A happy update

Remember Lexy, the three legged rescue?  Jodi is now fostering her, and I'm hoping it will be a foster failure, here she is in her nice comfy bed, looking very happy and relaxed.

RIP Arrow

Those of you who read my blog regularly know that Arrow hasn't been doing well for a while, her mouth has been swollen and she has been having trouble eating.  It's been heartbreaking watching her meow and struggle to eat and being unable to trap her to get her help.  Yesterday I decided to try again most of the boats are out and it was quieter.

I set up the drop trap and expected just to sit there like every other time, but I couldn't believe my eyes, after ten minutes Arrow went under the trap so I pulled and just like that I had her.  Connie rushed over to help me transfer and I fought rush hour traffic to get her to the vet before close.

When he sedated her this morning, as I suspected, he found a large tumour in her mouth, it was making it so her jaw couldn't open properly, she must have been in so much pain.  Arrow has crossed the rainbow bridge to be with her other feral friends, I'm relieved that she won't die slowly and painfully.

Arrow in better days

It's been seven years this May since I started feeding, I've had 20 cats die or disappear on my watch.  The colony now consists of ten cats, 6 at Hank's and 4 at the dumpsters, but such is the way when all cats are TNRed and age catches up with them.  Doesn't make it any easier emotionally though.

The kittens keep coming....

I'm declaring kitten season officially here!  One of the east end colonies we have been trapping also has kittens, Lesley saw a litter the other day, they are only about 4 weeks but already running so we decided to grab them while we could, we managed to get two out of three and the wonderful Camille stepped up to bottle feed them.

It's a busy weekend of catsitting too, I'm looking forward to sitting or lying down at some point, the last few weeks have been exhausting!

Like Christmas but with kittens

In my spare time between driving back and forth to Haliburton, clinics and foster homes, I responded to a Facebook post about a woman near me who had 14 kittens.  Jackie and I walked over and knocked on her door, a lovely elderly lady has 5 moms and yes 14 kittens.  She was grateful for help, so yesterday I picked up the 8 kittens that are old enough to leave mom and have promised to take the rest and get moms spayed.  On my way to Michelle I stopped to see my friends at Global Pet Foods to pick up supplies and see if they wanted to cuddle kittens.

In other news, we made the trip back to Haliburton on Monday to return some cats and pick up more. The colony is almost done!  And Clarence got adopted and returned, Tig escaped from Michelle's but miraculously found his way back to the colony and Arrow continues to worsen.  It's never a straight line in cat rescue, but the victories outweigh the setbacks.

To Haliburton and back with 22 cats!!!

It's been a crazy exhausting week!  On Wednesday we drove up to Haliburton and stayed at Aaffien's place overnight.  She was a wonderful host and we ate well and had a lovely time.  The next morning we got up early and headed to Wonita's, it was hot and the black flies were out.  Thank God for my bug hood!  We spent four hours tramping up and down her hill with traps and by the end we had 18 cats and 4 little kittens ready to go.  Then a four hour drive back and then more unloading and setting up of cats at the recovery centre.  No rest for us, at 5 a.m. on Friday we were up to get the cats to the clinic then we picked them up at 4 p.m. and it was back to the recovery centre.  By the evening I was staggering I was so tired!  We had 11 females and 6 males, our little blind cat went directly to a vet, it looks like she will need one removed for sure.  Yesterday, after assessing the cats, we moved 7 friendly ones to foster homes, and of course the kittens as well.  Tomorrow it's back to Haliburton with the rest.

It's been a real team effort helping these cats, and I must thank Aaffien, Sandi, Lesley and Susan for their amazing work and dedication, and to Michelle for taking in more fosters.

The trapping team

Twig, our blind cat

Susan unloading the van for the umpteenth time

One of the friendlies now in foster care

Now that's a lot of cats!

Wonita sent me these pictures from the colony that we are going to deal with this week.  Now that's a lot of cats!  It's quite the logistical project to organize a mass trapping of 20+ cats who are more than a 3 hour drive away.  I've got a cargo van and Sandi's vehicle, four of us are travelling Wed to stay with Aaffien, then trap on Thursday and come back with the cats.  Friday they have to be at the clinic by 7 a.m. picked up at 4, back to the recovery centre, and then a couple of days later some will have to be returned.  I get tired just typing this, I'm making lists, checking them twice, hoping the weather and of course the cats cooperate.

The cuteness doesn't stop

I try to get over to Susan's every day to spend some time with her fosters while she is at work and also because they are all so darn cute!  I haven't even mentioned Herb, a cat Lesley rescued recently, he is 10 years old and hyperthyroid but look at his ears!!!  He is so sweet.

And then of course there are the kittens!  Everyone is relaxing more now and the babies are opening their eyes and starting to crawl around.  I could just stay there all day and look at them.

Could this be Betty's brother?

Every day as part of my rounds I swing by the eastern colony in the portlands that I started working on last fall, home of rescued cats Betty, Lini and Winston.  Recently this tabby has been waiting for me and meowing at me and letting me pat him.

Clearly a male, he was fighting with an orange cat, so you know what comes next, yes, neutering.  I showed up Monday and there he was.  I set up the trap and he went in five minutes later.  Once in, though, he decided it was a bad idea, and poor guy thrashed around.

He was neutered yesterday and went to Raven's for recovery and assessment.  Within half an hour, she emailed me to say look for a foster home!

I wonder if he is Betty's brother, they are the same age, and Raven thinks the same temperament. Raven had Betty briefly at her place and pronounced her amazing, which she is I must say.  I don't think I've ever seen a cat who seems so happy.  I hope this guy adjusts as well to living inside.