Savannah's Paw Tracks

Autobiography of a Former Shelter Cat

Archive for the category “TNR”

10 Aug 2020
20 Comments

Cat Colony Nipped!

HIYA!!   SAVANNAH HERE!!!

I know I have mentioned our new foster kitten, Pipsqueak aka Pip (to family and furriends) and how he came to be with us.  He was one of the first of seven kittens that we trapped for TNR. As you know from my post, he is no way “feral” and now ready for adoption.

That said, Mom L and Dad P and I have been relentless in helping residents in our city with making sure this “little” colony of eleven cats/kittens doesn’t get any bigger!!

Check out this darling little family, relaxing in the backyard of the resident who had been so diligent and accommodating in helping us TNR as many as we can.

We had our work cut out for us. We originally found four residents who were feeding this cute little GROWING family. All have been on board in helping us trap over the last seven weeks.

And we have success!! So far no pregnant females. We have TNR’d three adult males, and three kitten males and one female kitten. We have socialized one male kitten, our sweet new foster kitten Pipsqueak, now ready for his forever home and adoption!

Here are the kitties we have helped to control this growing cat colony. Our greatest challenge is trapping and spaying the mom cat, we have named Marmee. She is very trap savvy.

First up is Bruiser! No on told us about this big “bad boy” until he became the one and only we trapped in our first night trapping. Totally awesome, handsome mancat; not longer able to produce kittens!!

Bruiser’s release

Next up: Rocky kitten who was very vocal in his protest at being trapped!!

Rocky release

Next up, dear sweet Uncle George, Marmee’s kitten from last year.

George’s release

Then we trapped Kong!! Marmee’s son from last year! What a big guy!!

Kong’s release

We trapped Ringo same night we caught Kong. You can see he has the same trap injury to his sweet nose. Sadly that happens sometimes and our darling foster Pipsqueak is only just able to start regrowing his furrs from a similar injury.

Ringo release

Our last kitten trapped was a girl!! Darling Ellie, named by the family’s son where they all hang out. She was simply too old at this point to socialize. Sadly we had to release her just today.

Ellie’s release

We hope to trap two more this week. Marmee, the mom cat, may be ongoing challenge so wish us good fortune!!

Let us know in comments how you manage your challenges in trapping a very trap savvy kitty!!

PAW PATS, SAVANNAH

Pee Ess…please share our foster Pipsqueak to help us help him find his forever home. I would appreciate it it you will grab the badge below and SHARE SHARE SHARE all over the world to help bring Pip the pawsitive energy he will need to find his forever home. We have treated his right eye for the infection but it is taking a while to fully recover. He has no loss of sight in that eye, but we know it shows as less bright than his left eye. We fear no one will want this sweetie as he is “less than” purrfect. Please, please help us help him find his forever home. More about Pip later.

 

 

Posted in Community Cats, Feral Kitten Rescue, foster kitties, TNR and tagged , ,
22 Jun 2020
12 Comments

TNR during Covid19: Another story

HIYA!!   SAVANNAH HERE!

I just know my readers are going to be innerested in the work Mom L and Dad P and I have been doing through our Project Delta View Cats (PDVC) group. You know I posted about our efforts to rescue kittens, spay mom cats, while our municipal shelter remains in modified shut down.

We received a distressed request from residents in our city of Pittsburg, CA about a mom cat and her one baby they had just started feeding in their apartment complex. They asked if we could possible help them get mom cat and kitten trapped and spayed/neutered and then coach them about how to try to socialize both mom cat and kitten!! We were on board for sure!!

Mom cat and kitten were living in a tiny crawl space under one of the apartment buildings, right next to the loudest air conditioning units you can imagine. Those units a clear in the video above.

The residents were able to trap the kitten, and then use the kitten’s cries to entice mom cat into a trap. YAY!! Now we are able to help both of them.

She appears to be a lynx point type Siamese kitty. The surgery clinic believed she is only about eight to ten months old herself. She weighed about five pounds.

The residents named mom cat “Conchita” and the kitten “Tomas”. In the photo above Conchita is safe back from her spay surgery and as you can see, she is very scared.

Tomas on the other paw, within two days of being brought inside and after his own surgery, was happy to receive a very gentle ear cleaning and mani pedi—after which he fell asleep in one of his human’s arms.

Tomas settled in quickly and he is warming up to his foster humans. All he needs is time.

He is learning to play and get comfortable with being held.

Tomas still wanted to nurse on Conchita yet he is fully weaned. It is clear that Conchita is a very comforting and caring mom cat. She allowed Tomas to nurse whenever he wanted and she just fell asleep!!

The story of Conchita and Tomas is far from over. We still need to support the new fosters in trying to socialize Conchita. It will be a very sad day if the fosters must release her. She is so young and so precious.

As for Tomas, even if the fosters are not able to adopt him, he will certainly have a forever home just for him.

Please, during this pandemic, remember all those cat rescues who are dedicated to saving as many mom cats and kittens as possible during this trying kitten season, consider fostering or at least donating to your local TNR groups.

MORE PURR, LESS HISS!

PAW PATS, SAVANNAH

 

 

Posted in Community Cats, Feral Kitten Rescue, foster kitties, Project Delta View Cats, TNR and tagged , ,
18 May 2020
10 Comments

TNR during COVID 19 is challenging

HIYA!!   SAVANNAH HERE!!!

I know some of my readers are active in doing Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) in their local areas in the USA. I sure do hope some will leave comments about how they are able to keep doing this work during this COVID 19 pandemic.

As for our Project Delta View Cats, our work has been cut back to doing very little on the targeted TNR side. Our challenge is two fold. First, it is no longer possible for us to continue to canvas neighborhoods, door to door, during this time to try to find where abandoned community cats are being fed in our targeted neighborhoods. Even wearing a mask doesn’t encourage anyone to open their door for us to talk with them. Secondarily, most spay/neuter municipal clinics are closed and only recently did our local non-profit owned clinic open on a limited basis.

All this at the very moment we are ready for kitten season. A perfect storm is brewing.

Nonetheless, we can respond to humans who contact us for help. You already know about our efforts to get sweet Cleopatra and darling Sweet Baby Girl help.

Cleopatra was found abandoned at a marina colony near us. She is now in her forever home with one of our volunteers.

You also know about Baby Girl, abandoned in a residential area in our marina. Remember she had four kittens and suffered a broken front leg.

A growing concern for us is emerging as we are learning more about how community cats may contract COVID 19 from humans who are positive for or asymptomatic of COVID 19. So much more needs to be learned  about this human to feline transmission.

Just before our county issues a “shelter in place” order, Project Delta View Cats learned about a large, neglected abandoned community cat colony in our city that we serve. One of our dedicated volunteers is working ever so hard to trap out this large colony of what appears to be about 100 cats. These cats were abandoned long ago in an industrial area behind a strip mall anchored by a grocery store on one end and a Home Depot on the other end. There are no residential areas close by so next to not access to viable food sources. These cats are starving, underfed, underweight, injured and sick. They scrounge in dumpsters in hopes of finding a scrap of food.

This video is about one minute long, but if you will just watch the first 30 seconds, you will get the picture of what our volunteer found.

Thanks to the cat clinic that is open now for about 3-4 days a week, our volunteer has been able to TNR about fifty cats including ten kittens who went to adoption. Unfortunately, the cats are now trap savvy and we need access to the business where the cats have found enough hiding holes to make home. We have enlisted the assistance of our partner, Contra Costa Animal Services in hopes of convincing the owner to allow on property to continue to finally trap out this large colony.

Here is a slideshow of some of the cats we have been able to TNR. Thanks to Community Concern For Cats clinic for funding these services.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We have had to euthanize one orange male, too ill to save and one kitty in the slideshow had major surgery but is recovering and will be healthy enough soon to release. I know all of you have struggles in your own neighborhoods and communities during this challenging pandemic time with how to continue to help keep TNR alive and working. Please consider donating to your local TNR rescues, they really need help.

Let me hear from you in comments about what’s going on with TNR in your area during this time.

PAW PATS, SAVANNAH

 

Posted in Community Cats, TNR and tagged ,

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