New kitty in the yard

I have heard that, like calicos almost all torties are female. So, your visitor is probably a little lady.

You truly are a cat magnet.....I guess its about time for another Hissy grab and a trip to the vet for a quick spay! Sigh......does it ever end?

Hissy - we will have to give you the "Golden Glove Award"
Your new visitor could not have picked a better home.......

Hissy:

As a fellow cat magnet, I understand where you're coming from. I feel your anxiety! My husband just said the other night, we lose one, we gain one. He said we never catch up, meaning the numbers never go down, only up, up, up.

Do like I do, get her spayed, give her a name and don't think about it. I used to feel really anxious when another one would cross my path or show up at the door because in my heart I knew the numbers were growing at a faster and faster rate. Now I don't even think about it, I just do what I have to do, and pray for the Lord's help. I guess that's all we can do until you and I win the $150million lottery!

How many new cats come into your life a year? A while back I'd acquire 1, maybe 2. For the last 2 years it's been 6 a year. Hopefully this year will only be 3 or 4. My problem is that I go into the worst neighborhoods in my city every night to feed strays, most of whom are pets people have just thrown out. Most of these animals are in a dangerous situation. Example, this year I rescued a female, who I had previously TNR'd and saved one of her babies after the other 2 were killed by dogs. This mama cat had been doused in some type of chemical that burned all her fur off and burned her skin. When I first discovered her with the hair burned off I didn't realize it was the same cat I had previously TNR'd. It took me a few nights before I realized it was her. The skin infections were so severe and wouldn't stay healed so I had to eventually euthanize her. On the corner where I acquired her were 2 other pets. I surely couldn't leave them there to possibly become the sicko's next target. So here they are at my house and because they aren't the cuddly cats most people want, adopting them out is not an option. I'm pretty sure it's kids who burned the female.

I never realized when I first started feeding cats in these neighborhoods how horendous the problem was. Now it's too late, I can't stop going because the babies are depending on me.

I tell myself I'm not bringing anymore home, but when I see one about to get hurt or die in the mouth of a dog, under a wheel of a car or by the hand of a person, I have to rescue them. If I don't I have trouble sleeping. There are many ferals I can't rescue, but when I see an abandoned pet struggling to survive I can't leave it because I know it won't make it.

Have you ever thought about writing a book? I think I may just start documenting all my rescues. It would make for some interesting reading.

Patsy

Dear Hissy:

Thanks for making me cry first thing this morning! That Dunkin is such a beauty. What that poor cat endured is unbelievable. I have never seen a cat with complete white all over their underbelly and down the legs. It looks likes someone painted her.

I live for the day I won't have to go out every night 365 days a year, to feed the ferals. However, I don't know when or if that will ever happen. To think I started with one colony of 12, who are all dead with the exception of 1, and now I'm feeding 150 all over the city. The 11 of that colony were killed by pitt bulls. As I said, most of the cats are in bad neighborhoods so use your imagination of this one.

What's funny is I don't have a lot of colonies. I actually have singles or doubles scattered, within a mile of each other. I wish they would all move in together, it would make it a lot easier. But, as you know, some cats are anti-social and don't like the company of other cats.

The previous owner of Dunkin died too fast I'm sure. Too bad he couldn't endure some extra suffering!

Pats

Patsy - my hat is off to you. What a wonderful job you are doing. I wish we lived close by - I would ride along........

Thanks for the offer to ride along, however, you might change your mine if I start telling you the stories of what almost happened to me in those neighborhoods. I was almost car jacked one time, my big mouth scared him off. Actually he put the gun right in my face and thinking he was going to shoot me I screamed bloody murder because I didn't want to hear the gunshot. You never know how you'll react in those situations. I know would never have thought I would just scream and not stop for at least 2 minutes!

OMG - Patsy, you be careful out there. Too bad you could not find a nice night shift policeman who loved kities to escort you!

I am very careful and if anyone even looks like they are watching me, I get out of the area. I change my route up a lot more also they don't know where I'll be when.

The guy who pulled the gun was watching me a few blocks from where the incident happened. He was on a bike. Usually when they saw I saw them watching me, they would run. This one decided to follow me and that's why I was taken completely off guard because he didn't do what others had done in the past. Believe me, I'm ready now, I never get out of the van, just throw the food to the babies, who are glad to meet me at the curb. My van is always in gear so if anyone comes close to my van, they'll be road kill!

I also have my Border Collie, Girl, who rides with me everynight. She is very protective and when anyone, even my friends approach the van she gets real protective. If she had been in the van the night of the incident that guy would have messed his pants when Girl would have started snarling! The surprise factor is great because she lays low on the back seat and I have tinted windows. She has scared the heck of a few people who walk up to the van and can't see her, but here this snarling going on. She won't even let my friends ride in the van at night, but if they come to the house she is her usual friendly, sweet self. Sorry, I know this isn't a Border Collier site, but I like bragging about what a wonderful dog she is to mama.

Patsy - she sounds like a wonderful companion and a good protector. I am glad you have her.