Oh, What A Month

So much has happened since I last posted, and I was incredibly busy because of it.  I just didn't have the time to post, and then no motivation to, as you'll see shortly.

Sheri

1. Sheri and her 5 kittens have ringworm.  I have been treating them all but this means they have been isolated from everyone else and have been unable to attend adoption events, and that is bad news during this crucial time when they are very adoptable.  The kittens are now 3 months old and getting sooo big.  I really hope they will still have an easy time finding homes, but the ringworm isn't gone yet so I don't know when that will be.  Sheri was indeed adopted by the lady who was interested in her, and this woman is a SAINT.  She has been so patient waiting for Sheri to be ready to come home, even though it's been 4 weeks already.  She just wants her to be healthy!

2. Prize, Chandra, Tibalt, and Hermie all went to their new homes.  Hoodie is my only remaining kitten from this bunch that were together, and he couldn't go with Sheri's kittens for obvious reasons, so he has been staying with Lily in our bedroom.  Hoodie is incredibly sweet now, I'm so happy with how he's turned out, he used to be the most shy of his brothers.  He is also 3.5 months old now and I really hope he'll be adopted soon.  The older they get, the harder it is...

3. We caught 2 females for TNR completely by luck.  We named them Laverne and Shirley.  We found out they were both already spayed, but they got their vaccines and ears tipped anyway.  Laverne was semi-friendly but just not enough to be adopted, so we released her back to her neighborhood, where it looks like people were taking care of them anyway.  Shirley is still with us for now, she is VERY friendly and we didn't have the heart to release her.  We are trying to find her a home and may need to take her to adoption events with the group that I do TNR with.

Shirley

Laverne

4. I wanted to take a few more foster kittens for Hoodie since he would have been alone otherwise.  I originally agreed to 2, then got talked into agreeing to 7, then 8.  Eight kittens = 5 4-week-olds (no names at the time), 2 8-week-olds (Boo and Bobo), and 1 ~10 week old (Sachet).  When the kittens were first brought to me at an adoption event, I noticed they had diarrhea, but figured I'd give it a few days since it could be due to anything, even just the food they were eating.  However, by the end of the week, the diarrhea had not cleared up and several of the kittens were dehydrated.  Sachet ended up at the vet for 3 days, and we lost 2 of the youngest kittens.  It is the first time I've ever lost a kitten, and I know I am very lucky it hasn't happened until now.  We are doing our best for the others.  The remaining 3 are now named: Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup (yes, the Powerpuff Girls!).  Sachet may have an adopter, and Boo and Bobo will start attending events this weekend.

5. Rondo, who was living at Petco now, passed away unexpectedly.  He got very ill very quickly and passed away at the vet before they could drain some fluid from his chest.  They think it was either heart problems or cancer.  I was devastated.  He had just been adopted and was going to be delivered to his new home the next day.  Absolutely horrible news.  The group is thinking of starting a Rondo Memorial Fund to assist with vet costs for cats who get ill so quickly, which is a great idea and I'm happy he'll be remembered that way.  Here is a video from after he first went to Petco:

6. Current count = 25.  We are taking a break - no more fosters for awhile.  Of course we will continue to go to adoption events until the kittens are all adopted, but especially this latest batch of kittens and the ringworm have taken a toll on us and we need a breather.  The adults aren't as time-sensitive to take to events, so having a few adult fosters isn't as bad.  Of course I say "no more" right now, but there are always cats in desperate need of a home.  I'm trying to be serious this time, at least!

Back To Square One

My nagging suspicion was confirmed - the red cat we trapped was NOT Scarlet, which means she's still outside and either pregnant, had her kittens, or worse, had the kittens and they didn't survive. I still have not seen her in about 2 weeks now, but that does not concern me with the cold and snow.

The cat that WAS trapped was apparently in really bad condition and it was more humane to just put it down. It breaks my heart, but I know these organizations can't put a lot of money into ferals except to neuter, and only if the quality of life is worth the cost.

I think our next post will be about Frenchie, her kittens, and her struggle to get adopted. Please stay with us!

Scarlet's Story

This has been a strange yet productive week. Eliza ended up going with the rescue woman Saturday morning since Friday night just didn't work out. Now, the rescue woman knew about the pregnant red female (who we named Scarlet) we've been trying to catch and she wanted to trap her if we could, but I don't see Scarlet often enough to even try. On a whim, the woman decided to bring her trap with her when she came to get Eliza. She had a friend with her who also does TNR (trap-neuter-return for feral cats). They wanted to get an idea of where Scarlet comes out in case they could ever come and try to trap her, so I took them around and showed them where I normally see her and where I think she lives. The other woman found some cat tracks on the other side of the fence that separates the buildings from a steep hill down to some train tracks and started following them, just to see if she could get an idea of where her den might be.

Some background on Scarlet: We met Scarlet shortly after we moved into our apartment two years ago. She has always interacted with us - we could call her, talk to her, she would come towards us and meow back at us, but she would never come within about 10 feet. In the two years we have known her, she has had 3 pregnancies and out of those, only 2 kittens survived, and I haven't even seen THOSE two kittens in a month or two, so I don't know if they're even still alive at this point. This is her fourth pregnancy. We have been trying to catch her ever since we met her.

Fate works in strange ways. The day that I was moving out of that area and the last chance I thought I'd really have to see Scarlet again was the day that she was finally captured. While following the cat tracks, we saw a red cat bounding clumsily through the snow. The rescue woman ran to her car and got her trap and supplies and after about half an hour and moving the trap several times and throwing food at her, I heard the trap snap shut and I burst out crying. I was just blubbering away. TWO YEARS and four pregnancies finally came to an end. It really makes me question fate, God, or whatever you want to call it.

Now, there is a tiny bit of doubt that we trapped the right cat. I usually see Scarlet at night and I've never seen her super close up, but the cat in the trap was freaking out and wouldn't really hold still for me to get a good look. The snow made the red fur look much richer than Scarlet's and the cat looked more fat than pregnant, but again, the cat wasn't staying still. I sent a picture that I just happened to have of Scarlet to the rescue woman and she said she thinks it's the right cat, but I'll have to wait until she takes her to the vet to make sure. If the cat is pregnant (or recently birthed, God forbid), then we know it was her. Hopefully I'll find out tomorrow.

The only thing that bothers me about this situation is that it will be a pregnant spay - meaning the kittens will be aborted. The only comfort I have in this is that I'd rather have it that way than newborn kittens dying in the snow and cold outside. There just aren't resources for kittens and there is no good way to care for a truly feral cat and her kittens, so I know this is the best solution.