JUST A FEISTY FERAL

I made a comment on a Facebook post yesterday where I mentioned that if you have not done bulk spay/neuter trips you need to be still… well I actually meant you need to shut up but since I am in full blow menopause and turned very feral, I TRY to be nice and also stay of social media.  The dedication, attention to detail, organization, energy, running around, cleaning, collecting, returning, sanitizing, after care and the entire financial aspect is just exhausting, not to mention working with entitled assholes who think they doing YOU a favor by doing a snip on THEIR cat or dog so you can get off their case to stop the breeding.

Anyway, with both me and Shaney working full time not to mention the long hours we took Bullet’s Vision off the grid.  We still help with spay and neuter but only if we can and when we can.  Shaney has expanded her horizon and found the love of her life, a huge brown horse that I am absolutely terrified off.  I on the other hand have shifted my focus on a small initiative I started and got more involved in ferals and sometimes I am blessed with a batch of kittens God brings upon my path to raise and rehome.

With this said, the one lady who is a beneficiary of this initiative I started assists with a feral colony in Deneysville, situated in a horrible area.   She’s been amazing and was able to relocate all the ferals from this area to a safe space where she can still feed and care for them.  Bullet’s Vision manage to assist her with the spay and neuter BUT as always there is always that one or two who return to the original site and also the one or two you battle to trap.  About two weeks ago Elvine stood her ground and was determined to catch the last female. I made a booking in faith. How Elvine caught that feral cat I don't know.  She did not use a trap.  I do know she's been caring for her for more than four years and was able to touch her only.  My guess is she took the gift of the gab, took hold of her and got her into a carrier. 

I collected madam the morning and looking into the carrier she was not happy.  She  was super quiet on the way to the vet.  I got to the vet, booked her in and between the forms, security gate and car said: “hey guys, this one is a feral… and she is pissed…”  I took her to the back and met up with the new vet in his boerboel broekie.  Super awesome guy but I looked at the feral and I looked at him and I knew shit was about to get very real.  Let me explain, when the ferals are in traps, it’s easier to sedate them.  You kinda tip the trap, the cat moves to the bottom and the vet injects through the wire.  Cat goes to sleep and no one gets hurt. 

So there we were, looking at one angry feral, in a carrier and she was going to give it all she’s got.  We started by closing the door and windows of the intake room.  We took off the carrier door.  The vet got ready with the pre-med.  I took a towel and folded it double.  My words to him was: “I will take her out and you need to be quick….”  Awesome plan… 

No, it wasn’t, it did not go as planned AT ALL.  The demon came flying pass me. She went straight for the window, got a foothold, did a matrix move and flew pass me, touched the cage and pushed herself up to the cupboard.  There was no way I was climbing up to get that cat.  I am overweight, 52 and me trying to climb any cupboards might land me on the vet’s table for emergency surgery. I think the vet visionalized the senario, did a risk analysis and decided to get up.  He reached for her and as she took a leap down, I caught her.  I held on to her for dear life and yelled at the vet to inject.  I think he was still in shock but manage to get to her bum.  In these seconds that passed I felt her teeth sunk into my fingers and her nails clawing my arms.  We got her back in the cage and both of us just stood there.  The vet was silent, I just looked at the demon, even angrier than before.  I was bleeding and I recall saying some really bad words while she dug her teeth into me.

I looked up, turn my head and there, outside the window, looking at us was the person I called my friend and also the reception at the vet's office.  He was watching the entire ordeal.  Ver calm and cool he asked: “why didn’t you use the welding gloves…” then proceeded to laugh….. Thank the Lord he didn’t record anything. 

Madam was spayed; I collected her that afternoon.  Before placing the carrier in the back of the bakkie used duct tape to secure the carrier and make sure she can’t break out. 

Was it all worth the battle scars .. hell yes!