Cat Wrangling Friday

Agent 007 - the one that got away...

V came today to help me catch the school cats to be sent for sterilisation. I wondered how the whole operation would look like for the whole of this morning and spent quite a lot of time looking out for the 5 cats. I told the cleaners not to feed them and warned the P and the AM about the whole operation. V said it would be the best thing as he did not want to get held up by red tape instead of spending the time catching the cats. The whole operation took quite a short time, about 1 hour but the wait for Agent 007 took all of 2 hours! She disappeared after her two sisters were caught in the cat trap and never came back although V said, she would be back a little later.

We waited and I called and searched to no avail. V even looked up at the trees just in case she had climbed up one without us seeing her. Finally we had to call it a day as it was starting to rain. When my P got to know that we had not managed to catch the little kitty, her first words were, "But wouldn't the cat be lonely without the others?" I had also felt that but I thought she would know her way around the compound as this is the only home she knows and she would be quite safe. I left her some food where I know she would go and I hope she would not feel too lonely during the weekend. I think Cik Mina has taught her well and she is an A+ student.

Cik Mat waiting at the gazebo with me...

Cik Mat saw me and started to follow me about. He is the most friendly of all the cats and is not afraid of me. He would follow me when I call him and we had had established this routine and trust for about 3 weeks. He was kind of suspicious when he saw V but V said I should act nonchalant. Once he relaxed, V came with the cat trap and in no time at all, Cik Mat walked right into it. :)

Cik Mat snarling at the sight of me as though saying that THIS would be the last time he trusts a two-legged-no-good-creature!

I tried to tell Cik Mat that once he is neutered, we would release him back into the compound but he was in no mood to listen. I can understand his distress but he is the only male among 4 females and so his fate is sealed already.

Cik Mina and 3rd daughter knew that something was up...


Cik Mina looking over her shoulders, wary of the scent of danger...

Cik Mina in a carrier and on her way for spaying...

Cik Mina is truly a warrior Queen. She defended her territory and her kittens with an iron claw and tried to fight with V. She snarled at him and even once, she jumped up, her tail upright and her whole body hissed her dislike and warning. V very calmly netted her. She did not go anywhere near the cat traps but she defended her 2 kittens that were in the traps already. She is truly an amazing mother!

The 2 sisters who were too curious for their own good! The one on the right is the more timid one and therefore much smaller than the rest.

The tabby ...

The calico...

V told me that he would send the cats for sterilisation tomorrow as it was not a good idea to wait too long. The cats may not be able to cope with their homecoming if they are away too long from the compound. I must say he made very good sense and it would mean they would be away at most a whole week before getting reunited again in their own backyard. I think Cik Mat would be back much sooner. I do not think he would forgive me so easily but I think with time and hunger he may tolerate me for a while longer.

I have to get Agent 007 to the vet before then as V said sometimes when the sterilised cats get back to their backyard, it might be difficult to trap the unneutered ones. The cat grapevine is a formidable one indeed.