Here is an excerpt of a book called The Orphans of Katrina– if it doesn’t hit you directly in the heart, then I fear you don’t have a soul….
“While some Gulf residents will search for their cherished pets a few families returned afraid of the pets
they left behind. Afraid their now dying pets would make them sick from the deadly toxins they ingested or cost them a fortune in vet bills. For some Katrina evacuees pets were never much more than an inconvenience.Leibchen was barely able to lift her head when owners returned so they dragged her to the trash outside to be hauled to the city dump. She was discarded like other wet debris – a home she starved in alone for seven weeks.A concerned neighbor noticed the dog still alive and alerted the owners who told her not to worry. The dog would dead by morning.The dog was rescued however and lived for a short time with food, shelter and dignity.
This is one reason I personally believe that so many pet owners people are dealing with illnesses and health issues in their pets never before encountered. The transportation of all these homeless animals, many done in panic without proper vet checks or health certificates to places all over the country has served as a hotbed of germs and bacteria thanks to this storm.
I can’t imagine knowing a monster storm was coming and having all these animals counting on me to help them out. I think in my case, as transport of over a dozen cats (28 currently) would be next to impossible- I would throw open the doors of the enclosures- put tons of food everywhere thinkable that would get these cats through it and then hunker down in the house hiding from everyone and praying we would endure. I couldn’t abandon them- I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did that. But I also couldn’t keep them shut inside for their “protection” Not once the winds started howling.
M,
Ok I just saw the feral cat article on moderncat.com and I started doing some looking around after you talked about your barn cats. We live in the mountains and it is very cold. Any cats up here live inside or they become coyote food pretty fast, so I don’t have much experience with ferals except for the time Rene, Michelle’s mom kept a colony alive for about 3 years. Mama cat was blind and she still had lots of kittens. Didn’t know about TNR then and was too busy with other things in life.
But the aha moment came to me tonight when I saw numerous feral cat condos. Our catio can be easily configured to provide a shelter and feeding deck that is covered. I will make one for you this week if I can pull it off. Need more guidance on this to make sure your cats are well taken care of this year. I know one thing. Cats hate plastic sheeting when it is whipped in the wind. Our sides will be made of 1″ thick pine that will insulate and be waterproof. Let’s talk tomorrow.