Tula Adventures.

This little story would have been better portrayed by Lucy and Ethel - it's that comedic!

We got the live trap set up on the porch by the kitchen door at the inn after dinner was done and we were heading home.

Yes- that is a depression glass relish dish in the back - we needed something for water and the food bowl took up most of the space so I needed something skinny.

A towel on top to provide some privacy, a crate on top of that to keep the wind from blowing it away -

The rocking chair pulled close next to it to keep the towel in place on the trap side - so it wouldn't flip up during the wind gusts either.

It looks like it would work - it should work?

But what we didn't expect was who it would catch first!

I barely get home - like 20 minutes after setting the trap, and in comes this call from Irene saying "We've caught a cat!  Only it's NOT Tula!"

Oh sheesh.  

Even funnier - Tula was outside the trap, batting away at the cat who came inside to steal her food - it was quite comical!

The consensus was to open the trap and set it again, scare off the imposter cat and wait.

The trapped cat shot out of the trap like he was carbonated and all shook up and disappeared to who knows where.

After that - Tula was not trusting of the trap at all.

Can't say I don't blame her!

(Photo taken through the door window in the dark by porch light.)

Later on, Irene went out to the porch to see if she could coax Tula inside the trap toward her food.

Success!  But the hard part was knowing she'd have to just stay there on the porch in the trap until morning when I could get there and check on things.

The morning was nice enough (we were in the upper 70s yesterday!) that I could move the trap off the porch and onto the grass in the shade where she could look around and hopefully relax.

Food dish dumped over at some point during her day before I got the call that the mobile vet was on the way over to Martha's where she would tend to Tula and to Martha's cow Betsy.

As scared as she was, she didn't make a sound the whole drive over.  Poor thing - she really had no idea what was going on.

Since Betsy was being uncooperative and wouldn't come up to the barn to eat so she could be examined, we started in on Tula first.

A shot for sedation - and within a few minutes she face planted herself out cold.

We brought her over to the grass where we laid her out on a sterile pad. The vet, Karen, was as gentle with this little kitty as she could be fierce with an angry goat or persnickety cow.

She shaved the foot first - checking out what had caused the abscess.  Bite mark.  Likely from another cat in a fight.

That tended to, a 12-day antibiotic shot was given, an anti-inflammatory shot followed that, and finally a shot for rabies.

We then shaved her belly to see if there was a spay scar.  Nope.

She then brought out the ultrasound equipment to check what we both dreaded.

It turns out that Tula will be a teen-age mother in about 6 weeks time. 

I'm crestfallen - I had hoped to get her spayed ASAP.

She is wild - but doing better.  Still - while I don't mind a porch kitty who lives outside - I cannot bring her in to have a litter of kittens.

When I posted a bit about her on Facebook/Instagram I got slammed by people telling me what I needed to do, what I should do, what I must do - and they don't know me or my situation.

I stopped reading comments.

This is a feral cat who is just starting to become people-friendly.

I've already poured quite a bit of money into her with the vet yesterday. I do not want to give her away to a shelter.  But I am afraid she is going to have these kittens somewhere that we can't reach them - because she is wild and I am not going to captivate her and hold her hostage.

She is likely to have the kittens in June when I am gone the ENTIRE MONTH.

I have people to feed/water while I am gone - but to care for newborn kittens?

I'm not sure having this litter of kittens is best for her and I really am leaning toward a spay while pregnant.

We get cats dumped out here all the time, and it took this long to be able to trap her and get her seen to which was the most important thing on the agenda. 

I figure I have the weekend to think about it. And to try to find a place that will take care of it.

All of this was swirling through my head as I drove her home - and of course as she was coming out of her sedation she was bouncing off the walls of the trap just wanting out.

When we got back, I laid the trap on the grass and we opened the door and she took off like a bottle rocket - down toward the creek.

I honestly had no idea if she would even come back.  I wouldn't blame her if she didn't.

But evidently - she got hungry.  She came back last evening just before dark.

As I sat in my van and contemplated all of this before coming into the house last night I noticed that my lilac bushes are getting their spring leaves.  Time marches on.

Why do I feel like the weight of her whole world is on my shoulders as if she were a person?

And I am so angry at jerks who dump off animals!  Especially without getting the neutered - leaving the problem to be dealt with in the wild, or for some unsuspecting inn keeper who just wants to help. (me)

I'm toying with leaving comments off on this post - just because - too many voices already, you know?

I pondered all of this while starting in on the 3rd round of fans toward the center of my baskets quilt.

Finally into the baskets!

With Ivy to supervise -

At least SHE was spayed before she was dumped off near the inn and came to find us for the same reason - food, shelter, love and comfort.

New River Star PDF pattern purchases are still flying out of the Quiltville Store and the Quiltville Etsy Pattern Shop.

The introductory price is already marked 25% off and is good through 3/31/23 - no coupon code needed.

Hop on over to the Gift-Away post and get your entry in. 

All of the pattern details and particulars are there -

I'll be drawing for two winners who will each receive a New River Star PDF pattern from me and a Facets of Blue color roll from Cotton to Quilts!

Drawing happens MONDAY 3/27/23 so Hurry!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

When I can't control the big things, I focus on the little things that make me happy!

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Little things that I CAN manage.

I think that includes trimming up the last round of paper pieced units for my current project today.

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Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!⁣