Читать книгу Cats For Dummies - Gina Spadafori - Страница 70

After you trap a cat, leave the animal in the cage and cover with towels so the cat feels protected. Next stop: A veterinarian.

Talk to your own veterinarian first. She may well be interested in your project and willing to help, and even if she’s not, she’s likely a good source of referral to other veterinarians who are more actively involved in the care of community cats. Your local animal control agency may have programs in place for community cats already, and if so, these programs can really help you!

What you’re asking your veterinarian to do is make a charitable contribution, of her time and her staff’s time, and of her equipment and supplies. Spaying, in particular, is major surgery, and veterinarians routinely do it at a loss, as their contribution to helping combat animal overpopulation.

Be sure that the veterinarian is aware that you’ll be bringing in untamed cats. These animals are more difficult to handle, and the staff needs a heads-up before you bring any trapped cat in. Good communication is the key to working with your veterinarian under any circumstances, and that’s doubly true when you’re dealing with these special needs cats.

Veterinarians clip the tip off the left ear of a community cat after neutering. That way, if the cat is ever trapped again, cat caretakers and veterinarians will know that the surgery has already been performed. The cut is in a straight line so as not to be confused with damage from fighting or other injury-causing events.