So Depressed

catrescuect

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hello!

I'm new to this forum, but not to cat rescue. For 2 years my neighbor and I have been doing TNR along with socializing kittens and bottle feeding many lil ones that have been abandoned.

We recently discovered that this one particular mother cat (one weve been trying to catch all summer) has had yet another litter. So we have been feeding her and her lil ones getting them used to seeing us etc. get the no kill trap out there and after a week were able to catch 2 of the 5 kittens at once!! We also the day before were able to catch a very prego mommy and yesterday morning caught a younger 8-10mo old kitty.

So here we are awaiting TNR for the 8-10mo old and another 2 cats(a male and female both caught within 24 hours). Have mama kitty, that we are awaiting kittens. and have 2 of the 5-6 week old kittens! (the neutering/spaying was scheduled for drop off sat afternoon)

Now my friend and I have our own cats and for safety, health reasons, etc, as many of you know, had to have the feral cats still in the no kill traps. The kittens had been with us for 2 days and were in a large enclosure, with food, water litter box. Mama was in another one.

My neighbor and I left to go to the store yesterday morning to purchase more litter, food etc. and when we got back, EVERY SINGLE CAT/KITTEN HAD BEEN RELEASED! Every door had been opened. The 2 with the litter boxes had had the litter and food removed from the enclosure.

Within about 30 minutes, we learn it was another neighbor, who claimed it was animal cruelty to keep cats locked up in cages. Thought is was wrong to catch "wild animals" (she was here referring to the kittens) and try to tame them. "Why not leave them in the woods with their mother, werent they happy there?"

My neighbor and I called the cops. They claimed they couldnt do anything. They said that she shouldnt have been on our properties, but that it was a civil matter (forget the tresspassing) and nothing could be done. The PSYCHO that let them out tried to get us charged with animal creulty. The officer was like, "I dont know why you didnt call animal control then rather then take matters into your own hands." My neighbor and I are so distraught. So much, time, energy, money. (food, litter, vets, etc.) and for nothing! We are worried about the kittens, cause in the last 2 days that we had caught them, mama had moved the others. We cant find them at all. We were given kinda good news last night though. the 8-10 mo old showed up under our porch and we were able to grab her again. but still thats 1 down our of oringinal group with all the other to catch that we hadnt yet.

The biggest thing is the woman that let them all out, was walking around on her porch holding HER black cat and petting it and just standing there while we are out till 2am looking for the kittens!!

This is wrong, There should be some laws out there for this that this woman broke! (in relation to the cats)
 

ldg

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Thank you for all the wonderful work you've done! And that does totally suck.
And you're right - there should be a law.

For this neighbor, maybe helping her understand what you're doing and why would help? Because if the cats you trap are at risk from being released by her in the future, you've got to get her to a place where she understands why it isn't cruel. Leaving cats to breed to create more homeless cats is cruel.


Here are some links that may help:

http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity...=298&srcid=293
http://www.straypetadvocacy.org
http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehom...okillindex.cfm

I know you're angry right now - but try to do it without anger. And if you can't? Contact Alley Cat Allies Feral Friends' network - see if there's someone else who can step in.


You're doing the right thing. Hopefully you'll be able to help her understand that. BTW - has she ever been to a shelter? Would she want all shelters to be shut down because the cats live in cages there until they're adopted? The logic of her decision should be easy to counter.




Laurie
 

cc12

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Maybe the lady thought you were trapping for nefarious reasons like taking them to a lab for animal experiments or something. She must think you are going to hurt the cats OR she is a crazy. Since she has a cat it would seem she would like them. Does she not understand that you are trying to take them to the vet and get checkups and have no intention of doing anything else but releasing them later.
I would copy some information and leave it on her kitchen counter when she is not home. Just kidding. It irritates me so much that she trespassed on your property that I would love it if she got a big dose of her own nosy medicine. But I would give her information and try to have a conversation with her about where you are coming from.
If she is unable to understand then you will have to lock the cages behind closed doors so that she doesn't get the fat idea to do it again like she is a crusader.

I know you are going to have start again. Food is a big motivator for the cats to come back. My cat that escapes the trap still hangs around anyway.
 
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catrescuect

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This woman is crazy.... I did just what was suggested and gave her info on TNR and taming and homing feral kittens. along with some info on the work involved. She just didnt care. I made mention of shelters and vets keeping animals in cages, and she said thats why her cat didnt go to those places!!!!!

She is just insane. My neighbor and I are doing all we can to find these guys and have had some luck


It was obvious that mam cat had moved the kittens, so I went with my no kill trap and food farther up into the woods when I heard a kitten cry to my left ..I went running and way over a few houses found the mamaa and 5 babies!!!! (SO HAPPY THAT THE 2 lil ones let go had found their way to mama!)

So i go get 2 traps, and set them up not 3 minutes later, I hear it snap and we had caught mama!!!! (it has taken us 7mo to catch her!!) So i get a BIG X-LARGE crate and set up food water, blanket in there and kinda forced her in there. left her there (where we caught her) for about and hour and set the traps again. and we caught 2 of the 5 kittens!!!! So we were in much better spirts....sadly somehow mam ended up over night escaping from the crate. but if we caught her once we'll catch her again! and we have 2 kittens adn the traps are still set. I'm actually going to go check them after I write this.

Keep your fingers crossed! I just wanna get mama spayed so she can live happily where she wants to be and we stop haveing her kittens with us
 

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I am sorry for what you are having to go through. Some people just never understand. You did the right thing in talking to her.

First thought I had was to buy some padlocks and put them on the doors of the traps, enclosure, crate, etc. You can get locks cheap. If a lock will not work, get some chain and secure with the lock. All can be bought at Walmart.

I have not tried this but have been told you can trap the mom cat by using one of her kittens as a lure.

You are doing a wonderful job.
 

cc12

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Yeah I have a wily one too and evades trapping. I have eased off trying and will try again soon.
You will catch them again.
Congrats on catching the babies! Every cat saved is a victory.
 
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catrescuect

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We caught the pregnant mama again last night, and just in time!!! She had a beautiful black baby boy with a lil white spot right on his throut. There was second baby in there (big babies) and it was moving around and all, but she never had contractions again, so shes at the vet right, I'm waiting for an update.

I think it ended up dying while it was waiting to be born
That makes me really sad, I just love this mama. She let/had me pet/hold her belly the whole night. Whenever I stopped, she would get upset and look at me etc. then when i put my hand back, she would get back to business at hand. If the baby did die, I'll be so upset. But on the other hand its one less kitten to take care of and have to find a home for. (rainbow bridge)

On more trapping notes. Yesterday after noon we caught my neighbors cat (the other cat, tnr lover) and this morning we went out to check real quick before mama went to the vet. and we had a possum!! That was a lil scary


Still working on it havent given up......Think we saw daddy last night. An all black cat...HUGE. 1st 2 litters this year each had 2 all black kittens and the one we are trying to catch in the woods now has 3 all black cats.

Its so upsetting to have worked so hard for so long to have it foiled, and then to go a day no catches.....well we did get that kitten yesterday morning. Thank you for the idea of the paddlocks, I'm going to go buy some today.
 

jimmylegs

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congrats on getting the moms again. now, my question is this: didn't your neighbor tresspass onto your property to release all the cats? maybe not a supreme court-level case, but this is so infuriating form every angle! and the cops, so unhelpful as usual. at least now you can say, all steely-eyed, "the cops, I knew they wouldn't help."

in my experience the people who remain willfully ignorant about TNR tend to stay that way. who knows, you might be able to kill the neighbor with kindness and education, but i'm too cynical (living in brooklyn can do that). the best you can do is try to keep the operation out of sight as much as possible.

forget the padlocks, rig up a taser so if the neighbor messes with the cages, they get some 'negative reinforcement.'
 

ldg

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Originally Posted by jimmylegs

forget the padlocks, rig up a taser so if the neighbor messes with the cages, they get some 'negative reinforcement.'
Oh thank you for the laugh! I needed that.


I'm just so sorry about it all. That people can be so stupid, uncaring and ignorant is just wrong. How horrible that you're cursed with a crazy neighbor.


...and congrats on the success of retrapping momma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so, so, so sorry she lost one of the kittens.


I lost track - did you end up finding all the other kittens?


Laurie
 
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catrescuect

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Ok, so yesterday, while the mama (who we named Alli) was at the vet, they didn an x-ray and found out there was 2 more kittens in there, not just 1.

So she spent the day at the vets, while they gave her injections to try and start contractions. All day and nothing, so then we were told that she would need and emergency C-section and that vet office didnt do that. So after calling around and hearing costs as high as $2500! We found some place that would do it for $600. So we rushed mama there and left her for the C-section.

When we came back 20mins later the nurse walked around the corner holding 2 healthy, but weak lil babies!!!!!

We had been SO sure that they were dead. It had been 18hrs since she had had her 1st baby. So we have an all black lil boy, but for 1 white spoton his throut. another boy black, with a white snip and 4 lil socks and white belly, and a lil girl black with a white belly, white chin and 4 white socks!!

Nursed well all night!!! I'm so happy. We didnt get to do any trapping yesterday, cause it was so draining, and action packed, but hey they be extra hungry this morning!

 
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catrescuect

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oh an also LOVE the taser idea
we were just thinking a tranc gun
haha
 

cc12

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Originally Posted by CatrescueCT

Ok, so yesterday, while the mama (who we named Alli) was at the vet, they didn an x-ray and found out there was 2 more kittens in there, not just 1.

So she spent the day at the vets, while they gave her injections to try and start contractions. All day and nothing, so then we were told that she would need and emergency C-section and that vet office didnt do that. So after calling around and hearing costs as high as $2500! We found some place that would do it for $600. So we rushed mama there and left her for the C-section.

When we came back 20mins later the nurse walked around the corner holding 2 healthy, but weak lil babies!!!!!

We had been SO sure that they were dead. It had been 18hrs since she had had her 1st baby. So we have an all black lil boy, but for 1 white spoton his throut. another boy black, with a white snip and 4 lil socks and white belly, and a lil girl black with a white belly, white chin and 4 white socks!!

Nursed well all night!!! I'm so happy. We didnt get to do any trapping yesterday, cause it was so draining, and action packed, but hey they be extra hungry this morning!

Oooh are the babies tuxies? I love tuxedo cats. My Lucia is a tuxie and is a sweetheart. Yay that the babies are doing well. You are doing a fine job.
If you find a twofer on tasers let me know because I have a neighbor who could use a couple of zaps.
 

jack31

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It just kills me to hear that someone would release them after all your hard work--hard work to help these cats!

People never seize to amaze me. A good friends neighbor has all unspayed and unneutered cats running the neighborhood. My friend took in two of hte neighbors cats 5 weeks ago that were pregnant (as the dog warden said as soon as they hit her yard she could do as she pleased) to get them spayed/aborted. It didn't work out, and she now has two momma and five babies.

Long story short, the neighbor hasn't even noticed her females are missing, but yet someone ran over one of her cats 3 weeks ago and she was screaming saying how her cats are her babies!

Leslie
 
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catrescuect

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""the neighbor hasn't even noticed her females are missing""

That is so sad, we saw a flyer all over the street today for a lost cat and let me tell you, THAT is a true cat/animal lover and owner.

The mama is doing well....as are babies, I've been advertising all around for the babies and mamas....Craiglist keep flagging me , I dont know why.

ALMOST caught daddy today...stinkin trap didnt go off...... Still have 2 kittens to catch but have caught 3.
So thats good.....also did catch one of the ones that got away the other day from the crazy neighbor. She has not been nice since Saturday, tried to attack me today.

She is not a cat lover, I feel bad for the cat she has.

I've decided I'm keeping Alli and one of her babies.....dont know which one...
I'm so in love with her
 

jack31

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It breaks my heart that someone doesn't even notice her cats are missing after 5 weeks!

The whole thing really pulls at my heart strings because, my baby Jack came from this awful woman, my friend found him last October at 1o weeks on her porch and we took him in. So these two females and their babies could be potentially mom or at the very least part siblings to my Jack.

Good luck

Leslie
 

cc12

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Originally Posted by Jack31

It breaks my heart that someone doesn't even notice her cats are missing after 5 weeks!

The whole thing really pulls at my heart strings because, my baby Jack came from this awful woman, my friend found him last October at 1o weeks on her porch and we took him in. So these two females and their babies could be potentially mom or at the very least part siblings to my Jack.

Good luck

Leslie
I think if any of them wander into your yard you should spay and neuter them at a low cost clinic. There are too many homeless cats in the world because of idiots like her.

CT-glad you are catching them again.
 
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catrescuect

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We caught daddy!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!


GEttin ghim fixed!
 

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Good job catching Daddy and Momma and all those kittens


Definitely padlock your compound, that neighbour of yours needs a good thwap upside the head. If she's not a cat-lover why does she have her own cat? I hope she treats it well ...
 
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