Help the Tow Yard Cats and Kittens in Compton

Tracy Goldman is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Original post and Photo:

Hi, my name is Tracy and I was asked to help with a dire situation in Compton at a Tow Yard warehouse. I was told that one of the cats (female) "Auntie" got in a fight, and part of her tail was injured, turned black and fell off. Then one day someone noticed it was an open wound again.

She is feral but that doesn't mean she deserves a life of pain! There are also other cats here in need of TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) as well as a friendly young mama and 3 surviving kittens with eye infections. Currently, the kittens are being treated for eye infections thanks to a generous donation of eyedrops from 2nd Chance Rescue in Huntington Beach.

All funds raised will go toward Auntie's spay and tail repair/amputation, Spaying/Neutering the other feral cats and spay/neuter, flea treatments, deworming and vaccinations for the friendly mama and her three kittens, and any other friendly cats we encounter. We have already trapped and spayed 1 female "Fluffy" and the invoice is at the lower part of the post.

Updated picture of Auntie and what remains of her tail as of August 15, 2023:

New Updates Below:

1-2-2024

Let's start with the good news: Apple Jack, the all gray kitten who wandered into my backyard trap back in October was adopted!

He is currently living in N. Hollywood in a fancy hi-rise with his new mom, grandma and another all gray kitty friend. Yay for Apple Jack!

Now for more difficult news:

I took RiRi to the vet today. She had a upper respiratory infection and diarrhea. I had given her 7 days of Clavamox and medication for the diarrhea, and she was not getting much better. The vet said she needed bloodwork done because she weighs about 4.5 lb and he was concerned that she was so tiny.

The bloodwork came back and indicated she has liver problems, probably congenital in nature. He thought it was a liver shunt problem. (See this article by Cornell University veterinary school for more info. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/portosystemic-shunt)

It would certainly explain her small size.

Surgery is not in the cards at this moment , due to a potential poor outcome. Her small size, plus the possibilitiy that he wouldn't be able to re-route the blood vessel, and the cost of $5000+ led to no recommendation for surgery.

So far, her appetite is good. I am feeding her kitten Fancy Feast food with a supplement called Rebound (available on Amazon: Virbac Rebound Recuperation Formula for Cats, Clear (10851) https://a.co/d/iTlPaft)

which she loves. We are going to try a different antibiotic for a week, probiotics in her food to help eliminate the diarrhea and then reassess the situation. We may try lactulose to assist her liver in filtering out the ammonia in her system--see the Cornell article for more details. If RiRi gets adopted, the adopter will have to understand the full extent of her medical issues. The vet was incredulous that she had a litter of 4 kittens and survived on scraps of human food and some dry cat food in the cold and heat (not to mention the inherent dangers) of the towyard. She certainly would not have made it thru the cold winter when she burrows under a fleece blanket when the house temperature is 72°!

Today's bill came to $119.00, not including the new Doxycycline antibiotic and probiotics supplements.

UPDATE 12/7/23:

Yesterday was a very sad day. I got a call from Dave at the towyard who was worried about a kitty he called Tip-Tip. (Tip-Tip in better times)

We knew that this cat was around, but had never been able to trap him. Dave told me that recently, Tip-Tip was having discharge from his mouth, he had lost weight and wasn't eating. He asked for a net, so I took him one back on Monday. Dave caught Tip-Tip in short order, and got him in the trap. When I saw how bad he looked:

I took him straight to the vet. Knowing the history of Leukemia at the towyard, we decided to do a snap-test (screening) for Feline Immunodefieceincy Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia. Tip-Tip tested positive for both. Due to his poor health, obvious weight loss and the test results, the decision was made to humanely euthanize him. Here is the invoice:

Total for Tip-Tip was $105

In addition, the special blood test that Fluffy had to confirm the diagnosis came back that she was indeed positive for Feline Leukemia. However, she is healthy (for now) and very friendly. I will be looking for a sanctuary for her, or an adopter who understands her medical needs and will have her be the only cat in the household. Here are her invoices and test results:

Total for the special blood test for Fluffy was $95.

I greatly appreciate Rebel Ranch Rescue of Tustin CA for helping me with their rescue discount at Alona Animal Hospital. Unfortunately, the out of (my) pocket costs are adding up, and since I have been out of work for almost 10 months with an injury, I am having to put all these costs on credit cards, which adds up very quickly. Please consider a donation--I will likely incur additional expenses trying to get Fluffy into a sanctuary.

UPDATE 11/27/23:

All of RiRi's kittens have been adopted! Many thanks to Friends of Normie rescue.

UPDATE 11/4/23:

Celeste, the all black kitten (with a tiny white locket of fur on her throat) that hitched a ride into the towyard was fixed yesterday at Alona. Another big thanks to Rebel Ranch Rescue of Tustin for helping with the costs. She was spayed and combo tested negative for Feline Leukemia and FIV. (Whew!) She will have her 2nd vaccine this week and then she will be ready to adopt. Here are her sterility certificates and the invoice:

Total for Celeste today was $100.00

I have started to research sanctuaries for Feline leukemia positive cats across the United States in case one will be needed. So far, I have located one in the Austin, Texas area, one in the Seattle Washington area, and one right here in LA. I have an extremely generous offer from another rescuer to accompany Fluffy to the Seattle sanctuary if I can raise the airfare for Fluffy and the rescuer is going anyway. So starting from this point, any funds raised will go toward the medical care of Fluffy (or any other towyard cats that become injured) and to pay the medical bills I have incurred in the last 2 weeks. I am going to put active trapping for this location on hiatus until I can secure more funding.

UPDATE 10/31/23:

Fluffy went to Alona Animal Hospital this morning. Dr. Ransom sedated her, cleaned the draining abscess, and gave her a Covenia (long-acting antibiotic) shot. No surgery or stitches were needed.

I also had her vaccinated, combo-tested for FIV and FeLV, and microchipped. Unfortunately, Fluffy tested positive for feline leukemia on the snap test. She will need a more specialized blood test (like Panda had) in about a month to re-check. Dr. Ransom advised against taking her back to the towyard and potentially exposing the other cats more than they've already been exposed. Feline Leukemia is highly contagious, and can be spread through saliva, like sharing food/water bowls.

I will begin the process of finding a sanctuary for her in case it's needed, although I am sure she is friendly enough to adopt. Fluffy is young, maybe only a year or less. When I had her spayed back in June, she had never had a litter of kittens, according to the guys at the towyard. That turned out to be a good thing because leukemia positive mom cats have leukemia positive kittens, with a very poor likelihood of survival.

Here are the test results and invoice from today. Total cost today was $99

I will be supporting Fluffy until she finds a home, or is placed into a sanctuary or passes away (like Panda did).

This was certainly not the outcome I was expecting. I would appreciate any and all donations to help me with her vet bills and food/litter costs.

UPDATE 10/30/23:

A mix of both good and bad news today.

Bad news: Jinx escaped again! He pushed out and bent the screen frame in my cat room last week, even though it had been professionally installed and had extra reinforcement.

Good news: Jinx went right back to the house where I got him and the kind lady there is still feeding him! He evidently loves their kids too, but the husband is allergic so they can't adopt him. She won't let me put a trap in her yard because she is afraid it will traumatize her kids (!) but I need her to regain Jinx's trust. At least now he has a microchip! We are in contact so she will call me if he comes in their yard and she can get him in her carrier. He is a very vocal and mischevious kitty who will need a special home with exceptionally vigilant owners!

Bad News: I got a call early Sunday morning that Fluffy, the very first kitty I TNR'd at the tow yard was injured and limping. Dave got her in a small cage, and I picked her up and brought her to my house to assess the situation. I was so glad they called me! I started her on antibiotics, pain medication, and gave her a flea treatment until I can get her into the vet on Tuesday. Pictures coming up--not for viewing if you have a weak stomach:

A photo of the front paws for comparison:

Will post more info and the vet bill when I take her in Tuesday morning. She is eating well and allowing pets (although the pain meds probably are helping her demeanor!) and I will keep a close eye on things in the next 24 hours.

Good News: Apple, the little gray kitten that I inadvertently trapped in my yard is actually a boy! His name is now Apple Jack and he is neutered, combo tested negative, and just waiting for his 2nd FVRCP shot so he can be adopted. Here is his paperwork:

Total for Apple Jack was $90.00

He is currently bunking in with RiRi who is cuddling and grooming him! She's such a sweet kitty, and now they are not as lonely.

Good News: The guys at the towyard found a friendly little all-black kitten who had hitched a ride in a mangled car that was being moved with a forklift! It took a few days and some divine intervention to get this kitty from the shelter in Downey (a total miscommunication between Dave and his relative) to my house, but she is here now and doing well.

Meet Celeste!

Celeste is 3 months old, and already has her first vaccination, flea treatment, and dewormer at the shelter in Downey. She lost some fur on her face from rubbing it on the cage at the shelter, but it is looking better now and she is too busy playing with other kittens to keep doing that. Celeste has an appointment to be spayed on Friday November 3. She is super friendly, playful, and a purr machine! So glad she is safe because Halloween is around the corner and black cats can have a difficult time during this season. She is inside now with 2 other kittens and they can barely stop playing to eat!

UPDATE 10/10/23

A day of good news! Jinx was already neutered! His foot injury was healing nicely due to the antibiotics and will not require additional treatment. He did have to be sedated to check the foot. The vet thinks he is under 2 years old. His combo test was negative/negative (see paperwork below) and he had no microchip...but he does now!

Jinx's total bill yesterday was $70. The credit was for another cat not from the towyard.

Jinx is ready for adoption. If you want a super affectionate young male cat to hang around with all day, please consider Jinx. He could be adopted with another cat or he could be a solo kitty. However, he must be an indoor kitty only.

We are still trying to catch Fluffy at the towyard. No luck yet.

And Apple, the "bonus" gray kitten I trapped while looking for the tabby girl escapee will be going in 2 weeks to be spayed. She is a hoot! Apple is very talkative & purrs the second you pick her up. More pictures later.

UPDATE 10/6/23:

This update will be in 3 parts because it's a biggie!

Part 1:

RiRi's kittens are now renamed The Cereal Kittens and are Instagram stars! Here is their link:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx8P_aOLkDG/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

And Munchkin has been officially adopted!

It makes me so happy to see these 4 kittens doing so well!

Part 2:

I trapped a cat at the towyard several weeks ago, and when I tried to get his collar (not a breakaway type) off his neck, he escaped into my neighborhood. I knew he was friendly and I set a trap out hoping he would come back. I posted on several local sites including NextDoor looking for him. So you can imagine my surprise when a neighbor across the busy 4 lane street from my house contacted me a few days later and said she'd seen him! She continued to feed him and win his trust until I came over with a carrier and we got him Wednesday night! His back left paw is injured and swollen/bleeding. The collar (thankfully) is long gone. He is quite friendly now that he's calmed down, and I can pet him easily. I have an appointment for him to be seen at Alona Animal Hospital on Monday October 9th for possible neuter (no eartip seen) combo test, microchip and to have the paw evaluated. His name is Jinx, and I am sure he has used up several of his 9 lives by not getting taken out by a coyote, being hit by a car crossing that street, and finding a kind person who fed him.

The injured paw

Will keep you updated

Part 3:

Remember that trap I set out in my yard looking for the tabby escapee? Well, I caught this little Russian Blue kitten instead! At 4am I was awakened by the sounds of a howling kitty and the sound of the trap moving around on the patio cement! That got me out of bed in a big hurry!

She was skin and bones but very vocal and friendly. I got her out of the trap and into a crate. She wolfed down 2 cans of kitten Fancy Feast, started on #3, and then went to sleep. After thoroughly searching my yard for additional kittens/mama cat, I had an early breakfast and went back to sleep!

I am thinking of naming her Apple

Both Apple and Jinx had flea treatments & vaccines and dewormer meds today.

UPDATE 9/30/23

RiRi's 3 kittens (Tina, Mick and Keith) are all being sponsored now with Friends of Normie rescue. I had Keith and Mick neutered and microchipped before they left. Here are the invoices:

Total $100

Here they are at their new foster's home in LA:

They're so big now!

Another picture of Munchkin, who apparently loves the new foster's doggie!

Auntie had to be released back to the towyard on Thursday the 26th. Two weeks after her tail stitches came out, it became increasingly clear that she was indeed too feral to adopt out. As she regained her strength, she hissed and swatted at me more every day. She was so feisty I had my friend and best feral cat wrangler Donald Tran from Urban Panthers Rescue in Fountain Valley come over (many thanks!) and help me get her into a carrier so I could take her back to the tow yard. The plan was to take Fluffy back to my home instead as Dave (the main feeder) had noticed she had a cough and limp. Unfortunately we were unable to catch Fluffy and get her into the carrier. We will try again later next week.

The towyard trapping is on hold as I have many hand therapy appointments, plus other medical issues which were found subsequent to my hand surgery that are severely limiting the time I have to drive back and forth. Thank you for your continued support of the Compton Towyard cats. We should resume trapping later in October or November.

UPDATE: 9/19/23:

I had my hand surgery last Wednesday, so I apologize for the lack of updates. Munchkin has gone to her new foster (possible foster-to-adopt) through Friends of Normies Rescue in Newport Beach. This rescue is also going to take on RiRi's kittens (now named Tina, Keith and Mick) as soon as they are all fixed which should be this coming Thursday or Friday. Tina was spayed at FixNation this past weekend (many thanks to Courtney and her transporter at Kitty Connect Rescue for driving all the way to Burbank when I could not). Her invoice is below:

I apologize for the bad quality, my printer is down. Total was $65.00

Here is Munchkin in her new foster home. She is good with dogs, and an excellent cuddler!

UPDATE 9/9/23:

We trapped another feral girl at the tow yard last night:

Unfortunately, she escaped when I put the fork divider in the trap. She pushed past it (I have not had that happen before, and I have trapped a lot of cats) and she took off into my into my neighborhood. I will set the trap in my yard tonight on the slim chance she will be hungry and look for food. I am very disappointed that myself and my set-up failed me like this; definitely not part of the plan....

In better news, take a look at this photo that my friend Kevin took of Auntie.

She is sleeping so heavily...no worries about kittens or predators, a full tummy, no pain from the infected tail, a soft bed...this is why I do what I do. I am going to keep her for another 2 weks after she gets her stitches out next Tuesday and work with her some more so she can perhaps find her own happily ever after!

UPDATE 9/8/23:

Jerry was retrapped today, so I let him go! This tells me we are getting close to the end of trapping the ferals here at the tow yard. We know there is one that looks identical to Auntie (but has a whole tail), and Dave who works there sent this picture of "Tip-Tip" or "Tips" with his blue eyes. I have not personally seen this fellow.

Both of these cats are known to be unfriendly.

I will be taking a minimum 2 week break starting after this weekend to get ready for and have my hand surgery on September 13.

UPDATE 9/5/23:

Stevie Nicks (the friendly eartipped B&W kitty) had her combo test and microchip today. She also tested negative for Leukemia and FIV. This sweet and friendly lady is now 100% ready for adoption. Thanks you again to Rebel Ranch Rescue for letting us use their discount. Here is her invoice for today:

So far, the veterinary charges for the tow yard cats have totaled $971.50. This amount does not include incidentals like canned and dry food, sardines, and gas to drive the cats to and from the towyard and to the various veterinary clinics. We can still use donations to help offset the expenditures, and if anyone has dry or canned food, we would appreciate those donations as well.

UPDATE 9/2/23:

Munchkin had her spay surgery, combo test and microchip on Thursday the 31st. A big thank you to Rebel Ranch Rescue of Tustin for letting me use their rescue discount at Alona Animal Hospital. Stevie Nicks will have her combo test and microchip placed on Tuesday after the holiday. RiRi's kittens have appointments later in September after my upcoming hand surgery.

Here is another picture of Auntie's tail stump. It's healing well.

Auntie hisses mildly at me, but allows pets and head scratches. She seems to enjoy this time of rest and relaxation!

No cats were trapped the last 2 nights, only possums! However, I have been able to pick Fluffy up as she is getting more and more friendly. She wants treats every time myself and Rachel are there setting the traps. I can see that she is much more friendly than I originally anticipated. I will work on finding her a foster later in the fall.

A big thank you to friends and neighbors who have donated towards the tow yard cats. I anticipate that we will continue to trap here for a number of months going forward. The neighborhood is very impoverished and the cats suffer greatly from lack of veterinary care. Low cost spay/neuter is non-existent in the area of the towyard.

Here is Munchkin's invoice for her surgery, combo test and microchip.

Total was $100 for the spay, microchip and combo test for Munchkin. My apologies for the skewed picture.

She will need a 2nd FVRCP vaccine around September 13, and then she will be ready for adoption.

UPDATE 8/30/23

Auntie had her spay and tail amputation surgery completed yesterday at Alona Animal Hospital in Santa Ana. The vet had to remove the remaining part of the tail due to the severe infection. As you can see in the main photo, there is only a tiny stump remaining. We probably trapped her in the nick of time before her tail infection got into her system. Here is the invoice from yesterday:

**note: A very kind person donated $100 directly to the vet on Auntie's behalf**

Total charges today: $200

Auntie is now resting comfortably in a big 54" crate on my covered patio with a soft bed, a personal fan and a camera to monitor her. She will get the stitches out in 2 weeks. At that point, she will be released back to the tow yard to continue her mousing work there. However, if she is friendly we will try and find her a home. She isn't thrashing the crate and she isn't hissing or growling at me. She is not completely feral but she is scared and this is a big adjustment for her.

Trapping at the tow yard will resume on Friday. Now that we can trap at the back of the property by the cell phone tower, I feel confident that we will find even more cats.

I cannot adequately express how much relief I feel now that Auntie has had her surgery....but knowing there are more cats in this area that need to be spayed/neutered, or need help because they're injured makes me want to continue this project until I have my hand surgery in 2 weeks. Thank you for your continued emotional and financial support.

UPDATE 8/28/23

Auntie was trapped today! After nearly 3 months, the elusive kitty went into a trap that Rachel set with wet food and sardines. I picked her up this morning when I dropped Donnie back at the tow yard and took her to my home.

The plan is for Auntie to go to Alona Animal Hospital in Santa Ana tomorrow for an evaluation and then they will board her until the surgeries (Spay and tail amputation or repair) can be completed if not the same day. She is currently resting on my covered patio in the shade with a fan, and eating well. She can see her friend RiRi and the kittens. We are all overjoyed to know that her tail issues will be a thing of the past very soon. As soon as I have an estimate of the surgery costs, I will post them. Please consider donating to her surgeries. She deserves it!

There seem to be at least 2 more cats in the warehouse....one male "Tips" who looks like Auntie but has blue eyes, and Auntie's sidekick "Gabrielle" who is a slightly smaller version of Auntie with the same color pattern, but she has a complete tail. We also got permission to trap in the back of the property by a cell phone tower, which I am thrilled about because of the vicious fighting I have heard coming from that area.

Donnie was released back to the tow yard without incident. I will post his neuter certificate as soon as I can.

UPDATE 8/26/23

Another feral boy was trapped and neutered today! Many thanks again to 2nd Chance Rescue for sponsoring his surgery. I named him Donny. He has a bad case of mange and flea allergy so he looks terrible.

He is also desperately thin, but his appetite is good. He ate 3 cans of food in 12 hours after the surgery. The vet gave him Revolution (provided by me) to kill the fleas and start treating the mange. I might give him an extra day here to recover and eat and return him Monday morning.

No trapping tonight due to a major power outage in the area. Even the streetlights and traffic signals were down. Will be back tomorrow evening. I have a new strategy in mind for Auntie, and I was sad I couldn't give it a try.

So far, there have been 17 cats helped in some manner at the tow yard since I started this project in June. The guys at the tow yard have noticed that fewer cats are hanging around, there are fewer cat fights that they hear and there are fewer kittens--they are always concerned about the kittens being harmed in some way or eaten by raccoons.

UPDATE 8/24/23

A new kitty showed up in one of the traps! This gal has an ear tip (so she's been spayed) but no microchip. She is very sweet and friendly. We named her Stevie Nicks. Look at those giant white whiskers! Reminds me of Stevie Nicks and her swirling skirts/shawls/capes as she danced around!

I gave her a booster FVRCP vaccine, flea treatment and dewormer.

She is currently bunking in with Munchkin and the first thing they did was squabble over the bed! Munchkin lost this round:

Now they each have their own bed and food dish!

I found a foster/rescue for Stevie almost immediately in the San Pedro area, so as soon as I can get her a microchip and combo tested, she will be transported there and go up for adoption. If you are interested in this kitty, please contact me and I will give you the information.

UPDATE 8/18/23

I decided to wait out the incoming hurricane and not do any trapping on Saturday or Sunday. Hopefully, this hurricane will not be as bad as predicted and we can resume trapping later in the week. We have only been catching opossums as of late as well. We see Auntie and her sidekick who follows her around, but she's very "Trap-Savvy".

Munchkin has an appointment to be spayed and combo tested on August 31st. I also have an appointment on September 3 for one of RiRi's kittens to get fixed, and I am working on getting appointments for the other 2 before I have surgery on my hand September 13th.

UPDATE 8/14/23

Just when I thought the tow yard held no more surprises, this little girl "Munchkin" was trapped this morning!

She's probably about 4 months old and was scared to death at first, but now is purring and allows me to pick her up. I haven't seen any mama cats around with this coloring, and no other kittens have been seen. I gave her an FVRCP vaccine and a flea treatment, and as soon as she eats something I will give her a dewormer. She is too young to get fixed right now (some vets will only do surgery if over 6 months, although other spay/neuter clinics want the kittens to be only 2+ lbs and 8+ weeks) so she is going to hang out here for a while to get better socialized.

RiRi's kittens are now over 2 lbs so I am looking for appointments for those 3 as well. They are fighting off yet another eye infection. The vet changed antibiotics and eyedrops to see if that would wipe out the eye infection once and for all.

I kept Jerry for an extra night here to assess his temperament after the ladies at the vet office where he was neutered were raving about his good behavior. However, he thrashed his crate (upended his food and water, kicked over the litter box) and gave flattened ears ("airplane" ears) when we tried to pet him. Jerry also looked very unhappy. He was returned to the tow yard on Sunday evening.

Have a good life, Jerry!

Jerry's neuter certificate:

We see Auntie around but have had no luck trapping her yet. Her tail looks the same now for about a month--no open wound like in the first picture back in June, but she has lost another piece.

UPDATE 8/12/23

Garfield was returned to the tow yard without incident. Star had his surgery yesterday and it went well. He will be returned on Friday evening. We trapped another feral male at the tow yard on Friday morning. Dave didn't recognize him, but he looks like he is related to RiRi--same colors, but this guy is a lot grubbier. I named him Jerry. I took Jerry straight to the Beach Garfield Veterinary Hospital, where he was also neutered. Thanks again to Second Chance Rescue for sponsoring his surgery.

Here is Star's Neuter Certificate:

UPDATE 8/7/23

Garfield and Star will be neutered at Beach Garfield Veterinary Hospital, thanks to the generosity of 2nd Chance Rescue in Westminster/Huntington Beach. This rescue also provided eye drops that probably saved the kittens' eyes back in June when I first started this project. I cannot describe how grateful I am to this organization for its support when the cats and I needed it the most. Garfield was neutered today and will be returned to the tow yard tomorrow. He is pretty feral. Star's surgery appointment will be on Wednesday. Here is Garfield's post-surgery photo (he is pretty out of it) and his Neuter Certificate:

UPDATE 8/6/23

Satruday night was an excellent trapping night! We got two males: The orange one is named "Garfield" and according to Dave, is a regular around the tow yard.

The black one Dave was not familiar with, but I have personally seen him in the warehouse before. Dave named him "Guest Star", but I will shorten that to "Star".

They will be neutered ASAP and returned. Star and Garfield are not completely feral, but not 100% friendly either at this point.

I am running out of funds to get these tow yard cats spayed/neutered. I would prefer not to have to quit trapping here (at least until I have surgery on my hand next month). Please consider donating so their lives will be free of suffering.

UPDATE 8/4/23

RiRi the friendly female cat with 3 kittens was spayed today and combo-tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV. She was negative for both, which means her kittens are also free of leukemia and FIV. Her surgery was uneventful and she was very glad to get back home and have breakfast!

Her invoice is posted below:

(The barcode is her Microchip)

RiRi's 3 kittens are making good progress toward the 2 lb mark when they will be eligible to be spayed as well. She has 2 girls and 1 boy. Please consider donating so that I can get this little family fixed and adopted into loving homes!

UPDATE 8/2/23

Panda the big friendly B&W kitty took a sudden turn for the worse this morning with his leukemia and was euthanized this afternoon. The vet said that it happens like that--it can turn on a dime. One minute he is fine and the next minute he is very ill. I am extremely sad that his life was cut short just when it was about to get much better. I held and petted him while he crossed over. Here is a tribute picture collage made by my friend Kevin:

The bill for his euthanasia is below. Apologies for the wrinkles in the paper--I had a cat who insisted on helping me out.

I am taking a short break and will be back on Friday to continue trapping. Elusive Auntie has been sighted but has not gone in the traps. However Fluffy has become increasingly friendly so we will continue to monitor the situation.

UPDATE 7/31/23

FiFi (aka Ms. Hisser!) had her spay surgery and was released back to the tow yard a few days ago without incident. She was also very feral and glad to be home. I was unable to get the paperwork from the transport person, but her ear is tipped so she is easy to spot if she gets retrapped--which has already happened.

UPDATE 7/26/23

Cheshire had her spay surgery and vaccines on Sunday:

and she was released last night back to the tow yard. She was not friendly, and she was very happy to be home! Here is the invoice from CAMP-LA for her surgery. (I had to put a $30 deposit down to hold the appointment.)

Meanwhile, we trapped another cat who looks like the twin of Fluffy! We named her FiFi. She is very hissy and feral! She will have her surgery on Thursday this week.

Dr. Kim called yesterday evening and he discussed Panda's Feline Leukemia results with me at length. He recommended a watch-and-wait approach since Panda is doing well, especially with the weight gain. I am looking into sanctuary places for him, but if anyone wants to adopt only 1 cat, please contact me. He is a total lovebug, I wouldn't feel good about putting him back on the streets.

UPDATE 7/23/23

We trapped a female feral cat at the tow yard last night who the guys call "Cheshire". She went to be fixed this morning and I will post updates as I get them.

I will upload better pictures later.

Auntie was hanging around again last night but did not go into the trap.

UPDATE 7/22/23

Panda's test came back positive for Feline Leukemia. How or when he got it will remain a mystery. There are no medications for this, and there is no cure. He is contagious to other cats (but not humans or dogs) and will have to be adopted as an only cat, or into a household with other leukemia-positive cats, or go to a sanctuary for FeLV+ cats. Panda may live a normal lifespan, but his future adopter will need to be aware that he may have medical issues in the future. That being said, he is super sweet and wants lots of scratches and pets. He will stay in his crate for the time being until I can find a long-term foster or adopter. He does not seem to be upset by being confined; indeed he seems to enjoy the "room service" and the lack of fighting over food with the other males. His appetite is good and he is eating 2-3 cans of wet food (with added vitamins) per day along with Kitten Chow dry food to provide additional nutrition support. I have not been able to speak to the vet myself; I left multiple messages and he won't be back in the office until Tuesday the 25th.

I will now need to start testing any other cats trapped at the tow yard, including RiRi and possibly Fluffy if she is indeed friendly and adoptable. This is an expense that I did not expect to have. Please share this fundraiser so we can get the cats tested and find appropriate situations for the friendly ones, as well as fund the spay/neuter services.

UPDATE 7/19/23

Panda was taken to a local vet yesterday for a test to check for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency virus, as there is a potential adopter interested in this sweet and friendly kitty. Unfortunately, the in-house screening test showed a weak positive for Feline Leukemia. The vet recommended a more precise test done at an outside lab. We will have the results by Friday. Since Feline Leukemia is contagious, Panda needs to be isolated in his crate until we know the results. He has gained 1 lb 2 oz in less than a week, which is great news! Here is the invoice from the vet for his FeLV/FIV/Coronavirus tests:

No additional cats have been trapped, despite trying different bait food. We have seen Auntie and one other female there in the last few days. Fluffy is also hanging around. The heat level at the tow yard warehouse is severe; I added 4 large water bowls to their eating area so there would be no temptation for the cats to drink antifreeze in the heat.

Mama RiRi's 3 kittens now weigh just over 1 lb each. They are at least 2 1/2 months old, so they have a lot of catching up to do. They are currently the size of 5-week-old kittens. They are eating and playing, while RiRi is learning how to play with toys herself by watching them! Here are the 3 kittens checking out the kitten chow refill!

and RiRi

UPDATE 7/14/23

Good news! The B&W kitty from the tow yard is a friendly guy! We named him Panda after one of the guys at the tow yard who is helping. Panda let me pet him and scratch his chin/cheek through the trap when he came home from being neutered. Here he is in his crate enjoying breakfast:

He ate 3 cans within 24 hours, so his appetite is good so far. The vet thought he was about 4 years old and he weighs 10 lb. He has been neutered and had a flea treatment, FVRCP and a Rabies vaccination. Here is the invoice which was paid in full thanks to the donations!

We will never know Panda's backstory, but he most likely had a family at one time and then was abandoned or got out of his home and got lost. Panda was not microchipped, but that is about to change! He will be up for adoption very soon.

I saw Fluffy and one other female cat there last night, but no sightings of Auntie. The warehouse where the cat's food/water is located is very hot. I have added 2 more large water bowls and will place additional ones the next time I go back. There is evidence that Fluffy might be more friendly than we originally anticipated, so we will need to reassess her behavior as well.

UPDATE 7/12/23

I was unable to obtain the medical records for the euthanized gray/white kitty from Feral Cat Coalition of San Diego. FCC said that they do not save vet records of feral cats that are euthanized. There was no charge for his euthanasia/cremation.

UPDATE 7/10/23

Unfortunately, the gray/white male kitty pictured on the 7/9 update had to be humanely euthanized. He had severe stomatitis (gums & teeth were infected) and he was weak from poor nutrition. He flatlined twice while they were examining him under sedation, and the vet recommended euthanasia. As soon as I get the notes from the attending vet, I will post them, along with the invoice for the euthanasia.

I was able to trap another male--one that had never been seen at the tow yard before! This handsome B&W tux guy has an appointment on Wednesday morning in El Monte to be neutered.

Will be trapping again tonight and hopefully Auntie is ready to get her tail fixed too!

UPDATE 7/9/23

We were able to trap one gray/white male feral on Friday night, and thanks to my friend Wendy Jeffries he is currently at Feral Cat Coalition in San Diego getting neutered. He is pretty beat up as you can see from the picture below. He will be released Monday evening if all goes well. He's a quiet guy:

There was some speculation that Auntie had left but I saw her almost immediately upon arrival at the shop. Her tail has lost another piece, as you can see from these pictures:

I tried playing kitten noises on my phone which seemed to interest her, but it was not enough to go in the trap. Will try again on Monday night.

There is at least one more all-black male cat who I have only seen once, another female and possibly another male left to trap. Fluffy the gray/white one who we TNR'd is still there.

Mama RiRi is continuing to recover from her upper respiratory infection. The kitten's eyes are cleared and they are learning about fun stuff like toys! Two are big eaters and are growing quickly. One kitten is growing slowly and still is very attached to Mom. The foster is monitoring this situation carefully.

UPDATE 6/30/23:

Auntie is proving difficult to trap. We are trying to come up with additional solutions, and I have considered bringing a drop trap. I have people who will get her into a vet asap if I can trap her.

The friendly mama walked into a regular trap and her 3 kittens were easily put into a carrier. They are residing with a temporary foster. Mama will be spayed and vaccinated as soon as she recovers from a mild Upper Respiratory infection, and then she will be able to be adopted. The kitten's eyes are clear now and they are almost at a normal activity level. It will be a month or two until they are big enough for surgery, vaccines and adoption.

Look how well they're doing!

Sadly one of the male ferals we wanted to fix (and who was a shop favorite) was found down in the parking lot on Monday night and passed before we could have him humanely euthanized. We cannot be sure, but he might have been poisoned. This has demoralized the shop tremendously.