Mama’s Home

Almost four months ago, my neighbor was helping me catch some of the strays in the area. She noticed the kittens from Spumoni’s latest litter and wanted to see if I could catch them for rescuing. Since the shelter seemed to discourage me when I last brought in a cat with the whole “they’re strays and allowed to roam free” line, I was worried we wouldn’t be able to take the kittens there this time around. Thanks to Dorothy those kittens were rescued and put up for adoption. We also caught Harpo, one of Spumoni’s kittens from the previous summer. We thought Harpo was a girl and that was the main reason to catch “her” before she was old enough to get pregnant. Turns out, he is a he and also too feral to be adopted. He’s never been really mean to me. Spumoni either. But then what can ya really know when the only contact is through a screen door when I put plates out or talk to them. Anywho, he was fixed and released here, well in our yard.
 
I’ve been trying to catch Spumoni for years. She was always so small and kept getting pregnant. I thought if we could catch her and took her to the shelter, she might be spared that over and over again even if she wasn’t adoptable. But she never let me lure her in like the others. I almost didn’t bother trying until Dorothy showed up and encouraged me to try again. I got really lucky one day. I used my big carrier like I’ve always done. So Dorothy and her friend had to transfer her into one of their cages at Dorothy’s friend’s house and, unfortunately, Spumoni escaped their grasp. Mom and I were so worried for her, lost in some foreign neighborhood with possibly no food source. Yes, I know it’s ridiculous. Strays know how to find food one way or another or move on to where they can. But day after day, Dorothy said they were unable to find her. I felt horrible. We caught her for nothing…..
 
As it turns out…. Spumoni was hiding under the house next to Dorothy’s friend. That neighbor feeds strays too. Just leaves bowls of it out. Spumoni was well fed there and sheltered under the house. Well enough to get pregnant again…. Seven kittens this time around! Yikes! Poor lil mama. Thankfully, they caught her and some of the kittens already. She’s home now. She’s been spayed, tested clean, flea prevention dosed, and vaccinated. She’s not exactly happy yet as she’s still in one of their trap/cages on my porch. But as she was operated on late tonight we thought it best to limit her movement for a while. An old sheet off my bed has been draped over the cage to provide my familiar scent. And while I know she’ll bolt as soon as she’s released….I hope she like Harpo won’t take too long to forgive us. I’m just glad she’s back home and safe from getting pregnant. We really did miss her. I wish we didn’t get so attached to these strays. I still think about and miss the ones we left in Norwalk.