I need to supply some background about “The Pen” before relating the tragedy from Sunday, October 11th.
About 8 years ago, my wife and I found a colony of ferals living in the small park next to the parking lot where we both worked. We trapped them, spayed/neutered them and started feeding them. We set up a nice area hidden quite well by bushes for them, complete with straw-filled coolers wrapped in plastic and water dishes and dry food feeders. Every morning before work we’d feed them and even on weekends we’d make a special trip out and make sure all was well. There were 6 of them. This went on for over a year.
Then one day we found the bushes all torn out, the shelters broken and scattered and the feeders completely destroyed. The “Kitty City” we had so carefully built and nurtured was no more. We learned that the person in charge of the park had found the cats and shelters and ordered everything destroyed.
Facing impending death, we decided the best thing we could do for the colony was to trap and relocate them. But where to? In our backyard we had an unused dog run, about 7 feet wide and 18 feet long. A few visits to Home Depot and we had a roof over the top and pavers for the floor. Over time we added shelves and shelters, makeshift litter boxes and the existing dog house was used to put their dry food in.
We trapped them and transported them to their new home, where they’ve been for almost 7 hears now. Since then, 3 have died. Their names are:
- Mr. Pib (acronym for Pain In the Butt)
- Jasmine
- Silvie
- Misty
- Bandit
- JJ
And that’s the short of it. The most recent tragedy involves Bandit and will be chronicled tomorrow or soon after that.
