Big TNR underway!

I took the Trap Neuter Return workshop back in February and have been
tying to get it done in my neighborhood since then but one thing or
another delayed it. Finally I managed to get eight spots at the ASPCA
mobile van for Tuesday 10/26. I got all my neighbors ready, borrowed
eight traps, and we all stopped feeding them Friday night.

It was as tough on us as the cats, as we walked past them and they
gave us that "I'm Starving!" look. Still, we held firm. Unless they're
hungry they won't enter the trraps. Sunday morning I set up four traps
in a neighbor's yard and within a few minutes had trapped three cats.
We covered the traps with sheets (to calm the cats, it works great)
and replaced them with more traps but it took quite a while before we
got numbers four, five and six. I kept two traps for the front of my
house. One was reserved for Junior who was instead taken to North
Shore Animal Hospital by his part-time human and escaped in the
parking lot. That's another post, asking for purrs for him.

The second trap was reserved for Baby, a little girl who hangs out
near the front of my house. Baby wouldn't go in the trap as of Sunday.
I was inside the house last night when I heard the trap snap shut, and
it was a black cat that I didn't recognize, then I realized it must be
Shave, a part-time resident of a neighbor. I called, asked if they had
Shave inside, and was told that he had just gone out. Well then,
should I get him neutered? Sure. So he became number seven.

This morning baby came around for food and again wouldn't go in the
trap but I had woken up an hour before normal in order to take care of
the seven cats lined up in the traps in my garage and wasn't taking no
for an answer. So I put on thick gloves, put some food out, picked her
up when she came to eat and just put her into the trap. Now I have all
eight.

I missed two more. One is a beautiful grey cat, almost certainly the
offspring of Smokey, one of the trapped cats. The other is the mother
of several of those young cats and didn't show up. They're both in my
sights for next time.

My biggest concern is how to get some of them adopted. I'll check with
the feral cat folks who I've been leaning on for advice. I can guess
pretty much by the way the cats behave in the traps which ones would
be good pets. Those would be the ones interested in their surroundings
and looking at me, rather than the ones hiding in the back of the
traps.

It took me an hour to clean the traps this morning, feed them, and
replace a few of the sheet covers that got "soiled" during the night.
I'm sure I'll have a few surprises when I get home tonight.

That's it. It was a huge amount of work but I know the cats will be
better for it, as will be the neighborhood.

On Oct 25, 8:57*am, dgk wrote:
I took the Trap Neuter Return workshop back in February and have been
tying to get it done in my neighborhood since then but one thing or
another delayed it. Finally I managed to get eight spots at the ASPCA
mobile van for Tuesday 10/26. I got all my neighbors ready, borrowed
eight traps, and we all stopped feeding them Friday night.

snip

This morning baby came around for food and again wouldn't go in the
trap but I had woken up an hour before normal in order to take care of
the seven cats lined up in the traps in my garage and wasn't taking no
for an answer. So I put on thick gloves, put some food out, picked her
up when she came to eat and just put her into the trap. Now I have all
eight.
snip

Congratulations on getting the majority of the cats in traps. Best of
luck tomorrow with the spays and neuters. I hope all goes well for
you.
It will be better for the cats and the neighborhood. The population
increase
will slow down dramatically. I hope some of those you trapped will
be friendly enough to be adopted. Thank you for helping out your
local homeless cats.

Debbie

dgk wrote:
I took the Trap Neuter Return workshop back in February and have been
tying to get it done in my neighborhood since then but one thing or
another delayed it. Finally I managed to get eight spots at the ASPCA
mobile van for Tuesday 10/26. I got all my neighbors ready, borrowed
eight traps, and we all stopped feeding them Friday night.

It was as tough on us as the cats, as we walked past them and they
gave us that "I'm Starving!" look. Still, we held firm. Unless they're
hungry they won't enter the trraps. Sunday morning I set up four traps
in a neighbor's yard and within a few minutes had trapped three cats.
We covered the traps with sheets (to calm the cats, it works great)
and replaced them with more traps but it took quite a while before we
got numbers four, five and six. I kept two traps for the front of my
house. One was reserved for Junior who was instead taken to North
Shore Animal Hospital by his part-time human and escaped in the
parking lot. That's another post, asking for purrs for him.

The second trap was reserved for Baby, a little girl who hangs out
near the front of my house. Baby wouldn't go in the trap as of Sunday.
I was inside the house last night when I heard the trap snap shut, and
it was a black cat that I didn't recognize, then I realized it must be
Shave, a part-time resident of a neighbor. I called, asked if they had
Shave inside, and was told that he had just gone out. Well then,
should I get him neutered? Sure. So he became number seven.

This morning baby came around for food and again wouldn't go in the
trap but I had woken up an hour before normal in order to take care of
the seven cats lined up in the traps in my garage and wasn't taking no
for an answer. So I put on thick gloves, put some food out, picked her
up when she came to eat and just put her into the trap. Now I have all
eight.

I missed two more. One is a beautiful grey cat, almost certainly the
offspring of Smokey, one of the trapped cats. The other is the mother
of several of those young cats and didn't show up. They're both in my
sights for next time.

My biggest concern is how to get some of them adopted. I'll check with
the feral cat folks who I've been leaning on for advice. I can guess
pretty much by the way the cats behave in the traps which ones would
be good pets. Those would be the ones interested in their surroundings
and looking at me, rather than the ones hiding in the back of the
traps.

It took me an hour to clean the traps this morning, feed them, and
replace a few of the sheet covers that got "soiled" during the night.
I'm sure I'll have a few surprises when I get home tonight.

That's it. It was a huge amount of work but I know the cats will be
better for it, as will be the neighborhood.



Sending purrs and good wishes for your venture to be a big success. MLB

great work, Lee
"dgk" wrote in message
...
I took the Trap Neuter Return workshop back in February and have been
tying to get it done in my neighborhood since then but one thing or
another delayed it. Finally I managed to get eight spots at the ASPCA
mobile van for Tuesday 10/26. I got all my neighbors ready, borrowed
eight traps, and we all stopped feeding them Friday night.

It was as tough on us as the cats, as we walked past them and they
gave us that "I'm Starving!" look. Still, we held firm. Unless they're
hungry they won't enter the trraps. Sunday morning I set up four traps
in a neighbor's yard and within a few minutes had trapped three cats.
We covered the traps with sheets (to calm the cats, it works great)
and replaced them with more traps but it took quite a while before we
got numbers four, five and six. I kept two traps for the front of my
house. One was reserved for Junior who was instead taken to North
Shore Animal Hospital by his part-time human and escaped in the
parking lot. That's another post, asking for purrs for him.

The second trap was reserved for Baby, a little girl who hangs out
near the front of my house. Baby wouldn't go in the trap as of Sunday.
I was inside the house last night when I heard the trap snap shut, and
it was a black cat that I didn't recognize, then I realized it must be
Shave, a part-time resident of a neighbor. I called, asked if they had
Shave inside, and was told that he had just gone out. Well then,
should I get him neutered? Sure. So he became number seven.

This morning baby came around for food and again wouldn't go in the
trap but I had woken up an hour before normal in order to take care of
the seven cats lined up in the traps in my garage and wasn't taking no
for an answer. So I put on thick gloves, put some food out, picked her
up when she came to eat and just put her into the trap. Now I have all
eight.

I missed two more. One is a beautiful grey cat, almost certainly the
offspring of Smokey, one of the trapped cats. The other is the mother
of several of those young cats and didn't show up. They're both in my
sights for next time.

My biggest concern is how to get some of them adopted. I'll check with
the feral cat folks who I've been leaning on for advice. I can guess
pretty much by the way the cats behave in the traps which ones would
be good pets. Those would be the ones interested in their surroundings
and looking at me, rather than the ones hiding in the back of the
traps.

It took me an hour to clean the traps this morning, feed them, and
replace a few of the sheet covers that got "soiled" during the night.
I'm sure I'll have a few surprises when I get home tonight.

That's it. It was a huge amount of work but I know the cats will be
better for it, as will be the neighborhood.