naturestee
Well-Known Member
Some of you may have noticed that I haven't been posting much since I got back from Vegas. It's been so crazy busy around here that I haven't finished unpacking yet! First, Tuesday I got a new job. Yippee! I put in my 2 weeks notice on Friday. James has been sick and I've been pretty run down too. He has a job interview coming up. And all the animals are feeling entitled to extra attention since I left them for so long, even though my friends fawned over them the whole time.
Saturday morning we got a call from James's mom. His grandfather had passed away in the night, in his home. He had been so lonely since Grandma died last fall. So we had to start getting all of that taken care of, and one of James' uncles called and asked us to catch the cats. See, they live in the country on a highway just outside of town. Prime cat dumping territory, unfortunately. Usually the cats disappear pretty quickly as they're easy prey for coyotes. One beautiful girl stuck around and had a litter of equally beautiful kittens about two summers ago. Grandma was trying to tame them and getting advice about bringing them into the house... and she got really sick. So Grandpa started feeding them for her but didn't tame them. Fast forward to now, there were 3 (we think) remaining cats that are used to being fed daily but are otherwise totally feral. We didn't think they could make it on their own, so we had to trap them and take them to the shelter. Even if they end up being euthanized, it's a better death than starvation or disease. Saturday we managed to catch two and get them in to the shelter, but the third was still out there. We had live traps, so we asked James's dad who lives near to set the trap up on Monday and catch the cat when the shelter is open. So today I get a call... he trapped the darn cat already! What am I supposed to do with it? The shelter is closed! It's sneezing and not vaccinated and I can't have it anywhere near my cats!!! So I convinced an uncle to keep it in the cage in his garage until tomorrow morning. *sigh* What part of "Shelter is closed on Sunday" don't they understand?
So, the schedule tomorrow is I go to work, James has interview and work, I have a drug test after work for the new job, and somewhere in there we're supposed to get this feral cat in to the shelter before it closes at 4:30. Tuesday is Grandpa's viewing, Wednsday is more viewing and the funeral and traditional funeral lunch etc. pretty much all day, while we try to keep all my in-laws from breaking down over loosing both parents in the space of a few months.
I think that's everything. For now. I have a "mole" in the shelter to let me know what actually happens to the cats- I'm not really expecting them to be adoptable. I just want to know for closure, and because Grandma really liked them. If darling Sarah works some miracles with them and convinces people they are adoptable, I'll probably go in a lot to help socialize them. I hate dumping ferals on the shelter but I couldn't let them die of starvation.
Venting done, for now. Thanks guys.
Saturday morning we got a call from James's mom. His grandfather had passed away in the night, in his home. He had been so lonely since Grandma died last fall. So we had to start getting all of that taken care of, and one of James' uncles called and asked us to catch the cats. See, they live in the country on a highway just outside of town. Prime cat dumping territory, unfortunately. Usually the cats disappear pretty quickly as they're easy prey for coyotes. One beautiful girl stuck around and had a litter of equally beautiful kittens about two summers ago. Grandma was trying to tame them and getting advice about bringing them into the house... and she got really sick. So Grandpa started feeding them for her but didn't tame them. Fast forward to now, there were 3 (we think) remaining cats that are used to being fed daily but are otherwise totally feral. We didn't think they could make it on their own, so we had to trap them and take them to the shelter. Even if they end up being euthanized, it's a better death than starvation or disease. Saturday we managed to catch two and get them in to the shelter, but the third was still out there. We had live traps, so we asked James's dad who lives near to set the trap up on Monday and catch the cat when the shelter is open. So today I get a call... he trapped the darn cat already! What am I supposed to do with it? The shelter is closed! It's sneezing and not vaccinated and I can't have it anywhere near my cats!!! So I convinced an uncle to keep it in the cage in his garage until tomorrow morning. *sigh* What part of "Shelter is closed on Sunday" don't they understand?
So, the schedule tomorrow is I go to work, James has interview and work, I have a drug test after work for the new job, and somewhere in there we're supposed to get this feral cat in to the shelter before it closes at 4:30. Tuesday is Grandpa's viewing, Wednsday is more viewing and the funeral and traditional funeral lunch etc. pretty much all day, while we try to keep all my in-laws from breaking down over loosing both parents in the space of a few months.
I think that's everything. For now. I have a "mole" in the shelter to let me know what actually happens to the cats- I'm not really expecting them to be adoptable. I just want to know for closure, and because Grandma really liked them. If darling Sarah works some miracles with them and convinces people they are adoptable, I'll probably go in a lot to help socialize them. I hate dumping ferals on the shelter but I couldn't let them die of starvation.
Venting done, for now. Thanks guys.
It's so hard dealing with ferals, but sometimes you get lucky. You are right that bringing them in is better than letting them starve. You did the right thing.
