Page 5 - easelq2_2021_edited (ksa)_Neat

EASEL News: June 2021

TNR (continued from page 1)

difference for a kitten to have a chance ready yet,” says Sue. “You would hold want to work each week and still make a
at surviving without the mother’s care, off and wait for another day, until all of difference.
explains Sue. “If you trap a mother cat, them are eating solid food. I want all of This is especially important right now,
the clinic can tell through examination those kittens; I don’t want one or two of as Sue says EASEL is in dire need of TNR
during the spaying procedure whether them only, because the mother is going volunteers.
she has babies out there and how old to move whatever I don’t take. I will wait “If I were going to take on assistant,
those babies are estimated to be,” she until all of those kittens go to the food someone to help me or to train, I would
says. “If the kittens are fewer than two source.” take them on a couple of trap jobs,
weeks old, the mother has to be returned The most successful scenario is when show them how it works, and they could
very quickly so she can get back to her she sets up two traps, and the babies probably do as little as they want,” she
babies to nurse them. If this is the case, enter one, and the mother walks into says. “We can have them simply transport
she will need to be returned within 24 the other one to get to the babies. Then, a trapped cat from the site back to EASEL.
hours of being spayed. This may seem volunteers have the entire family. “In a They can also check traps.”
tough on the mother, but if her kittens perfect world that’s how it should be,” she This little bit of work will go a long way
are little, they need it.” says. because, in some cases, the TNR team
In some cases, the volunteers know Sometimes, though, she will have to will want to set a trap but cannot leave a
ahead of time whether there are young bring the babies to the clinic and go back trap unattended too long. Having shifts
kittens with the mother because they the next day to try and trap the mother of volunteers to check every 45 minutes
have been tracking a feral group of cats because she will come back to look for or at scheduled times one or two times a
for a while. In those cases, a little patience them. week really helps.
goes a long way, and they hold off on What happens next? If the kittens are “Just to have somebody check a
trapping the mother right away. Instead, young enough to be socialized (8 weeks trap so you can go to your doctor’s
the volunteers will then wait for her to or younger), they will go into foster care, appointment or do an errand – just
nurse her kittens and continue feeding and then they will go up for adoption, having someone check that trap at in the
the mother. resulting in a happy ending. “If they are middle of your chunk of time is a great
After about five to six weeks, the older than six months or so, then they are help,” she says. “You could do a couple
mother will bring the kittens to the food already feral, and the mother has already hours a weekend by checking traps or
source. Knowing this, volunteers will taught them to be afraid of humans,” Sue transporting traps. You can do hours at a
ensure the food is soupy and easy for the explains. “Those cats get TNRed, and they clip or two hours in a whole weekend.”
kittens to chew. Once the volunteers see go back and the happy ending there is There is a common misconception
that the kittens are eating the soft food, it that no more kittens will result from this that TNR work is dangerous. Sue explains
means they have completed nursing, and family.” this is not the case at all, since volunteers
it is safe to trap the family. It may seem like a lot of work, but Sue do not have to touch the feral cats at all.
“Let’s say you have four kittens, and explains that TNR is actually one of the “I do better with feral cats in a trap
the mother has just started bringing less-involved aspects of volunteering than with cats I have to pick up and clean
them, and maybe one or two of them are work at EASEL because a volunteer can their cage,” she explains. “You’re always
eating the food, but the other two aren’t determine the number of hours they safe because they are in a trap.”

Selecting Pets (continued from page 3)

war ravaged and communist controlled Hungary shortly after standing guard over the family livestock.
World War II, leaving behind the beautiful lakefront resort that her Pets not only provide us with a more meaningful present and
family had owned and operated for decades before the war. Al- a richer path into the future, but also often a memorable connec-
though her mother was nearly blind, she eagerly patted Kuva and tion into our past. However, in selecting the right pet, one must
stroked his large head as he seemingly instinctively greeted her. always carefully consider the needs and limitations of all family
As Theresa started to explain that Kuva was a famous Hungar- members, particularly for older relatives who often have more
ian dog breed, her mother knowingly nodded and interrupted limitations than others.
with the word “Kuvaszok”, (pronounced KOO-vah-sock), the plural The wonderful thing about dogs and cats is that there is such a
word for the breed. She then explained that her family had kept diverse range in their personalities, needs, and physical character-
a number of these dogs at the resort. Stunned, this was a story istics that there are probably few if any appropriate matches that
that Theresa had never heard before, providing her with a deeper cannot be made between pet and family members.
insight into her family history and distant culture. And as innumerable scientific studies and personal anecdotes
Several years later, when she visited the resort, which exists to show us, there is some magical connection between pets and
this day in nearly its same state, the neighboring green pasture people that often bring out the very best, particularly for those
resplendent with grazing sheep evoked an idyllic scene of her most in need.
young mother, tending to large majestic white dogs protectively

5