Congratulations to Beryl Acosta who won a free outdoor shelter for their colony cats and a bottle of Feral Flower Essence from FixNation board member Jackson Galaxy’s Spirit Essences line through FixNation’s National Feral Cat Day story competition!
About 5 years ago my elderly neighbor, Alice, had been feeding cats that would come around. One day she told me that a Mom-Cat had emerged from under a bush in her garden with 4 little kittens. That is the beginning of my adventure into the world of TNR and the feral cats I have come to love so much. Since that time, Alice no longer is able to feed or water the cats, so guess where they moved! Right over the wall to my backyard!
My sister, Vivien, who is a TNR chick from way back in her well-colonized community of Garden Grove told me what I need to do and how to do it.
In the meantime, while on our walks around our neighborhood, my husband and I had noticed a sizable group of young cats around the corner from us. In my ignorance, I called the Animal Shelter quite a few times to report the situation. Got no help at all. One day, an agent was visiting my next door neighbors with dogs that needed licenses.
So as she was about to get back in her truck, I thought I would ask her about the cat situation around the corner. I basically learned from her and subsequently from other Shelter agents that they were by law not allowed to tell me how to get community cats fixed. Something about the Injunction by the Audubon Society?, (But here’s the best part), she went back to her truck and came back to me with, can you believe it? a FixNation flyer!!!
The rest is history, you might say. Since then, I have trapped, neutered, and released 40 cats! Many have gone there various ways to who knows where, hopefully safe, sound, and happy. Some have been killed by who knows what or hit by cars. Some have become beloved friends that like to hang around but are free to go if they wish.
The greatest triumph of all, as some of you at FixNation might remember is when, quite by surprise one night, the elusive, all-too-productive Mom-Cat walked into my set trap. Without an appointment you folks understood what a challenge she had been through the years and to have her fixed at last was indeed a miracle. She doesn’t come around anymore but I wish her well in her new role.
Thank you FixNation! You are too wonderful for words!
