Rain is usually a good thing, but if it keeps up this afternoon I won't be able to plant anything out at my parent's farm. I've had plans all week to dig a long flower bed beneath my brother's window (wild flower mix, some perennials) a couple smaller beds beside the gazebo (vines, one is beans the other an annual purplish flower) and a few small beds around the out-buildings for Lupines, which I started in April.
Yesterday I planted my own seedlings! There are Bachelor's Buttons, Blanket Flowers, Malva, Purple Bells and Hosta (that came as five seedlings in a plastic bag for $10! Usually I pay a minimum of $6 for one.)
I hope that most of them survive.
I'm also getting nervous about the farm because this year, I am calling Animal Control for help. Longtime readers might remember that since my parents' health has declined, they have not been able to handle the cats that are reproducing at an alarming rate - at last count, there were over fifty coming in & out of the house and another fifty outside. This is up by 100% from last year! My brother works away and has been providing food but cannot keep up with medical intervention. In the past he has taken various animals to be spade or neutered; he also gives them shots of penicillin at home but there are outbreaks of worms, mites, fleas and disease.
I've informed my sister but not my brother because he will be the one to fight me on it. I think he's trying to avoid a kitten massacre but at this point it is more humane to euthanise. I just hope that the govt. body understands that my parents have had no control over it - we do NOT want them to be shamed publicly, either on the news or in the local papers. My mum is 84 and very fragile.
If I do go out there today, I might bring it up again just so that they know we're serious about it. We need to make sure that they can stay in that house until they die, which is their wish. It's the only way it's going to happen - even now, the air quality is questionable due to all the dander and waste. BUT we can do a big clean once all the animals are removed (with the exception of Lucy, the border collie that was Dale and Jamie's and two other cats that are fixed.)
*sigh*
Enough of that!
This is May long weekend, so I have tomorrow off as well. If I can't plant today, there is always tomorrow. Have a good one!
I'm with you all the way. I'm a great saver of animals and have five rescued dogs and at one time had eight rescued cats but when all their quality of life is at stake it's time to euthanise. There are many feral cats where I live and there are many people who feed them but the cats are full of fleas and worms and in bad general health and euthanasia is the only humane way to deal with this.
ReplyDeleteEven taking your parents health out of the equation, the cats must be struggling.
I will be very interested to see how you cope. I wish I could help.
I'm a cat lover but that situation is .... should I say ridiculous? it's definitely sad.....
ReplyDeleteI hope you have success with your plants. This spring's weather has really played havoc with those of us who love, or have to, garden.It's raining right now here, ho hum, as usual.
ReplyDeleteThe cats--you're right, of course. I hope there's no publicity, but, unfortunately, the media thrive on things like that.
Sorry to hear about all of the cats but it is true, at this point euthanization would be better. I doubt you could find homes for so many feral animals. Used to humans as they are, cats on a farm are never easy to train or have in a city.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, how about you send me some rain? I am NEED the rain!
It's raining here today too, we are moving (again) to a house, supposed to start today, so I hope it stops soon!
ReplyDeleteThat's hard about the cats, but it's just going to continue and get much, much worse. Keep us posted.
Yes that cat thing needs to be knocked down.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing the right thing.
Love,
Bobby
this saddens me. having been a vet tech for almost 40 years and helping with rescue and hoarding seizures...100 cats. I hope you can do more than just 'bring it up'...may you get the help you need and save these cats more misery.
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