Rounding up cats
This week I had announced to students I had a grant which allowed 50 cats to get spayed/neutered for free to those who had unfixed pets. Within 2 days I had 41 cats on my list and made appointments for them all. In order to be sure they brought their pets in I offered to have them meet me before I left work and I would personally bring them in to the vets on my way home. Many don't have cars so I picked some up too the following evening and returned them to school the day after. You now get the idea of the logistical nightmare as I made appointments for up to six cats daily and had to remember who had what cat, cat's names and their ages. I took 27 in this past week and will bring in the remaining ones next week. On top of that , the SPCA is also offering to fix strays and ferals for those rescues who can round them up. I'm not involved with that portion but am involved with the rescue that is bringing them in and helping with co-ordinating. I am so mind boggled this week that I think my brain can only hold so much info and I can't remember anything else such as dates of my furkids birthday. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed driving with a car full of meowling kitties who sound like the jingle bell cats..probably left other drivers wondering who that strange person who was driving by herself was laughing.  |
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| Wow, Good for you. That's such a huge job. Congratulations. You deserve it. |
| You are truly something else Marianne. |
| That is still one of my favorite commercials of all time.. I tend to still use that expression a lot when trying to coordinate/ organize anything with my 9th grade students... "Argghh it's just like herding cats!" lol I can only imagine the chaos of trying to organize an event like that but what a great opportunity you were able to offer for the pets of the families in your community! Congratulations!!! |
| EDS had their HQ just across town. Now it is part of HP. The commercial was best thing EDS has done. Marianne, you are a marvel. |
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What an awesome program...and great you were able to help your students get their cats in and back home again.  LOL, and the meowling...wow! I can just imagine. Good thing it wasn't summer and you were driving around with your windows open. You would have really gotten people's attention! |
| Thanks everyone for the comments. I wrote a big sign with the future numbers saved and held it up as the visual was something I hoped would make an impact. They say an unfixed cat can have the potential to have 1800 offspring within a year and a half (Meaning the original cat who keeps producing and her offspring which can produce at 6 months and those offspring) A cat can get pregnant while still nursing her kittens and the cycle continues with a mother cat who may have numerous litters and an unfixed male who may impregnate several females). I found two families (one had 6 unfixed cats in the same household and none were fixed!) The other family had 3 cats , 2 were 6 month old babies from their Mama Cat who was now pregnant and about to give birth to her 4th litter and the Mama was just under 2 yrs old. Gasp! The mom cat gave birth to kittens as her two older babies had their appointment. The dad wanted to "get rid of the stupid cat as she keeps getting pregant". Ummmm (reserving comment here cause it's a family friendly site). :O) In a nutshell, I asked if the organization I volunteer for could have the kittens when Mama weaned them, get the Mama spayed and returned. They agreed. Both the daughter and mother want to keep the cat and felt that would appease the dad finally. The other family with the six cats , 3 males and 3 females all living under the same roof - they agreed to turn over two of their male kitties - one is six months and the other 3 and 1/2 months . Their appointment is on Friday. In order for all to make their appointments and fufill their commitments I personally picked them all up (which is why I had those meowling kitties in my car). I explained to the kids that the latest newspaper story said there as 150,000 cats turned into the shelters last year and only 60,000 found homes. These stats were from the larger government run shelters and not the smaller non profit , which also were flooded with cats. The larger ones euthanize. 41 cats fixed or will be by Friday in the last 2 wks....multiplied by 1800 (potential future offspring) totaled 73,800 (that's the sign I held up). The numbers are mind boggling and I told the students that even if they didn't like cats or preferred dogs or bunnies. That this astonishing number would have a trickle down effect on them as well as the shelters only have so much money and never enough homes. This hopefully would have an impact on shelters in the local area within a years time and people who may have taken in their kittens will now possibly go to a shelter to adopt one. Hopefully they will all remember this. I'm not patting my back (but thanks for the nice comments) as I'm coming from a foster standpoint and this is the only time I've had an opportunity to take part in something like this and I was motivated!!!! After this weekend I'm gonna crash and hug my own furkids. |
| Whew all finished!!!! Good thing, as I wouldn't have been able to keep up that pace past that point. In the end, I brought in 48 cats in 2 weeks and now will hug all my furkids as they didn't get the extra time with me but I promised them I'd make it up to them. Merlin, Panda and Snoop got left over perogies that I was too tired to eat last night, but it made them happy! Another 2 wks and I'll be off for Springbreak! I'll be counting the days and will be more excited than the kids when school closes for that time. Yipiiiiiiiii! |
That is incredible  Wonderful job!!!!! |
Awww shucks Dawn.  Oh one more thing to share as it's rather special The family will six cats signed release forms to turn over two of the cats to the rescue. They'd be with me for a day or two before being tranferred into a permanent foster and then adopted into a forever home. Although one was six months and the other 3 months - neither had a name. That's the age the woman told me but I think they were actually 10 months and 5 months - super cute boys. I named one Joey and his little half sibling Stanley. I next visited the woman who enters all the cats in the data base and told her the kitties names." Sorry Stanely is taken by at least 10 previous cats. You need something different and unique," she told me. I wracked my brain but each name I suggested already was taken. It's important as the co-ordinators/volunteers need to know what cat/kitten someone is talking about- thus the unique or not commonly used names. Once they get adopted it doesn't matter what the adopters change the name to as it's easy for them to keep track of their cat...ha ha. Imagine the hundreds that come into rescue's care - everything from meds/innoculations /worming has to be entered in a data base in case they get transferred. Volunteers need to know which cat another volunteer is talking about. Then it dawned on me - the shelter closest to this area is so overwhelmed by strays that it has a trickle effect on all the other animals - is the shelter where Gilligan came from. I chose the name Gilligan for this little guy and in honor of my boy. That name was perfect she told me as it was one that had never been chosen. for a kitten in that organization. Good news too as the foster co-ordinator picked them up from my house, the following day they were seen online and adopted together!!! |
| Such good news about the newly adopted. You really are an angel and to add Cat Herder to your resume is a plus. Keep up the great work, we're proud of you Marianne! |
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