Sunday, April 27, 2014



Blog 04/21/14 to 04/27/14 

            Barn Cat Bash, June 1st
Bistecca (formerly Grotto) in Highland Village
            Reservations Required (info@barncats.org)
            See list below – updated weekly on auction items!
           
Relocations and In Take
Our Cats after Release
Bad Calls/Emails:  Problems in Other State
BMG (Bitch/Moan/Groan):  Pet Peeve – No Phone Mail Box
OMG (Oh My God):  Update on the Permanent Cat Room Cats
Barn Cat Bash Auction Update:  Yard Art
 
Relocations and In Take:   Placed 17 this week with intake at 4.       
1                    Barn in Bartonville (Harley)
4          Barn in Whitewright (Leo, Little Kitty, Thomas, Merdinha (alias: Mandy))
6          Barn in Pilot Point (Scruffy, Dennis, Duncan, Derrick, Dickey, Donny)
1          Backyard in Prosper (Hera)
1          Garage/Workshop in Denison (Bella)
4          Bonham Rescue

I put Little Kitty and Leo in the same triple cage in Whitewright.  She immediately got into his carrier and started licking on his head.  MAJOR CUTE!



Our Cats after Release:      Picked up equipment in 4 locations this week.    
1.      Sherman:  Arial and Tiger are both at this barn.  Tiger is working out great but Arial is being “nasty” to his dogs.  BUT – both are doing well.

Tiger

2.      Grand Prairie:  3 from a school and 4 from Tyler went to this riding stable.  I did not get to see any of them and the manager was not home when I went to get equipment.  One for sure has gone to a neighbor’s house…maybe the food is better there!  
3.      Bartonville:  Put Cookie, Sheba, and Piper went to this barn with 4 donkeys.  Cookie and one of the other two (both black – hard to tell) are still around and making themselves know on the property. 
4.      Denison:  Nala and Boots were put in this garage workshop.  Unfortunately, they have not been seen since Easter when many relatives were on the property and some brought their dogs!  But maybe they will reappear soon.  It has only been a week.  The property owner was going out each evening and singing to them!
                                                                                                                       
Bad Calls/EMAILS:  Problems in Other States
I try and help anyone that calls/emails even if it is in a state besides Texas….and even outside of North Texas which is our territory.  We cover 37 North Texas counties with in a 2-hour travel time around Dallas/Fort Worth.  I give them “general” information (how to find other organizations in their area) and since the end of 2013 I forward any emails I have received from folks outside of Texas.  With our Texas Country Reporter and American Heartland productions on us, I get requests from all over.  If you need cats for your barn, I look for folks in the same state that are trying to place cats and then get them in contact with each other.  If you need to place some cats, I send requests from barn owners.  I hope it is working out – I usually do not received any follow-up communications.  

BMG:  Pet Peeve:  No Phone Mail Box
People:  If you do not have a phone mail box then you should NOT be leaving messages in other folks’ boxes.  That puts the task on me to try to get hold of you with multiple phone calls.  After 2 calls, I give up.  You ask for help then do not give me a vehicle to get hold of you.   AND you are probably saying “OOOH Poor Me:  No one returns my calls.  No one cares about these cats!” Well, I care but you are not making it possible.  SORRY!  Move into the 20th century – not even the 21st century!  Geez! 
                                                                                             

OMG:  Update on the Cat Room Cats
Older cats just stay with us.  At least they are not out in the cold or extreme heat and certainly not chased by coyotes or whatever!  Currently Bunny, Valentina, Tess, Tinker (Queen of the Cat Room), Rambo and Mango are loose in the Cat Rooms.  Below is a picture of 3 of them sleeping together – so cute!
             


Valentina, Tess, and Bunny

Barn Cat Bash Auction:  Yard Art
Our auctions are pretty much famous for our yard art.  We get it in Whitesboro, Pilot Point, and Granbury.  We have numerous pieces on this auction – giant flamingo, dog, cat, wine sign, Texas sign, giant grasshopper, cat in flip flops, etc.  They are made from old car parts.   I will have pictures for your later....cannot get them to transfer from my phone today...???   Magic and mirrors!  

Thanks for following the Barn Cats blog.  See you next week!           Peg

Sunday, April 20, 2014



Blog 04/14/14 to 04/20/14 

HAPPY EASTER

            Barn Cat Bash, June 1st
Bistecca (formerly Grotto) in Highland Village
            Reservations Required (info@barncats.org)
           
Relocations and In Take
Our Cats after Release
Bad Calls/Emails:   Crying on the Phone
BMG (Bitch/Moan/Groan):  Couple of Hoarders
OMG (Oh My God):  WEIRD Home Visit
Question:  Why is gasoline always cheaper in Sherman?    

Relocations and In Take:   Placed 19 this week with intake at 23.  Slow week for placements because of the Easter weekend.  People are thinking of holiday plans – not cats for their barn.  Hope things pick up soon!   Have 36 waiting for placement.     
3          Garage in Blue Ridge (Murphy, Connor, Abby)
4          Barn in Whitewright (Bandit, Tabitha, Peanut, Red)
1          Reunite with his siblings at Grand Prairie riding stable (Tiger)
1          Owner found and cat returned (Bailey)
2          TNR in Fort Worth
3          Adoption Group (Rosie, Addie, Cindy)
5          Bonham Rescue (cats from Wills Point)        

Our Cats after Release:      Picked up equipment in 3 locations this week.    
1.      Whitewright:  Speckles, Patch, Sammy, Target Tess, Four Paws, and Dusty went to this location where the owner will be doing Great Pyrenees Rescue.  There is not a safer place in the country than one protected by 10 Great Pyrenees dogs!    One got into a drawer and scared a worker when he opened it.  We saw two of the cats who ran from us.  They are all feral so that is not surprising. She also took Bandit, Tabitha, Peanut, and Red – all from the home of a veterinarian who passed away in the Dallas area.    
2.      Blue Ridge:  Sally, Harry, Tom (3 from Sanger), Tori, Terri, Tammy, and Nacho went to this barn/workshop.  Nacho is living in the stallion barn with a relative of the great race horse Secretariat.  The family came home about midnight one evening and saw MANY bright eyes under their front deck.  So – all is well in Blue Ridge.   
3.      Justin:  Chris and Charles went to this barn.  They had come from Burleson and we reunited with their other pals from that location.  I did see them but there was a little black face peering around the corner when I was preparing to leave.  Tried to get a picture but was not face enough.  Love those ferals! 

Bad Calls/EMAILS:  Crying on the Phone
A family has sold their house in a DFW suburb and is moving near Weatherford.  She called me on Thursday crying because she is worried about the feral cats in her backyard.  The new owner does not want the cats.  The final walk-through is TOMORROW!   Well – no time to help.  Talking to her there is a new litter of kittens under the deck and several other roaming around.  GEEZ – She is crying with me but SHE LET THIS HAPPEN.  Spay/neuter is the answer here, folks.  There are 4 spay/neuter clinics around her and she took advantage of none of them.  Now she wants this to be my problem.  I said I could go to the new location and set up caging in the garage for the cats.  BUT – they have to be spayed/neutered between the two locations.  Ethically, I cannot be part of the movement of non-sterilized cats.  PLUS – those kittens will be carried off by a hawk or an owl when/if they are moving to a more rural location.  Her answer:  “I will have to talk to my husband.”  -- cop-out!  The cat over-population problem is a human-generated problem.

BMG:  Couple of Hoarders
1.      Dallas:  Numerous cats went to Dallas Animal Services from a local hoarder.  5 were deemed “not adoptable”.  Received them after spay/neuter on Friday.
2.      Addison:  Received 4 from Addison Animal Services (they do not have their own shelter – uses the Farmer’s Branch City Shelter) from a guy who was living in his van.  This story was in last week’s BLOG.  One of them bit him so it is in quarantine.  They got the vet work done and I received them on Wednesday. 
                                                                                                            
  
OMG:  Weird Home Visit
This one is hard to explain.  I tried to help out a lady in Fort Worth by taking 2 cats for TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return) at the Feral Friends Outreach Clinic on Friday.  She brought the cats to me on Thursday.  It was a 4-hour ordeal to get her here because she was waiting for a mom to pick up her kids from her because she does in-home day care.  She brought two of them with here when she finally arrived.  One screamed the entire time he was in my house.  Not even Charlotte, the hugger cat, could calm him down.  So – I took the cats on Friday for spay/neuter and called her about 2:30 that I was headed home with them and she can come at any time.  She said she was waiting for the kids to be picked up – mom got off at 12:30 that day but she had not heard from her.

COMMENT:  There is a reason people use private in-home day care so they can come and go as they please.  A business location will charge folks when they are late picking up their kids.  She is being taken advantage of BUT she is allowing it to happen.   ???                                                      

Back to the story:  2 ½ hours later – NO WORK – so I called her.  Now a guy has come to work on her car and it is taken apart in the DRIVEWAY!   Why did not you tell this to me 2 ½ hours ago?  Now it is rush hour on a Friday in Dallas/Fort Worth.  DANGER – DANGER!  Now she want to pick up the cats on Saturday – ruin a third day for me waiting for her.  NO – have other plans and will not be home.  The only answer is to return these two cats to her home in the south part of Fort Worth.  I look it up on MapQuest and take off.  That area looked familiar on the map but I had been to a city meeting in that area at a local church and really did not think about it.  WELL – It turned out to be the SAME STREET and the SAME HOUSE I had been to many times working with another lady – taking traps, delivering cats, etc, etc. because HER CAR was always broken.  The first lady had been an in-home caregiver for the owner of the home.  The marathon with her went on for about 8 months several years ago.  How the house has been sold to another person with cat and car problems.  BAD KARMA!   What are the odds that I had been to this location before…EXACT SAME HOUSE!     

Question:  Why is gasoline always cheaper in Sherman?
When Nancy started going on relocations in 2009, she started me watching gas prices in these various cities.  I almost always fill up at Sam’s Club or Quick Trip before I leave my home area.  I do not want to be counties far away and looking for gas!   BUT – Gasoline is always cheaper in the Sherman area.   When it is $3.59 a gallon here, it is $3.26 in Sherman! 

The blood-moon has come and gone.  Hope things calm down…need to work on the auction. 

Thanks for following the Barn Cats blog.  See you next week!           Peg

Sunday, April 13, 2014



Blog 04/07/14 to 04/13/14 

            Barn Cat Bash, June 1st
Bistecca (formerly Grotto) in Highland Village
            Reservations Required (info@barncats.org)
           
Relocations and In Take
Tribute to Chuy
Our Cats after Release
Bad Calls/Emails:  Vets, Vans, and conVersation 
BMG (Bitch/Moan/Groan):  Pet Peeves
OMG (Oh My God):  Cat Sick in Sherman Area 
 
Relocations and In Take:   Placed 14 this week with intake at 15.   
3          Garage/workshop in Van Alstyne (Mocha, Amy, Andrea)
4          Barn in Weston (Levi, Oliver, Obie, Duke -“The 4 Tops” from Jody)
3          Garage in Waxahachie (3 from Southwest Airlines)
2          Barn in McKinney (Grace, Blossom)
2          Bonham Rescue         

The barn in McKinney is the home of an equine veterinarian.  GREAT REFERENCE! 

Of the 4 boys that went to the Weston barn, one, a tabby, was a screamer and a mess-maker.  He constantly turned over the feeder and waterer making an unholy mess each night.  After release that will not be a problem – but until then – look out! 

Tribute to Chuy:  In September, where was an eviction of a guy whose mother had died and she had a reverse mortgage.  There were 7 cats.  5 went to adoption groups but 2 were too old…12 and 13 years.  Rollo and Chuy came to live in my cat room with Tinker (The Queen), Bunny, Rambo, Tess, and Valentina.  Chuy had been gradually losing her sight but was getting around OK and eating well.  Last weekend she had what we think was a stroke.  Monday, we had her put to sleep at All Care.  How she is at peace!   

Our Cats after Release:      Picked up equipment in 2 locations this week.    
1.      Gunter:  Carson and Mr. Bates went to this barn.  Did not see either one but much food is disappearing each day.    
2.      Celina:  Misty and Yin were released in this barn.    Misty the tabby and white is still around but Yin has not been seen…???
3.      Plano Update:  Jackson went to live in this backyard with a pool.  There is a climate-controlled room off the patio where he can stay when the weather is cold or stormy.  His new name is Sebastian and he is doing well.  They have not seen a single rat in the 9 months since he was placed there and is even keeping the neighbor’s yards cleaned up as well.  He even gets along with the dog but does not care for her other indoor cats.  Comment:  “He is a sweetie!” 



4.      Anna Update:  Received some new pictures from the cats placed in Anna:



Amy

Amy and Monroe

Fluffy


Mazie

 Monroe

Bad Calls/EMAILS:  Vets, Vans, and conVersation!
1.      Thursday:  Received a call from someone that had caught 8 cats without thinking about “what next”.  Three of the 8 were “injured”.  Every vet she called WANTED TO BE PAID!  OK – you go to the doctor and he/she wants to be paid.  What is the question?  Of course, she was looking for a shelter or group that would pay for the vet work.
2.      Tuesday:  Animal Services in a Dallas suburb called because they want me to take 6 semi-feral cats that were taken from a guy that was LIVING IN HIS VAN with the cats.  They will get the vet work done next week and I will take them. 
3.      Thursday:  I was talking to a guy about some cats and I asked “Where are they?”  Answer:  “In the backyard”.   I guess I need to say “What city are they in?”

BMG:  Pet Peeves

  1. I get at least 10 phone calls a day and about 20-25 emails.  I try to get back to everyone.  It DRIVES ME CRAZY when someone (always an older lady) leaves “Mrs.” someone rather than a first name.  I want to call back and say this is “Ms. Atkerson” but that is rude…I have thought about it.  You know, the person would not get it – so what is the use!
  2.  If I cannot help folks, they say “I will just have to take them to the pound.”  Well that blood is on your hands.  How about SPAY/NEUTER and this would never have happened.

  
OMG:  Cat Sick in Sherman Area
We had one get a “cold” in his relocation cage this week east of Sherman.  That is a over one hour from me.  I drove up there mid-week to get him, got him a Convenia shot, and returned him on Saturday.  Tiger had come from Bedford Animal Services and he was placed with Ariel.          

There is a full moon coming up next Tuesday (tax day) – SO – look out and a Solar Eclipse on April 28/29th…lots of disturbances in the atmosphere.                                                               

Thanks for following the Barn Cats blog.  See you next week!           Peg