Orange cat # 3

Today I managed to get a photo of one of the two stray cats in the yard who still need to be neutered. He's very afraid of me so I had to get the photo from inside the house and through the window. I wanted the photo so I could blow it up and see if he had a tipped ear, which might show if he was already neutered ...

Eartipping

Eartipping is the universal sign of an altered feral cat. 1/4 inch is removed from the tip of the left ear in a straight line cut. Eartips are readily visible from a distance, making it easy for caretakers, trappers and animal control personnel to immediately identify a cat as spayed or neutered. The procedure is performed under sterile conditions while the cat is anesthetized, is relatively painless, involves little to no bleeding and does not significantly alter the cat's appearance. No other means of identification has proven as safe or effective.

Almost all the cats I've gotten spayed/neutered do not have an eartip because I was worried that it would make it harder for them to get adopted if that option ever opened up for them. Also it seemed like it would really hurt. But lately I've come to the conclusion that it's probably best for the cat if people know right away that they are spayed/neutered, given the level of animosity many have for feral cats.

I will try to catch this guy in a trap at a time when my sister can drive him to the clinic on her way to work. I couldn't do any of this without her help. It's not just that I can't drive, but I'm so feeble that I actually can't pick up the heavy metal trap once the cat is inside ;)

The SPCA has a clinic where you don't need an appointment beforehand, but can bring in one cat per person at 7:30 am, fill out forms, pay, and pick him up around 5 pm to go back home. You are supposed to keep the cat separated overnight so he can recover. The price is usually somewhere from about $30 - $70. So much cheaper than the regular vet!

We have now spayed/neutered 14 cats from the yard. This isn't like my avocation in life - it's actually kind of an ongoing nightmare, really. There just seems to be an unending supply of homeless cats in my neighborhood and the cats all end up here. The neighbors hate me for this and I think they believe I'm collecting cats on purpose. Not true - if there was a place for them to go where they would not be killed, I'd take them there. The fact is, there's really no effective plan in place for these animals and the County seems to be relying on individuals to fill in the gaps, while they themselves try to find an alternative to killing ...

From The Washington Post, 2014: Shelters destroy millions of animals each year