I Caught Her!!!

**QueenScoopalot** · 02-13-2005, 07:53 PM

I've been stalking a cat for a few weeks now, in a desolate area by a closed up boathouse/boat launch area. Needless to say, being winter, there's not much activity there (except the probable pigs and their protitutes)

but I'm always careful nobody's around when I go there. I've been feeding for a few weeks, and watching for footprints after it snows. There's a pit under the boathouse, and I've been contorting myself to put food, and a bed under the cement stairs, where the snow doesn't blow under. Last night I noticed cat prints coming out from under the building, looping around and going back underneath, so I think the cats been hiding in the pile of junk blown under there over the years. I stuck my trap under there this afternoon, and checked back 2 hours later and the most lovely pewter grey female was in it!!

And I think she's QUITE pregnant too! I was able to reach under her belly, and check her out, and she's very round.

I'm leaving her in the trap for the night in case her teats are filled with milk by morning, which means she has a newborn litter under the building. If that's the case, I'm in for a nightmare! I will crawl under if I have to, but would prefer not to. Yick! I'm sure she's been dumped out there in no mans land poor girl. Petrified, but sniffing my finger and allowing me to reach under her belly like that.

She's safe and warm for the night, and it's a miracle she doesn't have frostbite from being on the ocean like that. It gets bitter cold!

**catcrazylady** · 02-13-2005, 08:01 PM

I know I tell you this all the time but I really mean it Jan

!!! YOU ARE MY HERO !!!

The stuff you go through and the danger you put yourself in to save a life amazes me to no end! Thank God for you and others like you. I'm blown away everytime you pull off one of these amazing rescues.
She is one very lucky little lady! I will be praying that she is pregnant and does not have any little ones that you are going to have to go in search of.

I can't say it enough Jan....
Bless you, Bless you, Bless you a hundred times over!!!!!!!!

**sirrahbed** · 02-13-2005, 08:37 PM

Originally posted by catcrazylady
I know I tell you this all the time but I really mean it Jan

!!! YOU ARE MY HERO !!!

The stuff you go through and the danger you put yourself in to save a life amazes me to no end! Thank God for you and others like you. I'm blown away everytime you pull off one of these amazing rescues.
She is one very lucky little lady! I will be praying that she is pregnant and does not have any little ones that you are going to have to go in search of.

I can't say it enough Jan....
Bless you, Bless you, Bless you a hundred times over!!!!!!!!

Exactly what CCL said!!

**val** · 02-13-2005, 09:03 PM

WOW! Great job Jan! I really really hope she is pregnant and not nursing. I hate the thought of there possibly being babies out there but the cycle had to be broken. Please keep us updated. She is so lucky you found her and got her out of those horrible conditions.

And the weirdest thing is that we had a similar sort of day you and I altho my capture was not nearly as heroic. Our first customer for our neuterthon let his cat escape before he got inside the vet clinic this morning. We chased the cat across a 2 lane then 4 lane highway to a little used car lot. I got down on belly (you're familiar with position) to look under building and there's 2 other cats under there. They came to me. Both boys and neutered! Whoa! Next door is this falling down building with doors hanging off, no windows and junk piled everywhere. I go inside and holes in floor and trash everywhere. Calling and calling for the kitty that escaped. Couldn't find him but 2 OTHER cats were in this building. One uncatchable and 1 I could catch. A beautiful medium long hair orange tabby with a gorgeous big face. So I go back to clinic, get box, and Tom as I call him got neutered. The only bad part was that it has been raining here about all day and there was mud everywhere so I was a soaking wet muddy mess but my dear sweet husband brought me a change of clothes down to dry tennis shoes. I brought Tom to the animal shelter after surgery and checked back later after neuterthon was over and he was doing great. A little ticked off about finding himself in a cage in a strange building but none the worse for wear.

But all in all Jan, I'd rather do all of this in 60 degree weather in rain than in the snow. I was a little chilled but frostbite is not even a thought! I'll be thinking of the angel you saved tonight and waiting to hear the update!

**catnapper** · 02-13-2005, 09:28 PM

You must have radoar to find these mama cats! And weren't you just saying how you are at an alltime low with rescues?

Lets just hope she hasn't had the babies yet!

**Laura's Babies** · 02-13-2005, 10:02 PM

Jan, as I sit here with Wally IN MY LAP (no pillow case) I am in complete AWE of you and what you do! I am so glad you got another rescued and what a heroic act that was in the freezing cold snow up north. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you and I do admire you so much for the extreem efforts you do not hesitate to go to....

Now... Pictures of the new girl coming soon, I hope? Lets hope babies are soon to come so we get to see MORE babies!

**val** · 02-14-2005, 12:28 AM

Great work with Wally, Laura! I'm sure you'll get him to love being a lap cat!

**rg_girlca** · 02-14-2005, 01:12 AM

Congratulations Jan...Another job well done.

It just boggles my mind the extremes you go through to get these cats. Be careful out there please.

**catmandu** · 02-14-2005, 07:20 AM

Jan,you are the Saint Francis,of Assisi,of our age,the Patron saint,of Animals! You,do such an amazing job,saving these Poor Cats, and there are so many stars,beside your name,at The Rainbow Bridge,taht when your time comes,you will have thousands of Casts,whose lives,you have saved,loving you.

**Rie Rie** · 02-14-2005, 08:29 AM

I hate people that dump cats when they find out they're pregnant. I've had two cats over the years dumped at my house that were pregnant. Thankfully, both times I was able to find homes for the kittens, and then later the moma's.
Thank heaven for people like you and others.

**QueenScoopalot** · 02-14-2005, 08:38 AM

Originally posted by catnapper
You must have radoar to find these mama cats! And weren't you just saying how you are at an alltime low with rescues?

Lets just hope she hasn't had the babies yet!

There's some sort a magnet built into my head.

All time low (for a while lol)...and she's quite pregnant! Yay! Not nursing kittens yet. She let me reach my hand all under her belly, and she's huge! I'm so glad I put the trap under there when I did! And she ate every morsel of food too. Breakfast will have Strongid in it.

And lucky you Val! Did the guy find his cat that escaped? Or did he go home with the orange one instead?

**val** · 02-14-2005, 08:13 PM

Sooooo glad to hear kitty (got a name yet?) has not had her kittens! And if she's letting you touch her then that's wonderful too! Strongid-T for breakfast, hmm hmm good!
It even looks like pancake batter!

The guy whose cat escaped was supposed to visit the area today to see if his cat was in the vicinity. He did not take the orange one (Tom). The tabby had been dumped at his place a couple of months ago and he has several other cats so he wasn't looking for more or a replacement. I had wanted to go by there today but could just never get there. The people from the used car lot are feeding them. Tom is doing great. Spent the AM at the shelter (they lost an employee so just helping out) and let Tom explore everything. I think he'd make a terrific inside cat so I'd rather someone else adopt him as the guy keeps his cats outside.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted on the progress with Mama Kitty!

**QueenScoopalot** · 02-14-2005, 09:08 PM

Ughhh...an unaltered cat roaming in a strange area. How terribly sad.

Don't they make people use carriers at these neuterthons?

I think this lovely grey girl is due quite shortly. I can see those wee thunks though her sides. She's a bit timid, but has been letting me pat her, and hasn't spit yet.

I haven't named her, as she may be off to a foster home with her very own birthing room.

**val** · 02-15-2005, 11:15 AM

That's great that you have a place for Mama Kitty already! I wish we had a larger network of foster families.

The guy did have a pet taxi at the Neuterthon (altho I have to say not everyone did-everytime I go to the vets office I see people holding their cats in their arms!). When the guy opened the door the pet taxi banged against it and the whole thing fell apart. It looked old and I guess it must have been missing some of the wingnuts that hold the little screw/bolt things in place. I definitely need to go back out there to see if kitty has shown up. With having caught Tom and having him neutered we only broke even which is not really good enough is it?!

Maybe a pic of Mama Kitty?