Who Said She Was Easy

I think she's one of these

Maybe she seemed easy at first. Earlier this year I saw her flaunting herself in front of all the other guys. It's no wonder she quickly became pregnant. But aside from that, I don't know that she was ever easy.

She is one of the colony of black cats living in our back yard. For the past year my neighbor and I have been feeding her and her family. It started out with just two - Mom and Dad. Last summer they had two or three litters of kittens. I trapped two in one litter and took them to Elmbrook Humane Society (HAWS didn't want to take them because I live in Brookfield, even though I've fostered for them for years). Elmbrook put them down because they were feral.

I trapped two from another litter, Ben and Bode, and spent most of the fall socializing them. After pleading with HAWS they helped me and took them. Finally, right around my birthday in December, they were adopted.

So when we discovered this spring that the offspring had a litter of kittens (my neighbor saw the kittens and it was obvious looking at her that she was nursing) we decided that we needed to quit adding to the colony. I called HAWS and inquired about their Trap-Neuter-Release program and I had an appointment the next day. HAWS has a TNR program, but Elmbrook does not, so HAWS was able to help us.

I put a trap out right away, and the cat one walked in about ten minutes later. After dinner, I put out the next trap. That is when our "easy" girl appeared. She was very interested in the food. She did everything she could to get at the tuna, without going in. She reached through the back of the cage, but couldn't get it. About 20 minutes later she was in and eating, but it did not spring right away.

When the trap finally sprang, she panicked. She bounced around the trap. We noticed later that she had a small cut on her nose from banging against the cage. We brought her in and let her loose in the spare bedroom we use to foster kittens and cats. Suddenly she started flying around the room. Even though I had closed the blinds, she recognized the window as a way out and clung to the curtains and valance. Over and over she circled the room. She climbed the tipped bedframe (we'd taken out the mattress and box spring so they couldn't hide in it). She jump from the floor and cling to the valence over and over. After about 5 minutes of this, she finally settled down and hid behind the desk.

In the middle of the night, she started to try and open the door. Lucky I had used a bungie cord to hold the door closed, but she really tried.

In the morning, when it was time to go to HAWS for surgery they were both hiding in the desk. I grabbed one, and shoved her in the waiting carrier. The other ostarted away and started bouncing off the walls and climbing the window again. She broke several strips on the blinds trying to figure out how to get out the window.

Finally I grabbed her off the window. She turned around and bit me - through a thick leather work glove! It barely pierced my skin, but I held tight and shoved her in the second carrier I'd borrowed from HAWS. I took them to HAWS and they did the procedure. I was there at 3:00 to pick them up as planned.

So I'm walking out of HAWS towards my car holding the two carriers. Suddenly I see her jump out of the carrier! Somehow it had come open. She ran through the parking lot and into the empty lot next to HAWS. I put the other carrier with the other cat in it and the empty carrier in my car and went to look for her. Some people in the building had see her run and came out to help. A person pulling into the shelter had seen her running in the grass next to Northview almost a quarter mile down the road. I walked the route these witnesses had seen her take, but she was long gone. There was tall grass in that lot and a steep hill. I was in shorts and flip flops - not exactly bushwhacking attire - plus the other cat was still sitting in my car. When I went back to my car, I saw that the carrier that HAWS had lent me had broken. The part that the latch attached to fell off. The door opened and that is how she was able to escape.

I went into HAWS. They had heard what had happened and told me they would put out a trap. Really - all that space and she's going to walk into a trap AGAIN?! I doubt it. I took the other cat home, fed her, changed into jeans and tennies and returned to HAWS. I searched the lot next to HAWS where they walk dogs then walked down the hill to look along the side of the road (NORTHVIEW!) to the next intersection, about 1/2 mile down the road I went back up the hill.

She had lived under a tree all her life, so I found a promising tree to look under - mostly it was a tall grass prairie around there. I saw something move under the tree, but it was just a bird. I drove further down Northview, but saw nothing. So she was gone.

No she was never easy.

I hope she stays out of the road and finds plenty to eat in the tall grass. So sorry little lady.

Earlier today, I had seen the kittens for the first time, coming to get some food. When I got home four kittens were trying to eat from one bowl. I put out some fresh food. It took awhile, but eventually, five kittens came out to the bowl. Some of them are orphans now. We'll put the other mom out tonight - a little earlier than HAWS recommended (they wanted us to give her 24 hours inside), but she is pretty unhappy in our bedroom. She'll probably be happier in her bush - where she's survived for more than a year.

So, now we've got our work cut out for us. Five new kittens to trap and socialize. At least three more cats to trap-neuter-release.

I just hope life is good for our little "easy" girl ... Wherever she is.