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What I hate the most about CA.

Gypsy

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Is how hard it is to help animals in need.


Story of my afternoon.

Go to check the mail. See injured cat with mangled tail. Immediately stop and sit on (wet) grass and call to cat. Cat is suspicious but not running away like a feral cat would. So I crawl on my hands and knees closer until the cat look like it is going bolt. Stop and sit down. Cat decides it is too much risk starts to run, it's limping... then I crack open the can of cat food I have. Cat stops. Turns around. This is a cat that knows what a can opening sounds like. So I dump the food out on the grass (there was nothing else, else I would have not done that) 3 feet away from myself.

Cat bolts the food down like it is starving and will not let me closer. When it finishes it looks around for more food. Husband goes to see if we have another can in the car (our mailbox isn't anywhere near our apartment). We do. I put that out but this time only a foot away from me. Cat warily comes to eat but its ready to bolt at any second. I can see it's blue eye (it has one gold one blue) is badly infected and something is wrong with one of its ears. I reach out and try to pet it, it hisses and waves at me... I think it's declawed.

We debate me grabbing it and throwing my sweatshirt over it and stuffing it into the cardboard carrier we keep in the car (not my first rodeo). We decide it's too risky since we don't know what it's injuries are and the cat is done eating by the time we're half way through talking about it. So it goes about 5 feet away. Cleans itself. Looks over in thanks, walks away.

So... it's injured and starving. And I can't just leave an animal like that on its own. So we go to the SPCA to get a trap. They are out of them. Can't help us. Tell us to call animal control. They don't cover unincorporated areas of the county. Call another animal control that does.

Woman on phone: "is the cat in a trap?" No. "Well, we aren't staffed to trap animals and come and check on them". I'll check on it and call you when it is trapped. "Cats are tricky. I can't just leave a trap like that and wait for the cat to come. If the animal is too injured to move or in a trap we can help. Let us know if the condition of the cat worsens then we can come out."

REALLY? Deep breath. Thank you. So we call the county shelter that also has traps. "First come first serve". We drive out 20 minutes to them. "Sorry just signed out the last one we had."

Okay so... what do I do now? "Keep calling us." Okay, but I called this time and you said first come first serve. "Well, yeah. I don't have a good answer for you." How many traps do you have: "Three."

Thank you.

DH: That's it. I'm sick of this state. Every time we have this problem it takes an Act of God to get a trap. (We find a lot of injured animals, don't ask me why). We are buying a trap.

WHAT??? We're broke.

DH: Don't care. I'd rather eat spaghetti and hot dogs for the rest of the month.

Okay, so... that's a plan, I guess.

We call around to find a trap. 6th place we call has them. We go to get the trap. Making small talk at the register, I say... "we'll probably put it out during the day, I'd rather not trap a raccoon."

Woman at the register: "Oh, here's what animal control told us to do if you catch a racoon."

I interrupt and say: "release it..."

She says, "No. You take it into a really noisy area for a FEW DAYS. Play loud music, hit the cage with a stick, throw rocks at it. They HATE loud noises. After a few days when you let it out, it will be so traumatized it will leave the area with its family."

Me: Bite your tongue. Bite your tongue. Bite your tongue.

Her: Smart plan right?

Me, with bleeding tongue: "I just want to trap a cat. Torturing a raccoon for days on end isn't on my to do list, thank you."

DH: "I was gonna hit her with a stick if she kept talking." Me too.

ARGH....

You know how I would have handled this in NJ? The local shelters (private and state) all rent out traps. I would have given them a deposit for the trap, refundable. I would have trapped the cat and taken it to the local no kill, and then I would have been able to sponsor it.

Don't get me started on how hard it is to find a shelter to take cats in. Impossible. Seriously. We've done private adoptions every time over the last 10 years we've found an animal. I find them several times a year. Several PSers have cats I've found.

I swear I want to win the lottery just to open a HUGE shelter out here.

Here the pictures of the cat. Could use some 'cat catching' dust. If I trap it, I'll be taking it to a vet and starting a Go Fund Me for it's care. It is going to need that tail amputated.

img_20161105_151748956.jpg

img_20161105_151528776.jpg
 

CJ2008

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OMG gypsy

his tail :(sad

thank you for stopping for this little guy. for all that you did.

I hope you're able to trap him.

Sending you guys and the kittie lots of hugs and dust.

so glad you found him.
 

Gypsy

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I am just hoping he'll be in the same area tomorrow. I'm going to bait the cage with tuna in the morning.
 

CJ2008

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Good luck I really hope he is. :(sad Poor baby.

And yeah that part about the raccoons... :(sad

There are't enough sad faces to illustrate these kinds of things.
 

LLJsmom

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Oh, my heart breaks. Poor thing. In pain, scared and hungry. Thank goodness you gave him something to eat!! I hope he/she will come back soon tomorrow. Sorry it is such a pain to deal with CA red tape that makes no sense.
 

Gypsy

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LLJsmom... they are just SEVERELY under funded out here. I know that they are doing what they can, but it's still frustrating.

I'll do what I can for it.

CJ, I agree. I am STILL irritated about the racoon thing. These creatures do not deserve to be tortured just because they inconvenience humans. I know some of them carry disease, but that to me is not an excuse to torture an animal.
 

kenny

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Aw, poor thing. :(sad

We're in California too, and we bought our own trapping cage.
I have learned to have low expectations of public services.

I think Prop 13 (which drastically limits annual property tax increases) has been a disaster for our state.
But, since I've owned the same house almost 20 years, I surely DO like paying relatively low tax compared to what I hear homeowners pay in some other states.
If I sold the house now the buyers would pay 3 or 4 times my prop tax bill.

Fortunately our So. Cal Mediterranean climate still ranks among the best on earth.
Climate is by far the best thing about living here.
We don't even need AC or heat.

Hope that poor cat gets the help and the home it needs.
 

DAF

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Sending you loads of dust. I love ginger kitties,
 

wildcat03

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Can you start a gofundme for the trap? I'd donate.
 

Gypsy

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wildcat03|1478401995|4094368 said:
Can you start a gofundme for the trap? I'd donate.


Aww thank you Wildcat. We should be okay. If I catch it, I'll ask Andrey if I can post the link. ((HUGS))
 
Q

Queenie60

Guest
Gypsy: If you trap the cat, I am willing to help with paying for some care. You have my information. Please let me know how I can help.

Q
 

Gypsy

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Queenie60|1478415689|4094392 said:
Gypsy: If you trap the cat, I am willing to help with paying for some care. You have my information. Please let me know how I can help.

Q


Thanks Q, I appreciate it.

I'm am really hoping I can trap the kiddo.
 

Scandinavian

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Gypsy, you are just fantastic. That cat breaks my heart. So glad he has you :) Lots of dust for trapping him fast and safely. He needs help :(( We should have a PS Go Fund Me organisation on facebook or something. I'll help fund this little one, just let me know.
 

marcy

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OMG! That poor cat. I am glad you and your DH are trying to get the cat some help.
 

Gypsy

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Thanks everyone. The maintenance supervisor here saw the cat today. But it did not fall for the trap. We'll keep putting it out and hopefully it will pay off.

I will post again if I catch it. I promise. Thank you all.
 

iwantsparkle

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That poor sweet thing.

I so hope you catch it.
 

kenny

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Gypsy, The Donald will have nothing to do after Tuesday.

He can help you grab that pussy.
 

azstonie

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I'll help fund also, you may rely on me. Let Missy know the particulars, okay?
 

Gypsy

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azstonie|1478491768|4094706 said:
I'll help fund also, you may rely on me. Let Missy know the particulars, okay?


Hi Kristie, I will once I catch him/her.

Thank you.
 

rainydaze

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My heart is so heavy. This poor kitty. I had hoped to read you were successful in collecting him; fingers crossed it happens soon. And the raccoons... people suck.
 

iwantsparkle

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Good one, Kenny.

Gypsy - I was thinking about you guys last night. I hope you see/catch that kitty soon.
 

TooPatient

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Hoping you catch the poor kitty soon. So sorry you have such little help there.

Please post when you catch. Want to help with his care. Please do share a link or let us know how to reach you.
 

missy

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Oh no, I am so sorry and I am hoping and praying you can find and save this sweet little guy. :cry: :cry: :cry:

Gypsy, I don't think NY is any better than Ca when it comes to animal rescue and Kenny is right in that at least the climate is much more favorable for all the outdoor animals where you live.

We bought 2 feral traps this past Winter/Spring so we could do what we could and we trap the ferals ourselves and have them neutered and spayed and if they are truly feral we release them back on our property and hope for the best and provide food and shelter. But honestly NY is not a humane state at all when it comes to animals (think Central Park horses grrrr that makes me so MAD :nono: :nono: :nono: ) so all these states suck when it comes to animals and their rights. :knockout: :blackeye: :cry:

Sending you lots of good luck and dust for this sweet kitty and I hope you can find him and have him treated and hopefully he will be OK. :pray: :pray: :pray:
 

Gypsy

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WE CAUGHT HIM/HER.

Nothing here is open till 9. And I am not sure how tame he is so we have to keep in the cage till we can take him somewhere for help when they open.

I know nothing about crowd funding... so if there is something better than Go Fund Me, let me know. A couple people have already said they prefer to just paypal me directly to avoid fees. I will email Andrey now about it.

Here are some pictures.

We can now get him the help needed!!

img_20161112_073551205.jpg

img_20161112_074103070.jpg

img_20161112_074057279.jpg
 

redwood66

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Oh I am so glad Gypsy. Thank you for being such a good and caring person!
 

CJ2008

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Oh I'm so glad to hear this Gypsy :appl:

Poor sweetheart.

Thank you and your DH for all that you did already.
 

Scandinavian

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Gypsy, please let Missy know how I can help if you have her contact details.
 

TooPatient

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Yay, Gypsy! Thank you for keeping at it!
Missy knows how to reach me.

Keep us posted!
 

lovedogs

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SO glad to hear you trapped him/her and now the kitty can get the help he/she so badly needs! Gypsy: you are such a kind and caring person! I would also donate, so if you do post a funding page or anything like that please let me know!
 

ringo865

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Great news about kitty!!! Gofundme charges like 7%. I will totally paypal you. You could put a listing on DB or LT?
 
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