Cat-Trap Boogie!

I know that I have mentioned before (several times I bet), the fact that we have several pre-owned cats living loose and fancy free in the village. I know for a fact that many of them were simply left behind when the owners moved, and others have been especially brought into the village and dumped.
Disgusting behaviour? Yes. But sadly that is what I expect these days from the so called humans who live here.

And of course, these cats roam around until they find somewhere to settle, usually in someone's garden...... we have Blackjack who has lived here for a couple of years and who comes regularly every evening for his plate of Friskies! He is neutered and therefore cannot chase the ladies and leave offspring scattered around! And our three ex-pre-loved cats have accepted him, although he has still not accepted Rob and me. He still hisses and scuttles backwards out of our reach when we put his food down! One day maybe......

Blackjack having supper!

Our three of course sit watching from their pampered position of being house cats and in charge of us. Their evenings are passed in front of the fire, and Basil accompanies us to bed just so he can lie on top of the hot water bottle and stay warm all night!

So, a while ago someone mentioned that there were cats living in a garden close to us. I went to investigate and sure enough, three cats; two tabbies and a long-haired tabby and white were hunkered down staring at me as I wandered about searching for them. They were not wild but they were not tame either. (There were mutterings from some people here that they should be shot as they are destroying the bird life etc etc..... but the way people drive are doing a far better job of that and builders are clearing more nesting places faster than any cat can.)

So I started to feed them and they now wait for me every evening. But.... they have not been neutered/spayed/fixed!

Enter the Cat Trap!

Now I head backwards....so stay with me! Remember the Poleyard cat who arrived at the Poleyard and decided to stay? She was pregnant at the time of her arrival and had her kittens under a tree between the yard and the Nursery before we could get her to a vet.

And then she was run over, leaving her babies behind.

I contacted a wonderful lady called Michelle, who like a white knight to the rescue (she does drive a white Chev Trailblazer, so she is kind of knightish!) gathered up the kittens and took them to be fostered and adopted (they were all adopted, so a happy beginning for them). I phoned her a couple of weeks ago and asked her if she had a cat trap that I could use to trap the three round the corner, whip them off to the vet and then release them again. Fixed and safe. It was being used in Saldanha but I could use it with pleasure once the trapping there was done.

And then I made sure that my daughter would come to help me.....

So, Michelle dropped the trap here today! It is very intricate and complicated and I needed a lesson to make sure that I was able to do it properly as you only get one chance!!

A jigsaw of wires!

Catherine is coming on Wednesday and then the fun begins. I must get a tin or two of tuna to tempt the taste buds!

Basil has already been in it to check it out and give it the all clear.
And Morris and he had a good inspection on the outside too!

And then Rob rigged it up to see what would happen.

It works...... we caught Kindle!