Cats must gossip or have some kind of cat-based Twitter. Additional strays have been showing up for the free meal lately: a tortie, a gray-white combo with jowls (un-neutered male probably), a little female withe a gray-white combo and now a three-legged feline. They’re not related to Princess Buttercup’s brood because she attacks them whenever they come near the food now.
Today, I finally made the call to 311 for animal control. The operator said she could address my questions and legal concerns. The Austin Humane Society can take in the cats we round up at the no-kill shelter, help get them new, loving homes. They’re mostly kittens, I figured it wouldn’t be too hard. What Somara and I were worried over was the irresponsible neighbors’ recourse. The answer is they have bukpes. If an animal is loose, it is the owner’s responsibility to keep the cat or dog confined to his/her yard/home. A collar with a name and phone number on it (none of them do) doesn’t cut it. Our cats do yet they’re completely in-door animals, we don’t let them wander outside.
With this information we managed to corral Leona, Tigra and Cleopatra. None were thrilled to be put into a carrier. I should’ve done it one at a time too, I got poked in the arm; nothing serious, I cleaned the scratch right away. The drive down was uneventful. Only Cleopatra did any serious whining.
I filled out the paperwork. Gave approximate ages and emphasized these sisters are sweet, friendly cats who do like human attention. I figure they’ll learn how to use a litter box despite their outdoor origins. We also made a $50 donation to help finance AHS’s operations as a no-kill shelter. The attendants were nice about keeping the three of them together in the larger cage to ease their fears. They let me say goodbye to the girls and wish them well. Cleopatra and Tigra had concerned looks but Leona’s expression was the most heart-breaking. She conveyed betrayal in her face if cats are capable of such feelings.
Overall, it’s for the best. Their sister Panthra hasn’t been seen for months and I fear she was the gray cat I saw lying dead in the street last Summer.
Now to round up the remaining offspring: Ramses, Neffie, Hattie and Lynx-o. Princess Buttercup will be spayed.