10/31/2026
It's Only Friday, and I Think I've Already Lived Three Weeks This Week. 🫠
A little recap of what we've been up to at Cerro Gordo TNR & Rescue this week, because apparently we don't believe in slowing down around here. I've been trying to post more and keep everyone updated so it doesn't have to be long long posts every time but it's only been 2 days ahahah.
Between trapping until 4 or 5 in the morning, running cats all over the place, cleaning kennels, checking on sick babies, and accidentally operating a free buffet for every possum in Cerro Gordo County, it's been a LONG 2 days. But we've also gotten quite a bit accomplished, even if it doesn't always feel like it!
First, we've welcomed TWO new little bottle babies into the rescue! ❤️ I know we've been saying we're not accepting any more cats right now, and unfortunately, we really are at capacity. However, we happened to have a bottle feeder with an opening, and when we have someone available who can provide the specialized care these tiny babies need, we certainly want to make use of that opportunity. So we welcomed one little turd earlier this week, and he's doing great! Then today, we brought in another little guy who is about a week apart in age. We wanted our first baby to have a friend, and now he does! I'm still not entirely sure what's going on with the new one's eyes. Initially, I thought he was just an exceptionally derpy-looking little creature, but her foster said there might be some Siamese in there somewhere. 😂 Either way, he's ridiculously cute!
Now, let's talk about Wednesday night. 🌧️
Wednesday was an absolute disaster as far as trapping goes. It was raining, everything was wet, and apparently every possum within a 10-mile radius decided that MY traps were the place to be. Possum after possum after possum, followed by cats I've already fixed, followed by MORE cats I've already fixed. I appreciate everyone's enthusiasm for free food, but I was out until somewhere around 4 or 5 in the morning and had absolutely no luck catching the cats I was actually after.
Thankfully, we still managed to get FIVE cats fixed through our scheduled appointments, so the day wasn't a total loss! A huge thank you to Jean Gettis husband for transporting them and to Ranee Cross for picking them up!!!
Thursday wasn't exactly a day of rest either.
After getting home around 5 a.m. and getting a little bit of sleep, it was right back to cat business. We had ferals coming back from appointments, cats to get situated, and about a hundred other things that needed to happen. Carol, being the absolute lifesaver that she is, cleaned out ALL the kennels in my garage. Which, considering the number of cats we've had coming and going, is no small task. I seriously don't know what I'd do without her.
I also headed over to Carol's to check on some kittens who weren't eating well. Of course, I had to say hello to all the little foster babies while I was there, and they're all just the cutest little things in the entire world. PLEASE ADOPT THEM. From there, I went to another foster's house to help clean kennels and get everyone situated. We also got another previously unaltered kitty fixed, which is always a win! Between checking on kittens, cleaning up after everyone, coordinating cats, and driving from one place to another, Thursday disappeared pretty quickly. At this point, I'm fairly certain I spend more time in my car than I do in my house.
And then came Friday. Which is TODAY.
I started the day getting some cats released, including our absolutely MASSIVE gentleman. And when I say massive, I mean this cat has a head approximately the size of my own. I genuinely don't know if I've ever seen cheeks quite like his. I want to pinch them. I want to squish his big fat face. I want to bring him inside my house and keep him forever. Unfortunately, I cannot keep every cat whose face I find particularly squishable, which I personally think is a terrible rule. 😂
I also made a trip to the vet to pick up some B12 medication for Miss Daisy Mae, who continues to be a walking medical case. That girl apparently decided having one medical issue at a time would be entirely too boring. After getting cats released and medication picked up, I headed out to Swaledale to try my luck with the last two kittens from a litter we've been working on for quite a while.
I DONT have the space for them but they are losing their feeder and will die out there. They are probably only 8-10 weeks old.
I told myself I was absolutely, positively leaving before dark. Which is hilarious because I know myself, and there was absolutely no chance I was leaving without those kittens if I could help it. I was fully prepared to hunker down out there until I couldn't see a thing, despite telling myself otherwise.
When I got there, I realized there wasn't any food left in the shed. With the situation happening out there right now, we have little to no consistent feeding help, and my stomach just sank. I had no idea when those cats had last eaten, and I immediately started worrying about how long they'd been going without food. I set two traps inside the shed for the remaining kittens and went back to my car to wait. Not long afterward, one of the adult cats came over and just stared at me. Well, that about broke my heart. All I could think about was how hungry she might be, so I grabbed a dish of food and headed over to put it down for her.
On my way past the shed, I figured I'd take a quick peek at the traps. I was quiet as a mouse, mind you. Practically a professional at this point. I looked at the first trap, and nothing. Empty. Then I looked down at the second trap, and there they were. TWO KITTENS. STANDING SIDE BY SIDE. BOTH INSIDE THE SAME TRAP. Except the trap wasn't closed. They were literally inches away from the trigger plate, and I swear they were probably seconds away from setting it off. They looked up at me, I looked down at them, and then they both scattered because apparently my stupid face was the most terrifying thing they'd ever encountered. 😭 I could have screamed. I had managed to interrupt the exact thing I'd been sitting there waiting for.
Thankfully, after giving them some space, I came back a little while later, and BOTH little criminals had gone right back into the same trap. And this time, WE GOT THEM! They're actually quite a bit smaller than I expected, which is wonderful news for socialization. They're still spicy little things, though. I have a video of them absolutely ping-ponging around the trap like popcorn when the cover was briefly off. I felt terrible because they were so scared, but they're safe now, and that's what matters. We've been trying to catch these two for quite a while, so getting them both at once was a pretty nice way to end the day!
They'll be joining the other Swaledale kittens in my garage for now, but I currently have FIVE kittens who desperately need foster homes where someone can spend time socializing them. They don't all need to stay together, and splitting up spicy kittens can actually make socialization much easier. If you've ever wanted to help turn a tiny, suspicious, hissing little goblin into a loving house cat, BOY DO I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU. 😂 Even taking one or two would make a huge difference. They need people who can spend time with them consistently, and I simply cannot give all five the individual attention they deserve while trying to keep everything else running.
We're also getting SO close to finishing up two separate colonies!
Which is incredibly exciting, but these last few cats are really testing me. Trapping at night has been absolutely awful lately. I'm spending entire nights sitting out until 4 or 5 in the morning, sometimes coming home with only one cat, or absolutely nothing to show for it. I still need to get back to the trailer park for a few remaining cats, but the problem is that they're showing up during the DAY, not at night. No matter how long I sit out there after dark, I can't catch cats who aren't there! We also have one more mama cat to catch in Swaledale. I believe we've got some Friday appointments coming up toward the end of November, so I'm really hoping we can make some progress on these last few stragglers.
I really, really need volunteers who can trap during daylight hours. You don't necessarily have to have experience. We can help with that part! But having people available during the day would make an enormous difference. I love these cats dearly, but I would also love to occasionally see the inside of my bed before 5 a.m. And while we're talking about Swaledale, we also desperately need to figure out consistent feeding arrangements for the remaining cats. With the current circumstances out there, that's becoming a serious concern, and I don't want any of them going hungry.
We also made it out to visit Ashley with Respectfully Ferals today! ❤️
Ashley cares for around 18 cats on her farm, and we've been trying to figure out some additional winter shelter options for everyone. I had several large, hard-sided dog carriers that I simply didn't have room to store anymore. I didn't particularly want them sitting outside in my driveway all winter, so I figured we might as well put them to good use! I brought them out to Ashley's, where we can work on converting them into insulated, weatherproof winter shelters with straw. If I ever need any of them back for rescue use, I can always go get them, so it works out pretty perfectly. We also have three more stored in one of our foster's garages that we may be able to use.
There's actually SO much potential out at Ashley's farm. Unfortunately, the previous owners left quite a bit of stuff behind in the barns and sheds, and some of those areas could really use a good cleaning and organizing. We're tossing around the idea of getting some volunteers together for a cleanup day so we can make better use of those spaces and potentially create some nice, sheltered areas for the cats. It's a beautiful property with a lot of possibilities, and I think with a little work and a few extra hands, we could accomplish quite a bit out there. If that's something you'd be interested in helping with, please let me know!
And now, some thank-yous, because I owe about a million of them this week. ❤️
To everyone who has helped transport cats this week, THANK YOU. Seriously. Every single person who offers to drive cats to appointments, pick them up afterward, or help get them where they need to go takes an enormous amount of pressure off me. There's simply no way I could keep all of this moving without people willing to help. I appreciate you more than I can express.
And CAROL. Oh, Carol. I could thank this woman a thousand times a day for the rest of my life, and it still wouldn't be enough. She does SO much behind the scenes, and she's absolutely wonderful at working with cats and getting them comfortable with people. Between helping with kennels, caring for fosters, checking on kittens, coordinating things, and all the other little tasks that somehow turn into enormous tasks, she's been such a huge part of keeping this rescue going.
But guys, WE HAVE GOT TO GET SOME OF THESE CATS ADOPTED OUT OF CAROL'S HOUSE! She's doing such a fantastic job socializing them, and we have some wonderful cats who are ready for their own families. The problem is that when our foster homes are full, we can't continue bringing in more cats who need help. We need to keep cats moving through the rescue, not because we don't love having them, but because every successful adoption opens up space for another cat who desperately needs somewhere safe to go. There are so many wonderful cats waiting for homes right now, and I would absolutely love to see some of them finally get that chance.
To everyone who has dropped off supplies recently, donated food, helped cover expenses, offered transportation this week. I know I'm not always the greatest at acknowledging everyone individually, and I'm still behind on messages, but please don't mistake my lack of time for a lack of appreciation. I see the help, and I am so incredibly grateful for it.
So, if you're wondering how you can help right now, we have no shortage of opportunities! We desperately need foster homes willing to socialize kittens, volunteers available for daytime trapping, help with feeding the remaining Swaledale cats, and potentially some extra hands for a farm cleanup and winter shelter project. Transportation is always needed (I think I have appointments next week with no transportation arrangements) and of course, donations and supplies help keep everything moving. But one of the absolute biggest things we need right now is ADOPTERS. We have cats who are ready to go home, and getting them adopted is what allows us to continue helping the ones still outside.
If you've been thinking about adopting, please take a look at the cats in our care! And even if you can't adopt, sharing their posts helps us reach people who might be looking for their new best friend. ❤️
Adoption application: https://painted-ironclad-d2c.notion.site/a5e9e3761f7442a384c398933b5d61d3?pvs=105
Sometimes I look back at everything we've accomplished, and I'm incredibly proud of how far we've come. Other times, I'm sitting in my car at 4 a.m., soaking wet, staring at yet another possum in my trap, questioning every decision that led me to this exact moment. 😂 Usually, it's a little bit of both. But despite the exhaustion, the setbacks, and the never-ending list of things that need to get done, we're making progress. Cats are getting fixed, kittens are getting safe, foster families are helping them learn to trust people, and we're slowly getting closer to finishing some of these colonies.
And somehow, after ALL of that, it's STILL ONLY FRIDAY. I don't even want to know what Saturday has planned for me but Community cats deserve community care. ❤️🐾
