Movin On with Nellie: Insomnia used for good works
As an insomniac and animal lover, I welcomed duties during sleepless nights. I was up for the task, I thought, of catching the happy creatures visiting my yard.
Blue ribbon awards need to be doled out to all the volunteers of Cats Alive SLV! With their direction, we planned the intervention of cats multiplying by starting with the 15-and-counting cat colony. Leaving the cages baited but not set for a couple weeks allowed kittens and adult ferals to become comfortable with the new addition to the yard. I checked on the cats in the night and would spot them lounging in the traps, on top of them, and beside them. Their bright eyes would stare at my flash-light beam as it circled the yard. Reporting their comfort to the team, we soon moved to step two.
Preparation for step two included making appointments with Monte Vista Animal Clinic owned by Dr. W. Deal and managed by Carla Taylor. Michele Wayland, the president of Cats Alive SLV collected the feral cat submissions and allocated funds earmarked for feral spay and neutering. Delivering food, and cages earlier, another Cats Alive SLV volunteer, Marge, now supplied sheets to spread across the traps which calm the stressed felines when the trap is triggered. As I step toward the cage, the kitten meows in angry notes until the bedding falls down around him.
The test for me was the listening for the snapped trap and securing the little client. The morning hours brought two young adults in. Midday, Marge arrived to transport the two first, then returned when more were in the wire cages. Before sunset, the felines in cages are moved one at a time to a covered garage. Overnight, a thick blanket covered the cages as 80-degree Fahrenheit dropped to 55.
Come morning, the ones captured are loaded onto the transport vehicle and delivered to the veterinarian clinic. At the same time, the empty cages are reloaded with fresh canned pate. Then, on the day after surgeries and first inoculations, the cats are returned to the initial site for release. Marge places the cages gently on the ground. She slowly lifts the covering from the entry and reveals a timid tabby. She inches the sheet across so as to encourage the feline to exit. Suddenly, the kitten darts out of the cage and speeds across the yard and to its safe hedges.
Cats Alive SLV is on the web at: https://www.catsaliveslv.com/default.html. The organization is reachable through Facebook, too: https://www.facebook.com/FeralFriendsSLV/ According to Cats Alive SLV, “. . . sterilization is the most important factor in controlling breeding cat populations, thereby reducing needless suffering and supporting a community that is compassionate and responsible to its feline residents.” Their goal is to end unintended litters and insure that every feline in the Valley is spayed or neutered and cared for – be it a friendly stray, abandoned pet cat or feral, barn cat. If you have questions, would like to donate or volunteer, call 719-298-7028 or email [email protected]
Kudos to Cats Alive SLV!
—Nelda Curtiss is a retired college professor who enjoys writing and fine arts. Contact her at [email protected]