The Unwelcome Visitor

Yesterday while I was washing dishes. I looked out the window. I have a pretty clear view of the cats inside the enclosure. I noticed Ashley was sitting on one of the platforms. She didn’t look right to me. Her head was cocked down, and she was intently staring at something. Most of my cats will alert to even the tiniest ants, and they will go for the kill almost every time. Same goes for spiders and flies or anything that enters their domain.

There was something different about her behavior. She wasn’t attacking whatever she was focused on. Instead, she was watching very carefully. I could see this pretty large insect advancing on her and as it advanced on her, she would quickly back up. A few days ago, I realize that we have an underground yellowjacket nest on the other side of where our spirit tree used to be. I was concerned that it was a yellowjacket and she was going to get stung.

I quickly went outside, grabbing a long-handled hammer on the way. When I got into the cat enclosure I could see this big black insect. It seemed to be chasing her...

I quickly walked over and looked and saw the unmistakable red hourglass indicative of a black widow. Ashley had already vacated the platform. I took the hammer and I smashed this invader.

I have seen black widows here before, but generally, they are in the woodpiles, or the firewood. I’ve never seen one inside the cat enclosure. I checked Ashley up and down to make sure that she hadn’t been bitten and she showed no signs of it. She was acting perfectly normal. I am grateful that she had her survival instinct, fully engaged. This could’ve gone very badly for both of us.

Just to be on the safe side I kept a watch over her for a few hours and saw no symptoms. No tremors, no paralysis, no diarrhea, no vomiting this morning. She is alert and happy and alive and I’m grateful that I chose that certain time of the morning to wash my dishes.

Back in Cascadia Park

This morning, Kota and I went up on the mountain to Cascadia Park. It’s an amazing place. Very quiet and secluded. They have an unfenced dog park tucked  in the back, so we decided to check that out. You can see by the photos how it’s laid out. Kota was the only dog there.

Being up here with him off leash, it quickly became apparent that I need to work with him on his obedience skills. He does have obedience training. However, the inability for me to work with him in the last three years really shows. Once he gets on a scent, or he sees a chipmunk, squirrel or rabbit, all his focus goes not on me but on the animals. 

I’m so grateful that part of my training him included not chasing wildlife. We have a lot of wildlife in our backyard. However, we do not have rabbits; that was a new one for him. Thankfully, he obeyed me, but I could see him quivering. His actions spoke clearly to me: “ Mom! Let me go. I want to chase!” I am grateful that, despite the fact that I haven’t worked with him on a daily basis in so long, he did behave himself.

I was so excited yesterday: I almost made a fist with my right hand! Two of my fingers appear to have a mind of their own. They are moving over, not allowing me to make a full fist, but it is so much better than it was right after the surgery. Even better than it was a month ago. I believe my therapist has a lot to do with it. She has me doing bicep curls with 5 pound weights, one in each hand. The first time I tried it, it was dismal. I couldn’t even lift my left arm up past my waist. She just keeps encouraging me and telling me that it will get better. She is thinking about releasing me from therapy in two weeks. I have promised her I will continue all the exercises at home until I am able to again reached the top shelves of my cupboards. Her next challenge is a bit daunting. She wants me to start washing my walls. Not that they don’t need them, but I still will not be able to do the entire wall. I’m still trying to get behind the wheel of my truck. That is still quite a ways away I’m afraid.

Well, the bus has arrived to pick us up. This park is only 25 minutes from my home. It was just so nice to escape, for even just a little while.

Mamacita and Family

I grew quite concerned when I lost sight of Mamacita. She has been gone for quite awhile. A few days ago I found her in the barn with her family. She has thrown four kittens: two Siamese, one mackerel tabby, and one tuxedo. Her mackerel tabby baby is quite unique. She is pure black, but you can see the mackerel stripes on her when you get up close and personal. She’s a good mom. She’s very protective. She drops her guard if I give her a few Temptations treats to distract her. All the kittens are female.

When she disappeared, I assumed she was nesting, preparing to have her kittens. When she didn’t reappear in an appropriate time, I was afraid something might’ve happened to her and the family. We have a very nasty male coon running around and he is so brazen that he will dart behind my wooden fence hissing and growling at me. If I pass the side of the fence - he charges the fence! 

I’ve had a lot of coons on my property over the years, but not one like this. This boy really scares me. Nothing appears to faze him, not bright lights, nor loud music playing. Not even an airhorn will scare him away. Worried that he might’ve gotten her during such a vulnerable time, I was so relieved to see her and see her babies.

My friend Bethany has a cat-rescue on the coast. She’s coming tomorrow to pick up the family and take them with her. I called in a few favors with her and she was kind enough to agree to take them, and get mom spayed when it’s time. Once the kittens are also spayed, she will find wonderful loving homes for them. She’s been doing this more years than I have.

Her rescue is quite unique. I met her years ago. She lets her cats free-roam; no cages in her sanctuary except in the hospital and the nursery.

This will allow me to concentrate on getting better. I only have three more weeks of physical therapy before they say if I’m ready to be released. Sure hoping I can drive soon.

I am going to use the same technique that I did with Mamacito to capture Scribbles. Scribbs is still hiding from me. Just trying to get  a photo of her is extremely challenging.

Our Hike in the Mountains

Tuesday was so nice. The bus took Kota and me up to Cascadia Park up on the mountain. We spent three hours up there. It was my first time at this park. I tried to get up to the falls that they have there which I hear are absolutely glorious. But early on, I realize there were too many trip-factors on the trail. So we just turned around and walked the park. I can’t afford to fall again. My doctor recently told me that if I fall one more time, I’m going to break my hip and I’ll be dead in a year. That was pretty daunting to hear.

We met some really cool people up there. One of the women I met Tuesday is a ranger up there; I asked her if they had a dog-park because Cascadia is a huge park. She said they did and she told me where it was, but my bus was coming in a half an hour so she was kind enough to allow Kota and me into her golf cart. She drove us to this dog park, and it is so nice. It’s big. It’s full of trees and it’s a huge field, with There’s no fences or anything. It’s just tucked in the back of this park, and it is amazing. Next time I go back, it’s where we’re going to be spending most of our time. 

It was so funny though, because Kota did not fit in the passenger seat of the golf cart. He had to stay between my legs, and I had my leg wrapped around him so that he wouldn’t fall out when we were turning corners. But he was a champ. The woman was even amazed that he was so well behaved.

One of my friends gave me as an early birthday gift: a backpack for Kota. Now, when we go out on our walks, I don’t have to carry a purse, or his treats. Everything goes into the backpack. Kota doesn’t seem bothered by it, either.

Kota is so tired. So am I. Kota isn’t the only one who had a full day yesterday. I am pretty tired as well. In more ways than one.

Cats, and What Needs To Be Done

Scribbles has been here for over a year now. Initially, I assumed she was a he. (I was mistaken.) I saw her for the first time clearly last week. She is either heavily pregnant, or carrying a full load of parasites. (I am hoping for the latter).

Scribbles always appears with a second cat. Both of them are marble tabbies. They appear to be the same age. When Mamacita had her litter last year, she had eight kittens - these two, I believe, are the only ones that are here. I haven’t seen Mamacita in about three weeks. I assume she’s somewhere adding to her family.

As far as I know, I have no tomcats anymore in my clowder. I suspect that he is crossing over the highway to get to these females.

I feel a little bit helpless at this point. Even if I could manage the traps and get them in, financially I just can’t afford the outrageous prices that the vets are charging right now for the neuters/spays.

Last week I went and saw my surgeon. I’ve developed further issues with my right hand. I am looking at a second surgery (this time only on my hand) to correct the issue. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to this. However, having four trigger fingers that misfire at every opportunity. I know I have to go through this surgery.

Thankfully, this one is done in the office with only a local. That makes it a bit easier to handle. It does make me inwardly cringe because they put a steroid shot in my hand on the last visit. I embarrassed myself by screaming so loud. The doctor told me that he’s had some of his patients faint, even throw-up. He said he’ll take my reaction any day. I’m glad he’s happy about it. Wish I could say the same.

Cricket (above) and Flash (below)

Gibby (left) and Flash (right)

Pigeon

PITA

Twist (left) and Kota (right), best friends

The Elusive Mother-to-Be

This is as close as I get to Scribbles much of the time.

My Male Cat Is Pregnant

My male cat is pregnant. It is a trap that a lot of us who rescued stray and feral cats fall into every once in a while. When we see a cat who is eluding us purposely. It’s sometimes tough to sex them from afar. With tomcats, it’s relatively easy because sometimes as they’re running from us, we can see that they are very well endowed. Or we can see the furry fuzzy face and the big cheeky jowls, which set tomcats apart. Often if you look at the color of an orange cat, you can tell if it’s male or female. There are some crossbreeds that if you look at the face, you could tell by how it’s patterned. But sometimes we get it wrong. This time I got it wrong.

She is heavy with kittens. I sat down last night and really thought about it. I am about to break the very rule that I have lived with for so long. The one where I preach spay and neuter to the skies. I am going to allow this girl to have her kittens. In doing so - since Mamacita is also pregnant - there’s going to be a lot of kittens this year.

In the situation, I’m in right now with my health, with all the restrictions I have on what I can and can’t do, I think that it’s best for me to let these two girls have their families. Hopefully by then, I will be able to do what needs to be done to bring the kittens to health and to spay and neuter all the families. However, right now it’s just not possible.

Most of the traps I’ve had for years some of them donated are all beat up. Feral cats trapped inside of a trap for longer than 24 hours can get very active to try to get out. I did manage to buy some new traps recently. However, when I started putting them out to trap the cats to get them spay and neutered, it wasn’t working out very easily for me.

So I have to be realistic. I am still wrestling with the fact that I’m breaking everything I’ve always believed in. There are too many kittens out in the world. But again under the circumstances, I have to take care of myself because if something more happens to me, where am I going to end up and what happens to all my cats?

I am really praying that the other strays here that I couldn’t trap in time to get them fixed are also boys. That was my guess when they were all living back by the creek and I could only see them with binoculars. I heard the other day that they’ve come up with a spay and neuter powder for lions in a rescue facility. I’m thinking that if they can do it for lions, why can’t they do it for cats? It’s a feedthrough powder that you mix with their food works great. It sterilizes all the males and prevents the females from giving birth.

How nice that would be, and how less expensive it would be for everyone who tries to make a dent in the population of cats here in their own backyard.

Wishing all the moms and single moms out there a happy Mother’s Day. May we not only have peace in our hearts, but also in our world very soon.