Mama Chaos

Tawl gets the award of Claw Storm Bravery.
Hands down.
or up...
...well all over the place.

It started out like a normal day.
With cats.
For I take care of them first in the morning,
making sure the cage is clean and there is fresh food, water, among other things.

Well, a couple of cages hadn't been cleaned out even though they were empty.
-When a cat gets adopted the cage should be cleaned out by that evening in preparation for more cats (if they come) It doesn't always happen as sometimes cats are adopted right at closing.-
So I quickly cleaned up and empty cage,
and moved on down to the next one,
Thinking that it was empty as well.
I'm not sure why....I think I just got into the groove of things and went into auto pilot.

Well I pulled out the bed/home and saw a cat sitting in the litter box.
I was like "Oops."
She looked like a shy cat and glancing at the name I saw she was called Mama.
I'd already dealt with a couple of shy cats,
and I knew that they liked to hide in the homes.
So I slowly slid the home back into the cage.
As I needed to get the cat out of the litter box so I could clean that as well.
Well....when I slid it back in....
Apparently Mama didn't like that.
As she hopped the home and shot out of the cage like a rocket disappearing underneath the whole set up.
No big deal.
I could get her out from under then when I'd finished with the cage itself.

Cage cleaned.
I set to getting Mama.

She wouldn't come out.
I got her into a corner.
And grabbed her by the scruff of the neck like mother cats do to their kittens.

Yah.....she didn't like that.
I almost got her out....
and she went crazy.
Swiped me.
Yep blood. Not much. So I kept at it.
But reaching underneath.
She hissed at me,
growling.
swiping.

I eventually got her out....
only to have her jump to the top of the cages....and fall down the side and get stuck in the crack.
Again. Easy. I have her.
I can grab her now.

Nope.
Escaped again.

So I went for the collar.
It slipped off.

I went for her again, she went on top of the cages again and surprisingly up and over to the metal thingymababber hanging over the door. Balancing on that.
I went for her again.
She escaped me again.

Finally I went for a nearby mop sticking it under the cage...

Nothing.
And I was at risk of getting mauled/bit.

So I finally asked for help on what to do.
Toc replied that we had bite gloves in the saloon.
I went and grabbed them,
a bit more confident.

But.
With hands soo small, even though I could reach her....the gloves were so bulky that I couldn't close my hand to get her out.

And then.
My savior arrived.

Tawl stepped in and told me to step aside.
He took the gloves and slipped them on...they fit him so much better then they did me.
He tried to get her out.
Got her out.
We nearly had her in the cage....but as soon as he set her down...
off she shot again. Up to the door frame....then down...
Underneath. Again.

Tawl then had the great idea to move the cages (they're on wheels) out away from the wall so he could slip behind and grab her.
A Hissing, Clawing, Biting,  Puffy Tail, Storm of a Wild cat came out into the open.

We had no other course but to toss her into the cage and quickly slam the door shut.
Of course, doing that....she immediately sent water and food flying everywhere along with the kitty litter.

The Damage to Me? Six red marks and a tear in the knee of my pants.
I think Tawl escaped any harm though Mama tried her best to get at him.

Poor thing...I was not going to open that cage again any time soon and clean up that mess.

I mean...Tawl and I had a big enough mess outside to clean out...a stinky, acrid smelly mess.
I'm sure we frightened her nearly to death.
And I still had the rest of the cats to finish as well.

Soo poor Mama would have to deal with that mess for a bit.
Not that she moved around the cage much, just sat there in the litter box.

Anyway at the end of that...
It took us nearly an hour to get Mama back in her cage.
And that...was bad.
For Toc had been half an hour late that morning.
Which meant I started work half an hour later.
-The time I should have been done with the cats.
No big deal.
I would still have an hour before Reth showed up to help.
But then Mama....cause that hour to fly by.
Putting me behind.
Way behind.

For I had to do a bedding change this day as well...
One that takes three hours.
And....the store opened in an hour.
ONE HOUR.
For a Three Hour Job.

Can you say...
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!!?!

Yah. I went into hyper speed.
I got all the bedding switched out in an hour. Right before the morning meeting.
That just left getting all the stuff I took out -food, water, home etc- back in.
But with the store open....customers came...so that took a bit longer.

In any case...Reth and I were both a bit frazzled that morning.

But, I'm extremely grateful that Tawl came in to help me.
Because I have no idea how I would have gotten Mama back into her cage otherwise.

Thanks Tawl, for looking out for me. ^^

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi