Sackville-Baggins 1, Brigit 0

[lavendertook]

When I went up to Warwick this weekend, I found that someone had taken away the shelter I had made for Brigit, both autofeeders, all the food therein, and the bowls.   So that was sad and something I can ill afford, but I've been braced for it all along. I was afraid adding the second feeder might get the attention of someone who wasn't happy about the feeding area being there, but I was hoping after 6 months it might be OK. But no, someone's territoriality was probably piqued by the expansion--maybe they thought next I'd be putting up tents or a pet food store or something, or were just offended that hungry cats were being fed on the defunct cement sewer cover behind the church and decided it was time to do away with it. Such are the vagaries of looking after a creature you can't protect in your own home.

Brigit is well, however, and I hope was not too many days without kibble, but she seemed satisfied with the new auofeeder and makeshift shelter I made her.  A nice man who lives in a trailer behind the church invited me to use a corner of his land bordering the church cemetery.  I'm crossing my fingers he won't change his mind down the road. I went over to the Walmart and got a new autofeeder, a plastic box to shelter it in, using the lid as a porch, and a small plastic patio side table to fit in as the porch roof, and I added a brick on top to better secure it from winds. Hopefully, this will work out. If I tried to lead her back to the stables she ran off from, it would expose her to crossing a dangerous road, which might have been what did in her sister, so she's better off in this area.


Here she is this summer sitting on the cement sewer cover.



This pic gives you a better look at how she shed the fur off her sides during the heat of the summer, with a wide mohawk effect on her back.


This was the feeding area I had set up there a few months ago, that went missing sometime last week. I'm sure it's a much nicer view of the browning weeds and dead branches now without Brigit's shelter in the way. I hope the new spot will prove friendlier to her.

Comments

[lbilover]

That really is terrible that someone would do that. :((( I'm glad Brigit is okay and you were able to find a (hopefully) safer long-term spot to feed her.

[lavendertook]

Terrible, but not unexpected. I've run into a lot of unpleasant types out there. But there are kind folks among them like the man who offered us a corner of his yard. I just hope he doesn't change his mind. It's closer to the little access road than I would like, and probably too exposed for her to use during the day, but he has seen her running about his yard, so it's familiar territory for her. And being welcome is always safer--I just hope his welcome lasts.

[lbilover]

My sister does tons of feral cat work in Brooklyn and has been through this same kind of stuff. People can be absolutely horrible, but also incredibly generous and wonderful.

I hope his welcome lasts, too!!

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

She looks so like my Tonks, who I lost a year ago. I would love to send you some kitty food money, if that would be all right with you?

http://baranduin.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/1028/196364

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

She sure does look like your beautiful Tonks, except for your Tonks's strikingly gorgeous green eyes. I'm so sorry for your loss. *hugs* Losing Brigit's bonded sister this spring--a beautiful, winsome calico, the Gertrude Stein/Sherlock Holmes/Pippin to Brigit's Alice B/Watson/Merry--was devastating. There's a 1% chance she's out there, but I think it highly unlikely she would leave her Brigit, whom she clearly adored, or be meeting her without my ever seeing her after we had reestablished a feeding pattern--she was the more social and domesticated of the pair.

Gosh, that would be awesome! I sure could use the help with her. Thank you! *hugs*

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

Oh what a pretty calico. I'm so sorry she went missing.

Email me at baranduin98055@yahoo.com to let me know how to get the money to you. Will PayPal work for you?

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

)-:

Will do. Yes it will. Thank you again.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

oh, sweetie, my heart just warms that you're doing this for poor Brigit. This kitty is absolutely beautiful. Baranduin is right -- she looks a lot like sweet Tonks!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I think she's a subtle beauty, though not all people think so. Her coat is prettier now than when she lived in the Metro garage, and freer of matting, so I do think this area is being good for her. Her winter coat is going to be gorgeous this year when it grows all out. She really does look like Baranduin's kitty, seeing the pics of Tonks now.

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry about the missing feeder. I hope this time everything is going to be fine. :) She is so lovely.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I hope so, too. He seems like a very kind man--I hope he remains OK with the feeder being there. I'm crossing my fingers this winter will be free of really bad storms.

[addie71.livejournal.com]

It's sad to think that someone would take down your support for this lovely girl. I hope the new set up stays there.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's sad, but I've been braced for it these past few months. I went to one the church dinners when I was trying to locate her and her sister after they ran off, and it seemed like most of the people there were pretty crabbed types. I hope the nice man who invited us to set up will be satisfied to let it stay. He seems kindly disposed towards her.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

She's gorgeous. And so are you for being so good to her.

My icon is for the nitwit who took the feeder.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

She is. *bows* (-:

Yeah, there are a lot of horksplats around outnumbering the kindly disposed to be sure.

[ancalime8301]

Ugh, people really suck sometimes. :( But I'm glad she's still doing well!

**hugs**

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Yup, they do, so I've been prepared for that eventuality. But the man who invited us to set up by his yard was kind and I hope he remains kindly disposed towards Brigit. He has seen her running around across his yard. It's a less sheltered spot, closer to that little access road than I'd like, and lacking the cement platform, but it's something she can use by night.

[ancalime8301]

I hope this new spot works out better. :)

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Me too. *crosses fingers* She checked it all out and it seemed to pass muster for her, at least. (-; And boy did she hiss and strike out when another little stray I call Tuxena approached from under the cemetery fence, while she was eating her bowl of wet food. I think Tuxena came around when I took you and Hannah out there. Tuxena's part of the cat commune who are fed, at least sometimes, a couple of houses down the road, though I'm sure she's getting a share of the kibble from the autofeeder when Brigit is not around. I need to try to approach those people sometime about getting those cats neutered.

[ancalime8301]

I don't remember seeing another cat when we went but that doesn't mean one wasn't there. ;-) You did mention that cat commune, though. Getting them fixed would definitely be a good idea, unless they want to have the number of hungry mouths continually increasing!

[frolijah-fan-54.livejournal.com]

You're doing such a wonderful thing caring for Brigit - so sorry that you had to buy new stuff. I sure hope that nice man lets the feeding station and shelter stay there. She's such a pretty cat. *BIG HUGS*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon! I hope he does too, but at the very least, I think he will let me know if he changes his mind, so I can take the feeder and shelter and relocate it. I will ask him for that this weekend.

I think she is. She was a little ratty this summer when she shed her winter coat completely off her sides, but it's growing back in prettier than I've ever seen it in the 4 years I've known her, so this environment is, at least, better for her daily health than living in the Metro garage was. *squooshes you back*

[strangemuses.livejournal.com]

Hope the new autofeeder stays put.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon! For now, I'm more worried about storm gales than I am about mean people.

How's your hand? Hope you're doing OK. *hugs*

[strangemuses.livejournal.com]

Poor outdoor animals don't have much defense against the weather.

My hand continues to heal slowly. The physical therapist says that it will be swollen and stiff for another year. Very discouraging but at least it is healing.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Yeah. There are many open sheds and foundations around there, as well as old cars which I suspect may be her natural habitat, so there are many human-made structures she can take advantage of. I suspect she's scoped some out in the last 10 months she's had there. Being small does give one a habitat finding advantage, so I'm trying to keep that in mind and not fret too much.

*hugs* I know it's hard, but I'm glad they think it *will* heal in a year--I think that's good. A year is what its taken each bad trauma I've had to my body to mostly heal. The hardest part are the times you'll think it won't ever heal, so keep your mind on that one year goal as the thing to look forward to. It'll come sooner than you think. <3