Every once in a while you meet someone who touches your heart.
In April, we were approached by a very kind gentleman who was very worried about two very young cats who were born on his property. Their mother had disappeared and the brother and sister were left to fend for themselves. They were under a year old and he did not want the same fate to fall on them as it did with their mom.
The cats were feral and the female appeared to be pregnant. After much discussion the wheels were put in motion to trap the two. The gentleman’s biggest fear is that the female would give birth before he could catch them. He stayed in touch and asked many questions, I could tell that he genuinely cared.
Unfortunately time was not on his side and the female gave birth before she could be caught. He could not find the kittens anywhere. Mom still came by to eat but she kept her kittens hidden well.
The decision was made to trap the brother and bring him in. Mission accomplished. Doug arrived at the Ark and was soon neutered, vaccinated and tested. Doug is very nervous, but has settled in nicely.
The weeks went by and still no sign of any kittens. Then one day 11 weeks later 2 kittens appeared in the yard, a black one and a little orange one. The man was able to catch them and they were also brought to The Ark, now our focus would be on mom who appeared to be already pregnant again.
The trap was set, she walked in and at last we were able to breathe a sigh of relief. Darla was delivered to The Ark where she will have her second litter of babies in a safe quiet clean place. Once she has delivered her babies and they are weaned Darla will be spayed. No more babies for her, instead she will get to be a normal kitten and enjoy life.
If it had not been for the kind gentleman all of these cats would still be out there. Darla would continue to have litter after litter and their lives would probably be cut short without proper vet care and nutrition as well as shelter.
The life of a feral cat is not an easy one. They fight to survive. They take shelter where they can find it. They are exposed to below zero temps and fight for every meal. When they get sick or injured there is no vet care. They do not trust humans.
Food for thought. The next time you see a feral cat you have two choices. You can turn your back, walk away and do nothing. Or you can be a hero and help the cat, feed it, give it shelter, just be a kind decent human being. The world needs more heroes and I am hoping you will choose option number two.
Thank you Rodney for choosing to do the right thing and help save the lives of four very special kitties – Darla, Doug, Rufus and Rocco. Thank you for ensuring Darla’s unborn kitties will be brought into this world in a safe environment. You are a very caring and kind gentleman. Thank you for choosing option 2.
Thank you for your continued support and as always thank you for reading our column.
The Ark Animal Sanctuary is located on 101 Old Woodstock Road. To contact Lorraine Monfils call 207-532-7387 or check out their Facebook page.
