Returned

So like a month ago, on our way back from our Arizona vacation, my mom got a text from our neighbor, who was watching the house, saying that there was a lady who wanted to take one of the kittens.

You see we have this unofficial outdoor cat, named Dove, that I semi-tamed who has litters of kittens 3-4 times a year that she likes to bring to us (as we feed them) when they get old enough to be weaned.

Normally we don't do much with the kittens.
We feed them, do what we can to tame them down....
But they usually end up vanishing after a while. Whether to death or to people taking them...unknown.

In any case.
A woman wanted one of the current kittens that Dove had.
So she apparently tried to take one...
Only to get scratched and bitten in return.

Which isn't surprising. They hadn't yet got to that 'tame level.'
We were barely getting past the "I can only touch you while you're distracted eating" stage.

So to have some stranger come, pick up the kitten and apparently try to shove it in a carrier?

Yah, no. Not surprised at all that she got hurt in the process.

She ended up going home kittenless.

But apparently got worried that she might end up with rabies.
And therefore called...I think it was animal control or something?

As within the week of getting home (I think) a truck came by to inform my dad that they would be trapping the kittens to quarantine them to make sure they didn't have rabies and then would fix them before releasing them back to the neighborhood.

As they do this 'catch, fix, release' program to return feral cats to their familiar territory and such.

And so they came and took the kittens.

But for the past...idk monthish? 
We haven't known for sure what had happened to Dove. The mother.

I mean, she's a smart kitty. 
She has to be.
She's 11 years old.
And considering most feral cats only live 2-3 years.
She's quite the wily creature.

But we hadn't seen her since they came to take the kittens. 

We didn't know if she'd been scared off or taken as well.

But yesterday (or for me today) we found out the answer.

The group had somehow managed to capture her. O.o 

Surprising. She's resisted attempts in the past.

But yesterday a truck pulled up in front of the house, and Kikay happened to be present. 
And she saw them release Dove back in the neighbor's yard, though she promptly ran across the street and disappeared in that backyard. 

But upon striking up a conversation with the people.
She discovered that the kittens wouldn't be returning. They'd been fixed and were going to be adopted.

Which I'm happy to hear.
As they were mellowing out and were still pretty young to be tamed. So the fact that they're going to find homes is great. 

And because they also caught Dove. 
She too got fixed.

Which means that this past litter of kittens....was her last.

Which....I'm halfway sad about because I loved seeing the little kitties when I would come home. 
But at the same time.
It's probably about time.

I mean. 
She's Eleven. 
She's old.
She probably shouldn't be having any more litters of kittens anyways. 

I'm just glad that she's still alive.

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

-Sarnic Dirchi