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Where We Left Off:
The biographer did all the manual labor of a roadside litter clean-up while The Butler and The Grumpy Old Man attended to the cat detectives’ needs on patrol.
Operation: Savile
This week, Oliver and Gus are presenting a somewhat ongoing case file. At the end of May 2024, a roaming tuxedo cat named Mittens was not only reported MISSING by a family, but was also presumed dead after a car hit him.
In October, a roaming tuxedo cat was showing up on our security cameras again. Gus, Oliver, and I examined them closely and it wasn’t a miracle. It wasn’t Mittens. This was someone brand new to the neighborhood. We started to call him Savile after Savile Row in London where the tuxedo suit was invented despite Tuxedo, New York staking claim in it.
We tapped into the energy of Jackson Galaxy and The Original Trap King Sterling Davis. We sat not really in a circle because it was the three of us, so a triangle, I guess. Ollie required some catnip first. Then Gus wanted some so I sprinkled that on his fish toy.
We concentrated hard and chanted to Freya:
With Earth below
and Sky above,
we call on you
with sacred love.
We cast this circle
Three times round,
Three time up
and three times down.
Bring us this beast
safe and sound
into the trap
upon the ground.
In perfect trust
and perfect love
As below
and as above.
Bring us this beast
safe and sound
into the trap
upon the ground.
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I intentionally headed to the “Book of Faces” which I try to avoid most days. However, there are local groups where people can make posts to Ask, Give, or Borrow for free. My initial post was caught by a moderator who said I needed to properly hashtag it so it wouldn’t get overlooked, #Borrow. Two local women replied that they had humane cat traps I could use. I took the first woman up on her offer since I figured I could only manage one. We exchanged numbers and she told me that she was happy for getting a break from trapping because her family just trapped 14 in the last few weeks!
The T & N Plan with Maybe R
Gus and I were responsible for setting the cat trap out and bringing it back. I never brought it inside. As it was, Gus smelled that metal cage every time he got the opportunity. There had to be a lot of scents on that thing. Our plan also meant that it only made sense to put the trap out during hours when a local veterinary office would be open in order to scan Monsieur Savile for a microchip. I called two local vets just to be sure they could do this without me having to get Animal Control involved. Unfortunately, neither of them will participate in a low cost spay/neuter program for the TNR community. I inquired about prices and was willing to eat the cost of it (technically, the Butler would) or run a crowdfunding campaign. I did learn that it is substantially more expensive if the patient is female.
To Release or Shelter?
I was also on the fence about whether or not to bring the cat to a shelter. New Jersey is a state that no longer allows pet shops to sell animals from breeders. All animals in a shop are arranged with non-profit rescue organizations.
Another part of the plan was that I needed to have a WiFi camera on the trap. The quickest to send the data to my phone would be the security system. The slower option was to use one of the two trailcams that have a subscription (the fee costs as much as the camera). I took the most portable security camera which happens to be the one that annoys The Cook the most often. She hates having cameras everywhere. I placed it near the trap, tested it, and remained hopeful.
Then The Grumpy Old Man started to complain incessantly because his phone notifications wouldn’t stop! There was a piece of grass or a squirrel or a ghost constantly triggering the little camera which was alert not only my phone, but also his. I figured out how to silence the notifications, but they only worked in intervals not a normal On/Off switch. I showed The Cook where the phone setting was (and that it had to be done every four hours) if we were to keep him from blowing a gasket and hurling the phone across the parlor. He is not one to be gentle with technology.
In the end, I decided that every time I would set the trap, I would put it near one of the two WiFi trailcams instead. It seemed like a stupid compromise, but if the cat was caught and had to sit in that cage for thirty minutes before I got the photos, it just had to be that way. This was at the beginning of our New Jersey winter and temperatures were dropping at night, but pleasant during the day when the trap would be out.
Back to the Tuxedo. I came to the emotional terms that it was fine to release him or her back in the neighborhood. For all we know, someone “owns” the cat. We still hadn’t determined that. Microchipping is an annual subscription. What was quite funny was that in my post, I made a comment with a photo of a tabby cat who comes here often. There are two: one all striped and one with kind of a tuxedo but tabby pattern. A neighbor who knows The Grumpy Old Man commented that the tabby looked like hers. It wasn’t. It was definitely the other one. But we do have sightings of her cat coming right up to our house! At least now I know that is Mama Cat Marsh and not a stray.
At first, I tried canned cat food that we had in a cupboard in case of emergency (like when there was a shortage of can manufacturing during the height of COVID-19) and we wouldn’t be able to get the prescription food. Then I switched to some freeze-dried meat which Gus happens to love. I thought for sure that would be the bait to catch Savile.
Oh, it got real close!
In total, Gus and I tried for three weeks to catch Savile. This cat is smart enough to find food. It clearly loves to hunt here too. However, it is also smart enough not to walk into a metal cage that smells like a bunch of other cats.
I gave up.
After I returned the trap to the gracious woman who loaned it, Savile continued to come by. He would stalk the little red squirrels most often, but was not discerning in prey. Gus, Oliver, and all the humans have spotted him waiting for birds in certain spots too. Mr. Savile always ran if he spotted us outside when I would try to get photos of him.
Case Findings:
The Tuxedo called Savile has been visiting since late October 2024. Like the other roaming cats, it has no fear of coming close to the house. Yet, he is afraid of Gus! I was caught off-guard one afternoon when Gus and I were sitting on the garden wall. He turned and ran with his leash flying behind him like a superhero cape. I saw Savile at the end of trail, turn around quickly, and lead Gus on a short chase. Fortunately, Gus was at the end of the very short trail and not tangled by his leash.
Savile seems to be sticking around. I do wish whoever is feeding him (or her) will get the cat properly sterilized and vaccinated.
Case: Closed
6,000,000 to 8,000,000
“Six to eight million animals are booked into shelters every year. That means we’re still killing three- to four million of those animals every year because there aren’t enough homes for those animals.”
I was staggered by that number. Eight million animals worldwide? I went to double-check the information and found that there is a voluntary database (some Canada provinces and some States in the US). That website happens to have a mid-year report. Yes, it is overwhelming.
“In the first half of 2024, 3,118,000 dogs and cats have entered shelters and rescues nationwide.” —The National Database
That figure doesn’t even include all the other animals like birds, guinea pigs, rabbits, reptiles, goats, and horses that can end up being euthanized if they aren’t fortunate enough to find sanctuary at a place like Goats of Anarchy. It’s especially traumatic for the animals who have a long lifespan like parrots.