Project TNR is in effect.

This kitten did not stay with us till winter.
But the other three have survived as feral cats.

Our feral cats are all grey and white, I have a hard time differentiate some of them.




My next door neighbor has registered our cats as a feral colony.  She has completed the training session and is now eligible to Trap, Neuter, and Release the members of the colony.  Our secret desire is that once the cats spend time indoors (post trap and post Neuter) they will come to appreciate the indoor life and become adoptable.  But if rehab does not work at least we know that their life on the streets will be fated to only the current generation.Unfortunately the mission has been escalated by the big belly of one of our kitties.  She is going to have to receive a procedure before there are more kitties. 

The trap arrived...we set it up on my front porch step.  Laced with Tuna and Catnip the whole colony showed up.  A couple of them are friendly enough with my neighbor that she can pet them but they will not let me touch them.  Being as my presence was keeping them at arms length I went inside, keeping an eye on the trap.  We didn't want to trap one of the other cats and have them develop a fear of the trap.  Their spaying/neuter appointments are not for a couple more weeks.  But as fate would have it these were the ones who were checking out the trap and trying to figure it out,  Ms. Preggo was nowhere in sight  We decided to move the trap to my backyard Ms Preggo  frequent that area more often than the others.

At around 10PM I looked out the back door, the reflection in the glass made it hard to be sure but I thought Ms Preggo was in the trap, I opened the back door and Ms. Preggo bolted out of the trap.  I'm not sure if she does not weigh enough to set of the spring or if she had not been all the way inside. 

I went back inside and at about 1AM as I was about to go to bed I checked the trap for the last time before taking it in (we don't want to leave a cat trapped overnight).  The trap had worked, hissing and spitting was a big grey and white cat.  This handsome fellow I am pretty sure belongs to a neighbor.  Although he has not collar he is a well groomed longhair which is unlikely to be a feral...and for sure not Ms Preggo.  So I released him.

The next night was pouring rain, I had not witnessed any visits to the trap all evening, before going to bed I took the trap in and returned it to my neighbor in the morning.  It was then that we noticed that the Tuna was gone....she thinks a squirrel ate the tuna, I am having concerns about this trap.  We will keep on trying.

I hope my tiny winy little wish to see a litter of wobbly baby kittens has not been picked up by the gods and acted upon.