Thursday morning started at 6am. I was up late talking to Meg, a long time trapper who's experience and intuition I trust. I'd called her when I got home to see if there was any thing else I could have done to get mom. She concurred, we tried everything we could. I was tired but got up quickly, knowing we still didn't have homes for 5 of the 10 cats we'd trapped. Still hoping for a miracle, otherwise we wouldn't have scheduled them for their surgeries, but thinking I'd have to make a decision within a couple of hours. Which cats were going to be killed.
Kallie named the cats. It was hard for her. Naming anything brings attachment. She knew 5 of them didn't have any place to go. When I dropped her off, her job was to write the trap labels with names and descriptions - a necessary part of clinic. She named them all after greek gods and goddesses.
I picked Kallie and the 2 cats up and we drove to the apartment. It was dark both inside and out. It was time. A decision had to be made. It was mine to make. I wouldn't put that on anyone. I couldn't believe I was having to make that decision. I'm not cut out for this. I know someone has to do it and that our presence with these cats made a good difference in many of their lives but overall - I'll never work a house with multiple cats again. I rarely say never because you just never know but in this case, I know. I respect and deeply appreciate those that do it. Because of the work involved, not the trapping, that's nothing. It's the emotional toll, the outreach to find homes, the expense trying to help medically and the moneys that need to be donated to places that take them but mostly because some of the cats are so sick that there isn't enough money to pay to help them get well or just plain because there is no place for them and they have to be put to death. All cats cannot be saved. No Kill is a myth. No Kill shelters get full, easily. Many are like sanctuaries that adopt. They can't take in any more cats than they have room for so there is no such thing as No Kill. I'm not justifying my actions. The decision I was going to have to make. What I would like to do is make you understand, the you that will condem us forever because we 'killed cats'....... You take them. You do something other than cast stones. Understand. Understand that as horrible as it is, it's a decision that has to be made and don't condom those people who are willing to make that decision..... In the case of hoarders, we had it easy in that Henry's.. It stunk but we didn't have to walk in feces. Think of the houses you hear about that have carpets of fecal matter to walk through in addition to the smell. People who help the cats of hoarders are special.
So, there we were, standing over the 10 traps. It was time. Our hearts were in our throats, tears were close, sometimes filling over. The cats were quiet. We'd left them a small amount of food that they hadn't touched. We picked the 3 cats going to TAILS by the amount of gook in their eyes or if they sneezed. Tails volunteered to take the sick ones. It was time. I picked one. Kallie named the cat Kalliopi, her name. She was in the other room. I called to her that I was renaming Kalliopi. She was the first one I picked. She was beautiful - a long haired silver grey tabby like Lynx and Sister Mary Francesca but she was the most skiddish when being trapped and seemingly unlikely for socialization. I picked 2 more, not as sure about their decision. The phone rang. Fenini, who I'd re-called the previous day, called. It was 8am - it was a miracle. Who calls someone they hardly know at 8am? It was a miracle. She thought she could find a home for the 5 cats. She talked about more, about a newspaper reporter doing an article on ferals in their neighborhood, and more but I was only half listening - WE DIDN'T HAVE TO KILL THE CATS! Oh my God. Kallie and I hugged and cried.
We attached their labels, removed the food and water bowls and loaded Sue's car - thank you for lending us your vehicle Sue - and we were off to Treehouse. We were about 1/2 hour late but we were there and all the cats were coming back with us. You can imagine our joy.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Henry's Cats - Five to go ????
Thursday morning started at 6am. I was up late talking to Meg, a long time trapper who's experience and intuition I trust. I'd called her when I got home to see if there was any thing else I could have done to get mom. She concurred, we tried everything we could. I was tired but got up quickly, knowing we still didn't have homes for 5 of the 10 cats we'd trapped. Still hoping for a miracle, otherwise we wouldn't have scheduled them for their surgeries, but thinking I'd have to make a decision within a couple of hours. Which cats were going to be killed.
Kallie named the cats. It was hard for her. Naming anything brings attachment. She knew 5 of them didn't have any place to go. When I dropped her off, her job was to write the trap labels with names and descriptions - a necessary part of clinic. She named them all after greek gods and goddesses.
I picked Kallie and the 2 cats up and we drove to the apartment. It was dark both inside and out. It was time. A decision had to be made. It was mine to make. I wouldn't put that on anyone. I couldn't believe I was having to make that decision. I'm not cut out for this. I know someone has to do it and that our presence with these cats made a good difference in many of their lives but overall - I'll never work a house with multiple cats again. I rarely say never because you just never know but in this case, I know. I respect and deeply appreciate those that do it. Because of the work involved, not the trapping, that's nothing. It's the emotional toll, the outreach to find homes, the expense trying to help medically and the moneys that need to be donated to places that take them but mostly because some of the cats are so sick that there isn't enough money to pay to help them get well or just plain because there is no place for them and they have to be put to death. All cats cannot be saved. No Kill is a myth. No Kill shelters get full, easily. Many are like sanctuaries that adopt. They can't take in any more cats than they have room for so there is no such thing as No Kill. I'm not justifying my actions. The decision I was going to have to make. What I would like to do is make you understand, the you that will condem us forever because we 'killed cats'....... You take them. You do something other than cast stones. Understand. Understand that as horrible as it is, it's a decision that has to be made and don't condom those people who are willing to make that decision..... In the case of hoarders, we had it easy in that Henry's.. It stunk but we didn't have to walk in feces. Think of the houses you hear about that have carpets of fecal matter to walk through in addition to the smell. People who help the cats of hoarders are special.
So, there we were, standing over the 10 traps. It was time. Our hearts were in our throats, tears were close, sometimes filling over. The cats were quiet. We'd left them a small amount of food that they hadn't touched. We picked the 3 cats going to TAILS by the amount of gook in their eyes or if they sneezed. Tails volunteered to take the sick ones. It was time. I picked one. Kallie named the cat Kalliopi, her name. She was in the other room. I called to her that I was renaming Kalliopi. She was the first one I picked. She was beautiful - a long haired silver grey tabby like Lynx and Sister Mary Francesca but she was the most skiddish when being trapped and seemingly unlikely for socialization. I picked 2 more, not as sure about their decision. The phone rang. Fenini, who I'd re-called the previous day, called. It was 8am - it was a miracle. Who calls someone they hardly know at 8am? It was a miracle. She thought she could find a home for the 5 cats. She talked about more, about a newspaper reporter doing an article on ferals in their neighborhood, and more but I was only half listening - WE DIDN'T HAVE TO KILL THE CATS! Oh my God. Kallie and I hugged and cried.
We attached their labels, removed the food and water bowls and loaded Sue's car - thank you for lending us your vehicle Sue - and we were off to Treehouse. We were about 1/2 hour late but we were there and all the cats were coming back with us. You can imagine our joy.
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