Cat Lady to the Rescue....She Never Learns Does She?

Oy......

I must have been out of my mind.  Last Wednesday  a neighbor (who is another crazy  animal person)  claled me and asked if I could help save a feral kitty whom rescuers had trapped starving in the channel of the LA river (big concrete channel dry as a bone most of the year)  All I would have  to do would be  provide a place in my back yard to put a cage containing the kitty and feed her etc for a few  weeks till she recovered from being spayed and got used to the scents of the neighborhood so that when we released her back into the wild she would remember where th food was and come to my porch buffet evenings  .  It is a program called TNR.....trap, neutr, release and I am a huge supporter.....it is the best way to control the proliferation of feral cats.....many people feed the feral colonies, but this way we cut down on the number of newborn ferals. 

I said no  at first b ecause my own half wild kitty Baskin who lives in my yard and garden shed might be annoyed or spooked since he coniders the yard his own.  Anyway,, in the end I weakend and agreed and now I have this sweet  but totally wild critter in a huge cage with her carrying case inside plus a kitty box, food, water, a blanket.  She spends almosgt all of her time inside the carrying case, only coming out to eat, use the box and once, to lay on top of the carrier to get the morning air.  All I have to do is go out each morning, open the cage carefully blocking the opening with my bod, clean the kitty box, put in fresh water and food and talk sweetly, trying to coax her out so I cn see her  and get acquainted.   Yeah.  I made the mistake one day of reaching into the carrier to tickle her and she eruped from the carrier runing up my arm, jumped on my head, then ran back into the carrier while I thanked my lucky stars she did not maim me.      Scared the daylights out of me though, because it might have been ugly.  Now I wear my workmans plastic goggles when I go out there....I refuse to lose my eye or any blood with this project. 

I go out again in the afternoon and give her more food and again in the evening to give more food and water and move the cage front against the wall so the damned raccoons cannot open it.  They come each night to visit her on their wayto their buffet  but can't get at her fortunately, though they try.  All  tey care about is the food inside but they can't do any real damage and she is safe hiding in er carrier inside the cage.

.......so that is what I have been up to and will be doing for the next month probably.  They do not want to release her too soon.  I am hoping she will tame down a bit....I have only seen her once when she was lying on top of the carrier inside the cage.  As soon as she saw me looking at her she ran back inside.  With my poor vision I cannnot see her in there. She is a tortoise....black and tan with big green eyes.......one of my favorite types.  Don't know if I can ever tame her and don't really care.  I am sure Paulie would hate her since Paulie owns the house, but I will be satisfied if she just fattens up, gets a bit less wiold and has the sense to hang around for the hightly buffet here and for my neighbor, Marge's daily buffet in her open garage.  God bless all the animal nuts.

 I am really too old ad tired for this nonsense, but, what the hell,,,,,,,can't let a kitty starve.

I will keep you posted as the drama unfolds...probably more of the same.....no sightings.....but one can always ope.

Love, Lo