No Pleasing Some of the Chronic Commenters. Cat Haters Letter in GT

Click post title to go to a letter written by a Philomath woman. Her letter is a response to one written by a Tim Sullivan of Corvallis, suggesting how wonderful it would be if the cougar roaming North Corvallis dined on house cats. He apparently dislikes cats very much.

The woman who retorted to the cat hater's letter, in above link, has received many comments. You can comment by creating an account, which is free, signing in and then leave a comment. Many of these folks are chronic commenters and most are not very nice about the comments.

I tried in vain to defend cats in the comment section but those folks who comment do not like me and have attacked me anytime I comment about anything. I think that is common, however. Most commenters on any site, these days, even on youtube, are mean spirited and leave nasty comments on the sites of strangers for no reason other than to take out their anger.

My brother and I talked about this phenom two days ago. Anyhow, there are a lot of cat haters out there. As I mentioned in the comments, most extreme cat haters are control freaks. It is true a good share of the time.

No Pleasing Some of the Chronic Commenters. Cat Haters Letter in GT

Click post title to go to a letter written by a Philomath woman. Her letter is a response to one written by a Tim Sullivan of Corvallis, suggesting how wonderful it would be if the cougar roaming North Corvallis dined on house cats. He apparently dislikes cats very much.

The woman who retorted to the cat hater's letter, in above link, has received many comments. You can comment by creating an account, which is free, signing in and then leave a comment. Many of these folks are chronic commenters and most are not very nice about the comments.

I tried in vain to defend cats in the comment section but those folks who comment do not like me and have attacked me anytime I comment about anything. I think that is common, however. Most commenters on any site, these days, even on youtube, are mean spirited and leave nasty comments on the sites of strangers for no reason other than to take out their anger.

My brother and I talked about this phenom two days ago. Anyhow, there are a lot of cat haters out there. As I mentioned in the comments, most extreme cat haters are control freaks. It is true a good share of the time.

Three Cats Being Fixed Today

I often stop by the Pink House colony and give the cats food. I did so again this morning. They are looking good, all fixed and happy. Former enemies, like the outcaste last male fixed, sleep happily now with all the rest in a pile, in a dog house converted to a cat house outside on the porch, past tiffs forgiven. I still have one Pink House cat in my bathroom, the female with the extreme drooping conjunctivitis. She is slowly getting over her ailment. Has taken a lot of work and expense, but she's beginning to recover.
Rock Hill Silver Persian mix, being spayed today.
Gray tabby tux female, from Albany business, being spayed today.
Unknown sex gray tabby, from Albany business, being fixed today.
The Albany gray tabby again.

I don't think the Scio man showed up at the vet with the two cats he said he would be there with. He hadn't by the time I left the vet clinic, at 8:45. He had called here, telling me he was the man who was caring for most of the cats owned by an Albany woman. I got most of them fixed. Her landlord had told her she had to move out or move out most of the cats. She had 14. But, I guess she had a few more than 14. This man, a friend of hers, let her keep most of the cats at his property. He even set up a camp trailer they could go in and out of, for shelter. Turns out two were not fixed and so I arranged for him to take them in this morning, then accidentally deleted his phone number. I hope he made it up to the vet clinic with those cats. He does not live that far from the clinic.

The other three I took in to be fixed are two from the Albany business, who have had cats roam into their warehouse and outside of it. So far, one worker has trapped two and rescued a litter of kittens. There is a gray tabby tux female, who was literally starving, and wolfed three cans of food once here, yesterday, during the day, while in the trap in my garage. This morning, he met me with a medium hair gray tabby. Both are being fixed today.

The third cat up being fixed is from the Rock Hill group, a Persian mix young female. She is cat number 11 fixed from that situation. There is still a lactating mother and her three kittens who need fixed there.

Three Cats Being Fixed Today

I often stop by the Pink House colony and give the cats food. I did so again this morning. They are looking good, all fixed and happy. Former enemies, like the outcaste last male fixed, sleep happily now with all the rest in a pile, in a dog house converted to a cat house outside on the porch, past tiffs forgiven. I still have one Pink House cat in my bathroom, the female with the extreme drooping conjunctivitis. She is slowly getting over her ailment. Has taken a lot of work and expense, but she's beginning to recover.
Rock Hill Silver Persian mix, being spayed today.
Gray tabby tux female, from Albany business, being spayed today.
Unknown sex gray tabby, from Albany business, being fixed today.
The Albany gray tabby again.

I don't think the Scio man showed up at the vet with the two cats he said he would be there with. He hadn't by the time I left the vet clinic, at 8:45. He had called here, telling me he was the man who was caring for most of the cats owned by an Albany woman. I got most of them fixed. Her landlord had told her she had to move out or move out most of the cats. She had 14. But, I guess she had a few more than 14. This man, a friend of hers, let her keep most of the cats at his property. He even set up a camp trailer they could go in and out of, for shelter. Turns out two were not fixed and so I arranged for him to take them in this morning, then accidentally deleted his phone number. I hope he made it up to the vet clinic with those cats. He does not live that far from the clinic.

The other three I took in to be fixed are two from the Albany business, who have had cats roam into their warehouse and outside of it. So far, one worker has trapped two and rescued a litter of kittens. There is a gray tabby tux female, who was literally starving, and wolfed three cans of food once here, yesterday, during the day, while in the trap in my garage. This morning, he met me with a medium hair gray tabby. Both are being fixed today.

The third cat up being fixed is from the Rock Hill group, a Persian mix young female. She is cat number 11 fixed from that situation. There is still a lactating mother and her three kittens who need fixed there.

Back to the Hill Folks

I went back up this morning, to the hill folks place, to the place with too many of everything. I was concerned about the lactating mom cat in my car, who was fixed yesterday. The hill folks hadn't found her kittens. They don't believe they're alive. I don't either now.

I got called first from a business on Queen. Over a year ago, the mom of someone who works there, called me, wanting to know what to do with strays roaming the warehouse. I said "Trap them. Let's get them fixed immediately." But, it never happened. Workers chased off the cats.

The cats returned and had litters. They found one litter but one of the kittens fell two stories and down in behind a wall. The son of the woman who originally contacted me, dug the kitten out of the wall and so far, it is still alive. He set a trap. This morning, he called, excited. He's caught one. He had not done one single thing I had advised, in the trapping. He had not lined the trap with paper, nor covered it and he'd left it set all night.

I chastised him lightly this morning for such behavior. An uncovered cat in a trap is a terrified cat. She'll be fixed tomorrow. Then returned. They don't feed them. She has already eaten three cans of wet food. That's just since this morning.

I loaned him another trap so he could try for more.

After I picked up her from him, and got her settled, I went up to the hill people below Lebanon, to return the four fixed yesterday.

I looked for the kittens after I released her and she ran right into big old rotted log fall. And then later, I searched again, when she crawled into the dozens of junked old spidery cardboard boxes under the deck. There are old tires, boxes full of glass jars, boxes full of empty tin cans, and lots of poop too. There was a little nest I found deep in the boxes, a flattened out old white plastic bag in the dirt. But I could find no trace of any kittens.

I think the nursing being done on her might be from her older kittens, teens and adults now.

Then I looked at the three young kittens, still in that extremely tiny cage inside her place. It's so tiny the mom barely fits inside it to nurse them and so they rarely let her into it to be with her kittens. It's so tiny, she says, she can't keep a food or water dish in there for the kittens.

"So let them out," I said. "Kittens should not live out their kittenhood in such a tiny space," I said. "Well, the dog would kill them," she said, as justification, as those two sets of innocent eyes stared into mine, pleading. I wanted to grab them and run. Run fast and far and never look back. I didn't.

The third kitten was in the bathroom breathing steam, she said. She finally brought him out. He's skin and bones and very dehydrated. This is because none of them are getting anywhere near enough to eat or drink. Mom is skinny herself and putting out very little milk.

She had ready for me the last unfixed female, except for the lactating female. She'll be fixed tomorrow and that will just leave the young mom with the three skinny kittens who needs fixed and that will be it, except for any of the three kittens lucky enough to survive.

I wasn't feeling good out there today. I was so tired and clogged up. I came home and slept three hours. I don't like to be walking at places where almost every step is likely to be into some sort of poop. I just wanted to come home. She's trying, that lady. Today when I was up there she was cleaning to beat the band. I know she'll get it under control. She wants to.

Back to the Hill Folks

I went back up this morning, to the hill folks place, to the place with too many of everything. I was concerned about the lactating mom cat in my car, who was fixed yesterday. The hill folks hadn't found her kittens. They don't believe they're alive. I don't either now.

I got called first from a business on Queen. Over a year ago, the mom of someone who works there, called me, wanting to know what to do with strays roaming the warehouse. I said "Trap them. Let's get them fixed immediately." But, it never happened. Workers chased off the cats.

The cats returned and had litters. They found one litter but one of the kittens fell two stories and down in behind a wall. The son of the woman who originally contacted me, dug the kitten out of the wall and so far, it is still alive. He set a trap. This morning, he called, excited. He's caught one. He had not done one single thing I had advised, in the trapping. He had not lined the trap with paper, nor covered it and he'd left it set all night.

I chastised him lightly this morning for such behavior. An uncovered cat in a trap is a terrified cat. She'll be fixed tomorrow. Then returned. They don't feed them. She has already eaten three cans of wet food. That's just since this morning.

I loaned him another trap so he could try for more.

After I picked up her from him, and got her settled, I went up to the hill people below Lebanon, to return the four fixed yesterday.

I looked for the kittens after I released her and she ran right into big old rotted log fall. And then later, I searched again, when she crawled into the dozens of junked old spidery cardboard boxes under the deck. There are old tires, boxes full of glass jars, boxes full of empty tin cans, and lots of poop too. There was a little nest I found deep in the boxes, a flattened out old white plastic bag in the dirt. But I could find no trace of any kittens.

I think the nursing being done on her might be from her older kittens, teens and adults now.

Then I looked at the three young kittens, still in that extremely tiny cage inside her place. It's so tiny the mom barely fits inside it to nurse them and so they rarely let her into it to be with her kittens. It's so tiny, she says, she can't keep a food or water dish in there for the kittens.

"So let them out," I said. "Kittens should not live out their kittenhood in such a tiny space," I said. "Well, the dog would kill them," she said, as justification, as those two sets of innocent eyes stared into mine, pleading. I wanted to grab them and run. Run fast and far and never look back. I didn't.

The third kitten was in the bathroom breathing steam, she said. She finally brought him out. He's skin and bones and very dehydrated. This is because none of them are getting anywhere near enough to eat or drink. Mom is skinny herself and putting out very little milk.

She had ready for me the last unfixed female, except for the lactating female. She'll be fixed tomorrow and that will just leave the young mom with the three skinny kittens who needs fixed and that will be it, except for any of the three kittens lucky enough to survive.

I wasn't feeling good out there today. I was so tired and clogged up. I came home and slept three hours. I don't like to be walking at places where almost every step is likely to be into some sort of poop. I just wanted to come home. She's trying, that lady. Today when I was up there she was cleaning to beat the band. I know she'll get it under control. She wants to.

Four Cats Fixed Today

This brown tabby female was lactating but the vet said she had very little milk. He said, however, something was nursing on her. The caretakers had said she had kittens about five weeks ago, but they've not seen them. They had figured all of them died, or were killed. When I found out she was lactating, I called them up so they could start looking for any kittens out there. She'll be home early tomorrow morning, at least.
This is an adult kitten from a previous litter of the above brown tabby female. Both eyes have been damaged by the herpes virus. She is functionally blind. The vet told me if the caretakers want to try anti viral drops, her eyes could be cleared some possibly by use of that. I gave them the information.
This was the only male of the four fixed today.
This was the teenage preggie, spayed today, sister of above gray tabby male. Both are older kittens from the brown tabby female in the first photo, but only cousins of the second shown female.

Four cats were fixed today from the Lebanon colony I've been working. I've taken in ten so far from there.

There are still two orange males up there needing fixed, but they are not frequently seen. There are still two females up there needing fixed. One is nursing three young kittens while the other is the female who just got pregnant and the caretakers husband wants her ot have kittens. Then there are the three kittens who will need fixed, the ones already born, plus any out there alive out of the brown tabby female. So, even if no more kittens were born, there would still be at minimum, seven more cats needing fixed up there, four adults, three kittens. And that's only if none survive of the brown tabby female's litter.

Four Cats Fixed Today

This brown tabby female was lactating but the vet said she had very little milk. He said, however, something was nursing on her. The caretakers had said she had kittens about five weeks ago, but they've not seen them. They had figured all of them died, or were killed. When I found out she was lactating, I called them up so they could start looking for any kittens out there. She'll be home early tomorrow morning, at least.
This is an adult kitten from a previous litter of the above brown tabby female. Both eyes have been damaged by the herpes virus. She is functionally blind. The vet told me if the caretakers want to try anti viral drops, her eyes could be cleared some possibly by use of that. I gave them the information.
This was the only male of the four fixed today.
This was the teenage preggie, spayed today, sister of above gray tabby male. Both are older kittens from the brown tabby female in the first photo, but only cousins of the second shown female.

Four cats were fixed today from the Lebanon colony I've been working. I've taken in ten so far from there.

There are still two orange males up there needing fixed, but they are not frequently seen. There are still two females up there needing fixed. One is nursing three young kittens while the other is the female who just got pregnant and the caretakers husband wants her ot have kittens. Then there are the three kittens who will need fixed, the ones already born, plus any out there alive out of the brown tabby female. So, even if no more kittens were born, there would still be at minimum, seven more cats needing fixed up there, four adults, three kittens. And that's only if none survive of the brown tabby female's litter.

I am Frustrated

I admit to frustration tonight. I am trying to help a Lebanon couple get a lot of cats fixed. They have a lot of animals. Dogs, a ferret, twenty plus cats. One mother had kittens and they have the three six week old kittens in a small cage. I suggested vaccinating since several of their cats have had herpes and one, fixed today, has two clouded over eyes, apparently from contracting herpes when a kitten.

None of the cats are vaccinated due to the sheer numbers of cats they have, I guess. I told her she could buy vaccines if she couldn't afford to get them all done at a vet. She doesn't like needles however. I suggested the intraocular, intranasal vaccines Densons carries.

She got some. But then she wants me to tell her how to give them. Then she tells me the kittens are sick and what should she do. When I warn her against giving vaccines to sick kittens, she says "Well I shouldn't have gotten them then." And, "What am I supposed to do with sick kittens, just see if they survive?"

It's frustrating. I'm just helping get the cats fixed. It isn't my fault they have too many animals to afford vet care for all of them. I know she's frustrated, but I can't give them answers for everything.

I told her to give the vaccines then to other cats there, to increase the protection and health of the herd, so they are not active vectors for carrying disease and transfer to other cats not yet vaccinated.

These folks have web access. They can look things up, do searches on the web for answers, too. I suggested that also.

I've had this problem elsewhere. An older couple who use a very expensive Albany vet called me to say an adult they took in from a neighbor is losing hair in patches. They have had three other cats do this, before they took in this one, they said, and took one or two of their cats with this condition to a vet who said it wasn't ringworm but did not know what it was. They wanted me to come over and look at the cat and tell them over the phone even, what they should put on it. I said "Consider taking her to the vet." They said they couldn't afford to. I said, "Consider calling around. There are less expensive vets than the one you use." And then I gave them the number of the vet I use in Jefferson.

They know their vet is extremely expensive. So when a cat has a problem, they want me to come look at it, and possibly take it to my vet, paying the cost myself. That ain't going to happen.

I have a designated little speel now, to recite, when people request this.
"I am not a vet. I do not know what is wrong with your cat. If you cannot afford to take your cat to your own vet, I suggest you call around to find a vet you can afford."

When people have kittens that are sick and they cannot or will not take them to a vet, I tell them to consider giving them up to a shelter that may have the resources to take care of them.

That's all I can do.

I'm know this woman is fed up with having so many animals. I am hoping she will talk to her husband, who she says loves kittens, about getting another pregnant female fixed. She would not let me take her yesterday to be fixed today, saying her husband wants the cat to have kittens, "because she's so pretty". She had at first hedged at getting the teen, who was fixed today, spayed, because she was pregnant. I pointed out they already have over 20 cats and now three more kittens, and two pregnant females could result in ten or more kittens born, in addition. She readily then agreed to her being spayed and really wants the other one also fixed, if she can just convince the hubby.

I am Frustrated

I admit to frustration tonight. I am trying to help a Lebanon couple get a lot of cats fixed. They have a lot of animals. Dogs, a ferret, twenty plus cats. One mother had kittens and they have the three six week old kittens in a small cage. I suggested vaccinating since several of their cats have had herpes and one, fixed today, has two clouded over eyes, apparently from contracting herpes when a kitten.

None of the cats are vaccinated due to the sheer numbers of cats they have, I guess. I told her she could buy vaccines if she couldn't afford to get them all done at a vet. She doesn't like needles however. I suggested the intraocular, intranasal vaccines Densons carries.

She got some. But then she wants me to tell her how to give them. Then she tells me the kittens are sick and what should she do. When I warn her against giving vaccines to sick kittens, she says "Well I shouldn't have gotten them then." And, "What am I supposed to do with sick kittens, just see if they survive?"

It's frustrating. I'm just helping get the cats fixed. It isn't my fault they have too many animals to afford vet care for all of them. I know she's frustrated, but I can't give them answers for everything.

I told her to give the vaccines then to other cats there, to increase the protection and health of the herd, so they are not active vectors for carrying disease and transfer to other cats not yet vaccinated.

These folks have web access. They can look things up, do searches on the web for answers, too. I suggested that also.

I've had this problem elsewhere. An older couple who use a very expensive Albany vet called me to say an adult they took in from a neighbor is losing hair in patches. They have had three other cats do this, before they took in this one, they said, and took one or two of their cats with this condition to a vet who said it wasn't ringworm but did not know what it was. They wanted me to come over and look at the cat and tell them over the phone even, what they should put on it. I said "Consider taking her to the vet." They said they couldn't afford to. I said, "Consider calling around. There are less expensive vets than the one you use." And then I gave them the number of the vet I use in Jefferson.

They know their vet is extremely expensive. So when a cat has a problem, they want me to come look at it, and possibly take it to my vet, paying the cost myself. That ain't going to happen.

I have a designated little speel now, to recite, when people request this.
"I am not a vet. I do not know what is wrong with your cat. If you cannot afford to take your cat to your own vet, I suggest you call around to find a vet you can afford."

When people have kittens that are sick and they cannot or will not take them to a vet, I tell them to consider giving them up to a shelter that may have the resources to take care of them.

That's all I can do.

I'm know this woman is fed up with having so many animals. I am hoping she will talk to her husband, who she says loves kittens, about getting another pregnant female fixed. She would not let me take her yesterday to be fixed today, saying her husband wants the cat to have kittens, "because she's so pretty". She had at first hedged at getting the teen, who was fixed today, spayed, because she was pregnant. I pointed out they already have over 20 cats and now three more kittens, and two pregnant females could result in ten or more kittens born, in addition. She readily then agreed to her being spayed and really wants the other one also fixed, if she can just convince the hubby.

Come See Poppa at OSU Pet Day

Click post title to go to Pet Day schedule, in pdf. The second page is a map of events and booths. Poppa's booth is number 48, in the far left of the left most field, right next to vendor parking. That field is typically vacant of vendor booths, except for a small scattering. They appear to have gotten more applicants this year......

Poppa will have a booth at the OSU vet college Pet Day, Saturday, May 2. Poppa's booth location is about as far from the action as a booth could possibly be located, the outback, so to speak, but hopefully the booth will get some traffic. Poppa's president is coming to man the booth. I will help.

Afterall, Poppa Inc. helped fix about 750 Linn and Benton county cats last year alone. I'd like to know what those other nonprofits and groups there have done, by comparison. I guess I'm rather partial.

Poppa deserves an up front location, hero status in my opinion, not hidden in the farthest reaches of the venue. It is slightly depressing to see Poppa Inc. was given such a far off location.

But, oh well. Maybe Poppa will be able to attract people to that far field and make some new friends anyhow.

I see Chintimini Kennel Club will be there. It was a Chintimini Kennel Club officer who wrote a letter to the Corvallis paper against the puppy mill bill, describing the pet overpopulation problem as a hoax. Too bad Poppa Inc.'s booth wasn't right next to their booth. Boy what a contrast in values that would have made.

That field is all commercial booths, except for Poppa and the Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, and a Eugene Ferret Shelter. The three nonprofits, along with various commercial/product booths, occupy the far left line. Also in that field, but with better position closer to the buildings and action is SafeHaven who is up in the far right corner by the sidewalk, a very good location. Next to them, Senior Dog Rescue, who got a great location--front and center.

If it rains, that left field, will be vacant of people. I should check the weather forecast. Poppa did pay for a canopy and table, so at least the booth is rain shielded. In Oregon, in May, you sure can't count on sun.

Who is Pet Adoption Network? I know they used to be in the Albany area but they always claimed they only did dogs. Then I thought they did cats, too, because they were helping adopt out cats in Eugene, but I just got told all the main PAN people moved or quit, and that they are back to doing only a few dogs. Does anyone know?

Come See Poppa at OSU Pet Day

Click post title to go to Pet Day schedule, in pdf. The second page is a map of events and booths. Poppa's booth is number 48, in the far left of the left most field, right next to vendor parking. That field is typically vacant of vendor booths, except for a small scattering. They appear to have gotten more applicants this year......

Poppa will have a booth at the OSU vet college Pet Day, Saturday, May 2. Poppa's booth location is about as far from the action as a booth could possibly be located, the outback, so to speak, but hopefully the booth will get some traffic. Poppa's president is coming to man the booth. I will help.

Afterall, Poppa Inc. helped fix about 750 Linn and Benton county cats last year alone. I'd like to know what those other nonprofits and groups there have done, by comparison. I guess I'm rather partial.

Poppa deserves an up front location, hero status in my opinion, not hidden in the farthest reaches of the venue. It is slightly depressing to see Poppa Inc. was given such a far off location.

But, oh well. Maybe Poppa will be able to attract people to that far field and make some new friends anyhow.

I see Chintimini Kennel Club will be there. It was a Chintimini Kennel Club officer who wrote a letter to the Corvallis paper against the puppy mill bill, describing the pet overpopulation problem as a hoax. Too bad Poppa Inc.'s booth wasn't right next to their booth. Boy what a contrast in values that would have made.

That field is all commercial booths, except for Poppa and the Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, and a Eugene Ferret Shelter. The three nonprofits, along with various commercial/product booths, occupy the far left line. Also in that field, but with better position closer to the buildings and action is SafeHaven who is up in the far right corner by the sidewalk, a very good location. Next to them, Senior Dog Rescue, who got a great location--front and center.

If it rains, that left field, will be vacant of people. I should check the weather forecast. Poppa did pay for a canopy and table, so at least the booth is rain shielded. In Oregon, in May, you sure can't count on sun.

Who is Pet Adoption Network? I know they used to be in the Albany area but they always claimed they only did dogs. Then I thought they did cats, too, because they were helping adopt out cats in Eugene, but I just got told all the main PAN people moved or quit, and that they are back to doing only a few dogs. Does anyone know?

Bees, Cats and Mustard Fields

I headed up to the Rock Hill colony. There is a mustard field along a road on the way. I took some photos of the field and of the bees there to pollinate the crop. Up at the colony, I went after a feral female and male. Caught both using the drop trap.

Then I steered a young female, hiding in the laundry room, into a live trap, and caught yet another feral female, whose recent last litter disappeared. There are still two females and two adult orange males up there, who need fixed. One of the two females is pregnant and the woman's husband wants her to have kittens, although his wife doesn't want or need anymore cats to care for. She is going to try to talk him into getting her fixed.

The other female is lactating with three six week old kittens. The two orange adult males who need fixed still, are feral and I gave up finally on trying to find them.

There is a neighbors unfixed black and white cat over there all the time, too. She went and asked the neighbor if she could send him to be fixed and they said "no" and that they didn't think it was important. Yet the cat is over at the neighbors eating all the time, like a starved thing and trying to breed. Pathetic!

This torti manx female is elderly and already fixed.
This is a young semi feral female I did catch who will be fixed tomorrow.






I made a short video of the bees. Watch it below:

Bees, Cats and Mustard Fields

I headed up to the Rock Hill colony. There is a mustard field along a road on the way. I took some photos of the field and of the bees there to pollinate the crop. Up at the colony, I went after a feral female and male. Caught both using the drop trap.

Then I steered a young female, hiding in the laundry room, into a live trap, and caught yet another feral female, whose recent last litter disappeared. There are still two females and two adult orange males up there, who need fixed. One of the two females is pregnant and the woman's husband wants her to have kittens, although his wife doesn't want or need anymore cats to care for. She is going to try to talk him into getting her fixed.

The other female is lactating with three six week old kittens. The two orange adult males who need fixed still, are feral and I gave up finally on trying to find them.

There is a neighbors unfixed black and white cat over there all the time, too. She went and asked the neighbor if she could send him to be fixed and they said "no" and that they didn't think it was important. Yet the cat is over at the neighbors eating all the time, like a starved thing and trying to breed. Pathetic!

This torti manx female is elderly and already fixed.
This is a young semi feral female I did catch who will be fixed tomorrow.






I made a short video of the bees. Watch it below:

Injury to Insult

The middle post with half up round perch, which was a piece of plywood that formerly was part of my cat wheel. I dissassembled the cat wheel last fall. The second perch up, still in the construction process, will connect with a cat run from the pink pole against the green wall. Theoretically. Eventually.
My big toe, injured by a falling jig saw.



Ice pack on my eye. My eye was injured when it collided with a corner of the couch.
Buffy just loves Sam. All the cats like napping together on the table by the window.

Gretal, formerly of the Highway 34 shoulder.

Cattyhop, rescued as a very sick kitten from a yard next to a Slaughterhouse, cuddles with Miss Daisy, formerly a stray tossed from a car on Seven Mile Lane.

Have you ever decided to do a project, after pushing away the misgivings pestering your brain with pesky doubts? Do something you may not have the expertise, physical capacity or tools to do correctly? But you just push forward to do it anyway?

Today was a day I went a project too far.

I wanted a post from floor to ceiling two thirds of the distance from the west living room wall to the east wall. This post would connect, eventually, via near ceiling level cat run, with a post I would attach to the north living room wall and to the end of the hallway wall on the west. Eventually, it would connect, also via skyline cat run, to the east living room wall. Such big plans!

My garage has only a few feet of working space. I didn't even map out my project in a small area of my brain first, let alone on paper. I just plunged in.

I get this way. Sometimes I just don't care if I do a shoddy job or even if I hurt myself. I make movements and work almost as if in a trance. Usually I'm sleep deprived or have troubles on my mind, that keep me unfocused on what I am doing with my hands or to my house.

I slipped, on thrown up hairball, barefoot, carrying a 2x4, inside the house. It was a slo mo slip, in which I clearly saw the end of the 2x4 heading towards the big front window and altered my course on the way down to avoid that expensive messy eventuality. The altered course of my fall prevented the 2x4 from connecting with the window, but did not prevent my right eye from connecting with the end of the couch.

For the next hour, I couldn't bear to open my right eye. It hurt. But I still did not have the sense to stop. I kept working, one eye shut.

Outside, in the garage, I drilled a hole in the middle of a small square of plywood to use as a shelf on the pole. I would slip that plywood over the pole through that hole and secure it halfway down the pole, as a halfway up perch. The halfway perch would also be secured to the base, with a shorter pole, to help stabilize the taller floor to ceiling pole that would support cat runs in all directions. Eventually.

I had the plywood propped on the end of a trap while I drilled a starter hole, then used a jig saw to cut out the large square hole the pole would fit through. I forgot the plywood was barely balanced on the end of the trap, reached up to rub my sore eye, and rested the jig saw on one side of the plywood to do so. The board began to tip. I reached to catch it, and the jig saw fell off and hit my foot squarely on the end of my big toe. AWWWWWH!

I began cursing and hopping around on one foot. A big blue bulb appeared on my toe just below the nail. I went inside and got two ice packs. I applied one to my toe and one to my eye and plopped down onto the couch.

I was up and at it again within ten minutes, determined to finish. But my battery operated screwdriver's batteries don't hold a charge long anymore. Nor much power to effectively drill in a screw longer than an inch and a half. I was trying to ream in 3" screws. I was trying to build a brace for the top of the north wall pole, to attach the cat run to, but the drill screw bit skewed off the cheap drywall screw top and into the base of left thumb. AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I pulled a third ice pack out of the freezer. Nevertheless, like a zombie, like a war damaged and worn soldier, I methodically pressed onward.

I have pink paint on most toes tonight. And some in my hair in the back. The pole is pink too. I painted it! My thumb is swollen and so is my big toe and my right eye is bloodshot a color close to the color of my floor to ceiling pole!

But it's up. The cats are ignoring it. I think it is a work of art!

I could have done something far more productive today. I could have driven to Corvallis and taken a walk in a park. But my tiny garage space won't hold all this scrap lumber I've accumulated for the creation of the final picture I have somewhere in my brain, all painted and put together, of the interconnecting cat runs that will encircle my space and be magnificent.

That's my excuse for wasting a decent day inside, being repeatedly assaulted by tools.