Feral Caturday: All Fixed!

Those of you who frequently traverse Hawthorne I may wonder what has happened to the feral cats who used to hang around one of the apartment buildings here. About a month ago, the path that the cats used to get out to the street was closed off as part of a renovation, effectively "trapping" the cats in the backyards of the adjacent houses, including ours.

The cats, knowing an easy mark when they see it, started showing up at our kitchen window. We'll confess to developing a certain fondness for them, as the apparent ringleader, Blackie (top), is kin to our beloved Ethel. Though a real wild child as a youth, Blackie has softened to our affections and acts as a sort of surrogate parent to Spike (middle) and Tanner (bottom), the surviving kittens from Tabby II's November litter.

Speaking of.... We are pleased to report that there will be no more kittens emanating from this crew. After completing Neighborhood Cats "Cat Lady 101" course, I trapped Tabby II, Tanner and Spike and, thanks to the ASPCA, had them fixed. (The rest of the colony had already gone under the knife.) The boys handled the surgery like young champs and are now back to defectating in nearby gardens; Tabby II is still recovering, as she not only required spaying but hernia surgery and a cabortion. We will keep you updated on their progress.

Comments

[Roberta Beach Jacobson]

Wonderful success. So glad I found this posting. You outsmarted those cats! Pat on back. I know how hard it is to trap certain cats. We get volunteer vets twice a year where we live and some cats we've chased for three years and all we do is use up cans of tuna. They laugh at us.