Trapping Osama

[valanhb]

That was a nice follow-up. Of course, we knew he would take all the credit. :tounge2: Well, he did come up with the plan and execute it so I guess he can take the credit. Of course, the kindest thing he did, paying for Samoa's vet visit, wasn't mentioned nor was the fact that Samoa was already neutered. It was very nice that he spoke so highly of Judi.

 

[meezer_mama]

I just went back a page and read the good news! Thanks to everyone who made this rescue possible!

 

[ldg]

Well - we just may have a happy ending to this story. FINALLY!

Please keep Samoa in your prayers or thoughts - or just cross your fingers!

Judi's Chiropracter and wife would like to adopt Samoa, and are going to pick him up after the Thanksgiving holiday. Let's hope it works out!

I wrote Judi this note:

Judi - if they need ANY help at all with ideas of how to help Samoa be more comfortable, or how to make the transition to a new home go more smoothly, or if they have ANY questions about his behaviour or health or ANYTHING, please let them know about http://www.thecatsite.com/forums. There is a Behaviour Forum, a Health Forum, etc. etc. - and they can even read about Samoa's whole story in the Feral Forum! It's one of the first posts there. I'd never been a "chat room" visitor on the web, but I was looking for help with what to do with the feral kittens that turned up outside - and www.thecatsite.com/forums was incredibly helpful. There are VERY experienced people there, ready to "talk" anyone with questions or problems through just about anything that can be encountered with a cat. The people adopting Samoa might find it very helpful, and it might help make the transition easier for everyone!

Thanks!

Laurie

I'm keeping Samoa in my prayers. I hope all goes well for him!

 

[ldg]

This story DOES have a happy ending!!!!

I got word from Judi today that Samoa has been living with his new furrever family for some time and they love him!!!!!

David (Horsley) did a follow-up story just this past Monday. He chose to save face, because he says in the story that neutering Samoa helped calm him down. In fact, Samoa was already neutered, and was a stray, not a feral kitty. Unfortunately, he chose not to use the article to educate Amarillo as to its terrible stray/feral problem. ...so I'm not putting in the link to the story, because it'll just make people mad. And that's unnecessary, because this story has a happy ending! What is most important is that Samoa is happily settled in a new home - and being very much loved. :tounge2:

In the meantime, Christy (okeefecl) and I have been working on our research organization and related websites. One site is dedicated to Samoa, and will house rescue stories! www.SaveSamoa.org. The sister-site (www.StrayPet Advocacy.org) will house the research end and related links - all inspired by the request by Judi for hard data supporting the efforts of her lobbying for a low-cost spay/neuter program in Amarillo!

Thank you Judi, and thank you Samoa!!!

 

[hissy]

And thank you David, because without his first article and Anne finding it- Samoa would of been doomed!

 

[lotsocats]

Knowing Samoa is loving his new home just made my day! My heart is singing and my feet are doing a happy dance!

And...poo on David for lying, but thanks to him for bringing Samoa to our attention.

 

[sarah brown]

Originally posted by debra myers
My e/mails gong out too!
People like him should have to spend a couple of days as a feral!
Ignorance is abundant in this world!!!!!

I could not agree with you more. I've been experiencing a lack of help with the local authorities as well as the humane society. I've recently found two of my "adopted" orphan cats outside half dead. One had a broken neck and was still alive. The other was paralyzed. There is no way to find out what happened to them, but I suspect foul play from one of my neighbors. I called the Humane Society and they said they were out of my jurisdiction, (my jurisdiction has no Humane Society). So, they suggested the Sheriff. The Sheriff's Dept told me to call the local town Police Dept. They were of no help either. They said that in this town, there are no laws against torturing, poisoning, trapping, shooting or other wise cruelty to animals. He said that he "felt for me", but the law was powerless to help since there was no law against it. Talk about steaming mad! This is an outrage. I think that God will punish whoever mistreated these cats, but it sure breaks your heart to know that your fellow man will set back and do nothing while we have to bury these helpless animals.

 

[lotsocats]

Sarah,

That is horrific beyond words. I am so very sorry that your cats were harmed so cruely and that you had to see what happened to these poor babies. My heart goes out to you.

Renae

 

[jeanie g.]

Sarah, the cruelty of some people is beyond understanding, and the inadequacy of the law is equally puzzling. Most people have pets and love them, so it seems logical that our laws would protect these beloved animals. Yet, the laws in many states are inadequate.

 

[valanhb]

Sarah, I'm so sorry to hear what happened to "your" cats.

However, I do have some good news for you. Ohio has recently voted to toughen animal cruelty laws, and it should be going into effect soon. It is state law so your local police can't say there is no laws against it in your community. Here is the thread from the SOS forum that explains it: Ohio to toughen animal cruelty law

 

[ldg]

Sarah - I'm just catching up here, and what a terrible, terrible experience!!!! Here in NJ and in NY, there are SPCAs covering all jursidictions, and they have full authority to arrest people - even for animal neglect, let alone animal cruelty. Animal neglect is a misdemeanor, and animal cruelty is criminal.

I am a complete believer in the need to update animal laws - regarding legislation in terms of neglect and cruelty AS WELL AS animal control policies.

The site Christy and I are working on will hopefully be able to help towards those ends....some day, hopefully sooner rather than later when we start to get content up on that site (www.StrayPetAdvocay.org). I'm embarrassed to say, we don't have anything up yet

- not even links (for which we're starting to get permissioning from sites). Little by little, anyway.

 

[ldg]

You know, I figured I'd better paste the whole article in here just in case the Amarillo Globe sends this article to archives one of these days...

Here's the article that started it all:

Web posted Monday, September 16, 2002
4:13 a.m. CT

Horsley: Takes more than can of tuna to trap Osama

By DAVID HORSLEY
Opinion

Our neighborhood has been terrorized lately by a wily old tomcat I call Osama bin Laden.

HORSLEY
This feline is one bad cat. He doesn't appear to belong to anyone but just roams the alleys and slips in and out of whatever yard he wishes, snacking on baby birds, garbage, or whatever else he can find or catch.

My two kitties are mortally afraid of this Osama and rightfully so. He lives to fight. During the rare times my cats go outside - they get these urges to explore, and I occasionally relent and let them out into our fenced back yard - he invariably finds them and gives them a good pounding. He'll come right up to my back door, looking for a fight. Bold, yes.

Earlier this year, Osama made the mistake of clawing a neighbor's child. He's unpredictable that way. One minute he was sitting on their front porch, not letting anyone pet him but not acting like a danger either, and the next minute he dug his claws into the little girl's leg before bolting away.

We called the city's animal control people and had a trap set. I didn't want to hurt the old tom, just get rid of him. He was a menace to society.

Feral cats have no business setting up shop in a residential neighborhood.

The city brought out a wire trap from which they said no cat ever had escaped. We baited it with a few kernels of dry cat food and waited.

Pretty soon here came Osama, sauntering along like he owned the joint. In his mind, probably he did. He sniffed around the trap. Then he lay down next to it and pretended to doze.

His attitude seemed to say, "You're gonna have to do much better than this if you want to catch me."

After a week or so of watching Osama toy with the trap, we called the city and told them to come get it. From a secret hiding place, Osama laughed as the animal control officer put the trap in his truck and drove away. We were back to square one.

At times he would let you walk right up to him. The thought did occur to me to merely reach out and wring his neck in one quick motion. I'm not a violent person, though, and besides, who knows what diseases that cat might be carrying? One bite and I might be sorry I ever got so close.

Of course a gun would do the trick, but that would be dangerous, not to mention illegal. I didn't want to get arrested because of this cat.

As the year wore on, Osama appeared and disappeared like a ghost. He could flow over a six-foot wood fence like water. One day I saw him watching me from under a storage building, his alert, scarred face staring at me like the sphinx. I grabbed the nearest object - a garden trowel - and threw it at him; rather, at the spot where he had been.

Recently he attacked my neighbor's child again. This time the neighbor grabbed a baseball bat and chased him down the street, intent on braining that cat. Of course he didn't even get close. That was when I devised my plan to rid the world of Osama bin Laden.

No cat can resist tuna fish, I reasoned. I drove to the animal shelter and borrowed the city's cat trap again. Without opening the trap door, I set it in the alley and put a fresh can of tuna fish next to it. Things were about to get interesting.

The next day the tuna fish was gone. I repeated this several days in a row, just getting Osama accustomed to the taste of tuna and the presence of a harmless trap. He played right along with my plan.

Then I opened the trap door and set the tuna just inside the door where a cat could eat without getting caught. This he did for several days.

The final phase of my plan was to actually put the tuna all the way in the back of the trap, where Osama would step on the metal plate that springs the door shut. After liberally sprinkling the ground around the trap with yummy tuna juice, I set the can all the way in and went in the house to wait.

As it happened, I was looking out the back window at the exact moment when Osama came strolling down the alley for his daily snack.

He noted that the tuna was in a different spot. Circling the trap, he appeared to calculate his odds. He sniffed the juice on the ground.

Ever so slowly, he stretched his head into the trap as far as it would go without stepping on the spring-loaded trigger. The tuna was still out of reach.

He sat in the dust and pondered the situation. If he went in the trap, he would be caught and taken to the animal shelter where he would surely be put to death. If he stayed out of the trap, he could continue living his life of crime and freedom.

Osama turned and walked away.

Just a reminder - Mr. Horsley DID write a follow-up column after he assisted in trapping Samoa!

BTW - this story was written up by the American Boarding Kennel Association, giving well-deserved accolades to Judi Glidewell for helping to trap Samoa and placing him in a loving home!

Just thought I'd add... I received a lovely note from Judi just two days ago. She says that his new family completely loves him, he's an indoor/outdoor pet in their non-urban neighborhood, and he has the run of an entire canyon.

 

[jeanie g.]

I'm so glad Samoa and his new family are happy together. Boy, does this bring back memories-and it changed your life, Laurie!

 

[russian blue]

Originally posted by LDG
....some day, hopefully sooner rather than later when we start to get content up on that site (www.StrayPetAdvocay.org).........Little by little, anyway.

That's how every project gets done. You start with a goal that's backed by belief and you take one step at a time!

I'm getting all warm and fuzzy, I better go before I turn to mush!

 

[hissy]

Laurie can we get a Samoa update?

 

[scott77777]

I know it's a bit late, but I love the "Cat Women" stereotype.

I guess we men are supposed to shoot animals, and women are supposed to be the bleeding hearts.

As a man, it strikes me that some other men could use a little TNR themselves. Maybe I'll set a trap with some porn, Hot Pockets brand burritos, a remote control. Once he bites, we'll go snip-snip, send him back into the wild and see how much macho "cat women" rhetoric remains.

Good thing a few men are getting educated one at a time.

Some lyrics from a "Smiths" song:

It's so easy to laugh
It's so easy to hate
It takes strength to be gentle and kind
Over, over, over, over
It's so easy to laugh
It's so easy to hate
It takes guts to be gentle and kind
Over, over


- A guy who has compassion for animals

 

[ldg]

Scott77777 originally posted
I guess we men are supposed to shoot animals, and women are supposed to be the bleeding hearts.

As a man, it strikes me that some other men could use a little TNR themselves. Maybe I'll set a trap with some porn, Hot Pockets brand burritos, a remote control. Once he bites, we'll go snip-snip, send him back into the wild and see how much macho "cat women" rhetoric remains.

Good thing a few men are getting educated one at a time.

LOL! Sorry 'bout that! I have since learned better, and now we look for the "crazy cat person"

I get little updates from Judi from time to time. I'm sorry that his new owners never sent in his story, but I guess they're just not "online" people.

But Samoa is still doing great! Very loved - still an indoor/outdoor boy, hunting the canyons of the property by day, but coming inside at night for snuggles. He's not a fat cat, but he's a happy cat.

And since we're updating, now only is www.SaveSamoa.org fully up and running and loaded with content and a growing list of rescue stories (not just cats!), the sister site, www.StrayPetAdvocacy.org is loaded for bear too.

AND an org is in the process of being incorporated as a tax-deductible charitable org - the two websites will be part of its assets.

 

[9katz1poodle]

You all are my heros.

 

[pvida]

ok-am ready to investigate what it would take to be a TNR-currently am feeding a buncha wild beauties-ok, i admit i want at least one of them for myself---even tho i currently am owned by 4 furbabies---

 

[ldg]

Well, you've taken the first step! It begins with caring - and then wanting to learn what to do. Congrats!

The idea of trap-neuter-release is two-fold: 1) stop the breeding of the cats, and 2) allow them to remain in their territory to prevent other strays from moving in (called the "vacuum effect."

The cats in the colony must be trapped one by one (unless you have lots of traps to set at once and lots of help to monitor and transport the traps), spayed or neutered - some organizations also have them vaccinated, others do not - and then release them back where they were trapped. The vet should be told to "ear tip" the cats - which means to take a teeney snip of the end of one ear. This way anyone involved with TNR now or in the future will know the cat has already been spayed or neutered - and you can immediately identify any cat back in a trap a second (or third) time and let it free instead of taking an unnecessary trip to the vet.

Many people set up feeding stations that are monitored, and also make sure that fresh water is available. Others go so far as to provide shelters for cold winter weather.

There are many very helpful sites out there.

Alley Cat Allies is the premier organization dedicated to education and resources for Trap-Neuter-Release programs. They are at www.alleycat.org, and they have a fabulous resources section with information on all aspects of TNR. You can also find out if they have spay neuter clinics in your area.

The Best Friends Network help put people doing things like this together. They also have a fabulous resources section. The main site is www.bestfriends.org, and their No More Homeless Pets campaign network is located here: http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehom...ts/thenetwork/

Several of us from The Cat Site have worked to put together a clearing house of useful links to many other organizations that sponsor TNR. General info is at www.StrayPetAdvocacy.org, and information and links specifically about TNR is located here: http://www.straypetadvocacy.org/html...l_control.html

If you want to search for rescue groups or other types of organizations in your area that may be able to help, type your zip code into this link at Pets 911: http://www.pets911.com/organizations/organizations.php

....and if you have any other questions, feel free to search the threads here, or just start a new one to ask any questions!