Indestructible

Stray Cats are Indestructible

My South neighbor (the one that feeds and houses stray cats in her garage) finally hired an exterminator to get rid of them

To recap, what began as a one cat found living in her tree with three tiny kittens has evolved into a stray cat nightmare.  She tried to catch them and take them to the animal shelter.  She would catch the nursing female but none of the kittens which were too small to trigger the trap.  She would let the female out in order to maintain the cat family unit. 

Of course, that female slut has had two more broods since first taking up house in that tree. Why should she or ANY of her kittens leave?  She had housing, fresh water and food.  I think there were at least 5 cats living in her garage and pooping in my yard.  They are very considerate not to poop in her yard but have no reservations regarding befouling my garden.   I was afraid to use my herbs last year.  I was afraid to dry them out.  I just let them die.

 
This year, I am terrified for my lettuce.  I had been stealing my roomies used coffee grounds for a week before I told them what I was doing.  I am creating a cat repellent.  I spread the grounds around the lettuce.

After months of dropping hints to my neighbor she is finally hiring a professional to catch the cats and remove them from her garage.

Wednesday the exterminator placed the critter trap near her garage.  Good idea.  That is where they live after all.  ‘Cept, all he caught was a possum.

I saw it on my way to my garage and laughed my tail off.  No pun intended. 

One of the stray cats was lying in her bird bath (which is in stalking distance of my bird feeder) watching the possum struggle. 

 

Another neighbor on the North side of my house asked the exterminator about family cats that are permitted outside.  He informed her that all cats in Toledo require a collar and a license.   She, like me, hates the stray cats.  They are a huge nuisance to everyone. New neighbors always remark about the large number of strays in the neighborhood.  I should mention the stray cats did not begin with the Southside neighbor but a neighbor across the street.  The house had been empty for a month and the new owners unceremoniously removed three kittens from the garage.  One of those kittens found herself in my neighbor’s tree. 

She called four pet stores only to be laughed at four times. No one really sells cat collars and the region does not require a license. She did find a collar and her extremely well-fed cat wears it proudly.  I can not imagine how anyone could confuse a pampered stray and a pampered pet.  I would describe her cat as dwarf panther.    

If you are an animal lover and are finding yourself becoming very uncomfortable reading this blog visit this link and spay or neuter your own pets before they become someone else’s problem.

   

Thursday the exterminator had placed the trap under the garage door and used old closet doors to block off the space forcing the cats to enter the trap.  When I got home from work, I noticed the trap empty but the garage was missing a window.  The Northside neighbor and I laughed ourselves silly over a glass of rum and coke on her porch while her house cat lazily watched us. 

I would have taken a picture this morning but I think she decided to cut her losses.  Two animal traps looked as if they had been thrown into a corner where she keeps her cutting. 

I hope she gets is right before I do something drastic.

Indestructible

Stray Cats are Indestructible

My South neighbor (the one that feeds and houses stray cats in her garage) finally hired an exterminator to get rid of them

To recap, what began as a one cat found living in her tree with three tiny kittens has evolved into a stray cat nightmare. She tried to catch them and take them to the animal shelter. She would catch the nursing female but none of the kittens which were too small to trigger the trap. She would let the female out in order to maintain the cat family unit.

Of course, that female slut has had two more broods since first taking up house in that tree. Why should she or ANY of her kittens leave? She had housing, fresh water and food. I think there were at least 5 cats living in her garage and pooping in my yard. They are very considerate not to poop in her yard but have no reservations regarding befouling my garden. I was afraid to use my herbs last year. I was afraid to dry them out. I just let them die.

This year, I am terrified for my lettuce. I had been stealing my roomies used coffee grounds for a week before I told them what I was doing. I am creating a cat repellent. I spread the grounds around the lettuce.

After months of dropping hints to my neighbor she is finally hiring a professional to catch the cats and remove them from her garage.

Wednesday the exterminator placed the critter trap near her garage. Good idea. That is where they live after all. ‘Cept, all he caught was a possum.

I saw it on my way to my garage and laughed my tail off. No pun intended.

One of the stray cats was lying in her bird bath (which is in stalking distance of my bird feeder) watching the possum struggle.

Another neighbor on the North side of my house asked the exterminator about family cats that are permitted outside. He informed her that all cats in Toledo require a collar and a license. She, like me, hates the stray cats. They are a huge nuisance to everyone. New neighbors always remark about the large number of strays in the neighborhood. I should mention the stray cats did not begin with the Southside neighbor but a neighbor across the street. The house had been empty for a month and the new owners unceremoniously removed three kittens from the garage. One of those kittens found herself in my neighbor’s tree.

She called four pet stores only to be laughed at four times. No one really sells cat collars and the region does not require a license. She did find a collar and her extremely well-fed cat wears it proudly. I can not imagine how anyone could confuse a pampered stray and a pampered pet. I would describe her cat as dwarf panther.

If you are an animal lover and are finding yourself becoming very uncomfortable reading this blog visit this link and spay or neuter your own pets before they become someone else’s problem.

Thursday the exterminator had placed the trap under the garage door and used old closet doors to block off the space forcing the cats to enter the trap. When I got home from work, I noticed the trap empty but the garage was missing a window. The Northside neighbor and I laughed ourselves silly over a glass of rum and coke on her porch while her house cat lazily watched us.

I would have taken a picture this morning but I think she decided to cut her losses. Two animal traps looked as if they had been thrown into a corner where she keeps her cutting.

I hope she gets is right before I do something drastic.

I also wanted to say "hi" to my Crabby Swap Partner

And It Continues

I have done it again. Neglected my blogging responsibilities.

You should know that not only have I avoided blogging, I have also avoided exercising, journaling, working on a short story, and buffing my nails.

Terrible aren't I. I really need to get on those nails.

I have on the other hand been anxiously awaiting the return of South Park, Medium, Law and Order: CI, my daffodils and crocuses, and a comb.

I am convinced that there is some rift in space and time from which some ogre reaches through and steals my combs. Okay, I know that I wear my hair natural and I do not really need a comb but there are times that I do. Those are the times that the ogre lives for.

I am still terribly afraid of the impending zombie war, restless in my small office, tired all of the time, crocheting or knitting, fascinated by just how much diet dr. pepper tastes like regular dr. pepper, and drinking vodka.

I spend my days napping, imagining methods of getting rid of stray cats, shopping for shoes, and working on baby blankets for friends.

I still haven't lost the weight that I gained this Fall. My hand hurts from trying to finish my sister's baby blanket before the shower. I haven't met with my doctor to discuss my EGC biopsy. The garage door still will not shut and the newspaper boy destroyed my alarm sign.

I did get some good news in the Sorority. I beat Sims 2 Castaway. Found a perfect black dress that I can fit. And I have made some new friends. My sleep study proved that I do not have Sleep Apnea. That picture is of me after I was connected to the computer thigamajig.

I guess.... That I am just peachy.

Catverbs

I wanted to share with you some of my Catverbs. 1. Kittens are only cute on TV and in Calendars. If you have ever had kittens (plural) in your home you know what I mean. They destroy, whine and are constantly underfoot. Literally, underfoot. You are on watch for scratching, clawing, mewing, pooping, and jumping. You beg all of your friends and most strangers to take them off of your hands. The Animal Shelter is always full. And the only hope is a drive to the country. Stray kittens will always be worse. This year, there have been three sets of kittens in my backyard. One set was caught in May and taken to the animal place for adoption. The second set lost their mom and resisted our efforts to catch them . The two still live behind Lydia and my garages and are about 6 months in age. Fortunately for us, they have been fixed. No yowling or heat screams but there is the poop in my yard that they do for fun while they live on Lydia's porch. Right now, there are three kittens that seem to defy being caught. The animal organization will only take the kittens with their mom. Lydia has put out animal traps for the past three weeks. Once the mom was caught and we only had to catch the kittens. As Nature has decided in her wisdom to make kittens light as a feather; the kittens were too light to trip the latch and trap them inside of the old cage. They leisurely ate the food and went on their way. We seem to keep catching the same cats but not the ones we want. Lydia was able to catch two strays and get them fixed. Since that time, they have found the animal trap to be their personal restaurant. Instead of avoiding the site of their capture they visit it frequently to eat the food left there to attract the mom-stray. If you have lost count, that means there are 6 stray cats in and around my yard. 2. If a cat is permitted to jump on furniture, no one will eat your dish at pot-lucks. I don't mean to gross you out but you will find cat hair on everything you eat if cats are jumping around. I find a good sweeping 30 or so minutes before I cook and locking the cats up gives me piece of mind. Be wary of anyone who asks you about your dish at the office potluck. They will avoid your food for fear of eating cat hair. I would suggest that you bring store bought food or something that you can put together at the office and pretend that it was never in your house. Or you can just say, "I would love to make something for the potluck but I have a cat." 3. If a cat pees in your car, it is time to get a new car. I had heard stories about angry cats that pee in their owner's cars or the cars of their owner's boyfriends. Don't piss off a cat...... I had a cat pee on my futon. I cleaned it probably 12 times. The smell was gone but the memory of the action remained. I eventually sold the frame to a friend and threw the mattress away. When my co-worker's cat pee'd in his car I warned him. Not only would he never get the smell out but his regard for his car would be forever changed. Notwithstanding, how he felt about the cat. He assured me that he would get the smell out. After two months of chemical sprays, he went to the junk yard and purchased a new seat. I warned him that a new seat was not the problem. The car would never be the same. It died a few weeks later. I laughed my tail off. 4. The more money you spend on a cat toy, the less they play with it. My cat has a collection of hair ties that she has hidden somewhere in the house. I estimate that she has 20 or so ties somewhere. The truth of the matter is that anything not nailed down is a cat's toy! Sad isn't it? They will claim anything for their enjoyment. My cat likes to bite plastic bags. If I leave a department store bag of returns on the floor, I will find little round holes from her teeth marks everywhere. I have made for her several yarn balls so that she will leave my working yarn balls alone. Well, those are some of my catverbs. Cats are great creatures. I love them but Kitty will be my last one forever. Do you have any catverbs? Catverb - a saying that reflects a fact about cats

Current Projects Great Escape Cape Cat Mat Knotted Openwork Shawl

Fear of Itchy Things

I am sitting here very itchy. Whenever I think that I see a flea I imagine that I have bites all over me. I itch. I scratch my skin until it is red.

I guess it is psychosomatic. I think I see a flea then I imagine that I have flea bites all over me. It is horrible. I just took an antihistamine.

I have been experience this fear of fleas well actually it is Acrophobia or fear of the insects that cause itching.

Writing that made me scratch at my legs.

It is something that I manage. I cover my bedding and wash in hot water. I keep flea bombs on hand and anti-itch cream in the bath. I have a hard time with sweaters. I keep imagining that the biting insects have taken up residence in them and I keep putting them on and taking them off.

I am sitting in my office cold because I keep thinking that my fleece jacket it is itchy. (Yes, the AC is still on and I am freezing)

There is a reason why I am on alert for insects that make me itch. The weather has been very kind to fleas and mosquitoes. I allowed a week to pass before I picked tomatoes. I will not weed until the weather cools. I have bites all over my legs from the last time I picked tomatoes and weeded. The gardening chores can wait. There have been two news reports about how aggressive the mosquitoes have been this year.

Then there are the damn stray cats…..

My neighbor and I just can’t get a break. Well, it is really her fault. She leaves her garage door open for the strays, leaves food for them and blankets. It is kinda cute on one hand. On the other, I have a mulch bed that smells so bad that I can’t sit on the porch with the windows open.

Scratching my legs again.

Luckily Paul the Gardener Guy dedicated the first half of Saturday’s show to “Keeping the Kitties Out.” I will try a few of his techniques. It does please me to know that Lydia is having the same smelly problem in her mulch.

Mulch smell aside there is another problem – as there always is – with the kitties.

They like to visit. The strays have taken up residence not only in Lydia’s garage but on her porch as well. I guess the porch was too crowded for the cat that just had kittens because she likes to lie out in front of my stoop.

You are probably thinking, what is the harm in that? As you are thinking that, I am viewing a suspicious looking red dot on my arm.

My cats like to hang out on the porch by the screen door. When all three cats are out it is as if they are gossiping through the screen.

It is weird. If you can imagine. Very weird. Imagine the neighborhood gossip is talking to you through the screen door with a coffee cup in her hand. It is like that.

Friday it got weirder. I was sitting on the couch attempting to finish my latest knitting project and I hear cats growling at each other. I thought that the noise was coming from strays in the street or something. I finally had to get up to shoo the stray cat away. I approached the porch and I can clearly see the stray cat still lying on the stoop. She was watching the housecats carry on like common feral animals. Just hissing and growling at each other as if they were strangers or in heat. Both cats are fixed it so was like watching Barbie and Ken fight.

I tried to separate them as the stray cat continued to watch and one tried to attack me for picking her up. The male cat ran away and the female ran after him throughout the house. Fur flying everywhere.

I looked back at the stray and she seemed very pleased with herself. I couldn’t believe it. This stray cat, a cat without a home, came over to my house and raised cat fur all over the place.

Something needs to be done. She is wrecking my home. And I bet she had fleas which have now jumped through the screen and taken up residence in my house.

Reload No More Strays

This is a post from another journal of mine. I thought that i would finally update my LiveJournal with this relevation

I thought that iw Okay, some of you do not know that i live by myself. Well, had this great roommate who is also a great friend that lived with me until April. I miss her a lot. I got used to having someone around. Someone to talk to. Someone to help out with the crazy high utility bills. I thought that it would be easy to find someone else to live with me. I was wrong. All I have found are strays. And let me tell you taking in a stray is always a bad move.



Strays

Some Definitions

“Stray” means any animal that does not appear, upon reasonable inquiry, to have an owner/guardian

Homeless person is an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence

For some stray animals “follow them home” for me stray humans do the same and I have a heck of a time getting them housetrained or to leave.

I had a cat that was an adopted stray GEEZ that was a nightmare. She pooed everywhere but in her litter box. She chose the bath mat, any corner with accumulated dust, an empty room. I secretly hoped that my roommate would take the cat for a drive. If she did it then I could be free of my unmitigated desire to get rid of her without actually doing it and dealing with related guilt. I kept shooting mental commands at my roommate to take the cat, take her away. I finally left open the door to a room with a broken window. Wheh. Finally, I have admitted it. Now the speculation about what happened to the cat can end. I did it. I shut her in a room with a window open and hoped she would free herself. I blocked out the memory of what i had done and actually accused my roommate of doing something sinister to the cat. I tell people know that she ran away.

My first human stray was Armondoma (-oma means tumor). And a stray he was. No possession just a few bags of clothes, a clock radio, cell phone, space heater and george foreman grill. I guess by homeless people standards he was better off than most. I didn’t pick him for a stray right away because he had family in the area. My mistake. The fact that he obsessed over Mariah Carey, hung out at his job for hours on his days off and recorded ten hours of soap operas and videos everyday didn’t register as a loser. Even when he slept with the light on because he was afraid of the dark- I didn't see it coming. No, it wasn't until i found myself hiding from him at night becuase he would trap me in the kitchen. He had this fantasy that the 19 year old that he worked with and was in a 3-year relationship with his girlfriend was really gay. The girlfriend, whom he hated, had done something to him. The two had been friends since Andy was 17, Drea started working there and now they are a couple. Of course, Armondoma and the guy's relationship would never be the same as long as Armonda had a crush on Andy. I couldn't take it. I finally told the Drea that Armondoma was trying to convince me and everyone else that she had turned a gay man to straight. It made a lot of sense to her because she had no idea why Armondoma was so hostile to her. The Andy, 19 year old boyfriend, finally had to complain to management that he was being sexually harassed by a 36 year old man. All three of them worked at the movie theaters. Ever see the MAD tv skit about ushers? Yeah, it really is like that.

The worst kind of stray is a family friend or a relative. After I cut Armondoma out of my house I asked my relative Imakronikliar (Im-A-Kro-nic-Li-ar) stay with me. Imakronikliar had me going, talking about making a change and just needing some help to get there. I was so happy to have that tumor removed that I didn’t see that Imakronikliar a mouth disease, liarosis. After about two months, I found myself just as unhappy as I had been living with the tumor. Once, I had yelled at ImaKronicLiar for canceling one of my favorite shows on the DVR. I yelled at ImaKronicLiar often, long and loud. It really didn’t matter what was done to irritate me, it didn’t matter if I overreacted. Hell, it didn’t matter if I was wrong. I changed the locks on my doors one lock at a time. Just imagine. You arrive home. There are two locks on the door and for no apparent reason, one lock does not turn with your key. I am sure it was bewildering and upsetting to never know when or where I would strike next. I am sure Imakronikliar got the picture. GET the HELL OUT. When he finally left he had pissed me off so bad, i gave his clothes to Goodwill. Imagine the attendant starting at me as i handed to her very expensive men's clothing. i know what she wanted to ask me. Yet, i would not say.