2024 30

Jackie Dale-TheCatMother/Cat Trapper: Take These Cats Please

2024 Articles, Animal Rescue Adventures, Jackie Dale, Pets

by Jackie Dale

The past month has been a literal “catnado” of cats. Just since my last column I have sent 30 cats to rescue and helped fix over 50 cats. The bulk of those were TNR projects but some were private pets. I help people get appointments and navigate the Cat House on the Kings new voucher system. It is pretty simple but not everyone is computer savvy so I help them get the vouchers, make the appointments and often I must assist with transporting the cat as well.

Feb 2024 24

Jackie Dale-The Cat Mother/Cat Trapper: Back in Business-Transport and Drama

2024 Articles, Animal Rescue Adventures, Jackie Dale, Pets

by Jackie Dale

As I finished my last column, I was patiently waiting for the vet to return from vacation. She had already contacted me and set up appointments for the day after she got home on the 3rd. Meanwhile, someone dumped two friendly cats in my yard. Both males, one was fixed and one was not. The unfixed fellow is super fluffy and full of matted fur.

Jan 2024 27

Jackie Dale-TheCatMother/Cat Trapper: Lots of Kittens/TNR/Look Back at 2023

2024 Articles, Animal Rescue Adventures, Jackie Dale, Pets

by Jackie Dale

It has been a few months since my last column. There has been so much going on that finding the time to sit and write has proved quite elusive. I left off in mid-September as the vet was returning from an extended vacation. “Popeye” had just had successful eye surgery. He was subsequently adopted by my son as a companion for his other cat.

Sep 2023 30

Jackie Dale-TheCatMother/Cat Trapper: Still Lots of Kittens, Some Finally Left, Working on a Deadline

2023 Articles, Animal Rescue Adventures, Jackie Dale, Pets

by Jackie Dale

Although I kept saying I wasn’t going to take in any cats/kittens during our home improvements, I apparently have a hard time saying “No.” I got a call from one of my feeders about an injured kitten at a local strip mall. I went to check it out and as I pulled up, I immediately saw the kitten. It was just sitting there with another cat that I assumed to be the mother cat. As I approached, it continued to sit there until I got very close.

Aug 2023 26

Jackie Dale-The Cat Mother/Cat Trapper: Transports, Trapping, and a Steady Trickle of Cats

2023 Articles, Animal Rescue Adventures, Jackie Dale, Pets

by Jackie Dale

The past two months have been busy. I took in a white kitten from a local woman. She called two days later saying there were two more. Then, they asked if I could take the mom cat as well, and I said yes because then I would not have to bottle feed. Then, she said the cat got out. Oh, I just love that. She finally got the mom cat, and I made a third trip to town to pick her up. I was so annoyed by this I forgot to bring a carrier, so the cat had to ride on the dashboard on the way back. Not a problem for the now named Olive. Her three kittens are adorable.

Jun 2023 24

Jackie Dale: TheCatMother/Cat Trapper/Cat Wrangling/TNR Drama/Microchips Work

2023 Articles, Animal Rescue Adventures, Jackie Dale, Pets, Reedley News

by Jackie Dale

My morning starts with immediate work. The leisurely cup of coffee is nonexistent during kitten season. The first thing I do is feed the many hungry bottle babies. I make the formula the night before to save time. Then, I have to clean the litter boxes because I do believe that the inside cats wait all day long in order to all go poop during the night. Next, I feed the outside cats. I have the cats that hang in the front, the cats that hang in the back, and the cats that live around the fringe of the perimeter. Everyone has their chosen area, and they pretty much stay there.

May 2023 27

Jackie Dale—TheCatMother/Cat Trapper: Strays/Raining Kittens/TNR

2023 Articles, Animal Rescue Adventures, Jackie Dale, Reedley News

by Jackie Dale

The month started with helping the residents of a small apartment complex with their resident “strays”. With one resident’s help we were able to corral the daddy of the group and get him into a carrier. I then took him home and transferred him into a trap. I also grabbed a young kitten who looked very ill. I fed and cleaned up the kitten and gave him a warm bed. However, the next morning he was gone. My consolation lies in the fact that he felt safe, fed, warm, and loved in his final hours … not die outside, cold, hungry and alone.

Apr 2023 29

Jackie Dale—TheCatMother/Cat Trapper: A Long & Difficult Month at the Maternity Ward

2023 Articles, Animal Rescue Adventures, Jackie Dale, Reedley News

by Jackie Dale

The past month has been difficult. The sheer number of kittens needing help is overwhelming. There is a meme making the rounds that says: “It’s rude to ask a rescuer how many cats they have during kitten season.” When people ask me that question, I just sigh, shrug my shoulders, and say, “I don’t know.” In reality, the numbers for the past month have hovered around 23-27 kittens and cats.

Mar 2023 25

Jackie Dale—TheCatMother/Cat Trapper: Professional Cat Chauffeur, The Great Escape, It’s A Smelly Cat

2023 Articles, Animal Rescue Adventures, Jackie Dale, Pets

by Jackie Dale

February was a month for spending quite a bit of time on the road. Driving Nadine, the Rottweiler, to the rescue required that I ask a friend to drive us there in her roomier SUV. Nadine was very well-behaved in the car, but we think she was nervous because her last ride in a vehicle didn’t go so well. She did not want to get out. However, once out and reassured she wasn’t about to be abandoned again, her personality bounced right back.