It's A Good Feeling . . .

[AvaJoy]

It seems like I've gotten into the cat rescue biz! I've been putting a can of food out back for about a week, and 2 cats have been making regular stops to dine. I decided to set the trap 2 nights ago, and I caught a big brown feral tabby with notched right ear! Took him to vet the next morning just to be sure he was a TNR (trap-neuter-release) and yes, he had been neutered - good news!

Encouraged, I decided to try my luck again last night, and sure enough I caught a big white feral with no notched ear. This guy was in need of neutering, so I deposited him trap and all at the vet and they performed the surgery today and notched his ear. Since rabies has been found in the area, they vaccinated him no charge. They wanted to keep him (and my trap!) overnight for observation, and I miss not setting the trap and keeping tabs to see who I may have lured tonight . . . like a spider with his web, except I have only good intentions!

It is gratifying to know I'm making a little difference in controlling the local feral cat overpopulation. I will continue to put a can outside every night, but before I can set the trap again I really need to send away for more low cost spay/neuter certificates!

[K & L]

WOO HOO for you! Good job! That's how my husband & I started out and we've now TNR'd over 90 cats. Isn't it the most gratifying feeling knowing how you've helped them? Keep up the good work.

[AvaJoy]

WOW . . . 90!!! Over what period of time? Congratulations on REALLY helping the kitties . . . wait 'till I tell this to my Hubby . . . but I doubt there could ever be that many cats wandering out this far in the sticks . . . to drum up business I could put out a sign "Unwanted Cats Welcome Here" . . . which I'm sure would not go over too well with him . . . lol, lol

Oh! The tabby (I call him Theo) came back tonight! He was leary, but since there was no wire cage surrounding the chow he decided to stick around and eat to his heart's content. He may have potential; seemed more frightened than angry when I trapped him; probably because he had been through this once before!!

[purrley]

Congratulations both of you!!!! Wish there were more concerned people out there. You guys are certainly making a difference in the "No More Homeless Pets" endeavor. Hats OFF to You

[K & L]

We've been doing this going on 3 years now. We live near a beautiful park where people tend to think this is the perfect home to DUMP their animal. When we first started doing this, there were so many cats we couldn't believe it. We've found home for kittens and cats that were adoptable, unfortunately a few had to be euthanized due to disease, and the rest we released back to their environment and have feeding and watering stations setup. We both love doing this and it's something we look forward to every evening. Keep up the good work, 3 cats fixed is 12 cats less without a home.

[Logan]

You should feel good!! What a worthwhile thing you are doing!! I'm so proud to know all of you who are doing such wonderful deeds for these defenseless cats!

[Randi]

Ava Joy and KL!

I really admire you for doing such a great job - Well done!

We also took action in our yard and had a few done, it's so rewarding when you see them after - healthy and happy!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Please keep on providing a safe enviornment for these cats. I'm very sad today. I travel a high speed expressway to get to work each morning. Today, for the second time in a month a dead kitty. Today was a calico, the other was a beautiful solid gray. Neither cat was on a part of the expressway near homes -- just strip malls, light industrial -- commercial type buildings. So I have to assume they were strays in search of food (I refuse to acknowledge the possibility of being tossed out of a car.)

If these cats had a safe enviornment -- with food, water, and shelter -- it's not the same as a loving home but it is far better than the road.

Thanks for what you all do.

[lynnestankard]

Way to go Avajoy - well done you! It's lovely to know people are helping all those ferals (or strays) in need of a good meal and a quick op.,!!!
And K & L what sterling work your doing.

Your all very special people - thank goodness.

Lynne

[AvaJoy]

The following statistic was in a newspaper article regarding cat cloning: At last count there were 113 million cats in the United States, and 40 million of them were homeless . . .

The big white (I call him Sasquatch) came through his surgery just fine. They notched his ear and gave him a rabies shot. When I released him he dashed off, paused to glance back momentarily, and then was gone. I hope he comes back to feed again . . . what a handsome fellow! The vet said he was about 3 years old.

Theo didn't show tonight, but the black and white cow-marked cat I believe may be kin to my Debra came around . . . my next conquest!

The organization (SNAPS) that I get my low cost spay/neuter certificates from charges $40.00 for spay, and $25.00 for neuter . . . plus a $3.00 processing fee . . . is this a resonable fee? My vet told me her normal fee is $75.00 to neuter a male cat, so having the coupons is quite a savings, for sure. I will order another set of male & female coupons . . . never know which sex I might lure! (Oops . . . . . . that doesn't sound quite right, does it!!? LOL!)

[AmberLee]

You are doing a really great thing, AvaJoy. Thanks for sharing the word, as well as your efforts in saving cats. You are wonderful.

[AvaJoy]

I finally received 2 more certificates in the mail just the other day, so set out the trap last night hoping to catch Debra's Mom, as I refer to the black/white who has been an everynight visitor for quite sometime now.

Well, this morning hubby awakens me saying he thinks there is a racoon in the trap! When I went out to look, I understood his conclusion because this guy was HUGE, and had only 1/2 a tail which was very full and ringed! Easily could pass for a racoon at a distance . . . I whisked him off to the vet and he was neutered, notched and vaccinated against rabies today. Seems he is an older cat with plenty of battle scars, as the vet put it. We pick him up tomorrow, and I have named him Chief Half-Tail. Funny that we never saw him until just this morning, in our trap! I am going to take photos of these cats before I release them.

Theo comes back quite often, but I'm surprised Debra's Mom was not lured into the trap . . . maybe she is wise to it . . . I will keep trying, and who knows . . . Chief Half-Tail was certainly a surprise to find!

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

YAY AVA JOY!!!

Yeah, take pics of the sweet furrbabies, I can't wait to see Cheif Ring-Tail!!!!!! Good luck catchin Debra's mom!! and kudos to you for the good work catchin those kitties and helpin em out!!

[AvaJoy]

We picked up Chief Half-Tail from the vet, and he urinated in the trap on the way home . . . WHEW! . . . I'd forgotten just how pungent that odor is . . . Luckily it did not get inside the truck anywhere (there was a towel in the trap and we brought one to put the trap on), because I'm sure the BEST odor neutralizer couldn't erase that scent . . . even though he was fixed the day before, I'm told it takes about 10 days for the hormones to even out. The towels are in hefty bags and going out to the garbage . . .

Debra's Mom will definitely be quite a challenge to lure into the trap . . . the other night we set it (after spritzing and washing it repeatedly to TRY and get rid of Chief's pee) and we watched as she lurked around it, but she would NOT set foot inside! I had a feeling she was too slick to fall for it . . . but we will keep trying. She hangs around the house because Hubby sees her by the driveway in the morning when he leaves for work, and we caught her napping by the front porch. She has been limping, so I'm anxious to get her doctored.

[AmberLee]

Whew! I'm so proud of you to keep on trying. You are making the world around you a better place. You go girl!!!

Good choice on the towels, I'm afraid.