tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post8283028223354764992..comments2024-02-23T02:03:23.020-07:00Comments on The Eco Cat Lady Speaks: Mixed Kitty News and Hard DecisionsEcoCatLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-63761307428831409482015-12-14T19:48:33.269-07:002015-12-14T19:48:33.269-07:00Yes, keeping cats separated is a challenge. I had ...Yes, keeping cats separated is a challenge. I had them fairly contained down in the basement (as in isolated to the bathroom or in cages, rather than running free down there) but even so, I've been scrubbing everything with bleach and Jasper & Smoky still haven't been allowed back down there. <br /><br />Anyhow, the experience did get me to thinking about how the basement is used, and I think I'm gonna rearrange some things and get rid of a bunch of junk while I have the opportunity. It's much easier to do that sort of thing with no kitties under foot!<br /><br />And I am still very sad about Gray Boy. Last night, Smoky went on alert running from window to window, which usually means that there's an animal of some sort in the yard. My first thought was "Oh, it's Gray Boy!" Then I remembered that he's gone, and had myself a nice long cry. I know it was the right thing to do, but it still hurt like hell. Heavy sigh.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-64021842593374136462015-12-14T15:46:18.919-07:002015-12-14T15:46:18.919-07:00I'm so sorry about Grey Boy but I think you di...I'm so sorry about Grey Boy but I think you did the right thing, allowing him to suffer later would have been so cruel plus you have also protected the rest of the neighborhood cats from contracting the diseases.<br /><br />I can't even imagine how hard it was for you to keep the cats in your home, give them attention while keeping them separate from Smoky and Jasper. The adoption program is a great alternative and I like that they also adopt out the cats that are too wild as barn cats. It's a shame you won't know what happened to them but for all involved you did the best for everyone, yourself included. Now give yourself a pat on the back for all you did for those cats.Loishttp://theecograndma.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-72087416804770865522015-12-11T19:36:16.806-07:002015-12-11T19:36:16.806-07:00Thanks Maria, I'm doing better, and looking fo...Thanks Maria, I'm doing better, and looking forward to a much calmer year (fingers crossed) on the kitty front!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-33882714273119607872015-12-11T16:58:03.959-07:002015-12-11T16:58:03.959-07:00You made the right call! Hope you're doing ok ...You made the right call! Hope you're doing ok these days, all things considered.<br /><br />MariaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-34036301332375937512015-12-10T22:46:51.970-07:002015-12-10T22:46:51.970-07:00Thanks Stacey, I agree... they are both fabulous p...Thanks Stacey, I agree... they are both fabulous programs and I'm hopeful that they can make a difference. In the meantime, I'm sorta thinking that I'm not gonna be feeding any more outdoor kitties for a while. I took Jasper for a loooong overdue checkup today and he needs to have some teeth extracted, Oy!<br /><br />Anyhow, I'm feeling like I need to focus on my own little ones for a while now, and maybe a little bit on myself too.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-73539424075476887122015-12-10T18:27:25.584-07:002015-12-10T18:27:25.584-07:00You certainly did make the right decision, and I&#...You certainly did make the right decision, and I'm sorry for your sadness now. Yep, I can relate. Really a hopeful angle on all of this is the barn cat program and the coordinated TNR. Staceynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-17203925502826713972015-12-09T21:51:18.415-07:002015-12-09T21:51:18.415-07:00OK... now you went and made me cry again. I sure h...OK... now you went and made me cry again. I sure hope those kittens get to have long and happy lives.<br /><br />I think I could really use some cuddles right about now.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-57760818420003619012015-12-09T21:50:18.147-07:002015-12-09T21:50:18.147-07:00Thanks Sue... it helps to hear that.Thanks Sue... it helps to hear that.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-50112844453298957152015-12-09T21:49:54.208-07:002015-12-09T21:49:54.208-07:00Thanks so much - I just wish love didn't hurt ...Thanks so much - I just wish love didn't hurt so much.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-84049619875542030002015-12-09T19:18:33.012-07:002015-12-09T19:18:33.012-07:00Oh! poor little gray boy...he was beautiful, and y...Oh! poor little gray boy...he was beautiful, and you gave him love, and in the end that is all you can do.<br />May the Goddess guard him;may he find his way to the Summerlands; may his sons and daughters grow strong.<br /><br />Take care of yourself and give some cuddles to Jasper and Smokey<br />MarieannAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-15530297627396163352015-12-07T20:42:42.591-07:002015-12-07T20:42:42.591-07:00You made the right decisions.You made the right decisions.Sue Knott (formerly blogging as Mad Cow)https://www.blogger.com/profile/12578643260876466221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-35250626482480137552015-12-06T21:55:41.904-07:002015-12-06T21:55:41.904-07:00I am very sorry about Gray Boy, that is so sad tha...I am very sorry about Gray Boy, that is so sad that he tested Positive for both. I am sorry you had to make so many tough choices with these kitties, but everything was done with love. XOpilch92https://www.blogger.com/profile/12263559408792146826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-83035819118200864752015-12-06T15:30:36.624-07:002015-12-06T15:30:36.624-07:00Thanks so much. I sure hope the TNR folks can make...Thanks so much. I sure hope the TNR folks can make a reasonable dent in this area. I admire them greatly, but I just don't seem to be able to maintain the emotional distance necessary to handle that sort of work. Maybe it's different if you go out each day and feed cats in a vacant lot or something, rather than having them all living in your backyard.<br /><br />Here in Denver, animal control won't come out and trap/catch cats. They only respond for reports of injured/disabled animals or something like that. That's probably a good thing because otherwise they would just all get euthanized.<br /><br />Anyhow, spending some time with the feral cat people has sorta changed my perspective on the issue. I mean, my emotional inclination is to try to move heaven and earth to care for each individual cat as the precious creatures that they are. But when you really start to grasp the scope of the problem (over 100,000 free roaming cats in Denver) you start to realize that making a dent requires a coordinated approach.<br /><br />I am hopeful though, because over the past 5-10 years there has been a decided shift in attitude. It used to be that most shelters here were basically just warehousing animals for a few days before destroying them. They would euthanize for space, and if you took a cat to a shelter they basically had 5 days before being destroyed. But recently the shelters started to realize that this approach was really self defeating because NOBODY with any sort of conscience would take an animal to a shelter. As a result, many people felt it was better to just abandon the animals to fend for themselves on the streets... which, of course, only made the problem worse.<br /><br />So now the shelters and rescue groups all work together, and they've invested heavily in socialization & behavior programs in an effort to better place animals in adoptive homes. Many of the shelters now run TNR programs of their own, and the barn cat program is also a great solution for cats who cannot be socialized enough to be house cats.<br /><br />Anyhow, it all makes me hopeful, and it's nice to feel like there are actually some resources out there where you can get meaningful help, because it used to be that the only choices were to do nothing, take it all on yourself, or take the cat to a shelter to be put down.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-2205927745397204262015-12-06T14:25:45.141-07:002015-12-06T14:25:45.141-07:00Guilt! Yes, I completely know what you mean. I&#...Guilt! Yes, I completely know what you mean. I'm SO glad there is a TNR group where you live. Here in our rural area, people just call animal control and there is nowhere to put cats at the city facility, so they are euthanized. Our ACO also works at the humane society and is a fantastic person but can only do so much. At the humane society we do what we can if they are friendly or kittens, but when they are feral and people complain, she has to take them. I wish more people would understand that if you move the feral population out completely, you are just going to have more feral cats come in because there is no one there to protect that space. TNR is a very workable solution to that problem. Hang in there! You are making a difference! Mrs. GVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06131389157437066237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-42516160339417339972015-12-06T12:31:24.478-07:002015-12-06T12:31:24.478-07:00Thanks so much, Eliza, I really appreciate your ki...Thanks so much, Eliza, I really appreciate your kind words. EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-4116569067922918432015-12-06T12:24:32.556-07:002015-12-06T12:24:32.556-07:00Thanks so much for your support. I had a bad feeli...Thanks so much for your support. I had a bad feeling about Gray Boy from the very beginning, simply because he kept showing up with open wounds from fighting, so I was pretty sure he was a "high risk" cat. sigh.<br /><br />Anyhow, I might consider fostering at some point in the future once my life and my emotions calm down a bit, we'll see. It's just so hard for me because there is literally and endless parade of homeless cats in this neighborhood, so I'm constantly feeling tugged in the direction of caring for them. Apparently my neighborhood is just infested with ferals - and I'm pretty sure that someone at the end of the block is feeding but not fixing. <br /><br />When I did reconnaissance work trying to find out if Gray Boy or the kittens belonged to someone, everyone (neighbors, mail man, etc) pointed to one house. I spoke with the woman there (in Spanish - so I hope we were communicating) and even though there were literally 5 cats that paraded through the yard during the course of our 5 minute conversation, she insisted that she didn't know anything about them. I suppose it's possible that the person feeding them lives behind her... <br /><br />Anyhow, the feral cat group is going to do a TNR dragnet in this general area, so I may try to get them to do some outreach and see if they can work with whoever it is that's feeding them. I think that would help the situation considerably.<br /><br />At any rate, it would be really nice if I could get to a place where my kitty obligations came as a result of a conscious decision on my part rather than because I'm being emotionally yanked around by kitty guilt, if you know what I mean.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-53930961261093009942015-12-06T11:55:53.374-07:002015-12-06T11:55:53.374-07:00The right thing is sometimes the hardest thing, an...The right thing is sometimes the hardest thing, and I admire you so much for doing the right, hard thing. Your sweet Gray Boy couldn't have landed with a kinder, more compassionate human. May you rest easy over that difficult, honorable, humane decision. Sending you hugs and peace....and hopes for a nice lazy football day. xoxoEliza from Happy Simple Livinghttp://www.happysimpleliving.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-47692845347522674672015-12-06T11:39:36.477-07:002015-12-06T11:39:36.477-07:00You did the best for all the cats. An unaltered m...You did the best for all the cats. An unaltered male cat is the most likely to have leukemia, due to fighting, as you know. The others will hopefully not convert, and you are giving them all the best chance to have a life where they can be adopted and live healthy, long lives. <br /><br />A good way for you to stay involved, if you would like, might be as a foster, especially for kittens or a nursing mama. You know those babies will have a place to go as soon as they are old enough, and they will have been tested already. Also, if they are healthy and not bottle-feeders they really don't take up that much of your time. I've also found that my 5 adult cats are accepting of the kittens and pretty much just leave them alone. <br /><br />I've been fostering for several months now, and to me it is so rewarding. My specialty seems to have become kittens, especially those that need bottle-feeding. I am better made for the job than many of our other volunteers because I don't work outside of the home and can get up during the night to feed. Of course I get attached, because who wouldn't with an adorable fluffy kitten? But then I remind myself that if I keep one, that is one less that I am going to be able to take in the future. Right now kitten season is slowing down and I have no bottle feeders. I do have a spunky 12 week old grey tabby named Seth and a tiny little 6 week old black kitten named Raven. He came in healthy and will be ready to be adopted soon. Raven came in severely anemic due to flea infestation and doesn't have a lot of energy yet, but is learning to be a kitten thanks to Seth. Mrs. GVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06131389157437066237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-20400729472041771892015-12-06T10:45:15.472-07:002015-12-06T10:45:15.472-07:00Thanks Kris, I am really looking forward to having...Thanks Kris, I am really looking forward to having some time to focus on myself for a change! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-19850237822288917092015-12-06T10:44:17.148-07:002015-12-06T10:44:17.148-07:00Thanks nic, I needed that! :-)Thanks nic, I needed that! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-77297874933782353492015-12-06T10:44:00.238-07:002015-12-06T10:44:00.238-07:00Hard decisions ... but I think you made wise decis...Hard decisions ... but I think you made wise decisions. Now you need to nurture yourself for awhile. Krisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-86369071958779247562015-12-06T10:43:45.778-07:002015-12-06T10:43:45.778-07:00Thanks Linda, part of me wishes I could have kept ...Thanks Linda, part of me wishes I could have kept the kittens, and part of me is grateful that I didn't. I mean, after Princess died, I was pretty firm that I didn't want any more cats - especially any more "project cats" - I just wanted to be in a more normal situation and enjoy Jasper & Smoky. Then the kittens appeared, and well, you know the rest. <br /><br />But, the folks at the feral cat place got a grant and will soon be doing massive and coordinated TNR program in this area, which apparently is the city "hot spot" for feral cats - no wonder they're always showing up at my house! This is wonderful and welcome news, and hopefully will cut down on the number of "project cats" arriving on my doorstep! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-18053429527991755152015-12-06T10:36:20.849-07:002015-12-06T10:36:20.849-07:00Thanks so much, I really appreciate your support. ...Thanks so much, I really appreciate your support. <br /><br />Down time would be very much welcomed at this point. I got the first real night's sleep in about a month last night - not having to wake up at the crack of dawn worried about hungry kitties in my backyard. Still much cleaning to do, but I'm looking forward to being an unrepentant football fan today! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-71218826691023763022015-12-06T10:30:58.331-07:002015-12-06T10:30:58.331-07:00Gray Boy was a wonderful daddy, and those kittens ...Gray Boy was a wonderful daddy, and those kittens are his legacy. I don't know if they'll make it or not - I certainly hope so, but one thing's for sure, they wouldn't have made it this far without him caring for them. Sigh.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-18389304089096016292015-12-06T10:29:36.901-07:002015-12-06T10:29:36.901-07:00Thanks Megyn. I did speak with the folks at rmfr (...Thanks Megyn. I did speak with the folks at rmfr (Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue.) They consider FeLV cats on a case by case basis, and since Gray Boy was, for all intense and purposes, feral, they wouldn't take him. There are 4 other smaller shelters in town who have some FeLV cats, but they were all full and also wouldn't consider taking a cat who wasn't fully socialized.<br /><br />They (RMFR) said they'd consider taking the kittens, but only after their status was clear - meaning that I'd have to foster and socialize them for 60 days, then re-test them. Then RMFR would evaluate each one individually and maybe take them, maybe not - depending on space and the cat's personality. They are a no cage shelter, so they will only take cats that they believe will integrate well with the other cats at the shelter, so that policy makes sense, but it just wasn't a situation that I was comfortable putting myself in.<br /><br />As for re-testing at a later date. If Gray Boy had been a pet, rather than a feral, I definitely would have done that. But since he wasn't handle-able, and there would be no practical way to isolate him for a period of time before re-testing... and since re-testing would have involved re-trapping, which would have been darned near impossible, there was just no way to make that happen.<br /><br />Poor sweet, beautiful Gray Boy.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.com