Country Club Cats

This adorable Pug was found on our front lawn the evening of June 3, 2009 with what we THOUGHT was a broken back right leg. Up to the morning of June 5th, we had been presented with the option of euthanizing her, spending a couple thousands of dollars for surgery and follow-up care, or amputation! June 5th Pug was taken to 2 different vets. I've blogged about her experience that day. We are now providing care for Pug in treatment of vestibular disease. For a closer look at how vestibular disease has affected Pug, see the following YouTube videos. And, be sure to check out Pug's photo caption contest.

In January 2008 one male was neutered. In April we had 5 -- count 'em FIVE females spayed with 3 at one time sharing a patio -- wow, lots of hormonal women in the house!! In May, only 1 mega-pregnant female was spayed! Hmmm, I wonder if any of this is tax-deductible???

April 23, 2008 ... In a matter of 1-1/2 days, we've caught 3 of the old feral male tom cats who are causing trouble for neighbors who have small dogs. This has meant 3 separate trips to Animal Care & Control. Maybe we should send the City a bill for our services and mental anguish?

May 2008 ... The gray/white tom cat was pretty beaten up from fighting with the other toms. He was taken to AC&C. Later in the month, I met with FCNMHP and rented another trap. 5/23/08 Mama Black was spayed at the temporary feral cat clinic operated by FCNMHP. Oh, I thought I had my hands full? Well, there was a young lady at the clinic with 7 ferals to be spayed/neutered at ONE time! 5/30/08 Mama Black was released.

August 2008 ... The black and white tom cat was neutered by FCNMHP and returned to very next day to the feral colony!

September 2008 ... Pug got into a shouting match with a raccoon and required stitches at St. Francis Animal Hospital. Boots, the newest member of the fold, is spayed on 9/12/08.

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Well, the 3 spayed pregnant females gained their liberty! Interestingly enough, Pug was comfy in the pet bed and did not want to join Spot and Blackie as they ambled away to join the feral cat colony after more than 7 days of recovery.

HOWEVER, now that we have cleaned up the bedding and are making way for the next 2 that are scheduled for spaying/neutering on April 15th, something new to deal with!

Our two male tabbies appear to not be feeling well. Bandit, the older male has the runs and has been ceremoniously depositing them on the futon to let us know. And, Tigger who was neutered in January seems to have either an upper respiratory distress or trying very unsuccessfully to pass a hairball.

I'm hoping to at the least get Tigger checked out today and then perhaps Bandit.

Well, our work is continuing. It was on 'tax day' that we again got up early, grabbed the two carriers and nets. Poor cats ... at least this time hubby didn't put on the motorcycle helmet that makes him look like Darth Vader for sure.

This time, trying to coax the rascals into the carriers was a bit easier in that we KNEW what to EXPECT! Yep, up the screens again -- those screens are so torn up!! Hubby grabbed the ladder and was able to nab Callie. Next, we went for Blackie #2 [I have got to come up with a better name].

The 20-25 minute trip into Orange Park to the vet's wasn't as bad as the previous trip. Callie and Blackie #2 weren't as vocal.

This makes 5 spayed females in April 2008 so far!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008 hubby dropped by Animal Care & Control [AC&C] on the northside of Jacksonville to pick up a Havahart cat trap. It costs you a $40 deposit to use the trap for a one-week period. If you keep it longer than the 7 days, you are charged a rental of $5/week. This is quite reasonable.

That night, when we got home from work, it was feeding time for all the cats. We set the trap with some soft food just inside our patio door. I must admit that catching Old Man Blackie was quite easy. He simply walked into the trap without any difficulties and never struggled or meowed I don't think one time. We covered up the trap with a large towel. The next morning, hubby delivered him to AC&C where they took a picture of the cat and returned the trap to my hubby along with a second trap.

Early Wednesday afternoon, April 23, 2008, hubby dropped by on his way up to the northside. Trapping Big Daddy Orange was a bit more challenging. He had to be coaxed into the trap just outside our patio; he was not as docile as Old Man Blackie, but put up a bit of a struggle inside the trap. Once we covered the trap with a towel, he calmed down. It was earlier that day that I called hubby and told him that we NEEDED to get Big Daddy Orange next as he was doing the big nasty with Callie who was JUST spayed!!

With the second trap, we tried to coax Fluffy -- but as it was proving to be more of a challenge, we opted just to take the one cat in to AC&C and try to capture Fluffy overnight. Well, once hubby had left, wouldn't you know it! Fluffy walked onto the patio without any difficulties. I shut the patio door and went to get the trap. Within 15 minutes, Fluffy was in the trap.

We'll be delivering Fluffy to AC&C on Thursday morning.

P.S. This has been VERY difficult for me emotionally as these 3 cats relied on me to feed them. Not only that, they seemed to trust me and readily came to me when no one else was around. I feel just terrible that I had to participate in their capturing.

Sunday, January 1, 2006

Supporters of a cat colony that has lived on the grounds of the Army Navy Country Club for more than 40 years said last week that they feared the club would go forward with plans to trap and euthanize the cats within days, despite an outcry from some club members and the public.

Club officials are keeping mum on their specific plans and have issued an e-mail "script" for staff members to follow if asked by outsiders or members of the media about the cats.

"We're going to put out a statement to the membership and let them know what's going on," said Peter Gibbons, the club's president. "We don't anticipate to do our correspondence through The [Washington] Post or any other newspaper. I don't really have a comment."

The board of governors of the Arlington club voted in August to hire a contractor to remove the cats, amid growing concern that one of the cats might bite a child or spread disease, according to one board member. If they were removed, the cats probably would have to be euthanized because shelters find it difficult to place feral cats for adoption. The removal had been slated to begin at the start of this month.

The colony of outdoor cats and their offspring have lived amid the manicured golf greens and tennis courts of the country club for decades, becoming de facto mascots for some members. There's even a "Cat Crossing" sign posted on the golf cart trails.

Volunteers serve food and water twice daily to about 21 cats.

"They really are nice cats; they're not aggressive," said club member Alan Herman, a retired Air Force judge advocate who has been a member for 25 years. "It just does not sound rational to do this."

Proponents of the club cats say they differ from other feral cat populations -- which can become a public health hazard -- because the caretakers of these cats have taken steps to control the population by having the cats spayed or neutered and vaccinated with help from veterinarian Anne Garrood.

"They're doing the right thing," said Becky Robinson, national director of Alley Cat Allies, a Maryland-based group that works to control feral cat populations nationally, including animals that live along the boardwalk in Atlantic City, through spaying and neutering. The group has offered its services to the Army Navy Country Club board to help mediate the dispute.

The board's vice president, Al Baker -- who emphasized that he was speaking for himself and not on behalf of the club -- said that members had raised concerns about the cats recently, fearing that one might bite a child participating in one of the club's popular summer programs.

After plans to remove the animals became public in recent days, the club's general manager, Edward A. Urben, e-mailed club staff members the script to read to outsiders who asked about the cats.

"Be cordial and polite, but do not engage in further conversation with them," Urben counseled. The script said outsiders could e-mail comments to information@ancc.org .

Those who care for the cats -- including retired Rear Adm. Thomas Evans and his wife, Dottie -- said the cats are affectionate with caregivers but shy away from most humans. Caregivers buy 400 cans of cat food and three jumbo bags of kibble a month, they said. The cats -- each of which has been named -- even get warm cream on occasion, Evans said. "They're very friendly," he said. "As soon as we stop the car in the morning, the two guys come over and won't eat until I pet them." --Annie Gowen.

Photo Credit: By James A. Parcell -- The Washington Post Photo.

Saturday, January 7, 2006

The cats stay.

That is what officials at the Army Navy Country Club have decided after club members and animal welfare activists from across the country protested a plan to evict a colony of strays that has lived on the Arlington grounds since Lyndon B. Johnson was president.

Last year, club officials decided that the cats posed a risk of spreading rabies to children and needed to be removed. But some members who had been feeding and caring for the cats for years said it would be more dangerous to remove them.

Most of the cats had been spayed, neutered and vaccinated against rabies, often at the club's expense, they said, and removing them would only create space for other cats to move in. A veterinarian who had been treating the cats agreed.

Club officials planned to start trapping the cats as early as Jan. 1 and send them to a shelter that would euthanize them, said Al Baker, vice president of the club. Baker, who has supported keeping the cats on the premises, said he was not speaking on the behalf of the club.

But after a Dec. 24 article in The Washington Post about the cats, the club received calls from members -- some living as far away as California, Florida and Texas -- opposing the plan. Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), a 20-year club member, called it "terrible" and vowed to get involved.

Early this week, Baker and the cats' caregivers met at the club with representatives from Alley Cat Allies, a Bethesda-based national organization that works to reduce the stray and feral cat population. The group proposed moving the cats from three locations on the property to a more remote spot, farther from where children play, and the club agreed.

"The cats have essentially been spared that ultimate indignity, as a funeral director would say," said Tom Evans, a club member who with his wife, Dottie, has fed the cats twice a day and knows them by name. "We're thrilled to death."

Peter Gibbons, the club's president, called the plan a "win-win situation." Becky Robinson, national director of Alley Cat Allies, said her organization will teach the cats' caregivers methods to keep the animals in their new location.

Baker said the club has allocated about $1,500 for the transfer of the cats and continued vaccinations and neutering.

Many people had called to oppose the removal of the cats, he added.

"When these club members started to get the information about the cats' situation, there was a giant response of concern," he said. "I think the outcome of this is representative of thoughtful leadership and concerned members coming together and trying to get an effective solution to save and protect the cats, which are a valuable asset to our club." --Tara Bahrampour.

Photo Credit: By James A. Parcell -- The Washington Post.

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