Spring is Here....Maybe

The other day it was warm. I mean WARM folks--day time temperature was 60 degrees! I walked around in the sun, wearing a t-shirt--that's how warm it was! Ok--the breezes still were a bit chilly and I had goosebumps every time one blew over me but it was still WARM! I found my first miniature daffodil blooming!

I love daffodils! They are so bright and happy and so damned cheerful! They bring sunshine into my spirit and this past week--I needed that. They make me happy! HAPPY! I guess you kind of figured that out, huh?

In the back yard, I checked out Quinn's Tulips and they seem to be multiplying. I walked around planning my summer garden. I know what I want to plant, but it was getting a feel of the land. I spotted one of our ferals, MC watching me. 

Then Friday came. I was eagerly planning my Spring Break while trying to finish up some grading and noticed this out the office window:

Please tell me that wasn't a snowflake. Maybe it was a pigeon feather...or two. 

 Please tell me those are pigeon feathers. Seriously, we seem to be supporting all the flocks in town. I know some of them live on the West Side--I've seen them parking their happy butts over there. But that white stuff on the ground isn't pigeon feathers--or any other kind of feathers are they? 


Then I remembered how the weather folk get it wrong some times. So I was hoping for another "We goofed" in the weather department. Instead, this time they were right on the money!

 I ask you--How are my daffodils and tulips supposed to compete with this kind of weather?!?!??! I think someone---probably some governmental official--forgot to tell Winter that his chance came and WENT! Winter has to learn how to share. It's Spring's turn. Of course if Winter is taking his lessons about sharing from our government, then he might just be getting the wrong idea--since our government officials never learned how to share either. Anyway---It's going to be Easter in two weeks.  Does Old Man Winter still plan on throwing one last temper tantrum before heading into his room for a good long while?That might be the example he got from our government officials, temper tantrums because they aren't getting what they want. I better not go there, otherwise you'll have me rallying up the people to SPANK our government officials. But like I said...I'm not going there. 

Just checked the weather forecast for this week. It's going to be a repeat--bright sunny days--which is what's needed to melt the latest snow dump--with SNOW again on Wednesday! ARGH! I can't win here!

Good News---Please check out the newest lanyard made for our lovely but regal Topaz by our friend, LanyardLady.  Cherin has created miracles from our cats for her lanyards! She's also a great blogger. I'm about addicted to her blog as I am to my morning coffee. Trust me--that's a good thing! She's also made one for Ava--capturing her wicked personality and combined it with Ava's love for flowers. 

 My camera is slow, but Topaz was giving the lanyard an eye blink of approval. D and I love what Cherin's talent is doing--immortalizing our cats. Thank you again, Cherin--this means more to us than you'll ever know!

I hope it's Spring and WARM wherever you are and that the sunny days spread sunshine on your shoulders and warm breezes to fill your souls. 

Feral Colony Management vs. Hoarding

While Ava is perched on my left arm, purring---this is HER Mommy Time--I'll discuss the difference between feral colony management and hoarding. 

We've all read or heard those horrid stories about the cat ladies and dog men who have lots of pet animals, the animals were half-starved, disease ridden, and several were dead.  The first thing the officials on the scene say is, "The smell was so bad and there was animal feces a foot deep in places." That's the sign of a hoarder. 

Feral cat colony management is completely the opposite. I have a friend who constantly asks me when do I have enough cats. I believe I'm at my limit now. Like with children, it's hard to spread attention on every cat when you've reached your limit. Colony management involves keeping track of who has been spayed/neutered and vaccinated. It means taking head counts several times a day to make sure all members of the colony have shown their faces at least once and you noticed that they have fed. In times of inclement weather, it means setting out extra food, devising the best possible shelters to help them stay warm, and warming up the food and water several times during the night. 

Feral cat colony management means trapping sick or injured cats for veterinarian care and learning which simple illness you can treat from home.  It's knowing the possible lineage of the cats in your colony.  It's also knowing the medical history of each cat. With this many cats, I rely not on my memory, but my records. Feral colony managers usually keep records that include photographs of the cats they manage. Some cats managed to disappear when the camera is brought out, but colony managers strive to photograph every cat as they strive to spay/neuter ever cat in their colony. 

Feral colony management also means trapping kittens born in the colony, socializing them, and placing them in permanent homes.  If you've already read my previous posts, you will know that sometimes this just doesn't happen. Feral cat management also means being ready to make sacrifices when adoption and placement is not an option. It also means not taking in more cats than you have the physical, financial, mental resources for. 

Most colony managers also ear-tip their cats.  Ear-tipping is NOT disfiguring a cat. It's main purpose is to identify which cat has been spayed/neutered/vaccinated in the colony. If colony managers are also working their local animal control office, it let's the officers know that this cat is being managed and has been spayed/neutered/vaccinated and that the cat is not an ordinary feral.  Because feral cats will not adapt to being tame pets, most animal control agencies immediately euthanize them. 
  

 

 MC sporting his ear-tip

Hoarders do not keep records, do not clean up after their animals, and do not know their animals' histories. They animals are often disease-ridden, starving for both nutrition and affection, dying of all sorts of illnesses or have died. Feces is abundant and not kept to litter boxes or even cleaned up. If a hoarder has a family, their children are often neglected as well.  

Hoarders have complex mental health issues that spill in to the legal and municipal issues. Many towns and cities are conflicted in working with the best possible solutions of hoarders. One cannot spot a hoarder without visiting their homes. Hoarders can be anyone; police officers, veterinarians, vet techs, teachers, artists, plumbers, and store clerks have all been identified as hoarders. 

The main signal of a hoarder is that they will not take their animals in for veterinarian care when they are sick.  The second--and I've been accused of this one :D--is they will tell you that they rescued the animal from a fate worse than death or that this animal "needed them." This is actually very interesting because we all have that "need to be needed" gene inside of us. However, with someone who is also a hoarder, that gene is kicked up a thousand times stronger. It's the after care that lacking. Hoarders cannot say "No" when another animal is in need. They will bring that animal home, lavish it with all kinds of attention, until the next animal in need crosses their path.  Then the previous animal is neglected while the care and attention is being thrust upon the newest animal. 

So the next time you see someone and label them "The Crazy Cat Lady," look around. If you see kittens all the time or diseased animals or have a horrific odor emanating from next door, you might have a hoarder in your neighborhood. But if you  noticed they have few kittens or that the cats are sporting ear-tips, then you know you have a colony manager who is being responsible.