Pennsylvaniako Sarah Loeb-ek idatzia
Benetan bedeinkaturiko gertaera bat bizi izan dudala sentitzen dut. Nire kolonia basatiaren kide batek, normalean katu atseginenetako batek, plastikozko pote bat itsatsita zuen buruan. Buru osoa plastiko gogorrean inguratuta, ezin zuen jan edo edan erabat. Larunbat gau batean ikusi nuen lehen aldiz horrela. Orduak eman nituen nigan konfiantza izan zedin saiatzen, potea kendu ahal izateko. Baina, guztiz zaurgarria eta positiboki izututa zegoen, katua oso sutsuegia zen ni gerturatzeko.
Hurrengo arratsaldean, eskuoihal bat botatzen saiatu nintzen, eta gero manta astun bat haren gainera desorientatzeko, horrek ongi jabetzeko aukera emango zidan esperantzan, baina katua azkarregia eta maltzur zen horrelako trikimailuetarako. Nire mutil-laguna gau hartan berandu ere atera zen saski handi batekin eta elkarrekin ikaraturiko felinoa harrapatzen saiatu ginen, azkenean, erabat ihes egin zuen arte, inora aurkitu gabe.
Havahart-en tranpa bat egun batetik bestera uztea erabaki genuen, baina hori ere ez zen arrakastarik izan (nahiz eta eme ugalkorrerako sarbidea lortu ninduen, eta orduan klinikara esterilizatzeko eta txertoa ematera eraman ahal izan nuen; beraz, ez zen guztiz galdu). Lanetik etxera itzultzen nintzenetik orduro bilatu nuen orduro, 19:00ak aldera goizeko 5:00ak arte. Ez zuen inoiz erakutsi. Imajina dezakedan modurik txarrenetako batean hil behar zela pentsatu nuen. Neure buruaz kanpo nengoen, behin nire hanken kontra kikildu zen katu honi huts egin niola jakinda, bere afariaren zain. Ezin nion utzi, ezin nuen lo egin, oraindik kanpoan egon zitekeen galdezka, ontzi ikaragarri horren barruan sartuta.
Gau erdiko bisitari bat iristen da laguntzera
Bada, gaur gauean, ohi bezala, goizeko 1:00ak aldera, afari-plater bat prestatu eta kanpora eraman nuen, non nire koloniak pazientziaz itxaron zuen. Katuak eraman nituen gure ohiko tokira (eraikinetik nahiko distantziara), otordua zerbitzatu eta itzultzen hasi nintzen emakume bat, ezerezetik agertzen zela zirudien, niregana hurbildu zenean. Hainbat aldiz errieta egin didate nire katuei jaten emateagatik, eta, beraz, beste auzokideen mihiari lotu egin diot. Galdetu zidan, erabat, katu basatiak elikatu berri ote nituen. Gogoz kontra, baiezkoa eman nion, eta berehala hasi zen botatzen nirekin ezagutzeaz zein pozik zegoen, eta zein eskertuta zegoen multzoko norbaitek, bere buruaz gain, katuak estimatzen zituela eta haien ongizatea zaintzen laguntzeko prest zegoela jakitea. Oso lasaitu nintzen, noski, eta harekin topo egin nuen; azkenean... katu basatiaren aliatu bat!
Rose izena zuela esan zidan, eta gaueko elkarretaratze bizian zehar, Rosek eta biok bertako katuei laguntzeko esperientziaren istorioak trukatu genituen. Konplexuan hainbat urtez bizi zela jakin nuen (jabetzarako nahiko berria naiz), eta txertoa, esterilizatu eta esterilizatutako kolonia bat mantentzeko ahaleginak gardenak izan arren, bera ere aldameneko hainbat maizterrengandik jazarria izan zela, eta eraikinaren zuzendaritzatik kaleratzeko mehatxuak ere jaso zituela katuak elikatzeko. Esan beharrik ez dago Rose eta biok lagun azkarrak egin ginen.
Beraz, hantxe geunden, berriketan, katu burudun katua agertu zenean! Rosek jakinarazi zidan katua ontzian sartuta zegoela gutxienez ostegunetik (ia sei egun)! Berak ere orduak eman zituen hura salbatu nahian, eta bere ahaleginetan hondatu egin zuen. Esan zuen ez zuela gehiago saiatu nahi, asteburu osoan negar egin zuela huts egindako saiakerengatik. Erabat ulertu nuen bere samina. Katua harrapatzea, momentu honetan, ezinezkoa zirudien, eta banekien beste saiakera huts bat are suntsigarriagoa izango ginatekeela bioi, baina banekien ere gutako batek ere ezingo zirela alde egin beste saiakera bat egin gabe.
Inolako plangintzarik gabe, lurrean eseri eta nire giltzak jotzen hasi nintzen (katu basatia afaltzeko kanpaia) eta nire ohiko katu ar bat jendetzatik aparte jaten tematzen den esnob samarra denez, jertsearen poltsikoan janari-poltsa txiki bat eduki nuen oraindik (ohiko "Catty Aloof"-i zerbitzatzeko asmoa nuena). Janari poltsa poltsikotik atera, ireki eta giltzekin batera astintzen hasi nintzen. Pot-buruko katua ia hipnotizatua zegoela zirudien: soinua eta usaina batera. Espero nuen hura hurbildu eta laguntzen uztea. Minutu bat pasa eta gero, orain ezinean gelditu eta gosez hil den katuaren atzean Rose lasterka zebilela ikusi nuen. Teklak eta janaria astindu nituen soinua gero eta ozenagoa izan zedin, hark ez zuen alderantz begiratu edo Roseren herrestapenaz ohartu ez zedin. Azkenean, basa-katu bat bera bezala, Rosek jauzi egin zion eta atzetik heldu zion.
Katua basati egin zen, Roseren beso biluziak moztuz. Nire harridurarako, Rosek heldu zion. Jauzi egin nuen, oihukatuz: “EZ UZTEN JOAN!”. Baina potoa hartzera nengoela, katua bere besoetatik jaurti eta urrundu zen. Larrituta, Rosek eta biok, ia bat-batean, hautapen hautagarri batzuk bota genituen, eta biok miserian jaisten hasi ginen bat-batean poteari eusten zuela konturatu ginenean!
Aske da azkenean!
Ene Jainkoa, daukat!
Nolabait, liskar bortitzen garaian, Rosek potoa kentzea lortu zuen! Rosek eskuetan zeukan ontzi zikinari begira jarri zion, sinetsi ezinik errepikatuz: "Ai, ene Jainkoa, badaukat, daukat potea!"
Besoak inguratu nituen. Emakume honek, ezezagun bat baino minutu batzuk lehenago... nire lagun eta bikote berriak katuak erreskatatzeko "krimena" egiten du, eta orain nire heroia! Goizeko 1:00etan egon ginen gure apartamentu-multzoko aparkalekuan besarkada estu batean, besaurreetako borroka-zauri berrietatik odola isuriz. Oraindik nekez sinetsi dezaket. Gertaera osoak ia ezinezkoa dirudi; denbora, zorte guztia, ia onegi egia izateko. Loteria irabazi nuela sentitu nuen. Presa Broadway baino hobea izan zen. Eta Jarhead potorik gabe dago!
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I am sitting here with tears in my eyes. What a wonderful story!! Thank you!
I totally understand saving those precious little souls. Attached is Sister Chic. She was found by my daughter and her friend after being mauled by a dog. It bit her tail off and messed up her back and ears pretty bad. She has six toes on all four feet and is rather unique looking. She has such a personality! In the beginning I told my daughter we'd keep her until we could find her a home. Well, guess what? She found a home alright, with me. We've had her 5 years now and I can't imagine life without her. She is my little soul mate. Guess it was in the cards. We are meant to be together, Sister Chic and I!
You are heros!
Love this story. And thank you to the commenter below who cautions people about their discarded containers, which are indeed a hazard to wildlife. There is a young deer living behind my property who has a length of PVC pipe stuck on this leg. He must have stepped on it and it went right over his hoof. Now he's stuck with it for life. Poor guy. There is no way to catch this wild deer and I am hoping that he will be able to adapt to the plastic pipe and that it won't get infected.
I too rescued a feral with a plastic jar on her head. She would frequent my deck late in the night for a meal, Always Frightened and would scurry off quickly if she noticed me looking. One evening as i peeked out, I spotted her under my car with the jar on her head. I didn't think too much of it other than a small chuckle. To my dismay, she was on my deck still the next morning with the jar still on her head. Fearing the worst for her at that point i proceeded to sneak up on her and try to grab the jar. Didn't work. She ran away , the plastic jar clunking as she frantically ran . Each day I would see her on the property somewhere during my search. Day three, I was alerted by the neighbor's Jack Russel to their barn. I approached thinking that she must be there as the dog was very insistent on entering. Oh what a surprise, I found her stash. Three orange tigers, one silver tiger and a calico, all about three maybe four weeks old and very hungry. Day four and five, no luck, didn't even see her. I though she had perished. Day six came. With some help in the search we located her in the overgrowth and of course she got away. Later that same day, I went back to the area where she had been spotted earlier and to my surprise she was there. I called for help again from my family and one of my "crazy cat lady" friends, Carrie Bartz of Shadow Cat Advocates. Together we surrounded the area. Being cornered little miss ran down in a groundhog hole. Nothing left to do but dig now. After an hour of digging we were able to open the small cavern and force her into a trap. Thank God Carrie was there with her unrelenting grip and guidance. We took her to the clinic where they were finally able to free her from the plastic prison. Friends flocked in to see the cute kittens and they have all been adopted to wonderful homes. Being a feral, momma was very stand offish. While feeding the babies in the other room she heard them and started calling out and after two times before, and against advice, I took the three remaining kitties to her. Instantaneously she loved on them and is now allowing me to hold her and pet her. I think I made the right decision. She has been tested and vaccinated and is now joining our home. Oh and btw Her name is now Mayo.
[Hide Full Comment]God Bless you two, from another rescuer and TNR'. How is Jarhead now?
Sarah and Rose: Congratulations for helping this poor cat and thank you on my behalf, and of my small zoo of abandoned dogs and cats for being an animal lover, that is a great story keep up the good work.
Animal Angels all around us . . .
Awww that is the sweetest story
What a wonderful story--and thank you for being so persistent in your rescue efforts. "Jar Head" kitty has one heck of a will to live! Nonetheless, he must have been scared out of his mind not being able to see where he was going, eat, or drink. Thank goodness he didn't suffocate!
I think there is also a lesson in here about why we can do with less plastic bottles and jars in the world and why the thoughtful thing to do is either reuse the containers or (as a last resort) recycle them. Please don't toss plastic bottles and containers onto landfills or vacant lots--they are harmful to feral kitties.
wonderful story! thanks to people like you these cats have a chance..
Thank you for your kindness and your bravery. You are heroes.
Beautiful, Hui Pono Holoholona understands your love. Mahalo for all you do.
How kind of you and Rose to save this kitty, and know you'll be right back at it. I once knew two old lady cat and dog lovers. One of them was quite wealthy, and they would both hop in her Cadillac and drive around saving neglected and abandoned animals, even going so far as to steal chained up dogs in yards that had no food, water, shade or warmth. She said she didn't care if she was arrested because she had plenty of money and plenty of lawyers. All the evacuees were taken first to the vet, then to the groomers, and home to the best any of us could wish for, until perfect permanent homes could be found. I always thought that if my ship ever came in, it would be a great way to spend my life. I"m 71 now, still without money, but still rescuing.
Wow, thanks for the tears. And thanks for the bravery on both the rescue and the long term endeavor. I too would be a feral cat feeder if I could brave the hatred from the others.
Sarah and Rose... lots of love to your and your cat tribe... what you are doing to serve the animals is a big part of saving the humans and the world...
What a beautiful, heartwarming story Laura! :)
Sweet story.
That is such a touching story! It does my heart so much good to know there are others out there who care about animals enough to really try to help them.
Thank you both for not giving up!! You are angels. :)
Great story! Thanks for being such a kind, compassionate soul! :)
He looks like my very first, much beloved cat Wallace! Gorgeous boy!
Thank you for your kindness and care. It does my heart good to know that both you and Rose found the help you needed and were successful. Meeting a kindred spirit is such a huge blessing too!
What a great story of love and blessed "timing".
The love, caring and knowing that kitty is free made my morning!
Thank you both!
What a wonderful story of caring & friendship- human & feline together!
OMG, this reminds me of my own cat who I originally thought was feral. One terribly hot summer he got his head stuck in a plastic bag. Lucky for him it had a hole that he could breath through but otherwise he was encased. We tried in vain to help him, but he finally managed to get out of it. He turned out to be a traumatized abandoned cat and I slowly befriended him - he's our beloved pet today. Sooo, glad you were able to free that poor cat from the jar!!
Thank you for the tears of happiness :)