The chopped off tail
The "tailess" cat
First cat i sent under the TNR, inside my car(Photos taken 3rd March 2010)
Today, i embarked on a new Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) project which was supposed to be carried out last week, but failed due to the cat that i have targeted is pregnant. I am keeping my fingers cross that this time, it will be successful. I have managed to trap another female stray cat today and sent it to the vet, for neutering. I will be collecting the cat back from the vet tomorrow but, it can't be released immediately. So i have bought a big cage, to keep the cat, for a week and take it back to the vet to remove the stitches before releasing it.
Initially i was sceptical about this project. In fact, i was doubtful until today's lunch time. I was thinking, what different can i make, trapping a few female cats and spay them. There are thousands and thousands of other strays out there. Will the money, time and effort come to naught? I was a bit hesitating until I think, God answered me. I have a habit of reading newspaper when i am taking my lunch and today, the very first thing i read in the Sun newspaper was a campaign by PETA, "Be an Angel for animals: Spay and Neuter". In the article, it says, spaying one female dog can prevent 67,000 births in 6 years, and spaying one female cat can prevent 420,000 birth in 7 years. Wow! That's the confirmation I need. Even if I have spayed only one cat, it would have meant a lot. But of course, I am hoping to neuter more than one female cats.
I have signed up for the TNR program with SPCA and special arrangement is made with the Gill's Vet Clinic. I need to pay RM85 for the female cat spaying to SPCA and because I could not send the cat to the clinic on the day of operation at 9am, i have to send a day before, I have to pay the vet RM10 for boarding and RM12 to deflea the cat. Total cost = RM107.
Is the money well spent? Well, even though the cat has not yet being operated on and released successfully, as of now, upon delivering it to the vet, i feel a sense of accomplishment, to be able to trap it and a feeling of contributing to something bigger is definitely worth it.. saving 420,ooo cats from suffering! I think my effort and time will not be in vain.
The problem of the strays overpopulation is a big problem. Some cruel people hurt these poor animals, or these animals may end up in accidents, or die of hunger. There is a cat behind my house,that has it's tail chopped off. I wonder is it an accident or an act of cruelty. The cat is healed but it walks unbalance.
So, I hope, this first cat that i have sent for TNR will be operated and released successfully. And I hope, this will be the beginning of the many TNR cats.
