Some of you know I've been working to help the feral cats in my neighborhood for years. Some of you- one person in particular- have also been regularly helping me buy food for them.
One of the biggest challenges has been the cat I call MommyCat, who has had one or two litters every year for the 6+ years she's been around. That's a lot of doomed kittens*.
An online friend and supporter not only stepped up to sponsor her vet visit to be spayed, but gave me the encouragement and nudge I needed to finally bite the bullet and do the work to make it happen.
It wasn't an easy task!
It took days of constant vigilance and work, traps (borrowed and improvised), and revising my "clever" scheme more than once- and that was after finding a vet who would work with the inconvenience of a spay visit that couldn't be scheduled in advance.
MommyCat is wily and smarter than me about cat things.
But it is done! Successfully!
Thursday morning, I finally caught MommyCat (in an improvised trap) and rushed her to the vet, on the way (sort of) to a doctor's appointment for my daughter in the Big City an hour and a half northeast of here.
I was even able to swing by on my way home from the aforementioned City and pick her up so she didn't have to spend the night at the vet.
I didn't see her at all Friday, but Saturday morning- a little later than her usual breakfast time- she showed up with her partner (a big black male I call Watcher), expecting food. She looks fine and doesn't seem angry at me for betraying her (minimal) trust. The picture at the top of the post is her waiting for food on Saturday morning.
This is such a huge burden lifted off my shoulders that it's hard to describe the relief I feel. It was hard for me to watch kittens sicken and die a few times every year.
If anyone else starts becoming a problem mom, I now have my foot in the door with this vet, and I think it will be easier to arrange for more spaying.
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*I did save one kitten four years ago, when I encouraged my son to adopt him- he's the only survivor. That's his picture below- his name is Mikan.
I also took in a kitten that showed up a few weeks ago, but I suspect she's the offspring of another cat who's been around a few years, but who hasn't been known for bringing kittens to the porch.
Tips are nice.
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