Correction Facility Project Update

The first set of five cats (3 females and 2 males) were spayed/neutered and vaccinated Friday.  They recovered at my house over the weekend while I continued to trap there.

I trapped Friday night with the intent of catching the kittens (figured I would catch one adult but that's ok).  Caught 1 adult and 1 kitten within the first hour.  And then it took 2.5 more hours to get another kitten.  Very hot, sitting in car with no air (can't run the car for hours on end plus I need to be inconspicuous).  

Went back Saturday night around 10P and caught 1 adult in less than 30 minutes.  Took 2 hours before I even saw the other kitten (thought there was 1 or 2 left).  Then I sat there watching until 5AM, when I finally gave up for the night.  The last black kitten mocked me much of the night and morning just looking at me like "naanaanaanaanaa - you can't catch me".  HA - that's what you think little bugger - I'm coming back with KFC tomorrow!  :-)

Sunday was return day for the five vetted on Friday.  The inmates were happy to see me because I brought the cats back as promised. We released the cats from their traps.  I talked to the inmates and officers about the ear crop and looking for cats that do not have a cropped left ear and making notes of how many, what they look like, and where they hang out so we know how many more we need to TNR. 

I then set up traps outside the gates near the one trailer to get the last kitten.  Bam - sky opens up and torrential downpour.  So I covered the traps with heavy towels and caught one adult rather quickly.  About an hour later almost caught the black kitten (who will be named Alcatraz because he was hardcore when it came to trapping him) but he stepped over the plate.  Looked out a little bit later with the flashnight and ACK, I see three little sets of eyes glowing in the dark at me.  There's not one kitten, there are at least three.  Oh dear - we really are full, but we are committed to this project. So I put out a couple more traps. 

About 45 minutes later, I see mama and two little kittens following her.  I make a mad dash and one squeezes through the chainlink fence into the prison front yard and the other goes under another trailer.  Call the guard and ask to be let in the front gate.  Start crawling on the ground in the mud (oh well, I'm already wet by now, what's a little mud) to try to sneak up on the kitten (yeah right, that didn't go so well).  Kitten runs up to one of the buildings and tries to crawl up a drain pipe and I managed to scare him into a spot he can't get out of but he's such a small little one that I can't wear my animal control gloves to get him so I reach in and grab him. OUCH - little bugger bites my fingers and scratches me.  My gloves and trap are too far away so I wrap my shirt around him and run to the trap and drop him in and then take him to my car and transfer him to a carrier (and get bit again - little stinker!).  He's definitely a different litter than the other four (maybe a week or so younger).  Set up another trap by the trailer.  See mama and TWO kittens following her (seriously - they are multiplying right in front of  my eyes) - obviously the same litter as the little gray one I just grabbed.  Decide maybe I can lure other kittena or mama into a trap by putting the carrier with the kitten at the end of one trap (it had stopped raining).  After several more hours, it's midnight and I really need to get home (35+ minute drive), get cats settled, consider going to bed since I have to get up early and take the ferals to Jill's house so she can drop them off at Dr. Farmer's today for S/N).  Left two traps for the corrections officers, Jessica (Officer Ward) works today and they will try to get the kittens. 

A super huge thank you to Dr. Farmer for fitting in three ferals for spay/neuter and vaccinations today - cats for which I did not have appointments.  Hadn't intended on trapping adults, was only trying to catch the kittens, but our rule is - you go in the trap, you don't come out (except onto the operating table) until you're missing your boy or girl parts.

So for those keeping track - this is what we have done so far at correctional facility:

• 1 friendly mama and her 5 kittens (all in adoption program)
• 2 kittens born to a feral mama (in adoption program)
• 5 adults spayed/neutered (3 females, 2 males) - all 5 TNR'd
• 5 kittens captured this weekend (plenty young enough to socialize - 4.5-5.5 weeks old) (in our adoption program)
• 3 adults at the vet today (two males and a female) that will be returned Wednesday (TNR)

There are:

• At least 2 more small kittens to catch
• At least 2 adult cats to catch that I know of for sure that need to be TNR'd, but of course I'm sure there are more - there always are!

I was talking with one of the officers Saturday night and he said while he's not crazy about cats, they sure keep the rodents away. He's been at other facilities that have so many mice, rats, and bugs, but not here.   The cats all seem healthy, none of them are skinny, and they make the inmates happy. The cats be able to remain there is a great thing.