Now that the kittens are well-established in their new homes, we have turned to new projects. One project was getting cats rounded up for a friend's spay/neuter clinic. We knew there were a couple of unfixed ferals visiting our front feeding station (windowsill) so we set the strap up this past weekend. Imagine our surprise when the cat we caught was unknown to us.

I think the cat we caught was the same one I had seen at least a year before; back then he was small and skinny and probably not full-grown. Now he's an enormous elephant of a cat, with a block head and big jowls. Oddly, he has the highest, breathiest baby-voice ever. We're calling him Chuck Bass. He's totally tame, but of course hasn't been neutered. So he's on the spay van today, I'm hoping the mild cold he seems to have won't keep them from snipping him down.

Other projects include making insulated beds for our outdoor cat shelters and dealing with our new fosters, two old-lady cats with a variety of ailments. Gilda's owner passed away so she's coping with life in a house with slightly younger humans and lots of other cats. She is warming up to us but she seems very thin to me, so we're trying to fatten her up.

Mabel, on the other hand, just lost some weight: we had an huge ear polyp removed from her left ear. Her history is foggy, she was found on the street but must have been in a home once. She is either really old or has had a really hard time of it. The vet also removed several rotten teeth, so not only does she have to endure daily ear drops, she has a whole mouth to heal. She doesn't dig us at all yet, but once the meds are done I hope she will come around. There's just something about a grouchy old cat that makes you want to ingratiate yourself.