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. . .said Gandalf significantly.
Starting yesterday, we've been having the coldest temps we've had in 4 years, with anticipation of a possible dusting of snow tonight and a few inches on Friday, so I've been debating and debating on whether or not I should catch Brigit today and take her in for the next few days. When I refill the dry food auto feeders, I have been placing a bowl of wet food in a carrier, and Brigit has been walking right in, so catching her would be no problem. The only problem is I'm not sure if this is a trick that will work twice, so if we have worse weather in the next month, I may not be able to catch her then--hence the debate.
But when I went out this afternoon, I called and called and she didn't show, as she has every week, except one rainy day, since the end of last March. I filled the feeders, called some more, and then drove around a little, and came back. Then I saw that C. who lives across the road from the feeders had arrived home and went to ask her if she could call me, if she saw her. I'm so glad she's there. She is friendly to Brigit, though she considers her an ugly cat--yes, she does. {-:
I was pretty worried, but just as it was getting dark and I was leaving C's stoop, who should show up, but Ms. Brigit. She was walking kind of slow, and was slow to start eating, and if she didn't have a cold, the cold was certainly being rough on her, so that decided me completely to take her in. I had to wave the bowl of food under her nose a couple of times before she took interest in it when I put it in the carrier, which isn't like her. And then I easily shut the door behind her and loaded it in the back seat. She made a couple of sad meows of half-hearted protest, but we drove home without incident.
This is a pic of Ms. Brigit from a month ago. You can see her winter coat has grown out beautifully.
Since I moved the feeders from the church's backyard in October, to beside the bushes by the cemetery fence along the little access road, I've made huge progress with Brigit. I can pet her all up now, but only while she's in the first throws of eating her wet food. So she's much more comfortable in this spot.
I think she's also happier because I back up my car right by the feeders, and she prefers feeding by the car. Once a garage cat, always a garage cat. She likes to jump up in the hatchback of the car, as I'm preparing the food, and check out the supplies. Until last week, she would jump right out if she saw me looking at her. But last week, she shoved her head under my hand as I was scooping her wet food to get at her bowl.
This pic is blurry because in the very next instant, she jumped up into the hatchback of my car.
So here is Ms. Brigit tonight. I got her to go from the medium sized carrier into this large dog crate without incident. Someone in Arlington, VA put this brand new crate out on the curb in October and put the ad for it on Craig's List and I drove out and got it for just such an occasion as this. I wish I had room to put the food further away from the litter box, but there isn't quite enough room for that. She did eat a little of her wet food, and some celebratory chicken enjoyed by the whole household in her honor.
I put the crate on top of a plastic tub at the foot of the bed where she can watch me and my crew sleep. I'm hoping watching me sleep will make her more relaxed with me and set her more at ease. I haven't been able to pet her today--she hisses when I reach in the crate near her, but she is exchanging blinky eyes with me. Saki's taken Brigit's presence in stride. Moo hissed at her some--the hissing was mutual. Tuxie was the most freaked out by the guest, such that he threw up his chicken and has stared in the bedroom doorway warily. Hopefully, all will go well tonight. The big test is to see if she can use the litter box.
Ms. Brigit sat on top of the red crate for a while, but as you can see, she has figured out what a cat bagel is for. I think she is content to be in out of the arctic cold for now, until it passes. I hope it's a big enough space for her not to go stir crazy for a few days. It's almost the size of the glassed in cages they have for cats in Petsmart. I will do my utmost to keep her from escaping, because I know she will go hide right under the bed and I'll never get her out and it would be a cat-astrophe for the whole household. She and her sister had been trapped and caged a couple of times before by rescue worker A., but they were not well pampered at all. We'll see how she does with this taste of domesticity, and nummy treats. I may try to get her into a clinic to get her shots updated, if she is relaxed enough for me to handle her enough to transfer her back and forth into a smaller carrier--I'm not sure on that though. Wish us luck with this visit. (-:
Starting yesterday, we've been having the coldest temps we've had in 4 years, with anticipation of a possible dusting of snow tonight and a few inches on Friday, so I've been debating and debating on whether or not I should catch Brigit today and take her in for the next few days. When I refill the dry food auto feeders, I have been placing a bowl of wet food in a carrier, and Brigit has been walking right in, so catching her would be no problem. The only problem is I'm not sure if this is a trick that will work twice, so if we have worse weather in the next month, I may not be able to catch her then--hence the debate.
But when I went out this afternoon, I called and called and she didn't show, as she has every week, except one rainy day, since the end of last March. I filled the feeders, called some more, and then drove around a little, and came back. Then I saw that C. who lives across the road from the feeders had arrived home and went to ask her if she could call me, if she saw her. I'm so glad she's there. She is friendly to Brigit, though she considers her an ugly cat--yes, she does. {-:
I was pretty worried, but just as it was getting dark and I was leaving C's stoop, who should show up, but Ms. Brigit. She was walking kind of slow, and was slow to start eating, and if she didn't have a cold, the cold was certainly being rough on her, so that decided me completely to take her in. I had to wave the bowl of food under her nose a couple of times before she took interest in it when I put it in the carrier, which isn't like her. And then I easily shut the door behind her and loaded it in the back seat. She made a couple of sad meows of half-hearted protest, but we drove home without incident.
This is a pic of Ms. Brigit from a month ago. You can see her winter coat has grown out beautifully.
Since I moved the feeders from the church's backyard in October, to beside the bushes by the cemetery fence along the little access road, I've made huge progress with Brigit. I can pet her all up now, but only while she's in the first throws of eating her wet food. So she's much more comfortable in this spot.
I think she's also happier because I back up my car right by the feeders, and she prefers feeding by the car. Once a garage cat, always a garage cat. She likes to jump up in the hatchback of the car, as I'm preparing the food, and check out the supplies. Until last week, she would jump right out if she saw me looking at her. But last week, she shoved her head under my hand as I was scooping her wet food to get at her bowl.
This pic is blurry because in the very next instant, she jumped up into the hatchback of my car.
So here is Ms. Brigit tonight. I got her to go from the medium sized carrier into this large dog crate without incident. Someone in Arlington, VA put this brand new crate out on the curb in October and put the ad for it on Craig's List and I drove out and got it for just such an occasion as this. I wish I had room to put the food further away from the litter box, but there isn't quite enough room for that. She did eat a little of her wet food, and some celebratory chicken enjoyed by the whole household in her honor.
I put the crate on top of a plastic tub at the foot of the bed where she can watch me and my crew sleep. I'm hoping watching me sleep will make her more relaxed with me and set her more at ease. I haven't been able to pet her today--she hisses when I reach in the crate near her, but she is exchanging blinky eyes with me. Saki's taken Brigit's presence in stride. Moo hissed at her some--the hissing was mutual. Tuxie was the most freaked out by the guest, such that he threw up his chicken and has stared in the bedroom doorway warily. Hopefully, all will go well tonight. The big test is to see if she can use the litter box.
Ms. Brigit sat on top of the red crate for a while, but as you can see, she has figured out what a cat bagel is for. I think she is content to be in out of the arctic cold for now, until it passes. I hope it's a big enough space for her not to go stir crazy for a few days. It's almost the size of the glassed in cages they have for cats in Petsmart. I will do my utmost to keep her from escaping, because I know she will go hide right under the bed and I'll never get her out and it would be a cat-astrophe for the whole household. She and her sister had been trapped and caged a couple of times before by rescue worker A., but they were not well pampered at all. We'll see how she does with this taste of domesticity, and nummy treats. I may try to get her into a clinic to get her shots updated, if she is relaxed enough for me to handle her enough to transfer her back and forth into a smaller carrier--I'm not sure on that though. Wish us luck with this visit. (-:
Tags:
- brigit,
- cats,
- omg sfcold!,
- snow,
- strays
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From:
no subject
Jackie is also someone wild even after 12 years of living with me. She loves the other cats but does not like me. LOL
In order to take Jackie to the vet or put her in a carrier, I have to sneak up on her and toss a towel over her. She doesn't try to attack me. She just wants to get away.
For twelve years I have attempted to socialize Jackie and teach her that humans inside the house do not mean her any harm but she has never fully accepted this. She will come within inches of me at feeding time and wait on her food, but she does not want to be petted or held for any reason. After all this time, I don't look for her to change and in spite of some minor issues, the arrangement works. She is very social with the other cats and she is brilliant with the litter box.
From:
no subject
She does not like other cats that have come around the feeders outside, at all. Her sister was the only one. Whereas she only hisses when I reach into the crate too closely to her, she hisses at my kitties whenever she catches sight of them through the bars. I do not know if she could become companionable with other cats. I think she and Saki would stay out of each other's way, but Brigit would be miserable stuck in a one bedroom with Tuxie and Moo, though, because they play too aggressively, and Tuxie is more than doubles her size.
I talked to someone today who thinks a cat sanctuary in PA might have room for her--she'll get me the info on it tomorrow--cross your fingers on this.
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You're so good to Brigit.
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And thank you. Bebop and Rocksteady are great cat names. They are lucky to have you looking out for them.
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She used to live in a parking garage near me, and a rescue worker found a stables on the eastern shore of MD that said they could take her and her sister, so we trapped them last year and brought them out there. But the guy at the stables would not feed them and was terrible, and they had a couple of sweet but aggressive tomcats, so the girls ran off, and I wound up picking up the bag. I spent months tracking them and trying to train the guy to leave food out regularly for them, which didn't work. I found her sister first, but then she disappeared a couple of weeks later, and didn't look well last I saw her, so I think she's dead. It took me 3 months to find Brigit, and I set up a feeding station where she was hanging out, and have been feeding her there the past 10 months. Her coat looks good and I think she has been thriving out there, but if I stopped going out there, that wouldn't be the case. I may have a lead on a cat sanctuary in PA that could take her--cross your fingers for us.
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I don't know if she is able to weigh being out of the cold against being captive. It's definitely better for her health right now, whether she knows it or not. And is hopefully leading to a safer life, and hopefully less fear and more contentment. Thank you, bb! *hugs*
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I have no idea what it's like to introduce an outdoor kitty to an already established indoor gang, but hope it goes well and smoothly! I was amazingly lucky with Helo and Merlin getting along, although I realize it isn't the same thing with a friendly indoor cat verses and skittish outdoor cat!
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Awwwww! And my gosh, you guys are getting blasted with cold. *wraps all of you in blankies*
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stay warm....
by the way, i have not forgot the other e's i said i would respond to. just too damn swamped!
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*hugs* I hope things get less stressful for you soon, bb.
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Things are getting even more amped up in the stress area. But i am hoping that it is a short term thing.
*hugs u back*
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I'm sorry on the stresses. Feel free to write me about them if it helps.<3
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That you tried (and failed) by Ostra is sad, very sad. But you learned something thereby and have done well by Brigit and will do better in future. I can't say 'oh, good on you' that you shortened Ostra's life (non intentionally), but i DO think on all the doctors i've known who have fouled up a situation so that the human in their care dies or is left permanently screwed up.
They don't really seem to give a damn. one of them said to me "that's why they call is PRACTICING medicine"
so....i hope you'll have forgiven yourself for anything you might have done, unintentionally. For you also did a lot of good and will do more in future.
*hugs*, jan
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Yeah, my Dad died by the hands of such medical professionals. It's important to learn to forgive yourself the mistakes you will make in trying to help, but absolving yourself of responsibility with the idea of practicing is pretty arrogant and foul--as if your learning is worth the price of another life and not a process for which we need to ask to be forgiven. And it interferes with your ability to assess your patient's needs. It's why arrogance is one of the traits I'm most suspicious of, and, unfortunately, is often possessed in droves by those who have the most influence over society. The type A's tend to admire the trait and seek it out in others.
I'm working on forgiving myself. I know I was just a young animal trying to do my foolish best and this is how we learn to do better, and I am putting that knowledge to use for Brigit, and hoping it will yield her good. I've been through this process with my care for my first cat, and have put the painful knowledge to use in caring for my subsequent feline roommates better. But I've been stuck dealing with an arrogant veterinarian of late for Saki and it's been making decisions about her health more difficult.
Thank you, dear one. *hugs*
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But....even with all that, we muddle through. And we learn. And we do good (MUCH good). And we do bad (hopefully....very little).
It makes a difference, too (as you point out) the spirit in which we *do* our badnessessssss. Are we flippant, are we uncaring and arrogant about the process and/or the result? Then I think we can say that we did wrong WITH malice aforethought and should not have the honour of attempting to help another being. For truly, those who are callous to the suffering of others at *their own hands* are not attempting to help at all, no matter what they may call themselves.
(you are not to be found in this group, btw, and i hope that you will grieve your Ostra and then go on and nurture with new knowledge. I know you will)
*hugs you back*
j
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