When is a stray cat not a stray cat?

Got a call to TNR a black male cat - Jet Black they call him - in Harehills this week, which turned up skinny and hungry and has been sleeping in a woman's outhouse for the last few months. I got the details and dropped by yesterday to pick him up. I had to make a couple of further trips during the day as he was no-where to be seen, then when I did see him had to fend of a feisty B&W kitten who wanted to get the trap with him. He was real tame and I ended up having to hold and stroke him for 10 minutes whilst Jet decided he whether he was going to get in the trap or not! He finally went in (as you can see), albeit a bit wet as it was raining, but safe and sound I dropped him off at the vets for an over night stay before TNR, chipping and fleaing the next day...

Anyway, the vet rings back a couple of hours later to say the cat is neutered and chipped! He apparently belongs to a woman who lives 10 doors down on the other side of the road!

The woman who has been feeding him, apparently his real name is Monster Truck (I kid u not!), was obviously abit confused why someone else cat is sleeping in her outhouse and always hungry. I dropped the big guy back this morning to his REAL owner, a really nice young woman, who explained they had got a new cat in the house and Monster liked to stay out alot because of it, but still came home for morning and evening meals! He seemed pleased to be home after his night out and big adventure, and all is well that ens well.

Just goes to show a stray cat, if not always what it appears to be!

Footnote... the kitten who was trying to get in the trap as well, is another 'stray'... Rocket.

Why are we bothering to neuter male cats when they can't have kittens...

Loving my new trap...

Gotta say a big thanks to Leeds Feline Friends for my newest piece of trapping equipment... A BRAND NEW TRAP!

I shouldn't get so excited but they asked if I wanted any equipment, for the help I've given them with trapping and transporting. Well, I said I would love to have a trap where the trap 'door' opens outwards, and is outside the trap. Most traps have a door which opens INTO the trap and this can cause problems if you have a big cat or the cat has a long neck and doesn't go all the way into the trap before hitting the release panel. When this happens the door can come down on the cats back and if they are quick enough (which they often are), they can turn round and scoot right out the trap before the door closes.

This is obviously makes it more tricky to trap the cat again as they are more wary of entering the trap after they have seen it go off. I used this other trap when I was in Greece a couple of years ago and it is better for bigger cats or ones that won;t always go all the way and trigger the door release. With this one, they don't need to be fully inside and away from the entrance and is better for manually setting off as well. This one the door comes TOWARDS the trap as it closes, so there is less chance oif the cat escaping, plus zero chance of it catching on their back and letting them slip out.

Check out the pics...

How NOT to treat a cat on National Black Cat day....

Not the best example of being kind to someone who is celebrating their national day - shoving them in a metal cage, driving them miles from home, sticking them with needles, man-handling them, knocking them unconscious and then chopping their balls off!

It's okay, it's all in a good cause!

Leeds Feline Friends had a call from a lady who is feeding a big black cat at a farm, and has a poorly eye. She asked if they could help. So, yesterday i went down to trap the big fella... and he is BIG... but as soft as a sausage. He turned up at the farm a while back and they think he might have come from a gypsy encampment which is nearby and possibly been used for dog baiting as he HATES dogs. Anyway, they tried to get him in a carrier and whilst partially successful, because he is so big, he stressed when they tried to shut him in. I took a trap across, we put some food in and he literally walked in, bless his soul.

They looked at his eye and it could just be an ingrowing eyelid with the hairs rubbing on his eyeball, so they are going to trim is eye lid and hopefully he should be alright after a couple of days rest.