Daily Photo: You Removed My What?

“Don’t try to give yourself a bath just yet.”

The second-largest tomcat of the day awakes after surgery. He is part of a stray/feral colony and not sure if he actually had a name, but likes his pets, through the cage at least, and now there won’t be any more first-generation cow kittens in his image. I learned after I posted that his name is Duke. Well, he’s not creating any more in his royal lineage around Castle Shannon—no lie, that’s where he lives!

Three major stud cats won’t be reproducing any little look-alikes, along with a number of other cats—and that’s a good thing! I spent the morning and afternoon transporting five cats from my community for another person and “hanging out” at the Homeless Cat Management Team spay/neuter clinic today. I called it volunteering, but mostly I just watched and photographed everyone else working, and took notes. The process is so detailed, hardly an assembly line as cats come from everywhere in various conditions and with various requests from their humans. Not all were feral at this clinic, and many were actually friendly rescue cats. During the slow time with many fewer kittens and reproducing females to chase after, the clinic only served 47 cats after summer numbers over 100 each time.

Below, Bubba, who checked in at nearly 15 pounds, is fully unconscious, shaved in a sensitive area and about to meet with his destiny. No more first-generation plushy black kittens in that neighborhood of Bloomfield, either. The third largest tomcat, a brown mackerel tabby, was not available for a photo opp. No matter, many kittens will not be born this spring with just these three big boys put out of commission.

Just one paw on a cat who had—count ’em—a total of 25 toes! This guy is a rescue about to become a pet.

Although she just came from surgery she is awake and her tortitude is fully intact; this tortie is fully feral, rescued from a colony site that is being moved, she sat like this the entire time she was in recovery.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: this tiny black feral kitten with a beguiling white spot would take your face off if not for the bars on her cage. Kittens are usually removed from colonies, and she’s going home with the woman she’s sending death rays to, who also intends to tame her down a little and hopefully have her adopted as a pet.

Those are just a few of the faces from today. I’ll be writing a more complete article about the clinic and the Homeless Cat Management Team in the coming weeks to describe more about trap-neuter-release or TNR in the Pittsburgh area and in general.

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