Kitten Round-up 2007

Lee set the date for last Friday for the Kittens of the Apocalypse to have their kitten-making apparatuses removed. Who's up for corralling some kittens? Friday a.m. found us being outsmarted, outwitted, outplayed by creatures with brains the size of walnuts... but they have EXCELLENT survival skills.

War was no problem. He trusts us, so I just picked him up and stuffed him in a cat carrier. He wasn't happy about it, but didn't make a big fuss. Then Lee set the live trap (after I'd left). He got mauled by Pestilence, by grabbing her without gloves on. Not that gloves would have helped him hold her. He trapped Famine and accidentally let him go. Thought he trapped Famine again, but turns out it was Death, which was surprising, because Death usually watches from afar, and won't eat until we've gone inside. Then Lee didn't want to try to get Death (who was going ballistic in the trap) into a carrier, so he just took the 2 kittens Friday.

Lee picked them up Friday evening, and we put them in a closed off part of the basement. We set up a convalescence area of 2 cardboard boxes on their sides with soft blankets on the bottom. War was just as happy as could be and started exploring right away, although with his tail tucked between his legs. (Well, who can blame him for that!) Death... ah, Death. Death sat in one of the boxes, hunched up, face to the corner, whimpering. It was very pathetic. Eventually, he came out and found a hiding place worthy of Houdini. He and War somehow get up behind the utility sinks... we think they're sitting on the pipes.

No bad smells, as both kittens seem to be using the litter boxes. Score! We'll let Death go after we've gotten the other 2 done. War is probably going to become a permanent resident here. I KNOW... I don't want 3 cats. But he seems to have chosen us, and is very much like Murray in temperament, which makes him an ideal cat. I'm not opposed to giving him away to a good home that won't de-claw. So, he goes into the vet again tomorrow to get him up to "house standards." IE: de-earmited, more shots (we only got the others the rabies).

We're taking the other 2 kittens tomorrow: Pestilence and Famine. I caught Pestilence through great skill and cunning... and, erm, incredible good luck. We kept the cat carriers out on the deck and started putting their food inside. AHHHH... see how clever we are! Pestilence went in with her back to me and I closed the door. I was shocked. She was pissed. She started twirling around like a whirling dervish, banging into the sides. We put her in the basement, still in the carrier, and covered it with a blanket. She calmed down right away.

Lee wanted to keep all the kittens in the basement from now until Spring, since that's only for a "couple of months." I pointed out that it'd actually be 5 (!) months, and that wasn't going to work. We're a little worried about their survival, but they've been well-fed for months and will continue to be, and they've got shelter (under decks in 2 yards) and each other. We're thinking about what other kind of temporary shelter we could give them.

So that's our kitten saga for now. I was balking at the cost of neutering "strays", but Lee said "You can't put a value on life." Well, shoot. It's not like I can argue with that statement. I mean, if it was between my kids and cats, well, I'd choose appropriately. (The kids, of course!)